Long-Term Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease With Sarcopenia Status: A Large-Scale Prospective Cohort Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Gerontology
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• The interplay between sarcopenia and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is not well-established.
• IBD encompasses Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
• Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sarcopenia and the risk of developing incident IBD.
• To examine the specific risks for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in relation to sarcopenia.
• To analyze this association in a large, long-term prospective cohort.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a prospective cohort of 436,378 participants without prevalent IBD at baseline.
• Assessed sarcopenia status using European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria.
• Employed Cox proportional hazard models to determine hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident IBD, CD, and UC.

Main Results:

• Confirmed sarcopenia was associated with an 81% increased risk of IBD (HR=1.81) and a 94% increased risk of UC (HR=1.94).
• Severe sarcopenia showed a 2.25-fold increased risk for IBD and a 2.58-fold increased risk for UC.
• Probable sarcopenia was linked to a 26% higher risk of IBD (HR=1.26), 27% for UC (HR=1.27), and 32% for CD (HR=1.32).

Conclusions:

• Individuals with sarcopenia exhibit an elevated risk of developing IBD.
• Targeted screening for sarcopenia in at-risk populations is warranted.
• Interventions aimed at improving physical function may potentially lower the incidence of IBD.