Sarcopenia Is Associated with High Pulse Pressure in Older Women

Abstract EN

Introduction.

Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome associated with impairment of muscle function, metabolism, and cognition in older women.

Recent studies have shown a relationship between changes in muscle mass and the cardiovascular system.

However, this relationship has not been fully elucidated.

Methods.

One hundred and thirty community-dwelling Brazilian older women (65.4 ± 6.3 years) were recruited to participate in this study.

Data on body composition (via bioelectrical impedance measurements), cardiovascular parameters (using an automatic and noninvasive monitor), and muscle function (using a 3-meter gait speed test) were measured.

Results.

Sarcopenic older women ( n = 43 ) presented higher levels of pulse pressure (PP) (60.3 ± 2.6 mmHg) and lower muscle function (0.5 ± 0.0 m/s) compared with nonsarcopenic subjects ( n = 87 ) (53.7 ± 1.5 mmHg; 0.9 ± 0.0 m/s) ( P < 0.05 ).

Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significantly negative association between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and PP levels ( β = − 226 , P < 0.05 ).

Furthermore, sarcopenic older women showed a 3.1-fold increased risk of having higher PP levels compared with nonsarcopenic women (IC = 1.323–7.506) ( P < 0.05 ).

Conclusion.

Sarcopenic older women showed lower muscle function and higher cardiovascular risk due to increased PP levels compared with nonsarcopenic subjects.