Influence of obesity on criteria for classification of sarcopenia in old people

Abstract Objective to identify the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in old residents in the community and to analyze the relation between obesity and the sarcopenia classification criteria. Method This is an analytical cross-sectional study linked to the project “Comprehensive Health Care for the Old People”. The assessment of sarcopenia was carried out using the criteria of the European Sarcopenia Consensus. For the classification of the old people as sarcopenic obese, we considered as likely sarcopenic, sarcopenic, or severe sarcopenic associated with a fat percentage >27% for men and >38% for women. The data were analyzed using bivariate statistics and a linear regression model. Results from a sample of 209 community-dwelling old people, a prevalence of 23,9% of sarcopenia, 28,2% of obesity and 4,3% of sarcopenic obesity was found. Still, it can be observed that men had a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (p=0,006) and obesity (p=0,005) than women; the obese had a lower prevalence of muscle mass loss than the non-obese old people (p