Is alcohol consumption the culprit for sarcopenia: Evidence from a cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization study

Alcohol is a relatively commonly consumed beverage worldwide. Inappropriate alcohol consumption can lead to problems such as alcoholic liver disease, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and osteoporosis. However, the effects of alcohol consumption on sarcopenia remain unknown. We aimed to provide evidence regarding the relationship between alcohol consumption and sarcopenia by analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States and conducting Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Weighted multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was used to assess relationship using NHANES data from 1999 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016. Subsequently, a 2-sample MR study was conducted using pooled data from a genome-wide association study to determine the causal relationship. Sensitivity analysis was also used to confirm the robustness of the results. A total of 71,376 participants were enrolled in the NHANES observational study. Weighted multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses revealed that there was no significant correlation between alcohol consumption and sarcopenia (hardly drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 0.844; [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.842, 0.846]), slight drinking (OR = 0.745 [95% CI, 0.744-0.747]), binge drinking (OR = 0.896 [95% CI, 0.893-0.898]), heavy drinking (OR = 0.965 [95% CI, 0.962-0.967]), or alcoholism (OR = 0.974 [95% CI, 0.972-0.977])). The MR analysis revealed a causal relationship between alcohol consumption (OR = 2.112 [95% CI, 1.174-3.98]) and sarcopenia. The sensitivity analysis further confirmed the robustness and reliability of the results (all P > .05). Although cross-sectional studies could not determine whether alcohol consumption increases the risk of sarcopenia, a 2-sample MR analysis revealed that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for sarcopenia.