Sarcopenia is a predictor for Alzheimer’s continuum and related clinical outcomes

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 21074 - 8
• Main Authors: Kim, Jeonghun, Suh, Sang-Il, Park, Yu Jeong, Kang, Minwoong, Chung, Su Jin, Lee, Eun Seong, Jung, Hye Na, Eo, Jae Seon, Koh, Seong-Beom, Oh, Kyungmi, Kang, Sung Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 10-09-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/499; 692/617; Absorptiometry, Photon; AD continuum; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Alzheimer Disease - diagnostic imaging; Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer’s disease (AD); Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Amyloid-β (Aβ); Biomarkers; Body Mass Index; Clinical; Clinical outcomes; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia; Dementia disorders; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Female; Hand Strength; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - diagnostic imaging; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - pathology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Male; Mental Status and Dementia Tests; multidisciplinary; Neurodegenerative diseases; Positron emission tomography; Prospective Studies; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - diagnostic imaging; Sarcopenia - etiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); β-Amyloid; Clinical; Sarcopenia; Alzheimer’s disease (AD); Amyloid-β (Aβ); AD continuum
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62918-y

Low body mass index is closely related to a high risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related biomarkers including amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition. However, the association between sarcopenia and Aβ-confirmed AD remains controversial. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and the AD continuum. We explored sarcopenia’s association with clinical implications of participants on the AD continuum. We prospectively enrolled 142 participants on the AD continuum (19 with preclinical AD, 96 with mild cognitive impairment due to AD, and 28 with AD dementia) and 58 Aβ-negative cognitively unimpaired participants. Sarcopenia, assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and hand grip measurements, was considered a predictor. AD continuum, defined by Aβ deposition on positron emission tomography served as an outcome. Clinical severity in participants on the AD continuum assessed using hippocampal volume, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Seoul Verbal Learning Test (SVLT), and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes Scores (CDR-SOB) were also considered an outcome. Sarcopenia (odds ratio = 4.99,
p
 = 0.004) was associated independently with the AD continuum after controlling for potential confounders. Moreover, sarcopenia was associated with poor downstream imaging markers (decreased hippocampal volume,
β
 = − 0.206,
p
 = 0.020) and clinical outcomes (low MMSE,
β
 = − 1.364,
p
 = 0.025; low SVLT,
β
 = − 1.077,
p
 = 0.025; and high CDR-SOB scores,
β
 = 0.783,
p
 = 0.022) in participants on the AD continuum. Sarcopenia was associated with the AD continuum and poor clinical outcome in individuals with AD continuum. Therefore, our results provide evidence for future studies to confirm whether proper management of sarcopenia can effective strategies are required for sarcopenia management to prevent the AD continuum and its clinical implications.