A new study published in the journal Maturitasindicates that several socio-demographic, health, anthropometric and lifestyle factors are linked with a higher and lower risk for sarcopenia.
In this cross-sectional study, researchers investigated the associations between various factors and sarcopenia in a population (n=396,283) identified from the UK Biobank. The factors were grouped into four categories: socio-demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and health status.
Factors associated with a higher likelihood of sarcopenia included age; female sex; lower education; higher deprivation; underweight; lower birth weight; and chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic bronchitis, osteoporosis and psoriasis. Factors associated with a lower likelihood of sarcopenia were overweight; obesity; and a higher intake of energy, protein, vitamins (B12 and B9) and minerals (potassium, calcium and magnesium).
The authors concluded: "Considering that with the increase in the ageing population, the illnesses associated are likely to rise as well, public health strategies to prevent or delay ageing diseases are more urgent than ever."
