Sarcopenia, the decline of muscle mass and function with age, is associated with disability, lifestyle-related diseases, and mortality. Also, it is well known that excess adiposity is associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality. Thus, the co-existence of sarcopenia and abdominal obesity, i.e. sarcopenic obesity, may show a synergistically accumulated risk of mortality. However, to our knowledge results of previous studies have been mixed, and it’s not clear whether sarcopenic obesity is significantly associated with the all-cause mortality. At present, there is no clinical consensus for the definition of sarcopenic obesity across the globe. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent studies on the relationships between cardiovascular diseases risk factors or all-causes mortality and sarcopenic obesity and to discuss the diagnosis or clinical significance of sarcopenic obesity.