| Summary: | Objectives: To investigate the associations of walking (steps/day) with sarcopenic obesity (SO) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in older adults.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 297 older adults aged ≥65 years (mean age 72, ranged 65–95). Walking was assessed using an accelerometer (Omron HJ-321) and categorized into thirds (tertile) based on the average daily steps. SO was defined based on physical function (gait speed), muscle strength (handgrip strength), and muscle mass (appendicular lean mass [ALM] index) according to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project diagnostic criteria, and % body fat (obesity as ≥25% in men and ≥30% in women) using Dual Energy X-Ray absorptiometry.
Results: Each 10,000 steps/day increase was associated with improved SO variables and CVD risk factors, specifically with 0.008 faster gait speed (m/s), 0.006 higher muscle mass index (ALM/BMI), 0.59 lower % body fat (%), and 0.68 lower fasting glucose (mg/dl)(all p <0.05) in the linear regression after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and alcohol intake. Compared to low walking group, odds ratios (ORs)(95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]) in moderate and high walking groups were 0.18 (0.02–1.54) and 0.22 (0.03–2.01) for slow walking, 0.42 (0.14–1.30) and 0.34 (0.09–1.29) for weak handgrip strength, 0.45 (0.23–0.87) and 0.44 (0.22–0.88) for low muscle mass, 0.58 (0.13–2.57) and 0.46 (0.11–2.06) for high % body fat, and 0.62 (0.17–2.28) and 0.21 (0.02–1.78) for SO, respectively, in the multivariable logistic regressions. Compared to individuals without SO, ORs (95% CIs) in individuals with SO were 2.04 (0.58–7.18) for hypertension, 1.27 (0.39–4.22) for hypercholesterolemia, and 1.87 (0.37–9.45) for type 2 diabetes in the multivariable logistic regression. However, these associations appeared to be weaker after further adjustment for walking (steps/day).
Conclusion: This study suggests that walking in older adults is associated with lower risks of SO and CVD risk factors.
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