Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy; Applied Kinesiology Laboratory-LCA, School of Physical Education, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Exp Gerontol. 2019 May;119:93-99. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.01.028. Epub 2019 Jan 30.
People with Down syndrome (DS) experience premature aging. Whether this accelerated aging also involves early declines in muscle mass, strength and physical performance is presently unclear. The present study investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia parameters in adults with DS. In addition, the relationship between well-established muscle mass indexes and a set of body composition, functional, biological, and clinical parameters was explored.
One hundred-five adults with DS participated in the study. Demographic, clinical, anthropometric, and functional parameters were assessed. Lean body mass (LBM) was estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip and the spine was measured through dual X-ray absorptiometry. For the analysis, participants were categorized into two subgroups (i.e., low and high) for each LBM-related measurement (i.e., crude LBM, LBM to body mass index ratio, and skeletal muscle index) according to their median values.
The mean age of participants was 38.4 ± 12.1 years, with 43 men (41%). Muscle mass, handgrip strength, and gait speed were lower than established cutoffs for sarcopenia. All muscle mass indexes were negatively correlated with age. However, only crude LBM and the skeletal muscle index were correlated with a set of anthropometric parameters and BMD.
Findings from this exploratory study indicate that adults with DS show muscle mass indexes and physical performance levels similar to or lower than older adults with sarcopenia. The assessment of muscle mass and functional status should therefore be included in the routine evaluation of this population starting at young age.
唐氏综合征（DS）患者存在早衰现象。目前尚不清楚这种加速衰老是否还涉及肌肉质量、力量和身体机能的早期下降。本研究调查了成年 DS 患者肌少症参数的流行情况。此外，还探讨了既定的肌肉质量指标与一系列身体成分、功能、生物学和临床参数之间的关系。
105 名成年 DS 患者参与了这项研究。评估了人口统计学、临床、人体测量和功能参数。使用生物电阻抗分析估计瘦体重（LBM）。通过双能 X 线吸收法测量髋部和脊柱的骨矿物质密度（BMD）。为了分析，根据每个 LBM 相关测量（即粗 LBM、LBM 与体重指数的比值和骨骼肌指数）的中位数，将参与者分为两个亚组（即低值和高值）。
参与者的平均年龄为 38.4±12.1 岁，其中 43 名男性（41%）。肌肉质量、握力和步速均低于肌少症的既定截止值。所有肌肉质量指标均与年龄呈负相关。然而，只有粗 LBM 和骨骼肌指数与一组人体测量参数和 BMD 相关。
这项探索性研究的结果表明，成年 DS 患者的肌肉质量指数和身体机能水平与肌少症老年人相似或更低。因此，应从年轻时开始，将肌肉质量和功能状况的评估纳入该人群的常规评估中。
