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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 May;114(5):532-540.
doi: 10.1007/s00392-023-02360-8. Epub 2023 Dec 12.

Are sarcopenia and its individual components linked to all-cause mortality in heart failure? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Konstantinos Prokopidis  1 , Konstantinos Katsikas Triantafyllidis  2 , Konstantinos Spyridon Kechagias  3 , Alexandros Mitropoulos  4 , Rajiv Sankaranarayanan  5   6   7 , Masoud Isanejad  8
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Are sarcopenia and its individual components linked to all-cause mortality in heart failure? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Konstantinos Prokopidis et al. Clin Res Cardiol. 2025 May.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess sarcopenia and its components as prognostic factors in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: From inception to December 2022, a systematic literature search was carried out utilizing PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases. A meta-analysis employing a random-effects model was performed to assess the pooled effects.

Results: The systematic review and meta-analysis included 32 and 18 longitudinal studies, respectively. The prediction of 1- to 2-year all-cause mortality in sarcopenia was not statistically significant (hazard ratio (HR): 1.35, 95% CI 0.76-2.38, I2 = 54%, P = 0.31). The lowest combined quartile and quantile of the population were used to define low handgrip strength that showed identical results (HR: 1.24, 95% CI 0.94-1.62, I2 = 0%, P = 0.13). Low L3-L4 psoas muscle mass (HR: 2.20, 95% CI 1.26-3.83, I2 = 87%, P < 0.01) and slow gait speed (HR: 1.45, 95% CI 1.20-1.74, I2 = 0%, P < 0.01) were significant contributors to all-cause mortality risk. Additionally, a 0.1 m/s increase in gait speed demonstrated a significant reduction of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.90, I2 = 60%, P < 0.01). Our narrative synthesis also described appendicular lean mass (ALM) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores as significant prognostic factors.

Conclusions: Compared to patients with higher overall functional performance, those with HF and low ALM, low psoas muscle mass, low SPPB, and slow gait speed are at an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Early prevention and/or treatment of lower limb physical function deterioration may be an essential strategy to reduce the risk of premature death in HF.

Keywords: Appendicular lean mass; Handgrip strength; Heart failure; Mortality; Sarcopenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of the literature search
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effects of sarcopenia (A), low handgrip strength (HGS) (lowest quartile and quantile combined) (B), low L3-L4 psoas muscle index (PMI) (low tertiles and quartiles combined) (C), and slow gait speed (D) on one-to-two-year all-cause mortality in patients with HF
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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