Sex differences in the association between sarcopenia and mild cognitive impairment in the older Korean population

Abstract Background A link between sarcopenia and cognitive function has been proposed and is supported by several investigations. Nevertheless, the sex-linked relationship between these two diseases has been scarcely investigated. This cross-sectional study investigated sex differences in the association between sarcopenia and mild cognitive impairment. Methods We included all 286 participants aged 60 years or older with MCI who visited the Department of Neurology at Veterans Health Service Medical Center in South Korea from January to December 2021. The diagnosis of MCI was confirmed by two neurologists based on the participants’ neuropsychological test scores. Diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on the algorithm of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 including bioelectrical impedance analysis and handgrip strength, and cognitive function was assessed using Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery Core (SNSB-C) test. Results Among the 286 participants, 171 and 112 were men and women. After adjustment for potential covariates including APOE genotype, in women participants, there were significant associations between diagnosis of sarcopenia and MCI (OR = 4.72, 95%CI [1.39–15.97]), while there was no significant relationship in men participants. In eight subdomains of SNSB-C, we also found that women participants with sarcopenia demonstrated a significant memory decline (OR = 3.21, 95%CI [1.01–10.19]) as compared with the reference women group without sarcopenia after adjusting all covariates mentioned above. No significant association between any SNSB-C subdomain and MCI was demonstrated in men participants. Conclusions We demonstrated that there was a different relationship between sarcopenia and MCI by sex and that sarcopenia may affect the cognitive subdomain differently by sex. These results imply that, with regard to cognitive function, maintaining muscle function and muscle mass might be more crucial for women than for men.