Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40467456›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health and preventive medicine2025

Relationship between sarcopenia and cardiovascular disease among middle-aged and older adults with normal weight in China: functional limitation plays a mediating role.

Hui Cheng, Zhihui Jia, Jiaheng Chen, Yao Jie Xie, Jose Hernandez, Harry H X Wang

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Article in Environmental health and preventive medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hui ChengSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University.
Zhihui JiaSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University.
Jiaheng ChenSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University.
Yao Jie XieSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Jose HernandezGreen Templeton College, University of Oxford.
Harry H X WangSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0361-6527

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the predominant cause of mortality in China. However, the mechanisms linking sarcopenia to CVD remain poorly understood, particularly in normal-weight populations. Individuals with the absence of overweight or obesity may tend to experience missed opportunities for timely intervention. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between sarcopenia and incidence of new-onset CVD in a normal-weight population, and to examine the mediating effect of functional limitation in this relationship.

methodsWe conducted a closed-cohort analysis using a nationwide sample of 4,147 middle-aged and older adults with normal weight in China. We performed Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to explore the associations of baseline sarcopenia with incident CVD. The difference method was applied to estimate the mediation proportion of functional limitation in this association.

resultsOver a mean follow-up period of 7.62 years, CVD occurred in 835 participants. In the multivariable-adjusted Cox model, individuals with sarcopenia exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of developing incident CVD compared to those without sarcopenia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-1.73, P < 0.001). Similar associations were observed for the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Functional limitation accounted for approximately 15.0% of the total effect of sarcopenia on incident CVD (P < 0.001).

conclusionsSarcopenia exerts both direct and indirect effects on incident CVD among middle-aged and older adults who are normal weight, with functional limitation serving as a significant mediator. Interventions targeting both sarcopenia and functional limitation may offer a promising strategy for enhancing cardiovascular health in this population.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesSarcopeniaAgedAged, 80 and overChinaCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsRisk FactorsCardiovascular diseaseFunctional limitationMediating effectMiddle-aged and older adultsSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID40467456
PMCPMC12170099

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