Association between Life's Crucial 9 and sarcopenia: The mediating role of testosterone partially
Abstract
Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function, is influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors. Life's Crucial 9 (LC9), a composite cardiovascular health metric, may mitigate sarcopenia risk, potentially mediated by testosterone. However, population-level evidence and mechanistic insights remain limited. This cross-sectional study analyzed 5726 adults from the 2011 to 2016 the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using sex-specific thresholds for appendicular skeletal muscle mass index. LC9 scores (0-100) were calculated across 9 domains. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated LC9-sarcopenia associations, while mediation and restricted cubic spline analyses assessed testosterone's role and nonlinear relationships. Higher LC9 scores were inversely associated with sarcopenia prevalence (fully adjusted odds ratio per unit increase: 0.96, 95% confidence interval: 0.95-0.97). Participants with ideal LC9 adherence had 82% lower risk (odds ratio: 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.10-0.32) versus low adherence. The association was partially mediated by testosterone, which accounted for a significant 9.85% of the total effect. A nonlinear threshold effect emerged, with risk reduction accelerating at LC9 scores > 73.3. Subgroup analyses confirmed consistent associations across demographics and comorbidities. Our findings suggest that adherence to LC9 is associated with a lower risk of sarcopenia, partially mediated…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 5,726 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Induced osteoblast differentiation by amide derivatives of stilbene: The possible osteogenic agents
- On model selections for repeated measurement data in clinical studies
- Regulation of GLUT transporters by flavonoids in androgen-sensitive and -insensitive prostate cancer cells
- Region-specific microRNA signatures in the human epididymis
- Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking of 4-Amino-2H-benzo[h]chromen-2-one (ABO) analogs containing the piperazine moiety
- In Vitro characterization of the endocrine disrupting effects of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) on the human androgen receptor
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.