Associations between nutrient intakes and dietary patterns with different sarcopenia definitions in older Australian men: the concord health and ageing in men project

Objective: To assess the associations between nutrient intake and dietary patterns with different sarcopenia definitions in older men. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Sarcopenia was defined using the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). Dietary adequacy of fourteen nutrients was assessed by comparing participants' intakes with the Nutrient Reference Values (NRV). Attainment of NRV for nutrients was incorporated into a variable 'poor' (meeting <= 9) v. 'good' (meeting >= 10) using the cut-point method. Also, two different dietary patterns, monounsaturated:saturated fat and n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratio and individual nutrients were used as predictor variables. Participants: A total of 794 men aged >= 75 years participated in this study. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia by the FNIH, EWGSOP and EWGSOP2 definitions was 12 center dot 9 %, 12 center dot 9 % and 19 center dot 6 %, respectively. With the adjustment, poor nutrient intake was significantly associated with FNIH-defined sarcopenia (OR: 2 center dot 07 (95 % CI 1 center dot 16, 3 center dot 67)), but not with EWGSOP and EWGSPOP2 definitions. The lowest and second-lowest quartiles of protein, Mg and Ca and the lowest quartiles of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA intakes were significantly associated with FNIH-defined sarcopenia. Each unit decrease in n-6:n-3 ratio was significantly associated with a 9 % increased risk of FNIH-defined sarcopenia (OR: 1 center dot 09 (95 % CI 1 center dot 04, 1 center dot 16)). Conclusions: Inadequate intakes of nutrients are associated with FNIH-defined sarcopenia in older men, but not with the other two sarcopenia definitions. Further studies are required to understand these relationships.