The longitudinal association between possible new sarcopenia and the depression trajectory of individuals and their intimate partners

Abstract

BackgroundIt is currently unknown whether the dynamic nature of depression affects the development of sarcopenia. Herein, this study aims to assess the association between possible new sarcopenia and the depression trajectory of individuals and their intimate partners through a 4-year longitudinal cohort study.MethodsOur study included 784 pairs of individuals without possible sarcopenia and their spouses from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011. All individuals and their spouses received three assessments of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 10-item (CESD-10) scale in 2011, 2013, and 2015. According to the diagnostic algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019, we evaluated the incidence of possible sarcopenia in individuals in 2015. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify a longitudinal depression trajectory of individuals and their spouses during a 4-year follow-up. Subsequently, we assessed the relationship between possible sarcopenia and depression trajectory using three generalized additive models.ResultsIn 2015, 24.87% (195/784) of individuals were diagnosed with possible sarcopenia. LCA identified five depression trajectories: a persistently high risk of depression in individuals and their spouses (reference; class 1 = 34 [4.3%]); a persistently low risk of depression in individuals and their spouses (class 2 = 526 [67.1%]); a high risk of depression in individuals and a low risk of depression in spouses (class 3 = 46 [5.9%]); a low risk of depression in individuals and a high risk of depression in spouses (class 4 = 116 [14.8%]); and a reduced risk of depression in individuals and their spouses (class 5 = 62 [7.9%]). The highest incidence of possible sarcopenia was shown in class 1, followed by classes 3 and 5. Classes 2 (adjusted relative risk (RR) = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20–0.97) and 4 (adjusted RR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.17–0.96) had a significantly lower incidence of possible sarcopenia than class 1. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the incidence of possible sarcopenia in class 4 was obviously higher in women (38.89%) than in men (18.4%).ConclusionsOur study indicates a persistently high risk of depression in individuals to develop possible sarcopenia. In addition, a persistently high risk of depression in intimate partners potentially increases the risk of possible new sarcopenia, especially in female individuals who are at low risk of depression.

Depression and risk of sarcopenia: a national cohort and Mendelian randomization study

“…Our study findings indicate an increased risk of sarcopenia associated with depression, with higher CESD-10 scores being correlated with lower reported ASM values. This is consistent with existing cross-sectional evidence on the correlation between depression and sarcopenia and its components, despite the use of different measures to assess depression ( 35 , 49 – 53 ). In an early observational study by Yanagita et al ( 54 ), which included 2,856 Japanese-American men aged 71−93 years, depressed individuals showed a significant decline in gait speed compared to the healthy population.…”

“…Based on previous studies, we collected several potential confounding variables to adjust for the association between depression and skeletal muscle mass ( 4 , 35 ). These variables include individual sociodemographic characteristics and health-related factors.…”

“…Several studies have shown strong consistency between the ASM equation model and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements (32,33). The threshold for defining low muscle mass is based on the lowest 20% of gender-specific height-adjusted muscle mass (ASM/Ht 2 ) in the study population (34). Therefore, an ASM/Ht 2 value <5.42 kg/m 2 for females and <7.08 kg/m 2 for males is considered indicative of low muscle mass.…”

Longitudinal association between the dynamic nature of depression with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH)

“…A previous study also revealed that the CES-D has adequate reliability and validity for assessing depression in middle-aged and elderly Chinese community-dwelling individuals [ 21 ]. A total CES-D score ≥ 12 was regarded as indicative of depression according to previous studies [ 21 – 24 ].…”

“…Finally, one predefined subgroup analysis stratified by age (≥ 60 or < 60 years) was performed to determine whether age could affect the relationship between the dynamic nature and risk of LUTS/BPH according to a previous study [ 28 ]. We completed all the statistical analyses via Empower (R) software ( www.empowerstats.com ; X&Y Solutions, Inc., Boston, MA, USA) [ 24 , 26 ]. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs were used to represent the strength of all analyses, and a two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.…”