Objective To analyze related factors of sarcopenia in type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), in order to reduce the incidence of sarcopenia. Methods The clinical data of 237 patients with MHD complicated with sarcopenia were collected from the Blood Purification Center of the Affiliated People’s Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from September 2021 to April 2023 retrospectively and analyzed. The patients were divided into type 2 diabetic nephropathy group (100 cases) and non-diabetic nephropathy group (137 cases), and the clinical data and the result of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors affecting sarcopenia in MHD patients with diabetic nephropathy. Results There were significant differences in gender, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, albumin, prealbumin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), arm circumference (AC), visceral fat area (VFA) and 50 kHz phase angle between the two groups(all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, fasting blood glucose, albumin and BMI were independent influencing factors of sarcopenia in MHD diabetic nephropathy patients (odds ratio =0.372, 1.350, 0.925, 1.451, all P<0.05). Conclusions Male, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglycemia and high BMI patients with MHD are more likely to have sarcopenia among diabetic nephropathy patients with MHD.