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Published on: July 20, 2022
Association between sarcopenia and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis
Peng Wang1, Wentao Shi2, Zhenze Yu1
1Cardiac Department, Aerospace Center Hospital, Peking University Aerospace School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Medicine
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, is linked to a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). This systematic review found a significant association, but more research is needed to confirm the connection.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sarcopenia, characterized by age-related muscle mass loss, is increasingly recognized as a factor in cardiovascular diseases.
- Existing evidence suggests a potential link between sarcopenia and an elevated risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), though this association requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate current clinical research on the relationship between sarcopenia and atrial fibrillation.
- To determine if sarcopenia is associated with an increased risk of developing AF.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science) up to May 15, 2025.
- Included studies were observational and assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).
- Data analysis was conducted using Stata 15.
Main Results:
- The meta-analysis included 6 studies with 3,067,241 patients.
- Sarcopenia was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of developing AF (OR = 2.16, 95% CI [1.80, 2.60]).
- Multivariate regression analysis also indicated that sarcopenia is linked to an increased AF risk (OR = 1.93, 95% CI [1.40, 2.66]).
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a significant association between sarcopenia and an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
- Further high-quality research is recommended to confirm these results and elucidate the nature of the sarcopenia-AF relationship, considering observed heterogeneity and potential bias.