Prevalence and correlation of sarcopenia with Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Chen Su, en Zhang, Qiandan Zheng, Jie Miao, Junhong Guo
Abstract
Sarcopenia, which is defined by a decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with aging, is common among older individuals and presents considerable health dangers. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent degenerative brain condition linked to a decrease in cognitive function.
Introduction
Sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a critical public health issue affecting older adults worldwide [1]. This condition not only contributes to physical frailty and disability but also increases the risk of falls, fractures, and mortality [2,3].
Methods
We followed the recommendations outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Results
The flowchart of the literature screening process is shown in Fig 1. After removing duplicate articles, a total of 1793 articles were gathered from the database.
Discussion
This research is the first meta-analysis to examine the frequency and connection of sarcopenia in different stages of AD. Our findings indicate that the overall prevalence of sarcopenia among AD patients is 33.9%, which is significantly higher than the prevalence reported in the general elderly population [44].
Conclusions
In conclusion, our meta-analysis highlights a significant prevalence of sarcopenia in AD patients, emphasizing the need for integrated care approaches that address both cognitive and physical health issues.
Citation: Su C, Zhang S, Zheng Q, Miao J, Guo J (2025) Prevalence and correlation of sarcopenia with Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 20(3): e0318920. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318920
Editor: Francesco Curcio,, University of Naples Federico II, ITALY
Received: August 30, 2024; Accepted: January 23, 2025; Published: March 3, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Su et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.
Funding: This study was supported by Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Projects [grant number 2021ZD0201801].
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Source: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0318920#abstract0
