Feed

Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a major age-related disease with important clinical and public health implications, leading to updated international consensus definitions. We evaluated temporal changes in dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived low muscle mass and estimated the prevalence and associated comorbidities of sarcopenia using nationally representative data.

We analyzed adults aged ≥50 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008-2011 and 2024. Appendicular lean mass was assessed using wholebody DXA. Low muscle mass was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2025 criteria. Sarcopenia, defined as the coexistence of low muscle mass and low handgrip strength, was assessed only in KNHANES 2024. Sampling weight was applied to all analyses.

The age-standardized prevalence of low muscle mass increased from 27.2% in 2008-2011 to 47.1% in 2024, with similar trends observed in men and women. Male sex, greater height, lower body weight, lower total energy intake, a higher proportion of energy derived from fat, and diabetes mellitus were independently associated with a higher prevalence of low muscle mass. The between-period difference in prevalence remained statistically significant after multivariable adjustment. In 2024, the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.7% and increased with age, reaching 21.5% among adults aged ≥80 years. Sarcopenia was independently associated with diabetes mellitus, anemia, malnutrition, poor self-rated health, and recent bedridden status.

Low muscle mass and sarcopenia are increasingly prevalent among older adults in Korea and are strongly associated with comorbidities.