Association between sleep disorders and sarcopenia in older outpatients in Vietnam

Sarcopenia is a risk factor for mortality in older people, and little investigation has been carried out into the potentially modifiable factors, such as sleep disorders, associated with sarcopenia, especially among persons living in low-middle income countries. The study aimed to investigate the association between sleep disturbances and sarcopenia in older outpatients.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among outpatients 60 years and older at the National Geriatrics Hospital in Vietnam in 2019. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria was used to define sarcopenia. Sleep disorder was self-reported using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. The PSQI score > 5 was defined as a sleep disorder.

A total of 596 outpatients were studied. The mean age was 71.0 years, and 60.7% were women. The overall frequency of sarcopenia in this population was 51.3%, and the frequency of sarcopenia was significantly higher among older patients as compared to those without a diagnosed sleep disorder (54.0% versus 35.6%). The physical performance (gait speed) and hand grip strength were significantly declined in patients with sleep disturbances (p < 0.05). After simultaneously controlling for several demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, persons with sleep disorders were at an approximate 3.7-fold increased odds (95% CI 1.48-9.23) of being classified as sarcopenia.

Persons with sleep disturbances were at a higher estimated risk of having sarcopenia in both crude and multivariable adjusted analyses. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal relationship between these conditions in older people.