Skeletal Muscle Mass In Patients Research Articles

Impact of simple equation for estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass in patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Sarcopenia, which is evaluated based on appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis, is a prognostic predictor for adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a simple equation for estimating ASM is yet to be validated in clinical practice. We enrolled 2211 patients with CAD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention at our hospital between 2010 and 2017. The mean age was 68years and 81.5% were men. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on each ASM index (ASMI): low; male<7.3 and female<5.0 and high; male≥7.3 and female≥5.0. ASM was calculated using the following equation: 0.193×bodyweight+0.107×height-4.157×gender-0.037×age-2.631. Primary endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACE, which includes cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and hospitalization for heart failure), and all-cause mortality. During the median follow-up period of 4.8years, cumulative incidence of events were significantly higher in the low ASMI group. Cox proportional hazards model revealed that the low ASMI group had a significantly higher risk of primary endpoints than the high ASMI group (all-cause mortality; hazard ratio (HR): 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-3.22, p<0.001 and 4-point MACE; HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.12-2.62, p=0.01). Similar trends were observed after stratification by age of 65years. Low ASMI, evaluated using the aforementioned equation, is an independent predictor of MACE and all-cause mortality in patients with CAD.

PS-C25-1: ANGIOTENSIN II RECEPTOR BLOCKER AND STATIN COMBINATION THERAPY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER SKELETAL MUSCLE INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Objectives: Reduction in skeletal muscle mass is the most important component in the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Aging and chronic heart failure due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accelerate the reduction in skeletal muscle. However, no effective drugs for sarcopenia are available. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations of prescribed medications with higher skeletal muscle mass in patients with CVD. Design and Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. The subjects were 636 inpatients with CVD who had been taking prescribed medicines for at least 4 weeks at the time of admission. Prescription data were collected from electronic medical records database. Drugs and drug combinations were selected for analysis when they were prescribed to more than 10% (64 cases) of all subjects. Because of their frequent use in clinical practice for CVD, various combinations of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and statins were also examined. Skeletal muscle volume was assessed with a bioelectrical impedance assay. Results: The mean age was 73 ± 12 years (male, 54.4%). The body mass index and skeletal muscle index (SMI) were 23.8 ± 4.3 kg/m2 and 6.46 ± 1.42 kg/m2, respectively. ACC/AHA stage C/D heart failure was shown in 21.4%. Single regression analysis showed that SMI was positively associated with the use of CCBs, ARBs, statins, antihyperuricemic agents, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, oral antidiabetic agents excluding DPP-4 inhibitors, ARB/CCB combination, statin/CCB combination, ARB/statin combination, and ARB/beta-blocker combination. Diuretics, antiarrhythmic agents, and anticoagulants were negatively associated with SMI. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed that ARB/statin combination was independently and positively associated with SMI whereas diuretics and antiarrhythmic agents were independently and negatively associated with SMI. After adjustment using propensity score matching, SMI was significantly higher in ARB/statin combination users than in non-users. Conclusion: Combination use of an ARB and a statin was associated with a higher SMI in patients with CVD. A future randomized, controlled trial is warranted to determine whether the ARB/statin combination will increase the SMI and prevent sarcopenia in CVD patients. The results of the present study may be useful for drug repositioning to screen for drug candidates.

The prognostic role of controlling nutritional status and skeletal muscle mass in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment

Nutritional status and skeletal muscle mass affect the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nutritional status is closely associated with skeletal muscle mass. Here, we investigate the effect of controlling preoperative nutritional status and skeletal muscle mass on the prognosis of HCC after curative treatment. This retrospective analysis contained 181 patients who received curative treatment of HCC including liver resection or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy. Nutritional status and skeletal muscle mass were evaluated prior to therapy using the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and psoas muscle mass index (PMI), respectively. Associations of predictor variables with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined using Cox proportional hazards regression and CHAID decision tree algorithm analysis. A total of 111 patients (61.3%) were determined to be of poor nutritional status and 100 patients (55.2%) had muscle mass depletion. Patients with PS 0, Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage 0, low CONUT score, and high PMI showed significantly better OS than those with PS 1, BCLC stage A, high CONUT score, and low PMI. Multivariate analysis indicated that a high CONUT score [hazard ratio (HR) 4.130; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.713-9.958; P &lt; 0.01) and low PMI (HR 4.625; 95% CI, 1.704-12.549; P &lt; 0.01) found to be useful for predicting OS in patients after curative treatment of HCC. Regarding PFS, a significant predictor was only tumor numbers in univariate analysis (HR 2.147; 95% CI, 1.350-3.414; P = 0.001). In decision tree analysis, the mortality rate was 28.8%, 12.5%, and 1.9% in patients with a high CONUT score, with a low CONUT score-low PMI, or with a low CONUT score-high PMI, respectively. The combined CONUT score and PMI were found to be independent predictors of OS in HCC patients after liver resection or RFA.

