Sarcopenic obesity is not associated with sexual dysfunction in older adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the frequency of sexual dysfunction (SD) and the association between SD and body composition abnormalities, such as sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity.Methods: Older adults (>= 65 years) were included. Sarcopenic obesity was diagnosed by using newly defined ESPEN-EASO diagram. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria. Obesity was defined using the fat percentile cut-offs suggested by ESPEN-EASO. SD was determined by Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX).Results: Two-hundred and sixty-seven volunteers (64.4% female, mean age 73.63 +/- 6.22 years) participated in this study. One-hundred seventy-eight individuals (66.7%) had SD. It was present in 83.1% and 36.8% of the females and males, respectively (p < 0.0001). There was no association between SD and sarcopenia alone (OR: 1.359, 95% CI: 0.650-2.838, p = 0.415) or obesity alone (OR: 0.986, 95% CI: 0.543-1.791, p = 0.963). Sarcopenic obesity was significantly associated with SD (OR: 9.116, 95% CI: 1.173-70.851, p = 0.035). However, this significance was lost after the model was adjusted for gender, marital status, and comorbidities (OR: 4.676, 95% CI: 0.578-37.801, p = 0.148).Conclusions: SD was present in 66.7% of the older adults and was not associated with sarcopenia, obesity, or sarcopenic obesity. Further longitudinal studies are needed on this topic.