The Relationship of Sleep Duration with Obesity and Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have reported the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in elderly adults; however, little is known about the relationship of sleep duration and sarcopenia.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the relationship of sleep duration with obesity and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

A total of 488 community-dwelling adults (224 men and 264 women) aged ≥65 years were included in the analysis. Self-reported sleep duration and anthropometric data were collected. Skeletal muscle mass was estimated using the predicted equation from a bioelectrical impedance analysis measurement. Obesity and sarcopenia were defined according to the body mass index and the skeletal muscle mass index, respectively.

RESULTS

The association between sleep duration and sarcopenia exhibited a U shape in older adults. Compared to adults with 6-8 h of sleep, adults with <6 h of sleep had a nearly 3-fold increased likelihood of sarcopenia (odds ratio, OR: 2.76, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.28-5.96), while adults with ≥8 h of sleep had a nearly 2-fold increased risk of sarcopenia (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.01-3.54). Older adults with a sleep duration <6 h were more prone to obesity (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.08-4.30). After gender stratification, the association between obesity and short sleep duration was more robust in women.

CONCLUSION

There were significant associations of sleep duration with either obesity or sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. Gender differences in these associations were also observed.