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Review
. 2023 Dec 1;17(2):6-11.
doi: 10.17925/HI.2023.17.2.6. eCollection 2023.

Sarcopenic Obesity as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease: An Underrecognized Clinical Entity

Aditya John Binu  1 , Nitin Kapoor  2   3 , Saptarshi Bhattacharya  4 , Kamal Kishor  5 , Sanjay Kalra  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Sarcopenic Obesity as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease: An Underrecognized Clinical Entity

Aditya John Binu et al. Heart Int. .

Abstract

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a chronic condition and an emerging health challenge, in view of the growing elderly population and the obesity epidemic. Due to a lack of awareness among treating doctors and the non-specific nauture of the associated symptoms, SO remains grossly underdiagnosed. There is no consensus yet on a standard definition or diagnostic criteria for SO, which limits the estimation of the global prevalence of this condition. It has been linked to numerous metabolic derangements, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. The treatment of SO is multimodal and requires expertise across multiple specialties. While dietary modifications and exercise regimens have shown a potential therapeutic benefit, there is currently no proven pharmacological management for SO. However, numerous drugs and the role of bariatric surgery are still under trial, and have great scope for further research. This article covers the available literature regarding the definition, diagnostic criteria, and prevalence of SO, with available evidence linking it to CVD, metabolic disease and mortality, and an overview of current directives on management.

Keywords: Aging; lifestyle; muscle; obesity; sarcopenia; sarcopenic obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures: Aditya John Binu, Nitin Kapoor, Saptarshi Bhattacharya, Kamal Kishor and Sanjay Kalra have no financial or non-financial relationships or activities to declare in relation to this article.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Change in body composition with aging
Figure 2:
Figure 2:. The bidirectional impact of sarcopenia and obesity
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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