A nested case-control study on the effect of sarcopenia on mild cognitive impairment using the CHARLS database

•This study further investigates the longitudinal relationship between sarcopenia and MCI.•Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for MCI.•After controlling for confounding factors, sarcopenia increases the risk of MCI by 1.625 times. This study aimed to assess the influence of sarcopenia on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a nationally representative survey. Participants in this nested case-control study were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) cohort. In 2015, 3222 participants were included, with 2304 participants were followed up in 2018. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to equalize the distribution of covariates between the two groups. MCI was observed in 268 participants. After PSM, 263 participants with MCI were compared with 1052 participants without MCI. The study revealed that participants with sarcopenia had a 1.625 (p = 0.002) times higher risk of MCI. The study determined a causal link between sarcopenia and the onset of MCI, with sarcopenia identified as an independent risk factor for MCI development. It is recommended that healthcare providers incorporate muscle training into the care and health education for individuals with MCI.