Sarcopenic obesity in Louisiana: Prevalence rates and associated factors from the Louisiana Osteoporosis Study

INTRODUCTION: As the elderly population in the United States is expected to grow to almost 20% of the population by 2030, aging health is an increasingly important topic. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity are age-related conditions that are associated with many adverse health outcomes such as functional impairment and physical disability. True prevalence rates are difficult to determine due to a lack of consensus on measurements, definitions, and thresholds for sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity. No estimates of sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity prevalence rates currently exist for the state of Louisiana.

METHODS: This study uses participants from the Louisiana Osteoporosis Study, currently being conducted by Tulane University in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metropolitan areas. All participants with complete anthropometric and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) data were included, and participants under the age of 40 were used as the reference population. Sarcopenia was defined using appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared (ASM/h²), and sarcopenic obesity was defined using ASM/h² and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

RESULTS: Race-specific obesity rates ranged from 6.9% to 69.2%; sarcopenia, from 3.6% to 40.6%. Sarcopenic obesity rates ranged from 3.7%-14.4% in males, and 0.9%-8.0% in females. Age, race/ethnicity, and income level were all significantly associated with sarcopenic obesity – plus education level in females.

DISCUSSION: This preliminary attempt to determine prevalence rates and associations for obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity in a Louisiana population shows the importance of more specific measurements. Examining obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity requires better definitions for measurement and diagnosis.