Sarcopenia and All-Cause Mortality Risk in Community-Dwelling Rural Malaysian Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sarcopenia is linked to adverse health outcomes like frailty, disability, and mortality.
• Recent Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 guidelines necessitate regional studies on sarcopenia and mortality.
• Limited research exists on sarcopenia prevalence and mortality risk in Asian community-dwelling older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sarcopenia, as defined by the 2019 AWGS guidelines, and all-cause mortality.
• To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia in rural Malaysian older adults.
• To assess the mortality risk associated with sarcopenia in this population.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 2404 community-dwelling older adults in Kuala Pilah District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
• Follow-up duration of 83 months to track all-cause mortality.
• Sarcopenia assessment based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria.

Main Results:

• Prevalence rates of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were 5.0% and 3.60%, respectively.
• Older adults with sarcopenia exhibited a 114% increased mortality risk (HR: 2.14).
• Severe sarcopenia was associated with a 146% increased mortality risk (HR: 2.46) compared to non-sarcopenic individuals.

Conclusions:

• Sarcopenia is a significant risk factor for all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older adults in rural Malaysia.
• The findings underscore the importance of early detection and intervention strategies to mitigate sarcopenia.
• Implementing preventive measures for sarcopenia is recommended to reduce mortality and improve health outcomes in older adults.