The Association between Sarcopenic Obesity and Depressive Symptoms in Older Japanese Adults

Abstract

The effects of sarcopenic obesity, the co-existence of sarcopenia and obesity, on mood disorders have not been studies extensively. Our objective was to examine the association of depressive symptoms with sarcopenia and obesity status in older Japanese adults. We analyzed data from 1731 functionally-independent, community-dwelling Japanese adults aged 65 years or older (875 men, 856 women) randomly selected from the resident register of Kashiwa city, Chiba, Japan in 2012. Sarcopenia was defined based on appendicular skeletal muscle mass, grip strength and usual gait speed. Obesity was defined as the highest sex-specific quintile of the percentage body fat. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item score ≥ 6. Multiple logistic regression was employed to examine the association of depressive symptoms with four groups defined by the presence/absence of sarcopenia and obesity. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 10.1% and the proportions of sarcopenia/obesity, sarcopenia/non-obesity, non-sarcopenia/obesity, non-sarcopenia/non-obesity were 3.7%, 13.6%, 16.9% and 65.8%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, sarcopenia/obesity was positively associated with depressive symptoms compared with non-sarcopenia/non-obesity, whereas either sarcopenia or obesity alone was not associated with depressive symptoms. The association was particularly pronounced in those aged 65 to 74 years in age-stratified analysis. We conclude that our findings suggest a synergistic impact exerted by sarcopenic obesity on the risk of depressive symptoms, particularly in those aged 65 to 74 years.

Relationship between sarcopenia and depression in older patients with diabetes: An investigation using the Japanese version of SARC‐F

“…Conversely, in this study, body mass index was notably higher in men in the sarcopenia group; that is, sarcopenic obesity was a possibility. A previous study of older patients in the area reported a relationship between sarcopenia and depression . However, in the present study, where body mass index was adjusted using multivariate analysis in men, there was still a strong relationship between sarcopenia and depression.…”

Sarcopenic obesity predicts nonremission of late‐life depression

“…9,22,23 In these studies, however, only depressive symptoms were measured while no formal DSM-IV diagnosis was confirmed. 9,22,23 In these studies, however, only depressive symptoms were measured while no formal DSM-IV diagnosis was confirmed.…”

“…14 Proposed mechanisms underlying this vicious circle between muscle loss and obesity are insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal changes. 9,22,23 In the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey among community-based persons aged 20 years and older, sarcopenic obesity was associated with a lower level of psychological health and quality of life 9 but not with depression. 8,15 Sarcopenic obesity has been associated with metabolic and functional impairments as well as increased mortality rates.…”

“…14 Skeletal muscle mass widely differs between obese persons, and low muscle mass is associated with specific health risks. 23 The only longitudinal study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, found that sarcopenic obesity, indexed by sex-stratified handgrip strength (kg) of the dominant hand and BMI, predicted the onset of depressive symptoms (self-report depression severity scale) in 3862 community-dwelling, nondepressed older adults. 8,16,17 Meta-analysis of longitudinal population studies has identified a robust association between depression and obesity.…”

Depression and Handgrip Strength Among U.S. Adults Aged 60 Years and Older from NHANES 2011–2014

“…Most recently, an accumulation of evidence has suggested that diagnoses of sarcopenia and sarcopenia with obesity are associated with depression (19–22). However, large dataset studies have also reported findings on no associations between sarcopenia and depression (23, 24). …”