Sarcopenia is associated with hypertension in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Sarcopenia, particularly low handgrip strength has been observed and correlated in association with hypertension among the older people. However, the results reported in different studies were inconsistent. In the current study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to reveal the significant association between sarcopenia, handgrip strength, and hypertension in older adults. Methods PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were searched from inception to 15 November 2019 to retrieve the original research studies that addressed the association between sarcopenia, handgrip strength, and hypertension. All the relevant data were retrieved, analyzed, and summarized. Results Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria and a total of 21,301 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Eight eligible studies have reported the odd ratios (ORs) of hypertension and sarcopenia, and the ORs ranged from 0.41 to 4.38. When pooled the ORs together, the summarized OR was 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) =1.00–1.67]. The summarized OR for the Asian group 1.50 (95% CI = 1.35–1.67) was significantly higher than that of Caucasian group 1.08 (95% CI = 0.39–2.97). Eleven studies have provided the data on association between handgrip strength and hypertension. The overall OR and 95% CI was 0.99 (95% CI = 0.80–1.23), showing no significant association. Conclusion Sarcopenia was associated with hypertension, but no correlation was found between handgrip strength and hypertension in older adults.