The triglyceride HDL cholesterol ratio predicts sarcopenia risk in an aging National cohort from China

This study aims to explore the association between the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and the odds of sarcopenia in elderly individuals in China. The study population comprised 2,481 participants aged 60 years or older from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). All participants were free of sarcopenia at baseline in 2011 and completed follow-up assessments in 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between the TG/HDL-C ratio and incident sarcopenia. Subgroup, sensitivity, and post hoc power analyses were performed, and restricted cubic spline models were used to examine potential nonlinear associations. Compared with the lowest quartile (Q1), participants in Q3 and Q4 of TG/HDL-C ratio had significantly lower odds of incident sarcopenia (OR 0.34 [95% CI 0.20–0.55] for Q3; OR 0.55 [95% CI 0.36–0.84] for Q4). A consistent inverse association was observed when TG/HDL-C ratio was analyzed as a continuous variable (OR 0.83 [95% CI 0.74–0.93]). Subgroup analyses showed that the protective association was more pronounced in males. In Chinese older adults, a higher TG/HDL-C ratio is associated with reduced risk of developing sarcopenia, particularly among men.