The association between healthy beverage index and sarcopenia in Iranian older adults: a case-control study

Sarcopenia is a progressive disease with age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. No study has investigated the association between healthy beverage index (HBI) and sarcopenia in older adults. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association between HBI and sarcopenia in Iranian older adults.

In the present case-control study, 80 sarcopenic and 80 non-sarcopenic participants matched in sex were included. Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Handgrip strength (HGS), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and gait speed were utilized to confirm sarcopenia. Also, a food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate food intake. HBI score was calculated based on ten sub-components of the total beverages. Moreover, logistic regression was applied to assess the association between HBI and sarcopenia.

In the crude model, we observed no significant association between HBI and the odds of sarcopenia. Still, after adjusting the confounders, the odds of developing sarcopenia decreased significantly in the second and last tertiles (T) (T₂- odds ratio (OR) = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01-0.25 and T₃- OR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01-0.60).

Our findings indicated that HBI is inversely related to the chance of sarcopenia. Therefore, to reduce the odds of sarcopenia, it is recommended to consume healthy drinks such as fruit juices and milk.