# Associations Between the Severity of Sarcopenia and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults

## TL;DR

This study finds that severe sarcopenia, a muscle disorder in older adults, is strongly linked to worse quality of life, especially when there is functional impairment.

## Contribution

The study reveals a non-linear relationship between sarcopenia severity and quality of life, emphasizing functional impairment over muscle mass loss.

## Key findings

- Severe sarcopenia is independently associated with lower scores in physical functioning, general health, and vitality.
- The possible sarcopenia group showed characteristics of 'dynapenic obesity', with higher BMI and body fat.
- Age, social activity, and body fat independently correlate with specific quality of life domains.

## Abstract

Background: Sarcopenia is a progressive skeletal muscle disorder associated with adverse outcomes. Although the association between sarcopenia and quality of life (QoL) has been discussed, the specific relationship between different stages of sarcopenia severity—particularly distinguishing between muscle mass loss and functional impairment—and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unclear. Method: This cross-sectional study enrolled 100 elderly participants from a geriatric outpatient clinic. Participants were categorized into four groups (normal, possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia) based on the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. HRQoL was assessed using the Short-Form 36-Item (SF-36) questionnaire. Result: The severe sarcopenia group was significantly older and had lower calf circumference compared to the normal group. Notably, the possible sarcopenia group presented with the highest body mass index and body fat percentage, resembling a “dynapenic obesity” phenotype. In terms of QoL, participants with confirmed sarcopenia did not exhibit significant differences compared to the normal group. However, the severe sarcopenia group demonstrated significantly lower scores across almost all SF-36 domains compared to the normal group. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that severe sarcopenia was independently and significantly negatively associated with multiple QoL domains, including physical functioning, general health and vitality. Additionally, age, social activity and body fat were identified as independent correlates of specific QoL domains. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a non-linear relationship between sarcopenia and HRQoL. A comprehensive decline in HRQoL is strongly linked to the severity of sarcopenia (functional impairment) rather than the diagnosis of muscle mass loss alone. These results highlight the clinical importance of preserving physical performance and suggest that categorizing different severities of sarcopenia and stage-specific management strategies are necessary to improve quality of life in older adults.