Association between sarcopenic obesity and higher risk of type 2 diabetes in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of sarcopenia and obesity is referred to as sarcopenic obesity (SO) and it has been hypothesized that the two components of SO may synergistically increase their negative effects. However, many uncertainties still surround this condition especially with regard to its potential negative effects on health outcomes. AIM: To conduct a systematic review to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia among adults with overweight and obesity and to investigate whether SO was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: This study was conducted in adherence with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Literature searches, study selection, methodology development and quality appraisal were performed independently by two authors and the data were collated by means of meta-analysis and narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Of the 606 articles retrieved, 11 studies that comprised a total of 60118 adults with overweight and obesity of both genders met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed, revealing two main findings. First, the overall prevalence of sarcopenia is 43% in females and 42% in males who are with overweight and obesity. Secondly, the presence of SO increases the risk of T2D by 38% with respect to those without SO (OR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.27-1.50). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of sarcopenia has been found among adults with overweight and obesity regardless of their gender and this condition seems to be associated with a higher risk of T2D. Clinician should be aware of this scenario in their clinical practice for the better management of both obesity and T2D.