Mortality Risk of Sarcopenia and Malnutrition in Older Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate how sarcopenia and nutritional risk influence all-cause mortality among older individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: In view of the presence of sarcopenia, defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria, and nutritional risk, as determined by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), a total of 396 participants were divided into four distinct groups (group 1: no nutritional risk and no sarcopenia, n = 306; group 2: nutritional risk and no sarcopenia, n = 32; group 3: no nutritional risk and sarcopenia, n = 36; and group 4: nutritional risk and sarcopenia, n = 22). Mortality risk was assessed through time-to-event analysis using Cox regression. Results: Throughout the 86-month median follow-up, 31 participants died. Compared to group 1, hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality of groups 2, 3, and 4 were 9.08 (95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.44-33.8), 9.08 (95% CI: 2.44-33.8), and 14.0 (95% CI: 4.62-42.4), respectively. The risk of death was significantly higher in groups 2, 3, and 4 compared to group 1. Additionally, group 4 had a significantly higher risk of death than group 3. However, no significant difference in mortality risk was observed between groups 3 and 4 when compared to group 2. Conclusions: Coexistence of nutritional risk and sarcopenia was linked to an increased risk of mortality across older individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. There was no significant difference in mortality between individuals presenting or not presenting with sarcopenia within the nutritional risk group; therefore, greater attention should be directed toward malnutrition.