Association between dietary acid load and sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: Sarcopenia is a common and serious complication in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Dietary acid load has been linked to metabolic disturbances; however, its relationship with sarcopenia in T2DM remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of dietary acid load with sarcopenia in older adults with T2DM.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis with aged ≥60 years was conducted. Sarcopenia was defined as both having low muscle strength, evaluated by handgrip strength, and low skeletal muscle mass index, evaluated by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Dietary acid load was evaluated by potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations with muscle mass, muscle strength, and sarcopenia.

RESULTS

Among 298 older adults with T2DM (mean age 70.8 ± 6.0 years), sarcopenia was identified in 13.1 %. Multivariable regression analyses showed that both PRAL and NEAP were significantly associated with skeletal muscle mass index. Regarding muscle strength, NEAP remained significantly associated, while PRAL showed a similar but non-significant negative trend. Compared with lowest tertile, highest tertile of PRAL (odds ratio (OR) = 3.09, 95 % CI: 1.13-9.00; p for trend = 0.02) or NEAP (OR = 3.07, 95 % CI: 1.21-8.30; p for trend = 0.01) was associated with the presence of sarcopenia.

CONCLUSION

Higher dietary acid load is associated with sarcopenia among older individuals with T2DM.