Breast arterial calcification is associated with sarcopenia in peri- and post-menopausal women.

PURPOSE: Breast arterial calcification (BAC) refers to medial calcium deposition in breast arteries and is detectable via mammography. Sarcopenia, which is characterised by low skeletal muscle mass and quality, is associated with several serious clinical conditions, increased morbidity, and mortality. Both BAC and sarcopenia share common pathologic pathways, including ageing, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, this study evaluated the relationship between BAC and sarcopenia as a potential indicator of sarcopenia. METHODS: This study involved women aged >40. BAC was evaluated using digital mammography and was defined as vascular calcification. Sarcopenia was assessed using abdominal computed tomography. The cross-sectional skeletal mass area was measured at the third lumbar vertebra level. The skeletal mass index was obtained by dividing the skeletal mass area by height in square meters(m2). Sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal mass index of ≤38.5 cm2/m2. A multivariable model was used to evaluate the relationship between BAC and sarcopenia. RESULTS: The study involved 240 participants. Of these, 36 (15 %) were patients with BAC and 204 (85 %) were without BAC. Sarcopenia was significantly higher among the patients with BAC than in those without BAC (72.2 % vs 17.2 %, P < 0.001). The multivariable model revealed that BAC and age were independently associated with sarcopenia (odds ratio[OR]: 7.719, 95 % confidence interval[CI]: 3.201-18.614, and P < 0.001 for BAC and OR: 1.039, 95 % CI: 1.007-1.073, P = 0.01 for age). CONCLUSION: BAC is independently associated with sarcopenia. BAC might be used as an indicator of sarcopenia on screening mammography.

Clinical significance of sarcopenia in patients undergoing treatment for gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sarcopenia on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer in order to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative complications as well as durations of hospital stay and intensive care unit. METHODS: A total of 175 patients who visited the oncology clinic between 2017 and 2022 with respect to their radiological images, demographic data, and laboratory parameters were perused. The OsiriX software was used to measure the skeletal muscle area that was divided by the body height in order to obtain the skeletal muscle index. RESULTS: A total of 50.28% of 175 patients (41 females and 134 males, with a mean age of 63.5 years) who met the inclusion criteria in the study were sarcopenic. Significant differences appeared between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients with respect to durations of both hospital stay (p<0.01) and intensive care unit stay (p<0.01) (multivariate analysis). Furthermore, patients with sarcopenia had significantly frequent postoperative complications in comparison with those without sarcopenia. Among the patients with sarcopenia, decreased levels of hemoglobin and albumin as well as lymphocytes were encountered in terms of inflammatory markers; nevertheless, no significant differences were determined among other inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing treatment for gastric cancer, sarcopenia increases postoperative complications and prolongs hospital and intensive care stays during the treatment process.

Clinical significance of sarcopenia in patients undergoing treatment for gastric cancer

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sarcopenia on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer in order to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative complications as well as durations of hospital stay and intensive care unit. METHODS: A total of 175 patients who visited the oncology clinic between 2017 and 2022 with respect to their radiological images, demographic data, and laboratory parameters were perused. The OsiriX software was used to measure the skeletal muscle area that was divided by the body height in order to obtain the skeletal muscle index. RESULTS: A total of 50.28% of 175 patients (41 females and 134 males, with a mean age of 63.5 years) who met the inclusion criteria in the study were sarcopenic. Significant differences appeared between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients with respect to durations of both hospital stay (p<0.01) and intensive care unit stay (p<0.01) (multivariate analysis). Furthermore, patients with sarcopenia had significantly frequent postoperative complications in comparison with those without sarcopenia. Among the patients with sarcopenia, decreased levels of hemoglobin and albumin as well as lymphocytes were encountered in terms of inflammatory markers; nevertheless, no significant differences were determined among other inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing treatment for gastric cancer, sarcopenia increases postoperative complications and prolongs hospital and intensive care stays during the treatment process.