{"doi":"10.1007/s41999-025-01230-y","title":"The association between muscle mass and change in physical functioning in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies","abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>The aim of this review is to investigate the prospective association between muscle mass and physical functioning in older adults, and to explore sources of variability in this association.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Methods</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Three databases were searched for prospective, observational studies investigating any assessment of muscle mass and functional decline in older adults (mean age 65 + years). 72 studies were included. Meta-analyses using results of the most adjusted statistical models were performed using Review Manager version 5.3.5.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Results</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Most studies were conducted in the community setting (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 64) and used incident ADL limitations/disability as outcome (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 44). Across studies, 6 body composition methods and 34 different parameters of muscle mass were used, including ratios. Average follow-up time was 46 months. For low versus higher muscle mass (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 25), the overall odds ratio (OR) for functional decline was 1.23 (95% CI 1.10–1.37, <jats:italic>I</jats:italic>\n              <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 70%). Per SD higher muscle mass (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 15), the overall OR was 0.89 (0.83–0.96, 76%). In general, no associations were observed when no adjustment for body size, or for body height only, was made. Associations were generally stronger when muscle mass was expressed as ratio of body weight, BMI or fat mass, or when more accurate body composition methods or objective performance tests were used.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>In contrast to earlier reviews, this updated review shows that lower muscle mass is associated with higher risk of functional decline in older adults. Earlier observed variability in this association is explained by body composition method, body size adjustment, and type of physical functioning outcome.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>","journal":"European Geriatric Medicine","year":2025,"id":608984,"datarank":0.505120486758131,"base_score":2.8903717578961645,"endowment":2.8903717578961645,"self_citation_contribution":0.4335557636844247,"citation_network_contribution":0.07156472307370633,"self_endowment_contribution":0.4335557636844247,"citer_contribution":0.07156472307370633,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":17,"citer_count":15,"citers_with_citation_signal":3,"citers_with_endowment":3,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":1059804,"name":"Katri Sääksjärvi","orcid":"0000-0002-5061-4911","position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1389930,"name":"George L. Burchell","orcid":"0000-0002-6281-4179","position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":109425,"name":"L. Schaap","orcid":"0000-0001-9703-4570","position":3,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":19240,"name":"Marjolein Visser","orcid":"0000-0002-5136-298X","position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"resolved":true,"title":"The association between muscle mass and change in physical functioning in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies","abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>The aim of this review is to investigate the prospective association between muscle mass and physical functioning in older adults, and to explore sources of variability in this association.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Methods</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Three databases were searched for prospective, observational studies investigating any assessment of muscle mass and functional decline in older adults (mean age 65 + years). 72 studies were included. Meta-analyses using results of the most adjusted statistical models were performed using Review Manager version 5.3.5.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Results</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Most studies were conducted in the community setting (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 64) and used incident ADL limitations/disability as outcome (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 44). Across studies, 6 body composition methods and 34 different parameters of muscle mass were used, including ratios. Average follow-up time was 46 months. For low versus higher muscle mass (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 25), the overall odds ratio (OR) for functional decline was 1.23 (95% CI 1.10–1.37, <jats:italic>I</jats:italic>\n              <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> = 70%). Per SD higher muscle mass (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 15), the overall OR was 0.89 (0.83–0.96, 76%). In general, no associations were observed when no adjustment for body size, or for body height only, was made. Associations were generally stronger when muscle mass was expressed as ratio of body weight, BMI or fat mass, or when more accurate body composition methods or objective performance tests were used.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title>\n            <jats:p>In contrast to earlier reviews, this updated review shows that lower muscle mass is associated with higher risk of functional decline in older adults. Earlier observed variability in this association is explained by body composition method, body size adjustment, and type of physical functioning outcome.</jats:p>\n          </jats:sec>","is_dataset_classified":null,"base_score":2.833213344056216,"endowment":2.833213344056216,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"40407980","pmcid":"PMC12528211","openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W4410687132","authors":[],"funders":[{"funder_name":"Research Council of Finland","grant_id":"321625","title":"Causes, consequences and prevention of sarcopenic obesity"}],"total_grants":1,"fwci":4.957,"citation_percentile":0.96289814,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[{"year":2025,"count":6},{"year":2026,"count":10}],"oa_status":"hybrid","license":"cc-by","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s41999-025-01230-y.pdf","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s41999-025-01230-y.pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41999-025-01230-y/fulltext.html","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-025-01230-y","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40407980","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/adfbd126-523d-4658-b48e-a4376224b4d6","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/12528211","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://pure.amsterdamumc.nl/en/publications/b87889b4-8da1-4bc8-859b-b3d13b0b23b7","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/adfbd126-523d-4658-b48e-a4376224b4d6","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12528211/pdf/41999_2025_Article_1230.pdf","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://pure.amsterdamumc.nl/ws/files/156695856/The-association-between-muscle-mass-and-change-in-physical-functioning-in-older-adults.pdf","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC12528211","host_type":"Europe_PMC"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC12528211?pdf=render","host_type":"Europe_PMC"},{"url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12528211/","host_type":""},{"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40407980/","host_type":""}],"fields_of_study":["Nutrition and Health in Aging","Frailty in Older Adults","Muscle Physiology and Disorders","03 medical and health sciences","0302 clinical medicine","Humans","Aged","Muscle, Skeletal","Prospective Studies","Body Composition","Activities of Daily Living","Sarcopenia","Muscle Strength","Physical Functional Performance","Geriatric Assessment"],"mesh_terms":["Physical Functional Performance","Activities of Daily Living","Aged","Body Composition","Humans","Prospective Studies","Geriatric Assessment","Muscle, Skeletal","Muscle Strength","Sarcopenia"],"keywords":["Medicine","Meta-analysis","Prospective cohort study","Muscle mass","Body mass index","Odds ratio","Sarcopenia","Observational study","Association (psychology)","Demography","Physical therapy","Gerontology","Internal medicine","Psychology","Aging","Functional Decline","Physical Functional Performance","Activities of Daily Living","Body Composition","Humans","Prospective Studies","Muscle Strength","Muscle, Skeletal","Geriatric Assessment","Research Paper","Aged"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Good health and well-being"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-07-31T01:38:19.090673Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}