ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2023
Association Between Pain and Sarcopenia Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Myokine Signaling in Sarcopenia-Associated Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review of Inflammatory Mechanisms.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Association between pain and sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Disentangling the association between chronic pain and sarcopenia-related traits: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Association between chronic pain and frailty among Chinese adults aged ≥ 60 years: a cross-sectional study.Internal and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Quality of life analysis in community pharmacy using deep learning and explainability methods.JAMIA open · 2026Article
- The sarcopenia-pain connection: why mechanisms matter for patient care?Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Functional Impact of Pain and Its Association With Sarcopenia in the Elderly: The Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS).Pain research & management · 2026Article
- Use of Handgrip Strength as a Health Indicator in Public Sector Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Association between Chronic Pain and Sarcopenia in Greek Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Pain Characteristics and Progression to Sarcopenia in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2024Article
- Sarcopenia and Chronic Pain in the Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2023Review
- Editorial: Sarcopenia and Pain as Determinants of Successful Ageing.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 11 institutions in 9 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPain may increase the risk for sarcopenia, but existing literature is only from high-income countries, while the mediators of this association are largely unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between pain and sarcopenia using nationally representative samples of older adults from 6 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to identify potential mediators.
methodsCross-sectional data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass and weak handgrip strength, while the presence and severity of pain in the last 30 days were self-reported. Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analyses were performed. The control variables included age, sex, education, wealth, and chronic conditions, while affect, sleep/energy, disability, social participation, sedentary behavior, and mobility were considered potential mediators.
resultsData on 14,585 adults aged ≥65 years were analyzed (mean [SD] age 72.6 [11.5] years; 55.0% females). Compared to no pain, mild, moderate, severe, and extreme pain were associated with 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.94), 1.43 (95%CI = 1.02-2.00), 1.92 (95%CI = 1.09-3.37), and 2.88 (95%CI = 1.10-7.54) times higher odds for sarcopenia, respectively. Disability (mediated percentage 18.0%), sedentary behavior (12.9%), and low mobility (56.1%) were significant mediators in the association between increasing levels of pain and sarcopenia.
conclusionsHigher levels of pain were associated with higher odds for sarcopenia among adults aged ≥65 years in 6 LMICs. Disability, sedentary behavior, and mobility problems were identified as potential mediators. Targeting these factors in people with pain may decrease the future risk of sarcopenia onset, pending future longitudinal research.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.