Prognostic significance of postoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting.

BackgroundIncreasing life expectancy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains to be the major concern of cardiac surgeons. However, few studies have investigated the effect of postoperative skeletal muscle index (SMI) loss on prognosis. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic role of postoperative SMI loss ≥ 5% after CABG, in order to develop a novel nomogram to predict overall survival (OS).MethodsPatients underwent CABG via midline sternotomy from December 2015 to March 2021 were recruited in this study. Preoperative and postoperative 3 months chest computed tomography (CT) images were compared to assess changes in SMI at T12 level. Based on this, patients were classified into the presence or absence of SMI loss ≥ 5%. The association between postoperative SMI loss ≥ 5% and OS was then analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox model. A novel nomogram incorporating independent clinical prognostic variables was also developed.ResultsThe study enrolled 506 patients receiving CABG, of whom 98 patients experienced T12 SMI loss ≥ 5% and had a significantly worse OS (P < 0.0001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that T12 SMI per cent change (%T12 SMI-change) was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 0.809, 95% CI = 0.749–0.874). The nomogram incorporating %T12 SMI-change with other variables was accurate for predicting OS. Besides, we also found that postoperative oral nutritional supplement (ONS) can rescue T12 SMI loss.ConclusionPostoperative SMI loss can predict survival outcome after CABG. The nomogram incorporating changes in SMI provides a superior performance than existing systems.

Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease Shows Different Results Based on Bioelectric Impedance Analysis and Computed Tomography

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the difference between computed tomography (CT)-based and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-based assessment of sarcopenia in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Methods: We enrolled a total of 257 patients who were evaluated with or without sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was defined as a low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) with low muscular strength by the Japan Society of Hepatology. To evaluate whether or not the different methods influence the diagnosis of sarcopenia for patients with CLD, we assessed the number and characteristics of mismatches between the low SMI using BIA and CT. We also compared the overall survival (OS) in patients with and without sarcopenia based on CT and BIA to evaluate the appropriate methods. Results: The numbers of patients with low SMI using BIA or CT were 53 (20.6%) and 114 (44.3%) patients, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that hepatic ascites and body weight were independent factors of mismatch between SMI using BIA versus CT (hazard ratio [HR] 3.232, p < 0.001; HR 2.347, p = 0.005, respectively). The median OS in patients with sarcopenia based on CT was significantly lower than that in patients without sarcopenia (p = 0.006). In contrast, there was no difference between patients with sarcopenia based on BIA (p = 0.217). Conclusion: Muscle mass in patients with CLD may be overestimated by the BIA method compared to CT when assessing sarcopenia, especially in cases of fluid retention.

An improved method to assess skeletal muscle mass in patients with liver cirrhosis based on computed tomography images.

Conventionally, the skeletal muscle area with computed tomography (CT) attenuation ranging from -29 to +150 Hounsfield unit (HU) divided by height squared (the conventional skeletal muscle index [SMI]) was used as an index of skeletal muscle mass. However, it includes fat-infiltrated skeletal muscle, which is known to have poor function. This study aims to determine whether the low-fat SMI, which uses skeletal muscle mass with CT attenuation ranging from +30 to +150 HU, or conventional SMI appropriately reflects the function of skeletal muscle. We retrospectively analyzed 120 patients with cirrhosis whose handgrip strength was measured. Among them, 48 patients underwent a physical performance assessment such as liver frailty index (LFI) and short physical performance battery (SPPB), and 80 underwent quality of life (QOL) assessment. The relationships between each SMI and handgrip strength, LFI, SPPB, and QOL were evaluated. Low-fat SMI was significantly correlated with handgrip strength (males, R=0.393, p=0.002; females, R=0.423, p<0.001) and LFI (males, R=-0.535, p=0.035; females, R=-0.368, p=0.039), whereas conventional SMI was not. When using low-fat SMI, patients with low skeletal muscle mass had significantly low handgrip strength, LFI, SPPB, and physical and social-related QOL score than those without. By contrast, no significant differences were found for any items when using conventional SMI. Low-fat SMI is a good index of skeletal muscle mass that appropriately reflects skeletal muscle function.

