Elevated serum pentosidine is independently associated with the high prevalence of sarcopenia in Chinese middle‐aged and elderly men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia has recently been recognized as another complication associated with diabetes, but its early screening still lacks clinical markers. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum levels of pentosidine, which is an advanced glycation end‐product, and sarcopenia in Chinese middle‐aged and elderly men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and evaluate whether pentosidine could be used as a kind of screening maker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 182 male type 2 diabetes mellitus patients aged ≥50 years were selected in the cross‐sectional study for whole‐body dual‐energy X‐ray measurement and calculating the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index. At the same time, handgrip strength and gait speed were assessed. According to the updated consensus on Asian sarcopenia in 2019, the patients were divided into the sarcopenia group (n = 83) and non‐sarcopenia group (n = 99). Serum pentosidine levels in the two groups were detected using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum pentosidine was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group (191.27 pmol/mL) than in the non‐sarcopenia group (34.93 pmol/mL). Serum pentosidine was negatively correlated with appendicular skeletal muscle mass index and handgrip strength (r = −0.30 and −0.25, respectively; P < 0.05), but not gait speed. The prevalence of sarcopenia increased as the quartile of serum pentosidine increased (P < 0.05). The association between pentosidine and the prevalence of sarcopenia was still significant after additional adjustments (odds ratio 1.01, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pentosidine is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia in Chinese middle‐aged and elderly men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The detection of serum pentosidine levels in clinics might be helpful for the monitoring of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with sarcopenia.