Introduction: The term sarcopenia is defined as age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, with a consequent impact on quality of life. However, there is a lack of studies examining the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
Objectives: To analyze the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients over 65 years with type 2 DM and the influence of physical activity, diet, glycemic control, sex, age, and quality of life.
Methods: A total of 279 patients (155 females), aged 76.6 ± 6.27 years, participated in this study in order to analyze body circumferences (waist, hip, calf, and arm), body mass index, handgrip strength, physical activity level, nutritional status, quality of life, and glycemic control. The cut-off value for sarcopenia was defined as the body mass index lower than 9.2 or 7.4 kg/m2 for males and females, respectively.
Results: In participants, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 8.33%. Moreover, the level of sarcopenia was negatively associated with quality of life (r = -0.130, p = 0.030), physical activity (r = -0.164, p = 0.006), nutritional status (r = -0.274, p < 0.001), and male sex (r = -0.137, p = 0.022); and positively associated with age (r = 0.183, p = 0.002).
Conclusions: The prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with type 2 DM is moderate, and it is related to relevant health factors, such as lower quality of life, lower physical exercise level, and increased malnutrition, especially in older adult males.