Intakes of n-3 PUFA and fish were associated with the risk of sarcopenia and muscle mass among older women: Analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008-2011

Abstract

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has been suggested to prevent sarcopenia, but the effect of dietary n-3 PUFA and fish on risk of sarcopenia and muscle mass remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that intakes of n-3 PUFA and fish were negatively associated with the risk of sarcopenia, and positively correlated with muscle mass in older adults. Using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008-2011, 1,620 men and 2,192 women aged over 65 years old were included. Sarcopenia was defined as < 0.789 kg of appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) divided by body mass index (BMI) for men, and < 0.512 kg of ASM/BMI for women. Women and men with sarcopenia consumed less amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and fish. The risk of sarcopenia were associated with intake of EPA and DHA (odds ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.90; p = 0.002) and fish (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.82; p < 0.001) in women, but not men. Muscle mass was also positively associated with intake of EPA and DHA (p = 0.026), and fish (p = 0.005) in women but not men. However, intake of α-linolenic acid was not associated with the risk of sarcopenia, and not correlated with muscle mass. The present study suggested that consumptions of EPA and DHA, and fish were negatively associated with the risk of sarcopenia, and positively correlated with muscle mass in Korean older women, but not in older men.