Evaluation of Sarcopenia in Overweight and Middle-Aged Patients with Diabetes and Its Association with Poor Glycemic Control


Daloğlu O. O., ÜNAL M. Ç., Güller P. Ü., Alak Z. Y. Ş., Güçlü M., Kıyıcı S.

Endocrinology Research and Practice, cilt.30, sa.3, ss.159-166, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 30 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.5152/erp.2026.25873
  • Dergi Adı: Endocrinology Research and Practice
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.159-166
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Sarcopenia, sarcopenia quality of life, type 2 diabetes
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: Sarcopenia, characterized by reduced muscle mass and strength, commonly affects the elderly. This study aimed to assess sarcopenia in middle-aged, overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and examine its relationship with glycemic control. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 60 patients with T2D, including 30 individuals with poor glycemic control (PGC; glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >7%, mean age 54 ± 5 years, 46.6% women) and 30 with adequate glycemic control (AGC; HbA1c ≤ 7%, mean age 54 ± 6 years, 50% women). Sarcopenia was evaluated using handgrip strength (HGS), skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI), and the 4-meter walk test, as well as the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SARQoL) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality (PSQ) questionnaires. Results: Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 5 patients (16.6%), all from the PGC group. These patients had significantly lower median HGS (15.4 kg) and SMMI (7.4 kg/m2) compared to those with AGC (29.8 kg and 10.6 kg/m2; P = .021 and .006, respectively). HbA1c negatively correlated with HGS (r = −0.424; P = .001). Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that higher HbA1c levels were inde-pendently associated with lower SMMI (β: −0.293; 95% CI: −0.483 to −0.102; P = .003) and lower HGS (β: −2.016; 95% CI: −2.885 to −1.147; P < .001). The SARQoL score was lower in patients with sarcope-nia (P = .022), while the PSQ score was similar. Conclusion: Sarcopenia may develop in non-elderly, overweight patients with poorly controlled diabetes, negatively affecting quality of life. Early screening for sarcopenia should be considered if diabetes is uncontrolled.