RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Aging is accompanied by changes in body composition, such as an increase in fat mass (FM), a decrease in skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) and muscle strength, combined with a chronic inflammatory process (CI). OBJECTIVE: Determine the relationship between age and excess body fat with markers of chronic inflammation, skeletal muscle mass and strength. METHODS: A cross-sectional alitical study was carried out in a convenience sample of adults 45 to 59 years old (n = 100) and older adults 60 to 74 years old (n = 133). All participants had their body composition measured with an impedance meter. They were subsequently divided into two groups: (i) with excess fat (WEF), (ii) without excess fat (NEF), in order to relate excess fat and age with inflammation, muscle mass and strength. RESULTS: NEF adults and older adults had similar values of SMMI (9.1 ± 1.5 vs. 8.8 ± 1.3, p > 0.05) and strength (28 ± 8 vs. 27 ± 8.6, p > 0.05). Likewise, WEF adults showed significantly lower values than NEF adults in the SMMI (7.9 ± 0.8 vs. 9.1 ± 1.5, p < 0.05) and strength (28 ± 8 vs. 22 ± 5, p < 0.001). Also, WEF older adults presented significantly lower values in the SMMI (15.9 ± 1.8 vs. 22.8 ± 5.1, p < 0.05) and strength (17.9 ± 4.8 vs. 27 ± 8.6, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that excess fat mass is a risk factor that has a significantly greater influence than aging per se on the index of skeletal muscle mass and strength.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of dynapenia, presarcopenia, and sarcopenia in a Mexican community using two different cutoffs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 724 subjects (521 women and 203 men) adults ≥ 50 years community-dwelling from Mexico City. We determined the prevalence of different muscle-related syndromes. Muscle strength was measured with handgrip strength and muscle mass was estimated by bioelectrical impedance. For the diagnosis of sarcopenia and presarcopenia, two criteria were used: (1) the cut-off points proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) and (2) the cut-off points less than two standard deviations for gender-specific mean of Mexicans young adults. RESULTS: Muscle mass decreases with age, but not as rapid as muscle strength. With the specific Mexican cut-off points, the general prevalences were: 27.4% for dynapenia (n = 199), 12.8% for presarcopenia (n = 93), and 6.6% for sarcopenia (n = 48). In contrast, the prevalences were higher when we used the cut-off points for Caucasians (EWGSOP): 33.9% for dynapenia (n = 246), 38.1% for presarcopenia (n = 276), and 15.2% for sarcopenia (n = 110). CONCLUSIONS: Diagnoses of dynapenia, presarcopenia, and sarcopenia should be estimated from cut-off points of the specific population; otherwise, it might be overestimated or underestimated. Early diagnosis of any of these conditions in community can prevent the occurrence of adverse effects.