O065 - GUT MEETS MUSCLE:THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FECAL SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS AND SARCOPENIA IN OLDER ADULTS

O065

GUT MEETS MUSCLE:THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FECAL SHORT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS AND SARCOPENIA IN OLDER ADULTS

C. Çıkın^1,*, Ö. Özgün¹, M. İtek ², M. Zengin³, C. Balcı¹, B. B. Doğu¹, M. Halil¹, M. Cankurtaran¹, I. Lay³, M. Eşme¹

¹Department of Internal Medicine Division of Geriatrics, ²Department of Nutrition and Dietetic Services, ³ Department of Biochemistry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine , Ankara, Türkiye

Rationale: Short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),gut microbiota-derived metabolites,may play a role in its pathogenesis through the gut–muscle axis.We aimed to compare fecal SCFAs in older adults with and without sarcopenia and to assess their relationship with dietary intake.

Methods: 100 patients ≥65 years who underwent geriatric assessment were included in the study.The patients were classified into 3 groups:patients with normal muscle strength(Group1), patients with low muscle strength (Group2), and patients with low muscle strength+low physical performance (Group3). Muscle ultrasonography(USG) and segmental bioimpedance analysis was performed.Following completion of the 3-day dietary record,fecal samples were collected.Quantification of nine SCFAs(Formic,Acetic,Propionic,Isobutyric,Butyric,Isovaleric,Valeric,Isocaproic,Hexanoic,Heptanoicacids)was performed on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)(GCMS-QP2010SE,Shimadzu,Japan)based on the method described by Zhu et al¹.The approach was optimized in terms of GC conditions as well as sample preparation.

Results: Group 3 patients were older, had higher frailty scores,and lower malnutrition status compared with those with normal muscle strength.Functional measures including handgrip strength, chair stand test, timed up and go test, gait speed and muscle USG parameters differed significantly across groups(all p<0.05).The key finding of the study was the difference in SCFAs among the groups, with SCFAs decreasing in parallel with declining muscle strength. (p:0.001).ROC analysis revealed that SCFAs had outstanding disciriminative ability for muscle function impairment, yielding remarkably high AUC values together with strong sensitivity and specificity(all p<0.001) 

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Conclusion: SCFAs are promising biomarkers of muscle function impairment in older adults and may reflect the gut-muscle axis.

References: ¹Zhu, et al. J Chromatogr A.2022 1669:462958

Disclosure of Interest: None declared