Joint Associations of Sarcopenia and Social Isolation with Mortality: Two Prospective Cohort Studies across Different Cultural Contexts.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.

METHODS

Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and the UK Biobank, sarcopenia was diagnosed according to European and Asian Working Groups for Sarcopenia criteria. Social isolation was assessed using standardized questionnaires, including questions on solitude, frequency of social activities, contact with others, and marital status (for the CLHLS only).

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, 8,249 deaths occurred in the CLHLS and 26,670 deaths in the UK Biobank groups. While no significant interaction was observed between sarcopenia and social isolation in predicting all-cause mortality in the CLHLS cohort, the association between social isolation and mortality was stronger among individuals with sarcopenia in the UK Biobank ( P-interaction = 0.03, relative risk due to interaction: 0.23, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.06-0.41). Further joint analyses showed that participants with sarcopenia and high levels of social isolation had the highest mortality risk (hazard ration [ HR]: 1.99; 95% CI: [1.74-2.28] in the CLHLS and 1.69 [1.55-1.85] in the UK Biobank) compared to those without either condition.

CONCLUSION

The combination of social isolation and sarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults across diverse populations.