Background: Aging is associated with a decrease in muscle mass. Insulin resistance and hyperglycemia accelerate muscle loss, leading to a deterioration in strength, muscle mass, and physical capacity in older adults. This study was conducted to determine the association between sarcopenia and poor glycemic control in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in older adults with T2D in geriatric outpatient clinics. Sarcopenia was diagnosed as per the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria. According to glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, participants were classified into glycemic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.5%) and poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 7.5%) groups.
Results: Older adults with sarcopenia were found to have poor glycemic control compared to adults without sarcopenia (62.3% vs. 47.9%, p = 0.007). Logistic regression analysis showed an association between poor glycemic control and the presence of sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR): 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-2.75) and low muscle mass (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.07-2.73).
Conclusions: Poor glycemic control is associated with the presence of sarcopenia and low muscle mass, which highlights the need to implement better treatment strategies in order to reduce the loss of muscle mass.
Keywords: handgrip strength; muscle mass; poor glycemic control; sarcopenia; type 2 diabetes.