Prevalence of sarcopenia in the community-dwelling, elderly Chinese population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tian, Simiao; Xu, Yang; Han, Fang
• Is Part Of: Lancet. Volume 390(2017)Supplement 4
• Page Start: S35
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine; Medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33173-2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-6736

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Sarcopenia is a common geriatric disorder characterised by progressive loss of muscle, strength, and function. The prevalence of sarcopenia among elderly people in the Chinese elderly population is increasing and is associated with high rates of frailty, comorbidities, and premature mortality. The prevalence of sarcopenia in China has been reported in many observational studies; however, the estimated prevalence varies within a certain range because no consensus on definition exists. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the sarcopenia prevalence in community-dwelling people aged 60 years and older in the Chinese population. Methods: In accordance with MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, and the Chinese WanFang database for observational community-dwelling studies published before March 12, 2017, without language restrictions. Studies were considered eligible if (1) they reported the prevalence of sarcopenia among Chinese elderly people at least 60 years of age, and (2) they used any of the following criteria for sarcopenia diagnosis: the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), and the International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS) criteria. We assessed prevalence of sarcopenia in random effects model by applying the logit transformation for prevalence proportions extracted from included studies, and pooled logit prevalence estimates were then back-transformed to their original scale for ease interpretation. We also did a subgroup analysis to determine the effect of sex and diagnostic criterion on prevalence. Findings: We included 17 observational studies in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Of the 18 841 participants in total, 2436 participants (11%) had sarcopenia (95% CI 7·8–14·61%). We found significant heterogeneity between individual studies (I 2 =98·27%; p<0·0001) but no indication of publication bias (p=0·7765). Results of a subgroup analysis showed that Chinese elderly men had about 1·5 times higher prevalence estimates than women (14%; 95% CI 9·68–19·11% vs 9·11%; 6·48–12·67%). The occurrence rate of AWGS-defined sarcopenia was 8% (7·00–9·80%), which is slightly lower than that based on the EWGSOP criterion (10%; 6·54–14·06%), but the prevalence increased to 20% (15·9–25·69%) according to the IWGS criterion. Interpretation: This meta-analysis is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the burden of sarcopenia among community-dwelling elderly people in China. Our results suggest a high prevalence irrespective of sex and diagnostic definition. Our findings also emphasise the urgent need for therapeutic interventions and preventive management of sarcopenia because of a rapidly ageing population in China. Funding: None.