Association between sarcopenia and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis

Background Sarcopenia, a condition characterized by age-related muscle mass loss, has been recognized as closely associated with the onset of various cardiovascular diseases. Although some studies suggest that sarcopenia may be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), the evidence supporting this association remains insufficient. This study aims to systematically evaluate existing clinical research to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and atrial fibrillation. Methods A systematic search was conducted of relevant literature in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. The search period ranged from the establishment of the databases to May 15, 2025. Inclusion criteria were observational studies that explored the relationship between sarcopenia and atrial fibrillation. All included studies will be assessed for quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) to evaluate the quality of study selection, comparison, and results, ensuring the reliability of the analysis results. The data for this study will be analyzed using Stata 15. Results A total of 6 studies involving 3,067,241 patients, Meta-analysis results suggest that sarcopenia is associated with a higher likelihood of developing AF compared to patients without sarcopenia [OR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.80, 2.60)]. Multivariate regression results suggest that sarcopenia is associated with a higher likelihood of developing AF [OR = 1.93, 95% CI (1.40, 2.66)]. Conclusion The study suggests a significant association between sarcopenia and AF, indicating that sarcopenia may be linked to an increased risk of AF. However, given the observed heterogeneity and potential publication bias, more high-quality research is needed to further substantiate these findings and confirm the nature of this relationship.