The association between sarcopenia and cardiovascular disease: An investigative analysis from the NHANES

Sarcopenia, a multifaceted chronic condition, exhibits an ambiguous association with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to elucidate the connection between sarcopenia and CVD, as well as its implications for cardiovascular prognosis, by analyzing globally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The findings aim to provide valuable insights for clinical practice and future research endeavors.

We used data from the NHANES database covering the period from 2011 to 2018. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health criteria, while CVD was determined through self-reports. The association between sarcopenia and CVD was assessed via logistic regression analysis, with a nonlinear relationship explored using a restricted cubic spline curve. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the associations between sarcopenia and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.Among the 7702 participants, the association between sarcopenia and CVD remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and comorbidities (odds ratio, 1.89; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.04-3.43; P = 0.030). The hazard ratios for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in this fully adjusted model were 1.95 (95 % CI, 0.62-6.12; P = 0.252) and 1.43 (95 % CI, 0.71-2.87; P = 0.319), respectively.

Sarcopenia is significantly associated with CVD in the general population, even after adjusting for confounding factors but is not associated with cardiovascular or all-cause mortality.