Evidence mapPaperPMID 41350636Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

The association of ultra-processed foods and risk of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults.

Jamal Hallajzadeh, Parasto Yousefi Tanha, Arian Azadnia, Alexei Wong, Sajjad Moradi

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Article in BMC geriatrics, 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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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jamal HallajzadehResearch Center for Evidence-Based Health Management, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran.
Parasto Yousefi TanhaDepartment of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Arian AzadniaSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
Alexei WongDepartment of Health and Human Performance, Marymount University, Arlington, VA, USA.
Sajjad MoradiResearch Center for Evidence-Based Health Management, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran. sajadmoradi9096@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThis study was performed to examine the association of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) intake and the risk of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults.

methodsA total of 368 older adults (mean age: 67.11 ± 6.21 years; 55.2% female) residing in Maragheh City, Iran, were enrolled. Body composition was estimated by a body composition analyzer and physical activity by the short-form physical activity questionnaire. UPFs intake was determined using a self-administered 147-item semi-quantitative FFQ and classified according to the NOVA system. Blood samples were also collected to evaluate relevant biochemical parameters. Raw and adjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship of UPF intake tertiles (T) with risk of sarcopenia.

resultsOutcomes revealed that the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.9%. In multivariable-adjusted models, higher UPFs intake (T3 vs. T1) was significantly associated with an increased risk of low muscle strength in females (OR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.09–5.51, P = 0.030) but not in males (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.36–2.20, P = 0.804) or the overall population (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 0.93–2.92, P = 0.084). Additionally, higher UPFs intake was significantly associated with low physical performance in the overall population (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.02–3.20, P = 0.041) and in males (OR: 2.82, 95% CI: 1.04–7.65, P = 0.042), but not in females (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.67–3.06, P = 0.342). No significant associations were observed between UPFs intake and low muscle mass (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 0.74–4.40, P = 0.189) or overall sarcopenia (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 0.90–5.13, P = 0.082).

conclusionsThis study identified significant associations between higher UPF consumption and both reduced muscle strength in community-dwelling older women and impaired physical performance in older men. However, no significant associations were found between UPF intake and muscle mass or overall sarcopenia diagnosis. Further large-scale prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the role of UPF intake in the development of sarcopenia in aging populations.

Indexed as

Fast FoodsIndependent LivingSarcopeniaAgedBody CompositionCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFood, ProcessedHumansIranMaleMiddle AgedMuscle StrengthRisk FactorsElderlyOlder adultsRisk of sarcopeniaUltra-processed foods

Identifiers

PMID41350636
PMCPMC12681142

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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.