Objective physical activity level is associated with rectus femoris muscle echo‐intensity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

IntroductionSkeletal muscle dysfunction is one of the major extrapulmonary complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some studies have reported a relationship between physical activity (PA) level and skeletal muscle quality assessed by echo‐intensity (EI) in healthy individuals but not in patients with COPD.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between PA level and both skeletal muscle EI and skeletal muscle mass in patients with COPD.MethodsWe employed a cross‐sectional design. Forty male outpatients with stable COPD were enrolled. Using B‐mode ultrasonography, we measured the rectus femoris muscle cross‐sectional area (RF‐CSA) and EI (RF‐EI). The RF‐CSA and RF‐EI were measured on frozen images using an electronic caliper and 8‐bit gray‐scale analysis, respectively. The objective PA level was determined by monitoring daily step counts and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity time (MVPA) with an activity monitor. A general regression model was used to assess the relationships between PA level and both RF‐CSA and RF‐EI. Age and body mass index (BMI) were adopted as confounding variables.ResultsTwenty‐five outpatients with stable COPD (age, 70 ± 7 years old; forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 55.0 ± 24.9% of predicted values) were finally enrolled in the present study. Even after adjusting for age and BMI, the daily step counts and MVPA were significantly associated with RF‐EI, and knee extensor force was associated with RF‐CSA.ConclusionThe present study showed that PA level was associated with RF‐EI in patients with COPD. In addition, RF‐CSA was associated with knee extensor force. When assessing skeletal muscle using ultrasonography in patients with COPD, we should also assess EI.

MRI thigh measurements predict whole‐body skeletal muscle mass in patients with type 2 diabetes: a comparison with DXA

AbstractBackgroundSarcopenia is an age‐related loss of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and function, associated with falls, frailty, and functional decline. It is more prevalent and often accelerated in people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D), especially when co‐existing with obesity (sarcopenic obesity). Accurate whole‐body SMM measurement, feasible using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has utility both in clinical practice and in epidemiological and mechanistic research, considering the dual mechanical and metabolic function of skeletal muscle. Compared with MRI, DXA may underestimate age‐related muscle mass by up to 30%, and so direct comparison of DXA/MRI‐derived SMM measurements may be invalid in patients with obesity and T2D, who have potentially even more pronounced sarcopenia/sarcopenic obesity. We aimed to validate single‐slice or multiple‐slice measures of SMM, using MRI, with whole‐body SMM measures derived from DXA scans of appendicular lean soft tissue, specifically in patients with obesity and T2D.MethodsWe undertook a cross‐sectional study in which we performed paired DXA and whole‐body 3.0‐T MRI on 36 people with T2D and obesity (body mass index [BMI] &gt; 30 kg/m2). Single‐slice and seven‐slice estimates of muscle mass, taken from mid‐thigh/thigh MRI images, respectively, were determined, and compared with whole‐body SMM derived from DXA scans of appendicular lean soft tissue, in men and women separately.ResultsSeventeen men (age 48.4 ± 8.2 years, BMI 37.5 ± 5.1 kg/m2, body fat 39.1 ± 6.0%) and 19 women (age 51.8 years ± 9.7, BMI 37.8 ± 5.8 kg/m2, body fat 47.6 ± 5.1%) were recruited. Whole‐body SMM estimated by seven‐slice thigh MRI correlated strongly with DXA‐derived SMM in both men (r = 0.94, P &lt; 0.001) and women (r = 0.94, P &lt; 0.001). Single‐slice thigh estimates of whole‐body SMM by MRI also showed strong relationships to DXA‐derived SMM in both men (r = 0.88, P &lt; 0.001) and women (r = 0.87, P &lt; 0.001). There was no evidence of a statistically significant difference when comparing the performance of using single‐slice vs. multiple‐slices to determine SMM (P = 0.10 for males and P = 0.13 for females).ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that accurate determination of whole‐body SMM is possible using either single‐slice mid‐thigh or seven‐slice thigh MRI in men and women with obesity and T2D in whom there may be significant alterations in body composition. Its application may be of use clinically and in obesity‐related, metabolic, and gerontological research where accurate assessments of body composition add mechanistic insight.

Cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass at the level of the third cervical vertebra (C3) in patients with head and neck cancer.

Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with cancer. For patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), skeletal muscle mass is often assessed at the third cervical vertebra on head and neck imaging. Due to the unavailability of standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass in patients with head and cancer, there is heterogeneousness of cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass described in literature. Therefore, we aim to provide standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass in HNC patients. A retrospective cohort study was performed. Between 2008 and 2018, HNC patients with head and neck imaging were included. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) was manually delineated at the level of the third cervical vertebra and corrected for patients squared height to obtain the cervical skeletal muscle mass index. Gender and body-mass index specific cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass were calculated based on mean cervical skeletal muscle mass index minus 2 standard deviations as suggested in literature. Of the 1,415 included patients, the majority was male (69.8%) and had a body mass index below 25 kg/m2 (59.2%). A primary tumor localization in the oropharynx (35.3%) and a tumor, node, metastasis stage IV tumor (60.5%) were most frequently observed. Cervical skeletal muscle mass index was significantly correlated with gender (r2=0.4, P<0.01) and body mass index (r2=0.4, P<0.01). For male patients with a body mass index <25 and ≥25 kg/m2, a cervical skeletal muscle mass index of respectively ≤6.8 and ≤8.5 cm2/m2 was defined for low skeletal muscle mass. For female patients with a body mass index <25 and ≥25 kg/m2, a cervical skeletal muscle mass index of respectively ≤5.3 and ≤6.4 cm2/m2 was defined for low skeletal muscle mass. This study is the first to provide standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass at the level of the third cervical vertebra in patients with HNC. This information may aid in the uniformity of low skeletal muscle mass definition in research.

Prognostic Role of the Pectoralis Musculature in Patients with COVID-19. A Multicenter Study

Rationale and ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of low skeletal muscle mass in patients with COVID-19 on relevant outcomes like 30-day mortality, need for intubation and need for intensive care unit admission.Materials and MethodsFor this study, data from six centers were acquired. The acquired sample comprises 1138 patients. There were 547 women (48.1%) and 591 men (51.9%) with a mean age of 54.5 ± 18.8 years; median age, 55 years; range, 18–84 years). In every case, thoracic CT without intravenous application of contrast medium was performed. The following parameters of the pectoralis muscles were estimated: muscle area as a sum of the bilateral areas of the pectoralis major and minor muscles, muscle density, muscle index (PMI) (pectoralis muscle area divided by the patient's body height square) as a ratio pectoralis major and minor muscles divided by the patient's body height2, and muscle gauge as PMI x muscle density.ResultsOverall, 220 patients (19.33%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. In 171 patients (15.03%), mechanical lung ventilation was performed. Finally, 154 patients (13.53%) died within the observation time of 30-day. All investigated parameters of pectoralis muscle were lower in the patients with unfavorable courses of Covid-19. All pectoralis muscle parameters were associated with 30-day mortality in multivariate analyses adjusted for age and sex: pectoralis muscle area, HR = 0.93 CI 95% (0.91–0.95) p < 0.001; pectoralis muscle density, HR = 0.94 CI 95% (0.93–0.96) p < 0.001; pectoralis muscle index, HR = 0.79 CI 95% (0.75–0.85) p < 0.001, pectoralis muscle gauge, HR = 0.995 CI 95% (0.99–0.996) p < 0.001.Conclusionin COVID-19, survivors have larger areas and higher index, gauge and density of the pectoralis muscles in comparison to nonsurvivors. However, the analyzed muscle parameters cannot be used for prediction of disease courses.

ASO Visual Abstract: Prognostic Impact of Postoperative Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients Aged 70 Years or Older with Esophageal Cancer

ASO Visual Abstract: Prognostic Impact of Postoperative Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients Aged 70 Years or Older with Esophageal Cancer

Skeletal muscle mass metrics as factors in the prognosis of heart failure patients

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): JSPS KAKENHI Grant Background Sarcopenia is a chronic condition that is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass with declining muscle strength and/or performance that occurs gradually with aging. It has been reported that sarcopenia is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and is a poor prognostic factor. Therefore, it is important to accurately assess skeletal muscle mass in patients with HF. However, there are no reports that have simultaneously examined different skeletal muscle mass metrics as factors in the prognosis of HF patients. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine if the different skeletal muscle mass metrics are associated with the prognosis of HF patients. Methods We examined a total of 869 patients with HF, aged ≥20 years (73 [63, 80] years; 537 males), who were admitted to our hospital and participated in an inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. We used skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and calf circumference (CC) as metrics of skeletal muscle mass. The primary outcome was all-cause deaths, and secondary outcome was HF readmission. To investigate the association between each skeletal muscle mass metric and prognosis, patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of SMI, MUAC, AMC, and CC. In addition, cumulative event rates of survival curves, Gray test, and Fine &amp; Gray test were performed to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability. Results Over a median follow-up period of 0.9 years (interquartile 0.4–1.9) years, a total of 80 deaths and 195 HF readmissions occurred in the patients. Cumulative event rates of survival curves and Gray test showed that there was a significant decrease in all-cause mortality and HF readmission in the high MUAC group and high AMC group compared to their respective low groups (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Fine &amp; Gray test after multivariate adjustment showed significantly better prognosis in the high MUAC group and high AMC group compared to their respective low groups (All-cause mortality: high MUAC group, subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20-0.88, P &amp;lt; 0.05; high AMC group, sHR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.16-0.72 P &amp;lt; 0.05, HF readmission: high MUAC group, sHR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.47-1.00, P &amp;lt; 0.05; high AMC group, sHR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.43-0.93, P &amp;lt; 0.05). Conclusion Patients with HF who maintained high MUAC and high AMC had a good prognosis. CC and SMI were not associated with the prognosis of HF patients. This suggests the importance of evaluating MUAC and AMC in HF patients.

