Association between possible sarcopenia, all-cause mortality, and adverse health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults in China

Abstract The relationship between possible sarcopenia and mortality remains ambiguous within Asian populations. To clarify this, we investigated the association in older adults residing in Chinese communities. Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, this population-based cohort study included individuals aged ≥ 60 years, followed from 2011 to 2012 through 2020. Possible sarcopenia was defined in accordance with the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 criteria, and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze its impact on mortality, while exploratory analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of possible sarcopenia with chronic diseases, functional independence, and hospitalization frequency. The study encompassed 5,160 participants (median age: 66 years), nearly half of whom (48.8%) were identified with possible sarcopenia. Over a 9-year follow-up period, there were 1216 recorded deaths. Analysis indicated that individuals with possible sarcopenia faced a significantly elevated mortality risk compared to their counterparts (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.58–2.03; P