Differences in sarcopenia status and mortality according to physical activity: Results from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA)

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: There is increasing evidence that promoting physical activity (PA) can prevent sarcopenia. However, PA decreases with age, and the impact of PA intensity on health is unclear. This study investigated the relationship between the level of PA and sarcopenia, and the association between PA levels and mortality in patients with and without sarcopenia. Methods: Data were derived from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. PA was classified as sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Each PA level was subdivided based on the median time spent engaged in that activity, yielding eight PA profiles. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the association between PA level and sarcopenia, and between PA profiles and mortality. Results: This study included 620 participants. During follow-up, 264 (42.6%) participants died. Overall, sarcopenic participants were less physically active than non-sarcopenic participants. After multivariate adjustment, more SB and less MVPA were associated with sarcopenia and all related variables, except muscle mass. Compared with the reference, non-sarcopenic participants with lower SB and concomitantly higher MVPA had significantly lower hazard ratios for mortality, while higher LPA reduced mortality in sarcopenic participants regardless of time spent engaged in SB or MVPA. Conclusions: PA, especially SB and MVPA, was associated with sarcopenia and related variables, but the level of PA that prevented death differed according to sarcopenia status. Our findings may help determine the optimal intensity and amount of PA.