ArticleJournal of advanced research2025
Exploring the mediating roles of depression and cognitive function in the association between sarcopenia and frailty: A Cox survival analysis approach.
Article in Journal of advanced research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Gerontology · 2026Pooled it
- Long-term impact of sarcopenia on functional decline and mortality in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Age at first sexual intercourse and frailty: Mendelian randomization and population-based evidence from NHANES and UK Biobank.Sexual medicine · 2026Article
- Symptom network analysis in elderly patients with chronic gastritis at two time points: a repeated cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Divergent associations of social isolation with body composition in Chinese middle-aged and older adults.Population health metrics · 2026Observational
- Understanding how hypoxia contributes to liver cancer stem cells maintenance.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026Review
- Longitudinal association of frailty levels with knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and elderly chinese: a longitudinal cohort study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Analysis of disparate factors affecting cognitive function among populations with different educational levels: a large-scale longitudinal study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Associations of Life-Course Social Isolation Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms With the Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- Association between Age-Friendly Environment, Sarcopenia and Frailty among Older Adults in China: A Longitudinal Study.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2026Article
- Synergistic effects of multicomponent exercise and rTMS on sarcopenia and mild cognitive impairment in older people: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Association of lipid accumulation product with the prevalence and incidence of sarcopenia: a nationwide study in Chinese.Nutrition & metabolism · 2025Article
- The mediating role of sarcopenia in the link between loneliness and frailty among nursing home residents: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Prediction of sarcopenia at different time intervals: an interpretable machine learning analysis of modifiable factors.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Associations of lung function impairment and biological aging with mortality and cardiovascular disease incidence: findings from UK biobank participants.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite earlier research indicating a potential link between the development of sarcopenia and an elevated risk of frailty, the lack of comprehensive prospective data on the correlation between sarcopenia and frailty incidence leaves open the question of whether depression and cognitive function mediate this association.
objectiveThe principal aim of the current investigation was to evaluate the intricate interplay among sarcopenia, depression, and cognitive function collectively influence the risk of developing frailty.
methodsThe participants included in this study were obtained from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which collectively encompassed a total of 3,108 participants. To examine the interrelationships among sarcopenia, depression, cognitive function, and the incidence of frailty, we employed Cox regression models along with structural equation modelling, while making necessary adjustments for baseline demographic characteristics and various lifestyle factors.
resultsDuring a 4-year follow-up, we documented 753 frailty events. Compared to those with nonsarcopenia, those with possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia presented risk ratios for frailty events of 1.354 (95 % CI: 1.156, 1.586) and 1.514 (95 % CI: 1.203, 1.907), respectively. Stratified analyses by different statuses of sarcopenia further revealed that the significant effect of depression on frailty was present across all groups (nonsarcopenia, possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia), whereas the effect of cognitive function on frailty was limited to the non-sarcopenia and possible sarcopenia groups. Mediation analysis showed that sarcopenia was correlated not only with frailty through depression and cognitive function separately but also through a chain-mediated effect of depression and cognitive function together.
conclusionsSarcopenia is associated with frailty, depression and cognitive function playing partial, mediating roles. Frailty's susceptibility to depression and cognitive function differs based on sarcopenia status. Therefore, comprehensive interventions that include sarcopenia screening, interventions, improvements in depression, the promotion of mental health, and delays in cognitive decline will be more effective in preventing and delaying frailty. This effectiveness is particularly relevant for middle-aged and older adults who reside in China.
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