Hemoglobin levels as a potential predictor of sarcopenia in obese patients

Sana Khamassi; Fatma Boukhayatia; Haifa Abdesselem; Emna Bornaz; Kamilia Ounaissa; Nesrine Dhieb; Rahma Mahjoub; Houda Bouhajja; Amel Gammoudi; Awatef Kacem; Emna Talbi; Jamoussi Henda; Chiraz Amrouche

doi:10.1530/endoabs.110.EP972

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Endocrine Abstracts (2025) 110 EP972 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.110.EP972

ECEESPE2025 ePoster Presentations Metabolism, Nutrition and Obesity (164 abstracts)

Hemoglobin levels as a potential predictor of sarcopenia in obese patients

Sana Khamassi ¹ , Fatma Boukhayatia ¹ , Haifa Abdesselem ¹ , Emna Bornaz ¹ , Kamilia Ounaissa ¹ , Nesrine Dhieb ² , Rahma Mahjoub ³ , Houda Bouhajja ² , Amel Gammoudi ⁴ , Awatef Kacem ⁴ , Emna Talbi ⁴ , Jamoussi Henda ² & Chiraz Amrouche ¹

Author affiliations

¹National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Department of Nutritional Diseases D, Tunis, Tunisia; ²National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Obesity Reserach Unit, Tunis, Tunisia; ³National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Clinical Biology Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia; ⁴National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, UR17SP01-Clinical Biology Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia

JOINT2871

Background: As a biomarker for anemia and nutritional status, hemoglobin (Hb) may also influence the progression of sarcopenia. Although research on this topic remains limited, insufficient Hb levels can impair oxygen delivery to skeletal muscles, potentially affecting muscle strength and function. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Hb levels on sarcopenia in obese patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 100 obese patients. Body composition was assessed using SECA MBCA 515 bioimpedance. Sarcopenic obesity (SO) was defined in accordance with the EASO-ESPEN consensus statement [1].

Results: The mean age was 44.42±13.25 years with a male-to-female ratio of 0.11. The mean BMI was 40.07 ± 5.77 kg/m², with almost half of the group categorized as morbidly obese (48%). Abdominal obesity was found in the entire population with a mean waist circumference of 116.51 ± 16.62 cm. The mean hemoglobin levels were 15.14 ± 1.28 g/dl in male patients and 13.11 ± 1.30 g/dl in female patients. Anemia was present in 18% of the participants, and sarcopenia was diagnosed in 19% of the study population. Our study found that hemoglobin levels were positively correlated with skeletal muscle mass (r = 0.38; P < 0.001), appendicular muscle mass (r = 0.37; P < 0.001), and muscle strength (r = 0.23; P = 0.019). Patients with anemia had significantly lower skeletal muscle mass (24.34 ± 3.19 kg vs. 27.38 ± 7.06 kg; P = 0.007) and appendicular muscle mass (14.71 ± 1.93 kg vs. 16.47 ± 4.34 kg; P = 0.015). Anemia was more frequent in patients with sarcopenia (21.1% vs. 17.3%), though this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that hemoglobin levels may be an important factor in the development of sarcopenia in obese patients, highlighting the need for further research in larger cohorts.

References: 1. Donini LM, Busetto L, Bischoff SC, Cederholm T, Ballesteros-Pomar MD, Batsis JA, et al. Definition and Diagnostic Criteria for Sarcopenic Obesity: ESPEN and EASO Consensus Statement. Obes Facts 2022;15:321-35.