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Relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and sarcopenia in elderly subjects: A cross-sectional study

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and sarcopenia in elderly people.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Health consortium medical centers in the Maresme region, Barcelona (Spain).

Participants

Two groups of subjects: persons ≥ 70 years (elderly group) and persons 25–65 years (young adults).

Measurements

Sarcopenia, diagnosed according to the EWGSOP definition, fasting and postprandial plasma ghrelin levels, body composition, hand grip, Barthel score, and frailty using Fried criteria.

Results

Fifty-five elderly subjects and 33 young adults were recruited. In both age groups, mean ghrelin levels were significantly higher in women than in men. However, mean ghrelin levels were similar in elderly and young men (716 vs. 752 pg mL-1, P = 0.763) as well as in elderly and young women (859 vs. 995 pg mL-1, P = 0.190). In the elderly group, subjects with sarcopenia showed significantly lower ghrelin levels than those without sarcopenia (650 vs. 899 pg mL-1, P = 0.036), but these differences disappeared when stratifying by gender. Elderly subjects without sarcopenia had the same ghrelin levels as young adults (899.3 vs. 899.6 pg mL-1). In young women, ghrelin levels correlated with fat free mass (rs = 0.58, P = 0.007) and muscular mass (rs = 0.54, P = 0.015) but these correlations were not observed in men nor in elderly women.

Conclusion

This cross-sectional study does not allow a definitive conclusion about the relationship between ghrelin levels and sarcopenia. Further large prospective studies are needed to test this hypothesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain

    Mateu Serra-Prat & E. Palomera

  2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Mateu Serra-Prat

  3. Àrea Bàsica de Salut (ABS) Argentona, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain

    M. Papiol

  4. Service of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain

    R. Monteis & M. Cabré

  5. Research Unit, Hospital de Mataró, Carretera de Cirera s/n, E-08304, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain

    Mateu Serra-Prat

Authors
  1. Mateu Serra-Prat
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  2. M. Papiol
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  4. E. Palomera
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Correspondence to Mateu Serra-Prat.

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Serra-Prat, M., Papiol, M., Monteis, R. et al. Relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and sarcopenia in elderly subjects: A cross-sectional study. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 669–672 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0550-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0550-8

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