Evidence mapPaperPMID 40138087Full record

SynthesisAging clinical and experimental research2025

Sarcopenia-related traits and risk of falls in older adults: results from meta-analysis of cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analyses.

Haohan Yang, Yu Jiang, Dingfa Liang, Chang Yang, Kaihua Qin, Yong Xie, Licheng Zhang, Peifu Tang, Xiang Cui, Houchen Lyu

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Haohan Yang *Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China.
Yu Jiang *Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China.
Dingfa LiangMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China.
Chang YangMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China.
Kaihua QinMedical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China.
Yong XieDepartment of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China.
Licheng ZhangDepartment of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China.
Peifu TangDepartment of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China.
Xiang CuiDepartment of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China. cuixiang0828@163.com.
Houchen LyuDepartment of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28, Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China. houchenlyu@301hospital.com.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0128-0062

Funding

Capital's Funds for Health Improvement and Research Program by the Beijing Municipal Health Commission 2024-2-5052China Postdoctoral Science Foundation XJ2021051, 2020TQ0129, 2021M693960National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2504300National Key Research and Development Program of China 2024YFC2418800National Natural Science Foundation of China 81972102National Natural Science Foundation of China 82102593National Science Foundation for Excellent Young Scholars 82422045Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by Beijing Association for Science and Technology BYESS2022021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObservational studies examining sarcopenia-related traits and fall risk remain controversial. Herein, we conducted meta-analyses of cohort studies triangulated with Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine the potential causality between sarcopenia-related traits and risk of falls in older adults.

methodsLiterature search across PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was performed from inception to February 2023 to identify cohort studies examining sarcopenia-related traits (including hand strength, appendicular lean mass, and walking speed) and falls. We assessed the association between these traits and fall risk using random-effects models to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). MR analyses were conducted using summary statistics derived from the UK Biobank consortium for sarcopenia-related traits and FinnGen consortium for falls. The inverse-variance weighted method was used as primary analysis.

resultsOur meta-analysis included 34 cohort studies. The combined analysis of sarcopenia-related traits revealed a 33% reduced fall risk with each unit increase in walking speed (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.54-0.84) and a 2% decrease with each unit increase in hand strength (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99). However, appendicular lean mass had no significant effect on falls. In the MR analyses, only walking speed was causally associated with falls (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.84). Hand strength and appendicular lean mass showed no statistically significant causal effect on falls.

conclusionEvidence from meta-analysis and MR suggests a strong association between walking speed and fall risk in older adults. However, the relationship between hand strength, appendicular lean mass, and falls has not yet been established.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsSarcopeniaAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHand StrengthHumansMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisRisk FactorsWalking SpeedFallsMendelian randomization studyMeta-analysisSarcopenia-related traits

Identifiers

PMID40138087
PMCPMC11946949

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.