Prevalence and Associated Factors of Sarcopenia in Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the prevalence and influencing factors of diabetic foot sarcopenia. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases from inception until June 10, 2025, for studies reporting the prevalence and/or influencing factors of sarcopenia in patients with diabetic foot. All meta-analyses were performed using R software (version 4.4.2). RESULTS: A total of 1164 patients with diabetic foot ulcers were included in 7 studies. Meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of diabetic foot sarcopenia was 31% (95% CI: 0.22-0.41). Pooling of data from two studies indicated a significant association between longer diabetes duration and sarcopenia (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.61-6.87, and p < 0.01). The evidence for other factors was insufficient for meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This review confirms a high prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with diabetic foot. Although an association with longer diabetes duration was observed, this is based on limited studies and requires further validation. These findings advocate for the consideration of early sarcopenia screening and preventive strategies within comprehensive diabetic foot care, potentially mitigating muscle loss and improving long-term outcomes.