Sarcopenic obesity: epidemiology, pathophysiology, cardiovascular disease, mortality, and management

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jun 30:14:1185221. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1185221. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Sarcopenic obesity is defined as the coexistence of sarcopenia and obesity in the same individual, characterized by of the co-presence of body fat accumulation and muscle loss. This condition is currently a major concern as it is associated with frailty and disabilities such as cardiovascular disease, fractures, dementia, cancer, and increased all-cause mortality. Particularly, older individuals remain at risk of sarcopenic obesity. Progress at several levels is needed to improve the global prognostic outlook for this condition, including the elaboration and implementation of a more uniform definition that may favor the identification and specification of prevalence by age group. Furthermore, improvements in the understanding of the pathogenesis of sarcopenic obesity may lead to the development of more specific therapeutic interventions to improve prognosis. We reviewed the knowledge on sarcopenic obesity and its associations with cardiovascular diseases and mortality.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; endocrine; obesity; pathogenesis; sarcopenia.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / etiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / therapy
  • Prognosis
  • Sarcopenia* / complications
  • Sarcopenia* / epidemiology
  • Sarcopenia* / therapy

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2023R1A2C3006220 and 2021R1A5A8029876 to DR), a “GIST Research Institute (GRI) IIBR” grant funded by the GIST in 2023 (to DR).