Oxidative Stress Predicts Sarcopenia Progression in Community Dwellers: A Minimum 5-Year Longitudinal Cohort

Longitudinal studies investigating the relationship between oxidative stress and sarcopenia remain limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether oxidative stress, measured using the derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) test, could independently predict progression to sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults and determine clinically relevant cutoff values for risk stratification.

This longitudinal cohort analysis included 200 participants aged ≥60 years followed-up for of >5 years. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Participants were classified into a preserved group and declined group (those who developed sarcopenia or presarcopenia during follow-up). Between-group comparisons were conducted, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for sarcopenia progression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to determine the optimal cutoff values of oxidative stress markers.

Over a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, 51 participants (25.5%) progressed to sarcopenia or presarcopenia. The declined group was significantly older than the preserved group (68.9 vs. 67.1 years; P = 0.029) and demonstrated significantly higher baseline d-ROM levels (357.6 vs. 315.9 U.CARR; P = 0.005), while other blood biomarkers showed no significant differences. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified elevated d-ROMs as an independent risk factor for sarcopenia progression, with a 2.33-fold increased risk per 50 U.CARR increase (95% confidence interval, 1.37-4.27; P = 0.003). ROC analysis revealed that a d-ROMs cutoff value of 335.0 U.CARR best predicted progression, with an area under the curve of 0.691.

Elevated oxidative stress was independently associated with progression to sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults, suggesting that oxidative stress assessment using d-ROMs may help identify individuals at increased risk and support strategies aimed at reducing reactive oxygen species burden as a potential approach for sarcopenia prevention and future research.