Prevalence and association of sarcopenic obesity with locomotive syndrome based on the 2024 Consensus Statement of the Japanese Working Group on Sarcopenic Obesity in community-dwelling Japanese women

[Purpose] Sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity (SO) impair physical function and quality of life in older women and are associated with locomotive syndrome (LS). However, the relationship between SO, as defined by the new 2024 algorithm from the Japanese Working Group on Sarcopenic Obesity (JWGSO2024), and LS remains insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of LS and its association with physical function across four groups classified by the JWGSO2024 criteria: normal, sarcopenia, obesity, and SO. [Participants and Methods] We studied 178 community-dwelling women aged 57-91 years. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the Japanese Strength, Ambulation, Rising from a chair, Stair climbing and history of Falling (SARC-F) questionnaire, handgrip strength, the Five Times Sit-to-Stand test, and appendicular lean mass adjusted to body mass index (ALM/BMI). Obesity was defined based on waist circumference, BMI, and body fat percentage. LS was assessed using the stand-up and two-step tests. We compared the prevalence of LS and differences in physical function among the four diagnostic groups. [Results] The SO prevalence was 3.9-6.2%. All participants in the SO group had LS. This group showed the lowest performance on the two-step test, indicating the highest risk of LS among groups. [Conclusion] SO, as defined by the JWGSO2024 criteria, was strongly associated with LS. These findings provide a scientific basis for developing LS prevention and intervention strategies for patients with SO.