Type 2 diabetes is associated with low muscle mass in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to clarify the association between type 2 diabetes and the risk of low muscle mass in older adults.


METHODS
In the present study, 414 adults aged 65 years or older (144 patients with type 2 diabetes and 270 control participants) were included. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Low muscle mass was defined as the appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height(2) (ASM/Ht(2)) or appendicular skeletal muscle mass/weight (ASM/Wt) of <2 SD below the sex-specific normal mean of the young reference group, or <lower 20th percentile of total body skeletal muscle mass/weight (TSM/Wt) from control participants.


RESULTS
Older men with type 2 diabetes showed significantly lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass than those without diabetes (19.5 ± 3.5 kg vs 21.0 ± 2.8 kg, P < 0.001). The prevalence of low muscle mass was consistently higher in older men with diabetes than those without diabetes defined by ASM/Ht(2) (57.6% vs 41.5%, P = 0.040), ASM/Wt (23.7% vs 12.3%, P = 0.046) and TSM/Wt (49.2% vs 20.0%, P < 0.001). In older women with diabetes, the prevalence of low muscle mass was higher than those without diabetes by ASM/Wt (25.9% vs 15.0%, P = 0.044) and TSM/Wt (32.9% vs 20.0%, P = 0.030), but not by ASM/Ht(2) (7.1% vs 8.6%, P = 0.685). The risk of low muscle mass was approximately two- to fourfold higher in older adults with type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, current smoking and other risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
In Korean older adults, type 2 diabetes is associated with low muscle mass.
Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
Kyung-Soo
KS
Kim
Kyung-Sun
KS
Park
Moon-Jong
MJ
Kim
Soo-Kyung
SK
Kim
Yong-Wook
YW
Cho
Seok Won
SW
Park
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
elderly diabetes; sarcopenia; type 2 diabetes