Associations between inflammatory markers and muscle strength in older adults according to the presence or absence of obesity

Abstract Background We investigated the association between inflammatory markers and muscle strength in older adults according to the presence or absence of obesity. Dynapenia is the age-related decline in muscle strength and results in negative outcomes to older adults. Accordingly, obesity is more prevalent throughout aging and is associated with comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Both dynapenia and obesity are strongly linked to chronic inflammation, sharing common signaling pathways. Methods We recruited 247 older adults aged 60 or older and collected sociodemographic, anthropometric and metabolic data. Dynapenia was diagnosed according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria. Circulating inflammatory cytokines were measured in plasma using a multiplex panel kit. Anthropometric, sociodemographic, lipid profile, and fasting blood glucose were also assessed. Results Dynapenic participants were predominantly males (74.4%), had insufficiently active lifestyle and higher IL-10 plasma levels (0.95 pg/mL; 0.40–2.12). The prevalence of obesity was higher among non-dynapenic participants (45.3%; 95% CI, 37.7–53). In dynapenic older adults, obesity was predominant in males (53.6%) and subjects with normal muscle strength had higher serum levels of TNF-β (0.63 pg/mL; 0.30–1.30) and lower hand-grip strength (24 kg; 20.00–28.00). Using a multivariate quantile regression analysis, we found a strong and negative association between IL-10 and muscle strength. Conclusions This study can help to understand the association of inflammation, obesity and muscle strength to promote interventions in order to avoid or delay the negative outcomes associated with dynapenia and sarcopenia in older adults.