%BF, Rather Than BMI, is Associated with an Increased Risk of Sarcopenia in Hospitalized Postmenopausal Chinese Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between obesity indices and sarcopenia in postmenopausal patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at different body mass index (BMI) levels.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 298 hospitalized postmenopausal women diagnosed with T2DM. We collected demographic, biochemical, and anthropometric data on each subject. Body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and body fat percentage (%BF) were calculated. According to BMI stratification, the patients were divided into normal group A (18.5 kg/m≤BMI < 24 kg/m), overweight group B (24.0 kg/m≤BMI < 28 kg/m), and obesity group C (28.0 kg/m ≤BMI < 35 kg/m).

Results: From group A to group C, SMI (5.21±0.56 vs 5.48±0.56 vs 6.03±0.69) increased gradually (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that for each 1-unit increase in BMI, the risk of sarcopenia decreased by 63.2% (OR=0.368, 95% CI 0.215-0.629, P=0.000) in group A. Age (OR=1.077, 95% CI 1.015-1.144, P=0.015) and %BF (OR=1.094, 95% CI 1.010-1.186, P=0.028) increased the risk of sarcopenia by 1.077 and 1.094 times, respectively, in group B. While every 1-unit increase in BMI, the risk of sarcopenia decreased by 35% (OR=0.650, 95% CI 0.430-0.983, P=0.041) in group B. %BF (OR=1.459, 95% CI 1.093-1.949, P=0.010) increased the risk factors of sarcopenia by 1.459 times in group C.

Conclusion: In postmenopausal patients with T2DM, BMI had a protective effect on the occurrence of sarcopenia within a certain range, and with the increase of BMI, the risk of sarcopenia was increasing by increased %BF levels in overweight and obese patients.