Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and More

Sarcopenic obesity is a condition that occurs when you have both obesity (excess body weight) and sarcopenia (low muscle mass). Up to 23% of people may have sarcopenic obesity.

Sarcopenic obesity has characteristics of both obesity and sarcopenia. These include a muscular mass lower than the average and a higher percentage of body weight of fat compared to muscles or bones.

It can cause symptoms such as fatigue during physical activity that occurs earlier than usual, and difficulties in doing activities such as climbing stairs, weight lifting, transport of grocery store or getting up of a chair. Many people with sarcopenic obesity are sedentary or inactive and may notice any symptoms.

It is also possible to have sarcopenic obesity without having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. People can have a higher percentage of fat mass, with relatively low muscle mass. In this case, you would have sarcopenic obesity despite a BMI under the obesity threshold.

Sarcopenic obesity occurs when you have a small amount of muscle mass compared to a higher amount of body fat. Researchers always learn the exact cause of sarcopenic obesity, but certain risk factors can be key contributors, such as:

• More advanced age: People of all ages can develop sarcopenic obesity, but it is more frequent in the elderly, who tend to gain body fat and lose muscle mass as they age. Age changes in hormones, especially testosterone, can contribute to age -related muscle loss.
• Insulin resistance: This condition, where your body does not meet insulin, can reduce your muscle mass and cause weight gain. This can make it more difficult to be physically active, which in turn facilitates weight, loss of muscle and further increases the risk of sarcopenic obesity.
• Diet: You should eat enough protein to maintain muscle health. Without enough protein, your muscle mass can decrease. The diets rich in simple sugars and carbohydrates also contribute to resistance to insulin and obesity.
• Physical inactivity: Physical activity is important for weight management and muscle health. If you sit a lot or do not get much daily movement, you are more likely to have a risk of obesity, resistance to insulin and muscle loss due to inactivity.

A health care provider can recommend a test that measures both of your muscle mass and fat to diagnose sarcopenic obesity. A magnetic resonance imaging test (MRI) can offer the best results, but this type of test can also be long and expensive.

Instead, health care providers can choose to use other analyzes and tests. These include:

• Analysis of the bioelectric impedance (BIA) Scan: This test takes only a few minutes. They work using harmless electric currents to estimate your body composition. You cannot feel it, and as there is no radiation, you can use these analyzes to frequently follow your fitness progress.
• X -ray -energy X -ray absolute scan (Dexa): This scan uses X -rays to determine the percentage of your body weight of fat and muscles. They give more precise information than BIA analyzes, but it is generally more expensive and can involve exposure to radiation.
• Muscle function tests: Your health care provider may recommend muscle function tests to determine to what extent you can perform certain tasks. They may want to see how many times you can stand from a chair in a certain time or how fast you can walk on a short distance.

There are no drugs available specifically for sarcopenic obesity. The purpose of the treatment of sarcopenic obesity is to change the composition of your body, increase muscle mass and decrease fat mass.

Changing your body composition can take time. Lifestyle changes can help you progress, including:

Supporting your overall health can also be beneficial. If you have underlying conditions such as insulin resistance or hormonal imbalances, working with your health care provider to better manage them can help improve your symptoms.

The best ways to prevent sarcopenic obesity is to reach and maintain a weight that your health care provider recommends and exercise regularly to support your muscle mass.

Experts recommend a regime rich in protein associated with 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity and two strength training sessions per week. Consider meeting a personal coach who can show you how to use resistance exercise equipment or perform body weight exercises with an appropriate form.

Some health problems are associated with sarcopenic obesity. If you have one of the following conditions, it is better to speak with your health care provider of sarcopenic obesity and the steps to prevent it. These conditions include:

• Cardiovascular disease: Sarcopenic obesity can increase your risk of heart disease more than obesity alone. Cardiovascular diseases can also increase the risk of sarcopenic obesity.
• Type 2 diabetes: Having additional body fat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, a chronic (durable) condition in which your body cannot properly use insulin, increasing the risk of dangerous blood sugar.
• Fractures: Sarcopenic obesity increases your risk of falls and fragility, which can cause bone fractures (broken bone).
• Dementia: Obesity can also be associated with a higher risk of dementia, which causes memory problems and other cognitive functions.
• Cancer: This condition is also linked to a higher risk of cancer.

Sarcopenic obesity can also make surgeries more difficult.

Among the elderly, sarcopenic obesity is an important contributor to hospitalizations and overall mortality.

If you have sarcopenic obesity, maintain an active lifestyle and eat a balanced diet can help improve your composition of muscle mass and fat, while improving other health problems that can have an impact on your quality of life.