Relationship between sarcopenic obesity and cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Previous research has linked sarcopenic obesity (SO) to cognitive function; however, the relationship between cognitive performance and SO Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate their relationship in AD patients.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty mild to moderate AD patients and 56 normal controls were recruited. According to sarcopenia or obesity status, AD patients were classified into subgroups: normal, obesity, sarcopenia, and SO. Body composition, demographics, and sarcopenia parameters were assessed. Cognitive performance was evaluated using neuropsychological scales.

RESULTS

Among the 176 participants, the prevalence of SO in the moderate AD group was higher than in the normal control group. The moderate AD group had the lowest appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and the highest percentage of body fat (PBF). Hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent in the SO group than in the normal group among the subgroups. The sarcopenia and SO groups exhibited worse global cognitive function compared to the normal and obesity groups. Partial correlation analysis revealed that ASMI, PBF, and visceral fat area were associated with multiple cognitive domains scores. In logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounders, obesity was not found to be associated with AD. However, sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR) = 5.35, 95% CI: 1.27-22.46) and SO (OR = 5.84, 95% CI: 1.26-27.11) were identified as independent risk factors for AD.

CONCLUSIONS

SO was associated with cognitive dysfunction in AD patients. Moreover, the impact of SO on cognitive decline was greater than that of sarcopenia. Early identification and intervention for SO may have a positive effect on the occurrence and progression of AD.