PD493 - REDUCED BICEPS BRACHII MUSCLE THICKNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH DIABETES: EVIDENCE FOR REGION-SPECIFIC MUSCLE DIFFERENCES

PD493

REDUCED BICEPS BRACHII MUSCLE THICKNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH DIABETES: EVIDENCE FOR REGION-SPECIFIC MUSCLE DIFFERENCES

Y. Kocaman^1,*, E. C. Karabacak¹, B. Gökçe¹, P. Ünsal², G. Şengül Ayçiçek¹

¹Geriatrics, Etlik City Hospital, ²Geriatrics, Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye

Rationale: Diabetes is associated with skeletal muscle alterations in older adults, but whether these changes differ across muscle groups remains unclear, as most studies focus on lower-extremity muscles.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years. Participants were classified as diabetic or non-diabetic. Muscle strength was assessed by handgrip strength. Muscle thickness of the biceps brachii and rectus femoris was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Logistic regression analysis was performed including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and biceps thickness.

Results: The study included 135 participants (55 with diabetes, 80 without). Participants with diabetes were younger (75.2±6.5 vs 78.0±6.6 years, p=0.017) and had higher BMI (30.9±6.4 vs 28.3±6.4 kg/m², p=0.022), while sex and handgrip strength were similar. Biceps brachii thickness was lower in the diabetic group (1.58±0.35 vs 1.71±0.34 cm, p=0.026), whereas rectus femoris thickness did not differ (p=0.496). Lower biceps thickness was independently associated with diabetes (odds ratio [OR]=0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04–0.46, p=0.002).

Conclusion: Older adults with diabetes show reduced biceps thickness with preserved lower-limb muscle. These findings indicate region-specific muscle differences and suggest that upper-extremity assessment may improve detection of muscle alterations. Lower-limb assessment alone may be insufficient.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared