Relation between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia: meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for numerous diseases.
• Sarcopenia, characterized by age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a growing public health concern.
• The potential association between smoking and sarcopenia requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis to determine if cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia.
• To synthesize evidence from existing studies on the relationship between smoking and sarcopenia.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed across PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Science Direct.
• Data from 12 studies, encompassing 22,515 participants, were included in the meta-analysis.
• Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using fixed-effect and random-effect models, stratified by sex.

Main Results:

• The overall meta-analysis indicated a statistically significant association between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.21).
• In males, smoking was associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.35).
• In females, the association was not statistically significant (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.92-1.59), with moderate heterogeneity observed.

Conclusions:

• Cigarette smoking may be an independent contributing factor to the development of sarcopenia.
• Inconsistencies in study methodologies, particularly in variable measurement, likely contributed to heterogeneity in the results.
• Further research with standardized methodologies is warranted to confirm these findings.