Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between iron accumulation and sarcopenia risk.
Method
We conducted an observational study based on data acquired during the year 2022–2023 from the affiliated hospital of Jiangsu University. Data on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), limb muscle mass, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, serum iron concentration, ferritin level, total iron- binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TSAT) were collected and analyzed. To achieve our goal, t-tests, chi-square tests, binary logistic regression models, and nonlinear analyses were employed as statistical analyses.
Results
There were 110 participants, including 44 males and 66 females. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that serum ferritin level was a risk factor for sarcopenia (OR = 1.005, 95% CI], 1.001, 1.009; P = 0.042). Furthermore, nonlinear analysis revealed a U-shaped relationship between ferritin levels and the risk of sarcopenia. When ferritin was less than 226.428 µg/L, the risk of sarcopenia decreased, whereas when ferritin was greater than 241.2 µg/L, the risk increased accordingly. Both the overall effect (P = 0.033) and the nonlinear effect (P = 0.012) were statistically significant.
Conclusion
Serum ferritin levels may be an independent risk factor for sarcopenia in the healthy elderly population. Additionally, a non-linear relationship between ferritin levels and the risk of sarcopenia was revealed. Nevertheless, further research is needed to elucidate the complex pathways connecting iron metabolism to muscle health, and to guide the development of targeted interventions for preventing and managing sarcopenia in this population.