OSA a risk factor for early-onset sarcopenia

Early-onset sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity are increasingly common among young adults in the US, with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) being associated with an increased risk of muscle loss, according to a study.

For this cross-sectional study, researchers used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2018. The prevalence of early-onset sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was estimated using weighted multistage stratified probability sampling design. Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses and weighted multivariable mediation models were used to examine the association between OSA and early-onset sarcopenia.

The prevalence rate of early-onset sarcopenia was 5.5 percent, while that of early-onset sarcopenic obesity was 4.6 percent. Compared with participants without OSA (control), those with OSA had a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (12 percent vs 5.5 percent; p<0.01) and sarcopenic obesity (10.3 percent vs 4.0 percent; p<0.01).

OSA was associated with greater odds of early-onset sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR], 1.5, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.7) and early-onset sarcopenic obesity (OR, 1.8, 95 percent CI, 1.1-3.1).

Mediation analyses showed that serum chronic reaction protein (CRP) mediated 23.7 percent (p<0.01) and 26.2 percent (p<0.01) of the potential effects of OSA on early-onset sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity, respectively. Other significant mediating factors were homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (24.8 percent and 20.7 percent), BMI (46.4 percent and 49.9 percent), HEI-2015 (23.3 percent and 25.6 percent), and vitamin D (7.5 percent and 8.5 percent).