Sarcopenia emerges as a risk factor for cardiac diastolic dysfunction: a new era to focus

Abstract Objectives Cardiac diastolic dysfunction (left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, LVDD) is a well-known predictor of heart failure. We hypothesized that sarcopenia is independently associated with diastolic dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the association of the most recent consensus, definition of sarcopenia with LVDD.Methods We included 121 older participants that admitted to cardiology outpatient clinic. We followed the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) definition of confirmed sarcopenia (presence of low muscle mass + low muscle strength). We estimated skeletal muscle mass with bio-impedance analysis, muscle strength by handgrip strength via Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer. Skeletal muscle mass was adjusted by body mass index. LVDD was determined by echocardiographic parameters measured per American Society of Echocardiography recommendations. We ran multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for well known risk factors of diastolic dysfunction (i.e., age, sex, obesity, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and ischemic heart disease) to detect if sarcopenia was independently associated with diastolic dysfunction. We gave results in odds ratio(OR) and 95% confidence interval(CI).Results Mean age was 69.9 + 5.8 years; 38.8% was male. Confirmed sarcopenia was detected in 34.7%, diastolic dysfunction in 19.8%. In univariate analyses, S was associated with diastolic dysfunction (OR = 6.7 95%CI:2.4–18.9). Regression analyses showed that two parameters, i.e. sarcopenia (OR = 7.4 95%CI:2.1–26.6, p = 0.002) and obesity (OR:5.0, 95%CI:1.03–24.6, p:0.046) were associated with diastolic dysfunction.Conclusion This study revealed sarcopenia as a new risk factor for the presence of diastolic dysfunction, adding on to its known risk factors. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the factors underlying their co-presence.