Sarcopenic obesity increases cardio-cerebrovascular disease risk: Study

A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity showed that cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) risk was significantly increased by sarcopenic obesity by a factor of two.

Reduced skeletal muscle mass and function combined with excess adiposity is known as sarcopenic obesity, and it has become a major public health problem. While obesity and sarcopenia are both known risk factors for negative health outcomes, their combined effects seem to be more harmful and synergistic.

There is growing evidence that sarcopenic obesity increases the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular illnesses and early death by causing systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and vascular dysfunction. Developing focused preventative and treatment measures to lower morbidity and mortality in at-risk populations requires an understanding of this link. Assessing the connection between sarcopenic obesity, CCVD risk, and related mortality was the goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Researchers looked through publications from the beginning to April 1, 2024, using Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Cochrane Library, Technology Journal Database, WANFANG DATA, and Chinese Biological Medical Database. Data extraction, study quality assessment, and literature screening were carried out separately by two researchers. The estimates of odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using both fixed-effects and random-effects models. The robustness of connections was assessed using sensitivity bias and publication analyses.

There were a total of 28 studies with 575,942 participants. The findings showed a strong correlation between sarcopenic obesity and a higher risk of CCVD.

Subgroup analyses also showed that sarcopenic obesity, as determined by body mass index, muscle mass, and muscle strength, was linked to a 2.10-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 9.22-fold higher risk of CCVD, but not a significant correlation with the risk of stroke.

Almost, 7 studies, however, did not find a significant overall connection when evaluating CCVD mortality. However, studies with higher sample sizes (≥5000 individuals; OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.37-2.27, p < 0.01) and longer follow-up periods (≥10 years; OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.16-2.04, p < 0.01) showed significant relationships in subgroup analyses.

Overall, sarcopenic obesity is linked to an elevated risk of CCVD. Also, to validate the observed relationships and elucidate their clinical importance, these findings highlight the necessity of well planned prospective studies that use uniform diagnostic criteria and sufficient follow-up.

Source:

Luo, Y., Shu, L., Wang, Y., Zhao, X., Han, M., Liu, Y., Xu, Y., & Han, B. (2025). Sarcopenic obesity and risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity (2005) , 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-025-01909-z