Association between HEI-2020 and sarcopenia in US adults: A study based on the 2011-2018 NHANES data

This research intends to ascertain the link between Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI-2020) and sarcopenia in US adults. Data from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized for this cross-sectional analysis. Weighted logistic regression and subgroup analyses were performed to ascertain the independent association between HEI-2020 and sarcopenia. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) approach was employed to examine the dose-response link between HEI-2020 and sarcopenia. Additionally, Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) regression was leveraged to evaluate links between individual components of HEI-2020 and sarcopenia. The analysis included 8467 participants in total. The median HEI-2020 score was 49.48, and the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 8.69%. The prevalence of sarcopenia was substantially lower among participants in the highest quartile of HEI-2020 (Q4) than among those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 0.537, 95% CI: 0.371-0.779, P = .002). A linearly negative correlation between HEI-2020 and sarcopenia was found by the RCS analysis. Interaction analyses indicated significant heterogeneity across age subgroups. WQS analysis identified 13 dietary components that collectively exhibited a protective effect on sarcopenia risk, with dairy products emerging as the most influential component. In conclusion, in US individuals, the risk of sarcopenia was negatively correlated with higher HEI-2020 scores. Higher HEI-2020 scores indicate a healthy diet,which may lower the risk of sarcopenia and hold the potential for informing dietary recommendations in clinical settings.