Type 2 diabetes treatment and sarcopenia: need to overhear the crosstalk

Dear Editor,
Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global health scourge currently. Selecting the optimal drug for treating DM is increasingly challenging, especially with the advent of newer agents. The current network metanalysis provides an invaluable insight for the physicians to wisely select the drug for T2DM [1]. I extend my regards to the authors. There is an emerging link between T2DM and sarcopenia [2]. Progressive worsening of muscle mass and quality in these patients is associated with important health concerns including increased risk of developing complications and an overall inferior quality of life. The awareness of the physician to consider sarcopenia both as a complication and contributor of DM is crucial. There is evidence to suggest a possible interplay between different anti-diabetic drugs and sarcopenia. However, the quality of the data is amorphous, conflicting and needs further sophistication [3]. An additional analysis in the article by Shi et al. to elucidate the connection of sarcopenia and the different therapeutic options for T2DM, could add more value.

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References:

1. Shi Q, Nong K, Vandvik P O, Guyatt G H, Schnell O, Rydén L et al. Benefits and harms of drug treatment for type 2 diabetes: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials BMJ 2023; 381 :e074068 doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074068
2. Feng L, Gao Q, Hu K, Wu M, Wang Z, Chen F, Mei F, Zhao L, Ma B. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Sarcopenia in Patients With Diabetes: A Meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Apr 19;107(5):1470-1483. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab884. PMID: 34904651.
3. Chen-Ning Wu, Kai-Jen Tien, “The Impact of Antidiabetic Agents on Sarcopenia in Type 2 Diabetes: A Literature Review”, Journal of Diabetes Research, vol. 2020, Article ID 9368583, 6 pages, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/9368583