Low Muscle Mass Linked to Increased Risk of CVD Death in Patients With Diabetes

Low muscle mass is linked to a 2-fold risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes, according to research presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting in Hamburg, Germany.

Sarcopenia, which is age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, is associated with CVD and mortality in individuals with diabetes. However, it is unclear to what extent the relationship is influenced by blood sugar levels and/or diabetes complications.

In this study, researchers analyzed 1514 adults (age 20 and older) with diabetes in the United States. Of the study population, 196 (55.6% female) had low muscle mass. Study subjects with low muscle mass had an average age of 63.5 years and an average diabetes duration of 14.5 years. After more than 9 years of follow-up, the investigators observed 413 all-cause deaths, of which 147 were determined to be from CVD.

The results showed that low muscle mass was linked to a higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. Notably, participants with low muscle mass were 44% more likely to die of any cause and twice as likely to die of CVD as those with a normal muscle mass.

“Our results suggest that the increased risk of death in individuals with diabetes who have low muscle mass isn’t mediated or influenced by frailty, poor blood sugar control, or microvascular complications but due to the loss of muscle itself,” the study’s authors concluded. “More research is needed to determine just how sarcopenia increases the risk of death,” they said in a press release.