ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2025
Serum calcium levels and the risk of sarcopenia in young adults: insights from NHANES 2011-2018.
Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of protein-based multinutrient therapy on sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Pooled it
- Dietary nutrient intake and nutritional status in women with infertility: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Exploring the impact of childhood obesity on sarcopenia-related traits: A 2-way Mendelian randomization analysis.Medicine · 2026Article
- Skipjack tuna bone derived biocalcium ameliorates C2C12 myotube atrophy through microRNA29b regulation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Association between the ratio of uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (UHR) and the abnormal risk of sarcopenia: Evidence from two large population-based surveys and interpretable machine learning-driven sarcopenia screening.Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Diabetes influences the link between lipid accumulation products and sarcopenia among US adults, as evidenced by NHANES data.BMC public health · 2025Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Sarcopenia, the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function, is commonly associated with aging, especially in older adults. While low serum calcium has been linked to muscle loss in individuals over 50, its relationship with sarcopenia in younger adults (20-60 years) is unclear. This study examines this association using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study analyzed participants aged 20-60 from NHANES 2011-2018. Individuals with missing data were excluded. Sarcopenia was assessed using appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, defined by ASM/BMI or ASM/Weight. Multiple logistic regression and stratified analyses were used to explore the correlation between serum calcium levels and sarcopenia prevalence. Results: Among 7,309 adults, 578 (7.91%) had sarcopenia by ASM/BMI and 1,363 (18.65%) by ASM/Weight. Higher serum calcium levels were significantly associated with a lower risk of sarcopenia (ASM/BMI: OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.20; ASM/Weight: OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.04-0.19). The trend was consistent across age, gender, education, poverty income ratio, and race, with some exceptions. Conclusion: This study highlights a negative association between serum calcium and sarcopenia risk in young and middle-aged adults, suggesting that calcium interventions could be beneficial in preventing sarcopenia in this population. However, the cross-sectional design precludes any inference of causality, and further longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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