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Associations Between Poor Appetite, Sarcopenia, and Cognitive Function in Community-dwelling Malaysian Older Adults

Sook Yee Lim,Yoke Mun Chan,Maw Pin Tan,S. Kamaruzzaman,Rahimah Ibrahim

Published 2025 in Journal of preventive medicine and public health = Yebang Uihakhoe chi

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the associations between poor appetite, sarcopenia, and cognitive function among Malaysian older adults. Methods: This nationwide study involved 1086 community-dwelling older adults aged 55 years and above. Poor appetite was defined using a self-reported question, while cognitive function was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Sarcopenia was identified based on handgrip strength, 6-meter gait speed, and muscle mass, in accordance with the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Associations between poor appetite, sarcopenia, and cognitive function were analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that handgrip strength (β=0.067, p=0.012) and gait speed (β=1.080, p=0.017) were significantly associated with cognitive function after adjusting for confounders such as age, ethnicity, marital status, education, and alcohol and smoking consumption. However, no significant association was observed between poor appetite and cognitive function, nor was any moderation effect found between poor appetite and sarcopenia-related traits on cognitive function. Conclusions: Our study confirms that low muscle strength and reduced physical performance are significantly associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults. These findings underscore the critical importance of muscle strength and physical performance in preserving cognitive function—a decline that is not inevitable with age. Routine screening and early detection of muscle health and cognitive function are essential, and should be followed by intervention strategies targeting muscle health to mitigate cognitive decline in aging populations.

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