Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Sarcopenia and obesity, characterised respectively by reduced muscle mass and function and increased adiposity, may co-occur as sarcopenic obesity (SO). This systematic review summarises cohort evidence linking these body composition phenotypes to dementia risk. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database and PsycINFO were searched from inception to February 2026. Outcomes included incident all-cause dementia (ACD) and subtypes. Pooled hazard ratios were calculated for each phenotype using random-effects models. Fourteen publications were included for sarcopenia, 72 for obesity, and four for SO. Late-life obesity (≥65 years) was protective for ACD (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76–0.89), whereas mid-life obesity (<65 years) modestly increased risk (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.16). Sarcopenia was associated with increased risk (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.26–1.58). SO showed no significant association (HR 1.43, 95% CI 0.87–1.99). These findings highlight age-dependent effects of obesity and an elevated dementia risk with sarcopenia; the predictive role of SO requires further research.
Keywords
dementia risk, obesity, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
E-ISSN
14653478
ISSN
09637486
PubMed ID
42672309
Publication Title
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Booranasuksakul, U., Guan, Z., Pereira, L. R., Tsintzas, K., Macdonald, I., Stirling, E., Farzam, S., Donini, L. M., Johnstone, A. M., Sim, M., Stephan, B., & Siervo, M. (2026). Sarcopenia, obesity, sarcopenic obesity and dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 77(6), 511–526. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2026.2722926