The association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and sarcopenia: a meta-analysis.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and sarcopenia are prevalent conditions associated with aging and metabolic disorders. Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between intermittent hypoxia and skeletal muscle impairment, but findings remain inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the association between OSAS and sarcopenia in adults. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, and CNKI were searched for observational studies evaluating the association between OSAS and sarcopenia in adults. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects models by incorporating the influence of potential heterogeneity. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Results: Eight cross-sectional studies comprising 13,331 participants (3,572 with OSAS) were included. Overall, OSAS was significantly associated with sarcopenia (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.30-2.63; Conclusion: OSAS is associated with increased odds of sarcopenia in adults, particularly in older and Asian populations and in studies using objective sleep assessment. However, given that all included studies were cross-sectional and that diagnostic criteria for both OSAS and sarcopenia varied across studies, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and do not imply causality. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420261324247.