Sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and arterial stiffness among older adults.

Background: Aging is associated with a higher prevalence of sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity (SO), and increased arterial stiffening, with possible detrimental effects on morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between sarcopenia, SO, and different indexes of arterial stiffness in older adults. Methods: A total of 77 hospitalized patients (mean age 78.68 ± 9.65 years) were evaluated, obtaining anthropometric variables, biochemical samples, handgrip test, and body composition assessment. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by measuring both carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a proxy for central stiffness, and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), as well as considering peripheral arteries. The population was sorted into four subgroups: obese, sarcopenic, SO, and controls. Results: The highest CAVI (11.31 ± 2.58) was found in sarcopenic patients. SO had the highest value of cfPWV (15.18 ± 8.44 m/s), even after adjustment for significant covariates. In multiple regressions, SO diagnosis resulted as a significant predictor of cfPWV (p = 0.03, R2 = 0.20), and sarcopenia diagnosis resulted as a predictor of CAVI (p = 0.042, R2 = 0.12). Conclusions: In conclusion, a positive correlation is found between sarcopenia, SO, and arterial stiffness among older subjects. In particular, greater central arterial stiffness is associated with SO, outlining a remarkable effect on the cardiovascular risk profile.

Adipokines and Arterial Stiffness in the Elderly.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between adipokines and arterial stiffness in a group of 85 elderly subjects and the role of leptin and adiponectin on subclinical vascular damage, defined by a PWV>10 m/s. METHODS: In each subject, we evaluated anthropometry, body composition by DXA (fat mass, fat mass%, lean mass), metabolic variables, leptin, adiponectin, systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure (SBP, DBP, MAP, PP), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (crPWV). RESULTS: In the study population, significant associations were observed between cfPWV and crPWV, age, SBP, MAP, waist circumference, fat body mass and leptin. The study population was subdivided in 2 subgroups according to adipokine patterns: group 1 included patients with high adiponectin and low leptin, and group 2 patients had high leptin and low adiponectin. SBP, PP, cfPWV were significantly higher in subjects with high leptin and low adiponectin (group 2). Even after adjustment for gender, fat mass%, MAP, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, cfPWV was higher in group 2 than group 1. In a logistic binary regression on the entire population, considering subclinical vascular damage as a dependent variable and age, gender, MAP, fat mass%, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and category of subjects with high leptin and low adiponectin as independent variables, MAP and category of subjects with high leptin and low adiponectin were significant predictors (OR, respectively, 1.09 and 3.61). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, in the elderly, the presence at the same time of high leptin levels and low adiponectin levels seems to have synergic effects on arterial stiffness.