Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the study participants stratified by sarcopenia status

Age(years)^a

78.6 ± 7.4

80.9 ± 8.5

0.058

Current smoking

20.8%

12.5%

0.1210

Alcohol intake

17.2%

11.1%

0.225

BMI(kg/m²)^b

25.8(23.7, 27.4)

23.0(20.9, 24.9)

0.000

Malnutrition

26.04%

33.33%

0.240

Comorbidities^a

3.6 ± 1.5

4.7 ± 1.9

0.423

Polypharmacy

33.0%

43.8%

0.134

ADL decline

6.8%

23.6%

0.0001

Cognitive decline

10.4%

8.3%

0.613

Depression

2.6%

6.9%

0.114

Lower activity

18.8%

20.8%

0.703

Physical function

  Poor balance

85%

86%

0.538

  5-time sit to stand test ≥ 10 s

85%

86%

0.539

  Time up and go test, ≥ 12 s

84%

86%

0.535

Muscle-related parameters

  ASM(kg)^b

21.3(18.9, 23.1)

17.0(12.1, 18.5)

0.000

  SMI(kg/m²) ^b

7.4(7.0, 87.9)

6.3(4.7, 6.7)

0.000

  Handgrip strength (kg) ^b

30.6(20.1, 35.1)

17.0(0.0, 24.6)

0.000

  Gait speed (m/s) ^b

1.0(0.5, 1.0)

0.7(0.5, 1.0)

0.005

Blood general parameters^b

  Red blood cell (10¹²/L)

4.62(4.36, 4.96)

4.52(4.23, 4.84)

0.046

  White blood cell (10⁹/L)

5.9(4.8, 7.0)

5.8(4.7, 7.0)

0.810

  Platelets (10⁹/L)

182.0(156.5, 210.5)

192.0(162.5, 220.0)

0.129

  Hemoglobin (g/L)

143(134, 151)

137(127, 145)

0.000

  Fasting glucose (mmol/L)

5.7(5.3, 6.4)

5.7(5.3, 6.2)

0.636

  HbALc(%)

57(5.4, 6.1)

5.8(5.5, 6.2)

0.299

  Triglyceride (mmol/L)

1.3(0.9, 1.8)

1.1(0.8, 1.5)

0.105

  Total cholesterol (mmol/L)

4.0(3.3, 4.9)

4.1(3.4, 4.7)

0.771

  LDL-C(mmol/L)

2.3(1.8, 3.0)

2.3(1.9, 2.8)

0.986

  HDL-C(mmol/L)

1.2(1.0, 1.4)

1.2(1.0, 14)

0.850

  ALT(U/L)

17.8(14.5, 23.0)

18(14.5, 23.5)

0..814

  AST(U/L)

27(23, 31.5)

27(24, 32)

0.581

  Albumin (g/L)

41.0(0.0, 43.0)

39.5(0.0, 42.0)

0.011

  Uric acid (µmoo/L)

349.0(309.0, 417.5)

339.5(275.0, 407.0)

0.114

  Creatinine (µmoo/L)

77.0(68.0, 91.0)

76.0(62.0, 86.5)

0.203

  BUN (mmoo/L)

5.6(4.5, 6.9)

5.8(5.1, 6.7)

0229