Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, which defines sarcopenia, generally occurs with ageing, and is commonly associated with relative or absolute fat mass gain; this process contributes to the potential development of sarcopenic obesity. However, sarcopenia can occur in people suffering from obesity at any age. We aimed therefore to screen for sarcopenia in a group of obese adults, and to identify the biological risk factors associated with sarcopenic obesity.

Materials and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out on 53 obese patients who consulted the Human Obesity Research Unit of the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology of Tunis, between November 2022 and February 2023.

Results: The mean age of patients was 44.34±13.51 years. Mean BMI was 39.78±5.92 kg/m²;. Almost all patients (94.3%) had a high fat mass percentage. More than half the patients (54.7%) had low skeletal muscle mass (SMM/W). Sarcopenia was present in 7.5% of the population (SO+). The study of biological parameters revealed a statistically significant relationship between insulin resistance and low skeletal muscle mass, as attested by mean insulinemia (28.81 µIU/ml for low SMM/W, vs 14.48 µIU/ml for normal SMM/W; P=0.004) and HOMA index (7.94 for low SMM/W, vs 3.49 for normal SMM/W; P=0.002), which were higher in cases of low skeletal muscle mass. However, there was no statistically significant difference in biological parameters or Homa index between sarcopenic (SO+) and non-sarcopenic (SO-) obese subjects.

Conclusions: In the light of our results and those of the literature, we recommend promoting a balanced, low-energy-density diet in order to improve insulin sensibility and thus reduce the risk of sarcopenia and associated comorbidities. Regular physical activity and limiting sedentary activities are also strongly recommended.