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Physical activity, diet quality, and mortality among sarcopenic older adults

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Abstract

Background

It is unknown if physical activity and good diet quality modify the risk of poor outcomes, such as mortality, among older adults with sarcopenia.

Aim

To examine if physical activity and good diet quality modify the risk of poor outcomes, such as mortality, among older adults with sarcopenia.

Methods

A population-based cohort study among 1618 older adults with sarcopenia from the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III; 1988–1994). Sarcopenia was defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Physical activity was self-reported, and classified as sedentary (0 bouts per week), physically inactive (1–4 bouts per week), and physically active (≥5 bouts per week). Diet quality was assessed with the healthy eating index (a scale of 0–100 representing adherence to federal dietary recommendations), and classified as poor (<51), fair (51–80), and good (>80) diet quality.

Results

Compared to participants who were sedentary, those who were physically inactive were 16 % less likely to die [HR 0.84 (95 % CI 0.64–1.09)], and those who were physically active were 25 % less likely to die [HR 0.75 (95 % CI 0.59–0.97); P trend = 0.026]. Compared to participants with poor diet quality, those with fair diet quality were 37 % less likely to die [HR 0.63 (95 % CI 0.47–0.86)], and those with good diet quality were 45 % less likely to die [HR 0.55 (95 % CI 0.37–0.80); P trend = 0.002].

Conclusions

Participation in physical activity and consumption of a healthy diet correspond with a lower risk of mortality among older adults with sarcopenia. Randomized trials are needed in this population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, 8th Floor, Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Justin C. Brown & Michael O. Harhay

  2. Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Meera N. Harhay

Authors
  1. Justin C. Brown
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  2. Michael O. Harhay
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  3. Meera N. Harhay
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin C. Brown.

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Funding Source

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute (F31-CA192560, R21-CA182726), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (F31-HL127947) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (F32-DK096758) of the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Statement of human and animal rights

The study was approved by the committee on human research at the University of Pennsylvania.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtain from all participants included in this study.

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Brown, J.C., Harhay, M.O. & Harhay, M.N. Physical activity, diet quality, and mortality among sarcopenic older adults. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 257–263 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0559-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0559-9

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