Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40295940›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Sarcopenia and it's influencing factors among adults with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tuberculosis in Penang, Malaysia.

Radhiyatul Akma Mohamad Zani, Hazwani Ahmad Yusof, Nurul 'Ain Azizan, Irfhan Ali Hyder Ali, Suhaila Ismail, Noorsuzana Mohd Shariff

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Radhiyatul Akma Mohamad ZaniDepartment of Community Health, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Penang, 13200, Malaysia.
Hazwani Ahmad YusofDepartment of Community Health, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Penang, 13200, Malaysia.
Nurul 'Ain AzizanSchool of Biosciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43500, Malaysia.
Irfhan Ali Hyder AliDepartment of Respiratory, Penang General Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Residensi, Georgetown, Penang, 10990, Malaysia.
Suhaila IsmailManagement Unit, Kepala Batas Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Penang, 13200, Malaysia.
Noorsuzana Mohd ShariffDepartment of Community Health, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Penang, 13200, Malaysia. suzanashariff@usm.my.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and tuberculosis (TB) are increasing globally, leading to systemic symptoms like skeletal muscle dysfunction. Ageing and physical inactivity exacerbate sarcopenia, reducing functional capacity, disability, and quality of life. However, limited research exists on the prevalence of sarcopenia among chronic respiratory diseases in low-middle-income countries like Malaysia. Hence, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated risk factors among adults with asthma, COPD, and TB in Penang, Malaysia.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 to March 2024. This study included 469 patients (mean age: 52.62 ± 16.61 years) diagnosed with asthma (n = 180), COPD (n = 186), or TB (n = 103) receiving treatment in chest clinics of two governmental hospitals in Penang. The SARC-F and SARC-CalF questionnaires were used to assess the participants' risk of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was identified using the 2019 criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). The risk factors for sarcopenia in asthma, COPD, and TB patients were investigated using multivariable logistic regression.

resultsThe prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.9% (95% CI 13.5-25.4) in patients with asthma, 33.9% (95% CI 27.1-41.2) in those with TB, and 35.9% (95% CI 26.7-46.0) in those with COPD, according to AWGS 2019 criteria. The SARC-CalF screening tool showed that 27.3% of participants had a positive risk of having sarcopenia. The independent risk factors associated with sarcopenia in asthma patients were age, physical activity and body mass index (BMI). For TB patients, significant risk factors included Chinese and other ethnicities, foreigners, lower daily protein intake, and BMI. In COPD patients, independent risk factors included age, moderate physical activity, BMI and history of heart failure.

conclusionThis study highlighted a significant burden of sarcopenia among patients with asthma, COPD and TB. Non-clinical interventions such as lifestyle modification and nutritional support to the patients are crucial to maintain muscle strength and delay the onset of sarcopenia, particularly in people with chronic respiratory diseases.

Indexed as

AsthmaPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveSarcopeniaTuberculosisAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalaysiaMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesAsthmaChronic respiratory diseaseCOPDPrevalenceRisk factorsSarcopeniaTB

Identifiers

PMID40295940
PMCPMC12036132

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.