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Low lean mass and cognitive performance: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

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Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Low lean mass and cognitive impairment are both age-related diseases. In addition, these conditions share many risk factors. However, the association between them has been controversial in recent years.

Objective

To investigate the association between low lean mass and cognitive performance in U.S. adults using NHANES data from 1999 to 2002.

Methods

A total of 2550 participants were identified in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Database (1999–2002). The independent variable was low lean mass, and the dependent variable was cognitive performance. Men and women were classified as having low lean mass if appendicular lean mass (ALM) adjusted for BMI (ALMBMI) was < 0.789 and < 0.512, respectively. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Higher scores on the DSST indicated better cognitive performance. The covariates included sex, age, race, poverty income ratio, comorbidity index, educational level, physical activity and smoking status.

Results

For the primary outcome, our multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that participants without low lean mass were associated with better cognitive performance (β = 1.50; 95% CI [0.12–2.89]). Subgroup analysis results indicated that the association was similar in sex, age, race, poverty income ratio, comorbidity index, educational level, physical activity and smoking status.

Conclusions

Participants without low lean mass were associated with better cognitive performance. We might be able to improve cognitive performance by treating low lean mass, thus providing an opportunity for intervention at a younger age.

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Availability of data and material

All NHANES data and information are publicly available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm.

Code availability

All statistical analyses were conducted using the statistical package R (http://www.R-project.org, The R Foundation) and Empower (R) (www.empowerstats.com; X&Y Solutions, Inc., Boston, MA).

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 81902578), Post-doctoral Science Research Foundation of Sichuan University (Grant No. 2020SCU12041), Post-Doctor Research Project, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Grant No. 2018HXBH085), the State Key Research Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC1103003), the Key Project of Research and Development of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (Grant No. 2018FZ0102) and the World-Class University Construction Foundation of Sichuan University (Grant No. 2040204401012).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jiwen Geng, Linghui Deng and Shi Qiu contributed equally to this paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Jiwen Geng, Yupei Li, Jiameng Li, Zheng Qin, Qinbo Yang & Baihai Su

  2. National Clinical Research Center of Geriatrics, The Center of Gerontology and Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Linghui Deng & Birong Dong

  3. Department of Gerontology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Linghui Deng & Birong Dong

  4. Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Shi Qiu & Boyu Cai

  5. Institute of Reproductive and Child Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Haiyang Bian

  6. Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Yupei Li

Authors
  1. Jiwen Geng
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  2. Linghui Deng
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  11. Baihai Su
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Contributions

The authors’ contributions were as follows—JG, LD and SQ designed research. LD, SQ and HB analyzed data. JG and SQ wrote the paper. YC and YL assisted in data analysis. JL, ZQ and QY assisted in the manuscript preparation. BD and BS had primary responsibility for final content, and all authors: read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Baihai Su.

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Conflict of interest

None.

Ethical approval

NHANES program has been approved by the National Center for Health Statistics Ethics Review Board, and all participants have written informed consent.

Informed consent

All participants in the NHANES program have signed informed consent.

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Geng, J., Deng, L., Qiu, S. et al. Low lean mass and cognitive performance: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Aging Clin Exp Res 33, 2737–2745 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-021-01835-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-021-01835-w

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