Geriatric Vulnerabilities Among Obese Older Adults With and Without Sarcopenia: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cohort Study.
Kathleen R Dondero, Jason R Falvey, Brock A Beamer and 1 others
PMID 35981333WHAT IT FOUND
Obese older adults with sarcopenia had 6.4 times the odds of being frail and twice the odds of social isolation, depression, and pain compared to obese peers without sarcopenia.
Screen for these vulnerabilities before prescribing weight loss or exercise.
Key findings
01Sarcopenic obese older adults had 6.4 times the odds of being frail compared to obese older adults without sarcopenia.
02Sarcopenic obese older adults were more likely to report activity-limiting pain (OR=2.01) and depressive symptoms (OR=2.50) than non-sarcopenic obese older adults.
03Sarcopenic obese older adults reported higher rates of hospitalization in the last year (26% vs 19%) and falls in the last month (14% vs 9%) compared to non-sarcopenic obese older adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if sarcopenia causes these vulnerabilities or if they co-occur. BMI was self-reported, which may introduce inaccuracies in identifying obesity. Participants missing physical performance data were excluded. These individuals were older, sicker, and more likely female, meaning the study may underestimate the true severity of vulnerabilities in the most impaired patients. The analysis adjusted for age and sex but did not account for other potential confounders like socioeconomic status or specific comorbidities in the primary odds ratio calculations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that weight loss is the primary goal for all obese older adults. This study suggests that those with sarcopenia are at high risk for frailty and functional decline, and aggressive caloric restriction without addressing muscle loss may worsen their condition.