The Mediterranean dietary pattern and risk of sarcopenia: a population-based cross-sectional study among Chinese from...

Sarcopenia is a clinically relevant syndrome with health, social, and economic implications. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is considered a healthy diet; however, its association with sarcopenia has been controversial and has not been fully investigated in the Chinese population. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between the Mediterranean dietary pattern and sarcopenia, or its elements, among Chinese in Henan Province.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data on nutrition and health in Henan province, northeast central China. A total of 639 individuals were studied. Sarcopenia was defined according to the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern was evaluated using the Alternative Mediterranean Diet (aMed) score, and the population was categorized into groups based on the aMed score. Binary logistic regression analysis with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) after multiple adjustments was used to assess the association between sarcopenia and Mediterranean dietary patterns.

Individuals with a higher aMed score were more likely to live in urban areas and have a higher level of education. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking index, sleep quality, and literacy, we found that the group with the highest aMed score (≥ 6) was more likely to have high muscle mass (OR: 0.368; 95% CI: 0.148-0.912) or low risk of sarcopenia (OR: 0.319; 95% CI: 0.124-0.819) compared to the group with a low aMed score (< 4). However, we did not find a relationship between the aMed score and muscle strength or gait speed.

Among the Henan population, A higher aMed score reflects greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet, indicating that the Mediterranean dietary pattern is a protective factor against sarcopenia and low muscle mass.