Beyond Aging: Prevalence of Pre-sarcopenia, Dynapenia and Sarcopenia among adults in the United Arab Emirates.

Sivapriya Ramakrishnan, Ala Messoudi, Ahmed Mohammed, Yaseen Omran, Hour Ahmed, Nada Kuwaik, Omar Othman, Mohamd Sopeh, Ruoqaia Silim, Ashokan Arumugam, Nada Ahmed, Tooba Rahmaninejad, Khuloud Idlbi, Reem Taha
Purpose:

To investigate the prevalence of pre-sarcopenia, dynapenia, and sarcopenia, and to examine the association between upper limb muscle mass and hand grip strength, as well as lower limb muscle mass and gait speed. Additionally, to explore the relationship between age and muscle mass among young and middle-aged adults in the United Arab Emirates.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 632 healthy participants aged 18-65 years was recruited, comprising young adults (n=500; men: 248, women: 252) and middle-aged adults (n=130; men: 71, women: 59). Skeletal muscle mass was measured for each participant using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and height was recorded using a stadiometer. Handgrip strength was assessed with a Jamar hydraulic dynamometer, and functional mobility was evaluated using the gait speed test. The prevalence of pre-sarcopenia, dynapenia, and sarcopenia was determined based on criteria from a prior study. Regression analysis was employed to examine the association between upper limb muscle mass and handgrip strength, as well as lower limb muscle mass and gait speed. Additionally, Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between age and muscle mass

Results:

The prevalence of pre-sarcopenia among middle-aged individuals was 44% (n=26) in women, while all males (100%, n=71) demonstrated decreased muscle mass according to established criteria. Dynapenia was observed in 18.6% (n=93) of young adults and 23% (n=30) of middle-aged adults. Regarding sarcopenia, 42% (n=25) of women and 100% (n=71) of men in the middle-aged group exhibited reductions in both muscle mass and physical function. Regression analysis indicated a significant association between muscle mass and handgrip strength, with an adjusted R² = 0.411 (p0.01) and lower limb muscle mass and gait speed with an adjusted R² = 0.264 (p0.01). Additionally, a strong negative correlation was found between age and muscle mass (r = -0.79).

Conclusion(s):

There is a significant prevalence of pre-sarcopenia, Dynapenia, and sarcopenia, particularly among middle-aged males and females. The correlation between age and muscle mass highlights the detrimental impact of aging on muscle health. Furthermore, muscle mass significantly explains the variance in muscle function.

Implications:

This high prevalence indicates a critical public health concern in the united arab emirates.   These results emphasize the need for early intervention strategies like   early screening for muscle mass loss, loss of muscle strength, additionally educating patients with the benefits of maintaining muscle health through regular physical activity can empower individuals to take proactive steps in preventing sarcopenia

Funding acknowledgements:
It is a self-funded project.
Keywords:
Prevalence
Sarcopenia
United Arab Emirates
Primary topic:
Health promotion and wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Second topic:
Musculoskeletal
Third topic:
Education: clinical
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
Research Ethics Committee, University of Sharjah
Provide the ethics approval number:
Reference number: REC-23-03-01-01-S
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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