Metabolic and Nutritional Characteristics in Middle-Aged and Elderly Sarcopenia Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Sarcopenia is considered to be a new complication of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) leading to increased risk of adverse outcome. We performed a survey to evaluate glucose metabolism and nutritional status in sarcopenia patients with T2DM. Diabetic participants aged ≥50 years were grouped into a probable sarcopenia group with low muscle strength (n = 405) and a nonsarcopenia group with normal muscle strength (n = 720) according to the revised recommendations from EWGSOP2 (2018). Compared to the controls, the probable sarcopenia participants were older and had lower waist-to-hip ratio and BMI, longer diabetes duration, higher fasting plasma glucose level and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate and lower bone mineral content, lower fatless upper arm circumference, lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), and muscle quality in both genders. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed increased age, male, low BMI, and increased HbA1c, combined with diabetic nephropathy and decreased serum albumin levels, were risk factors associated with low muscle strength in diabetes patients. In conclusion, diabetic patients with sarcopenia had worse glucose metabolism and nutritional status, decreased renal function and reduced muscle quality ,and muscle mass with a greater likelihood of osteoporosis, who need an overall health management to improve outcomes. This clinical trial registration is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-EOC-15006901.