Association of Sarcopenia and Obesity With Multimorbidity in Korean Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and increased fat mass (obesity) may contribute to chronic disease. Multimorbidity needs more complex health care and is associated with an elevated risk of mortality, disability, and poor quality of life. Sarcopenia and obesity together may be more closely associated with multimorbidity than either sarcopenia or obesity alone. However, a possible multimorbidity link with sarcopenic obesity is unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association of sarcopenic obesity and multimorbidity in Korean adults.

A nationwide cross-sectional study based on data from Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 2008 to 2011.

Study participants included 10,118 adults aged ≥40 years.

Skeletal muscle mass was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia was defined as 1 standard deviation below the mean using the skeletal muscle mass index based on a young population reference group. Obesity was defined using the waist circumference sex-specific cutoff point for Asians.

When examined individually, there was a significant association of sarcopenia [odds ratio (OR): 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-1.70] and obesity (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.45-1.84) with the risk of multimorbidity after being adjusted for potential covariates. When examined as sarcopenia and obesity combined, a greater increase in the risk of multimorbidity was found (OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.60-3.40) compared with either sarcopenia (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.18-1.77) or obesity (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.39-2.30) alone.

In conclusion, we found that sarcopenia and obesity are independently associated with the risk of multimorbidity, but with these conditions combined, sarcopenic obesity has a greater risk of multimorbidity.