Effect of sarcopenic obesity on deterioration of physical function in the elderly

•In males, the grip strength and total SPPB score of the sarcopenic obesity (SO) group were lower than those of the normal or pure obesity group.•The females with SO showed the lowest total SPPB score among body composition groups.•Both males and females in the SO group have the highest risk of being in the lower grip strength and SPPB score among all body composition groups. Both sarcopenia and obesity are associated with decreased physical function of the elderly. Sarcopenic obesity (SO), which is the coexistence of sarcopenia and obesity, is expected to have a synergistic effect on physical function deterioration, but previous studies have shown varied results. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SO on the physical function of the elderly. Community-dwelling elderly subjects (1091 males; 1212 females; 70–84 years) were recruited in South Korea (eight cities). Body composition was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and physical function was measured by grip strength, timed up and go test, and short physical performance battery (SPPB). In males, grip strength and the total SPPB score in the SO group were significantly lower than those in the normal or pure obesity groups (p 0.05). The trend for grip strength in females was similar to that in males, but the total SPPB score of the SO group was significantly lower than that of the other three groups (p