Higher Circulating Resistin Levels Linked to Increased Sarcopenia Risk in Older Adults

Context: Experimental evidence indicates that resistin, an adipokine, negatively impacts muscle metabolism by hindering myogenesis.

Objective: To explore resistin's potential as a biomarker of muscle health in humans by examining the relationship between circulating resistin levels and sarcopenia in older adults.

Design and setting: A case-control study conducted in a geriatric clinical unit.

Participants: The study included 247 individuals aged 65 and older who underwent comprehensive geriatric evaluations.

Main outcome measures: Sarcopenia was defined based on Asian-specific thresholds, with serum resistin concentrations measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: After adjusting for sex, age, fat mass, smoking, osteoarthritis, and diabetes, participants with sarcopenia, low muscle mass, and weak muscle strength exhibited at least 27.0% higher circulating resistin concentrations than controls (P = 0.002 to 0.003). Elevated serum resistin levels were inversely associated with skeletal muscle mass, gait speed, and the short physical performance battery score, and positively associated with the time to complete five chair stands (P = 0.019 to 0.048). Higher serum resistin levels were linked to an increased risk of sarcopenia, low muscle mass, and weak muscle strength (all P = 0.005). Finally, participants in the highest resistin quartile had at least three times higher odds of having adverse muscle outcomes compared to those in the lowest quartile (P = 0.007 to 0.029).

Conclusion: This study is to establish a link between blood resistin levels and sarcopenia, suggesting that circulating resistin may serve as a potential biomarker reflecting poor muscle health in humans.