Relationship between sarcopenia and depression in older patients with diabetes: An investigation using the Japanese version of SARC‐F

Aim The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and depression in older patients with diabetes using the Japanese version of SARC‐F. Methods Participants included patients with diabetes aged ≥65 years who were undergoing outpatient treatment at the Ise Red Cross Hospital, Ise, Japan. Depression was measured using the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9, which is a nine‐item questionnaire. Sarcopenia was assessed using the Japanese version of SARC‐F, a self‐administered questionnaire comprising five question items. Multiple logistic regression analysis with depression as the dependent variable and sarcopenia as the explanatory variable was used to calculate the odds ratio for depression in patients with sarcopenia. Results A total of 275 patients (167 men, 108 women) were the study participants. The adjusted odds ratio for depression in male patients with sarcopenia was 5.76 (95% CI 1.83–18.12, P = 0.003). The adjusted odds ratio for depression in female patients with sarcopenia was 2.62 (95% CI 0.68–10.05, P = 0.159). Conclusions A statistically significant relationship was shown between sarcopenia and depression in older male patients with diabetes. We believe that drawing the attention of physicians to sarcopenia prevalence by using the Japanese version of SARC‐F will contribute to the detection of depression in older male patients with diabetes. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1318–1322 .