title: Association Between Sarcopenia and Metabolic Syndrome in Cancer Survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced cancer treatments have improved survival from cancer, but the incidence of cardiovascular disease in survivors has recently increased. Sarcopenia and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are related to cancer survival, and sarcopenia is an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, evidence of a relationship between sarcopenia and MetS in cancer survivors is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and MetS in cancer survivors and to investigate independent predictors of MetS in cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutritional Exam Survey (2008-2011), 798 consecutive cancer survivors were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by weight less than 1 SD below the sex-specific healthy population aged 20 to 39 years. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program definition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 798 cancer survivors, the prevalence rates of sarcopenia and MetS were 23.1% and 30.0%, respectively. Survivors with sarcopenia were more likely to have a higher waist circumference, body mass index, triglyceride level, and blood pressure and to have a lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level compared with those without sarcopenia. In multivariable analysis, sarcopenia was an independent predictor of MetS (odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.92-3.97). In addition, age and type of cancer were independent predictors of MetS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sarcopenia was associated with an increased prevalence of MetS in cancer survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions to prevent sarcopenia may be necessary to improve cardiovascular outcome in cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Graduate School of Nursing and College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nam Cho
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000209:etiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*