Sarcopenic obesity and 10‐year cardiovascular disease risk scores in cancer survivors and non‐cancer participants using a nationwide survey

Objective To evaluate the associations of combinations of sarcopenia and adiposity phenotypes with 10‐year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores in cancer survivors and non‐cancer participants. Methods In 19,019 individuals including 1023 cancer survivors free of CVD who were aged ≥30 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, combination groups of sarcopenia, obesity and abdominal obesity based on handgrip strength, BMI and waist circumference, respectively, were generated and 10‐year CVD risk scores based on Framingham risk model were determined. Results and conclusion After adjusting for socio‐demographic factors, health behaviours, dietary intake of nutrients and time since cancer diagnosis and current cancer therapy (in cancer survivors), cancer survivors with sarcopenic non‐obesity, non‐sarcopenic abdominal obesity or sarcopenic abdominal obesity had, respectively, 84%, 85% and 3.61‐fold higher odds for ≥10% CVD risk scores compared with cancer survivors without those phenotypes. In non‐cancer participants, sarcopenia, obesity, abdominal obesity and combinations of those phenotypes had higher odds from 1.37 (in those with obesity) to 4.24 (in those with sarcopenic abdominal obesity) for ≥10% CVD risk scores compared with reference phenotypes. In conclusion, cancer survivors and non‐cancer participants with sarcopenia, obesity, abdominal obesity or combination of those phenotypes had increased 10‐year CVD risk scores.