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Higher Body Mass Index in Hospitalized Older Patients Is Related to Higher Muscle Quality

  • Original Research
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the relationship between muscle mass, intramuscular adipose tissue, and body mass index (BMI) in older inpatients.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Hospital-based study.

Participants

This study included 413 inpatients aged ≥ 65 years (186 men and 227 women).

Measurements

Muscle mass and intramuscular adipose tissue of the quadriceps were assessed by measuring the muscle thickness and echo intensity on ultrasound images. To examine the relationship between quadriceps thickness and echo intensity and BMI in total participants and each sex, the Kendall rank correlation coefficient was used. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine whether BMI was independently and significantly related to the quadriceps thickness and echo intensity, even after adjusting for other variables for total participants and each sex. The independent variables in multiple regression analyses were BMI, age, disease, days from onset disease.

Results

The results of the correlation analyses showed that BMI was significantly related to the quadriceps thickness (total participants, τ = 0.431; men, τ = 0.491; women, τ = 0.388) and echo intensity (total participants, τ = −0.239; men, τ = −0.318; women, τ = −0.188). In the multiple regression analysis, BMI was independently and significantly associated with the quadriceps thickness (total participants, β = 0.535; men, β = 0.548; women, β = 0.519) and echo intensity (total participants, β = −0.287; men, β = −0.398; women, β = −0.210).

Conclusion

This study indicated that older inpatients with a higher BMI have greater muscle mass and less intramuscular adipose tissue of the quadriceps. These results suggested that a higher BMI in older inpatients is related to higher quadriceps muscle quality.

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Abbreviations

ADL:

activities of daily living

BMI:

body mass index

MRI:

magnetic resonance imaging

FILS:

Food Intake Level Scale

CRP:

C-reactive protein

GNRI:

Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index

UCCI:

updated Charlson Comorbidity Index

FIM:

functional independence measure

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Acknowledgments

We thank the participants and staff members who helped with this study.

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17K18294 and JP20K19661.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Tokushima Bunri University, Hoji 180, Nishihama, Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima-city, Tokushima, 770-8514, Japan

    Naoki Akazawa & A. Hioka

  2. Department of Rehabilitation, Kasei Tamura Hospital Wakayama, Wakayama, Japan

    M. Kishi, T. Hino, R. Tsuji & K. Tamura

  3. Life and Medical Sciences Area, Health Sciences Discipline, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

    H. Moriyama

Authors
  1. Naoki Akazawa
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  2. M. Kishi
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  3. T. Hino
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  4. R. Tsuji
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  5. K. Tamura
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  6. A. Hioka
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  7. H. Moriyama
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naoki Akazawa.

Additional information

Statement of Authorship

(1) Conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; NA, MK, TH, RT, KT, AH, HM. (2) Drafting of the article; NA, MK, TH, RT, KT, AH, HM. (3) Final approval of the version to be submitted; NA, MK, TH, RT, KT, AH, HM.

Disclosure of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Akazawa, N., Kishi, M., Hino, T. et al. Higher Body Mass Index in Hospitalized Older Patients Is Related to Higher Muscle Quality. J Nutr Health Aging 26, 495–500 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1785-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1785-9

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