The Open Women's Health Journal

2010, 4 : 62-68
Published online 2010 September 06. DOI: 10.2174/1874291201004010062
Publisher ID: TOWHJ-4-68

Mild Overweight Reduces the Risk of Sarcopenia in Healthy Women

Sylvia Kirchengast and Johannes Huber
Department for Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

ABSTRACT

Background:

The process of ageing is accompanied with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass resulting in sarcopenia.

Aims:

To test the association patterns between body mass index and appendicular skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height and total skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height among healthy women.

Design:

In a cross-sectional study the association between body mass index (BMI) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height and total skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height was tested among 834 healthy women ageing between 20 and 92 years. Muscle mass was estimated by means of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Results:

Appendicular skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height and total skeletal muscle mass adjusted for height were positively associated with BMI. Overweight women (BMI < 30.00) had a significantly reduced risk to develop sarcopenia in comparison with their normalweight counterparts.

Main conclusions: Mild overweight has a protective effect against muscle loss and sarcopenia in healthy women

Keywords:

Obesity, sacropenia, lean body mass, ageing..