Investigating the Prevalence and Risk Factors for Sarcopenia Amongst Adults Seeking Treatment for Obesity

Sarcopenia, a condition where individuals lose muscle mass and strength, is associated with poorer health and function. While aging is a well-known cause of sarcopenia, obesity is increasingly recognised as a significant factor. When sarcopenia and obesity occur together, it can result in more severe health problems. This is especially concerning because weight loss, the treatment for obesity, can further reduce muscle mass and potentially worsen the situation. Despite this, it is unknown how common sarcopenia is among people with obesity, as only a few studies have looked into this using the most accurate diagnostic criteria, showing a prevalence of 4-13%.

In this study, the investigators will examine the prevalence of sarcopenia in 300 adults with obesity at a specialized Obesity Center. The investigators expect to find a higher prevalence among Asian participants due to differences in body composition compared to other ethnic groups.

The investigators will also explore various factors that might be linked to sarcopenia in these individuals, such as age, gender, race, body mass index, smoking and alcohol use, medical conditions, medications, physical activity, aerobic capacity, and dietary protein intake. Some of these factors could help in identifying those at risk of sarcopenia and could be targeted for future treatments.

Currently, screening for sarcopenia is not a standard part of routine obesity care as it requires specialized equipment and trained staff. By determining how common sarcopenia is in people with obesity, this study will help healthcare providers better understand the problem and allocate resources effectively. Identifying factors associated with sarcopenia will also help streamline diagnosis and monitoring for those at risk.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Obesity

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Singapore
  • Singapore, Singapore
    • Recruiting
    • Singapore General Hospital
    • Contact: Sarah Tan Dr, MBBS; Phone Number: +6581239629; Email: sarah.tan.y.t@singhealth.com.sg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults with obesity seeking treatment at Singapore General Hospital Obesity Centre

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• body mass index ≥ 27.5kg/m2
• able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• unable to undergo the physical function tests (handgrip strength testing and chair-stand tests)
• pregnant women
• history of bariatric procedures or surgeries
• on medications for treatment of obesity (glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, phentermine, naltrexone-bupropion, orlistat)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sarcopenia	Skeletal muscle mass Skeletal muscle mass measurement will be obtained via bioimpedance analysis using the TANITA MC 780 MA Multi-frequency Segmental Body Composition Analyser. Low skeletal muscle mass will be defined by percentage of skeletal muscle mass divided by body weight of ≤ 37% in males and ≤ 27.6% in females.	Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline only.
Handgrip strength	Handgrip strength will be measured using the Jamar handgrip dynamometer. Two trials will be performed for each hand, and the maximum strength will be used for diagnosis.	Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline only.
5-time chair stand test	Time taken (seconds) to perform 5 sit-to-stand repetitions	Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline only.
30-second sit-to-stand test	Number of sit-to-stand repetitions performed in 30 seconds	Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline only.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Aerobic capacity	The study will use a validated non-exercise prediction model comprising a physical activity questionnaire to estimate peak oxygen uptake, VO2 milliliter/kg/minute (ml/kg/min). This simple physical activity questionnaire consists of age, gender, height, weight, estimated maximum heart rate, frequency of exercise, length of time for each workout, intensity of each workout, waistline diameter, and resting heart rate. It will be self-administered or administered with the assistance of the clinical research coordinator if required.	At baseline
Physical activity questionnaire	Number of minutes per week spent on moderate to vigorous physical activity will be recorded	At baseline
Dietary questionnaire	72 hour dietary recall questionnaire will be administered and dietary macronutrient composition will be calculated	At baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Singapore General Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 26, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 11, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 21, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Overweight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: sarcopenicobesity

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No