SynthesisEuropean geriatric medicine2025
The association between muscle mass and change in physical functioning in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.
Synthesis in European geriatric medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Age-related anabolic resistance and post-absorptive muscle protein synthesis: integrative evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Review
- A multi-domain algorithm towards precision nutrition: integrating genetic risk scores and phenotypic diversity in the elderly, the MyFOOD4Senior study.Genes & nutrition · 2026Article
- Associations between body mass index and peak expiratory flow rate and the mediating role of hand grip strength: evidence from CHARLS.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2026Article
- DXA-BIA discordance in low muscle mass and sarcopenia among older Korean adults under the AWGS 2025 criteria.European geriatric medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Association between body composition and bone mineral density in community-dwelling older adults from Chile: a sex-stratified DXA-based cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Associations Between Physical Activity, Muscle Mass, and Functional Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults from Chile: A Cross-Sectional Study.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Obesity Subtypes and Longitudinal Trajectories of Function Over Seven Years of Follow-Up: Data From the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study.Arthritis care & research · 2026Article
- Article
- Association of the Dietary Plant-To-Animal Protein Intake Ratio with the Incidence of Slow Gait Speed in Older Adults.The Journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Longitudinal bidirectional associations among sarcopenia risk, social isolation, and frailty in Chinese older adults using an item response theory-derived frailty index.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
- Associations between body composition phenotypes and physical function in community-dwelling older adults: an exploratory analysis of limb muscle mass asymmetry.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Association between creatinine-to-body weight ratio and arterial stiffness: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study in the Chinese population.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Article
- Attitudes and preferences of older adults and healthcare professionals regarding a multidisciplinary hybrid telehealth program for healthy aging.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Relaxed Stiffness of Lower Extremity Muscles and Step Width Variability as Key Differences Between Sarcopenia and Dynapenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Nandrolone Decanoate for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.Cureus · 2025Review
- Association between simplified anthropometric age and functional performance metrics in older Chinese adults: A study on muscle strength, sit-to-stand ability, and gait speed.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- The association between skeletal muscle mass and functional capacity outcomes in Chinese older adults: a national community-based study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe aim of this review is to investigate the prospective association between muscle mass and physical functioning in older adults, and to explore sources of variability in this association.
methodsThree databases were searched for prospective, observational studies investigating any assessment of muscle mass and functional decline in older adults (mean age 65 + years). 72 studies were included. Meta-analyses using results of the most adjusted statistical models were performed using Review Manager version 5.3.5.
resultsMost studies were conducted in the community setting (n = 64) and used incident ADL limitations/disability as outcome (n = 44). Across studies, 6 body composition methods and 34 different parameters of muscle mass were used, including ratios. Average follow-up time was 46 months. For low versus higher muscle mass (n = 25), the overall odds ratio (OR) for functional decline was 1.23 (95% CI 1.10-1.37, I
conclusionIn contrast to earlier reviews, this updated review shows that lower muscle mass is associated with higher risk of functional decline in older adults. Earlier observed variability in this association is explained by body composition method, body size adjustment, and type of physical functioning outcome.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.