Longitudinal Association Between the Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Sarcopenia in an Older Japanese Population: The SONIC Study

AIM: Sarcopenia increases the risk of long-term care, disease development, and mortality in older adults. It is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and vice versa. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort study designs, we investigated the association between the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and sarcopenia in older adults. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) study. Using data from Wave 3 of the SONIC participants, we examined the association between CIMT and sarcopenia using cross-sectional analysis and the association between CIMT at baseline and sarcopenia status 3 years later (Wave 4) in a longitudinal study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 guidelines. RESULTS: The cross-sectional study included 735 participants (347 males, mean age: 76.0 ± 0.9 years); the longitudinal study included 498 participants (247 males, mean age: 75.9 ± 0.9 years). In the cross-sectional study, 130 (17.7%) participants had sarcopenia; multiple logistic regression analysis revealed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.55 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.07) for sarcopenia for every 1 mm increase in the maximum CIMT. In the longitudinal study, 100 participants (20.1%) had sarcopenia at Wave 4. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed an OR of 1.63 for sarcopenia (95% CI: 1.13-2.36) for each 1 mm increase from the baseline maximum CIMT. CONCLUSION: CIMT was associated with sarcopenia. These results help clarify the pathophysiology of sarcopenia and the possible use of the CIMT as a marker to identify individuals at high risk of sarcopenia.