AUTHOR=Fantin Francesco , Giani Anna , Manzato Gisella , Zampieri Annachiara , Comellato Gabriele , Urbani Silvia , Zoico Elena , Mazzali Gloria , Zamboni Mauro TITLE=Sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and arterial stiffness among older adults JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine VOLUME=11 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1272854 DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2024.1272854 ISSN=2297-055X ABSTRACT=Background

Aging is associated with a higher prevalence of sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity (SO), and increased arterial stiffening, with possible detrimental effects on morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between sarcopenia, SO, and different indexes of arterial stiffness in older adults.

Methods

A total of 77 hospitalized patients (mean age 78.68 ± 9.65 years) were evaluated, obtaining anthropometric variables, biochemical samples, handgrip test, and body composition assessment. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by measuring both carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a proxy for central stiffness, and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), as well as considering peripheral arteries. The population was sorted into four subgroups: obese, sarcopenic, SO, and controls.

Results

The highest CAVI (11.31 ± 2.58) was found in sarcopenic patients. SO had the highest value of cfPWV (15.18 ± 8.44 m/s), even after adjustment for significant covariates. In multiple regressions, SO diagnosis resulted as a significant predictor of cfPWV (p = 0.03, R2 = 0.20), and sarcopenia diagnosis resulted as a predictor of CAVI (p = 0.042, R2 = 0.12).

Conclusions

In conclusion, a positive correlation is found between sarcopenia, SO, and arterial stiffness among older subjects. In particular, greater central arterial stiffness is associated with SO, outlining a remarkable effect on the cardiovascular risk profile.