Association between intrinsic capacity and sarcopenia in older adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study

Aims

To investigate the association between intrinsic capacity (IC) and sarcopenia among older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 409 community-dwelling older adults with T2D (mean age: 71.2 ± 5.8 years; 207 men, 202 women). IC was assessed using the WHO framework across five domains: cognition (Brain Health Test), locomotion (Short Physical Performance Battery), vitality (Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form), sensory (vision and hearing tests), and psychological function (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale). Each impaired domain contributed one point to the total IC impairment score (range: 0–5), with higher scores indicating greater IC decline. Sarcopenia was defined based on the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria, including muscle mass, grip strength, and physical performance. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations between IC impairment and sarcopenia.

Results

The prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.4%, and the average IC impairment score was 0.8 ± 0.8. The most common impairments were hearing (42.1%) and vision (13.2%). Participants with sarcopenia had a significantly higher number of IC impairments. A greater number of impaired IC domains was associated with increased odds of sarcopenia. While locomotion and visual impairments showed a positive association, they were not statistically significant after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusions

Declines in IC, particularly in locomotion and sensory domains, were associated with higher likelihood of sarcopenia in older adults with T2D. Routine IC assessment may support early detection and preventive interventions in this high-risk population.