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World J Clin Cases. Nov 26, 2021; 9(33): 10064-10074
Published online Nov 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i33.10064
Effects of anti-diabetic drugs on sarcopenia: Best treatment options for elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and sarcopenia
Xiao-Yu Ma, Fen-Qin Chen
Xiao-Yu Ma, Fen-Qin Chen, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: All authors met the criteria for authorship; Ma XY was responsible for drafting the manuscript; Chen FQ was responsible for the concept of the study and reviewed and edited the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81600693.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Fen-Qin Chen, Doctor, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China. chenfenqin7881@163.com
Received: July 14, 2021
Peer-review started: July 14, 2021
First decision: August 8, 2021
Revised: August 22, 2021
Accepted: September 30, 2021
Article in press: September 30, 2021
Published online: November 26, 2021
Abstract

Human life expectancy increases as society becomes more developed. This increased life expectancy poses challenges associated with the rapid aging of the population. Sarcopenia, an age-related disease, has become a worldwide health issue. Patients with sarcopenia experience decreases in muscle mass and function, becoming frail and eventually bedridden. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is also a major health issue; the incidence of T2DM increases with aging. T2DM is associated with reduced muscle strength and poor muscle quality and may contribute to acceleration of the aging process, augmenting age-related sarcopenia. Recent studies indicate that elderly patients with diabetes are at an increased risk for sarcopenia. Therefore, these older diabetic patients with sarcopenia need specific anti-diabetic therapies targeting not only glycemic control but also sarcopenia, with the goal of preventing sarcopenia in pre-sarcopenic patients. Presently, various types of hypoglycemic drugs are available, but which hypoglycemic drugs are better suited for geriatric T2DM patients with sarcopenia remains undetermined. In this review, we discuss the association between diabetes and sarcopenia in geriatric patients, and how anti-diabetic drugs may influence sarcopenia outcomes. This review will guide clinical workers in the selection of drugs best suited for this patient population.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Sarcopenia, Anti-diabetic drugs, Geriatric

Core Tip: Elderly patients with diabetes are at an increased risk for sarcopenia. Therefore, these older diabetic patients with sarcopenia need specific anti-diabetic therapies targeting not only glycemic control but also sarcopenia, with the goal of preventing sarcopenia in pre-sarcopenic patients. We herein discuss the association between diabetes and sarcopenia in geriatric patients, and how anti-diabetic drugs may influence sarcopenia outcomes.