Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for sarcopenia - a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia, a loss of muscle strength and mass, has serious implications for older adults. Some risk factors for sarcopenia are well established. The role of other factors such as alcohol consumption is less certain. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and alcohol consumption in people over 65 years old. METHODS Four electronic databases were searched to identify potentially relevant papers. Demographics and information on sarcopenia and alcohol consumption were extracted from relevant papers. The relationship between sarcopenia and alcohol consumption was described using odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS Of 214 papers identified as potentially relevant, 13 were ultimately included in the meta-analyses. The papers provided data from 13,155 participants. The OR (95 % CI) for sarcopenia among alcohol drinkers was 0.67 (0.54-0.83) for males, 0.89 (0.73-1.08) for females, and 0.77 (0.67-0.88) for the overall population. CONCLUSIONS The results of this meta-analysis do not support alcohol consumption as a risk factor for sarcopenia.