Impact of changes in sarcopenia status on incident cardiovascular disease and mortality in older adults

Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. However, the impact of longitudinal changes in sarcopenia remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between changes in sarcopenia status and the risk of CVD and mortality in older Korean adults. This study included 2,997 older adults aged ≥ 65 years from the Korea Urban and Rural Elderly Study. Sarcopenia status was classified as non-sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, or functional sarcopenia. Changes in sarcopenia status were assessed at baseline and during a follow-up visit 4 years later. Incident CVD was defined as hospitalization for ischemic heart disease or cerebrovascular disease. All-cause mortality was determined using death records provided by Statistics Korea. Associations were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. During the follow-up, a total of 423 incident CVD cases and 438 deaths were identified. At baseline, individuals with functional sarcopenia had a higher risk of incident CVD and mortality than those without, after adjusting for all covariates. Similarly, participants who progressed from non-sarcopenia to sarcopenia or had stable sarcopenia showed increased CVD and mortality risk. Sarcopenia was associated with elevated risks of CVD and mortality. Early identification and management of sarcopenia may help reduce adverse outcomes in older adults.