Skeletal muscle mass in patients with adrenal incidentaloma

Skeletal muscle mass in patients with adrenal incidentaloma

Increased Dephospho-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-Protein Is Associated With Lower Axial Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients With Hypertension.

Matrix Gla-protein (MGP) is a well-established inhibitor of vascular calcification that is activated by vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. In the setting of vitamin K2 deficiency, dephospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dpucMGP) levels increase, and have been associated with large artery stiffening. Vitamin K2 is also a mitochondrial electron carrier in muscle, but the relationship of vitamin K2 deficiency and dpucMGP with muscle mass is not well understood. We therefore aimed to examine the association of vitamin K2 deficiency and dpucMGP with skeletal muscle mass in patients with hypertension. We studied 155 hypertensive adults without heart failure. Axial skeletal muscle mass was measured using magnetic resonance imaging from axial steady-state free precession images. DpucMGP was measured with ELISA. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV) was measured from high-fidelity arterial tonometry recordings. We found an inverse relationship between dpucMGP levels and axial muscle mass, with progressively rising dpucMGP levels correlating with decreasing axial muscle mass. In an unadjusted linear regression model, correlates of dpucMGP included axial skeletal muscle area factor (β = -0.32; P < 0.0001) and CF-PWV (β = 0.31; P = 0.0008). In adjusted analyses, independent correlates of dpucMGP included axial skeletal muscle area factor (β = -0.30; P = 0.0003) and CF-PWV (β = 0.20; P = 0.019). In hypertensive adults, dpucMGP is independently associated with lower axial muscle mass, in addition to increased large artery stiffness. Further studies are required to investigate the role of vitamin K supplementation in this population.

Prognostic Impact of Postoperative Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients Aged 70 Years or Older with Esophageal Cancer.

The number of patients with esophageal cancer aged ≥70 years with a poor prognosis is increasing. In general patients with esophageal cancer, postoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is a prognostic factor. This study was designed to investigate the prognostic impact of postoperative loss of SMM in patients aged ≥70 years with esophageal cancer. This study was a single-center, retrospective cohort study. Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent R0 esophagectomy between 2016 and 2020 were included. The percentage postoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass index (SMI%) was calculated using computed tomography images before and at 4 ± 2 months after surgery. The number of subjects in the ≥70-year and <70-year age groups was 166 and 218, respectively. The median SMI% was 5% in all patients; thus, 5% was defined as the cutoff point to define major loss of SMI. Major loss of SMI impacted 3-year overall survival (OS) in the ≥70-year age group, independent of age, sex, clinical stage, pathological T and N factors, Charlson comorbidity index, and length of hospital stay (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 4.400; 95% confidence interval: 1.202-16.105; P = 0.025). The adjusted HR of major loss of SMI in the ≥70-year age group was higher than in the <70-year age group (adjusted HR: 4.400 vs. 2.388, respectively). Postoperative loss of SMI in patients with esophageal cancer aged ≥70 years more strongly impacted 3-year OS than in patients aged <70 years.

Association of lower limb ischemia with loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with peripheral artery disease.

The influence of lower limb ischemia on the loss of skeletal muscle mass, which is a prerequisite for sarcopenia, remains poorly studied in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). We determined whether or not lower limb ischemia correlates with a loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with PAD. The data of 101 patients (202 legs) with PAD were retrospectively analyzed. Body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis. Based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, low muscle mass (LMM) was defined as skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) < 7.00 kg/m2 (male) and < 5.70 kg/m2 (female). Both univariable and multivariable analyses of the risk factors for LMM were performed. There were significant differences in age, ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) per patient, and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), between patients with and without LMM. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; p = 0.009), GNRI (OR, 0.93; p = 0.003), and ABI per patient (OR, 0.02; p = 0.027) as independent risk factors for LMM. These data show a detrimental effect of lower limb ischemia on skeletal muscle mass loss, suggesting that PAD may affect the development of secondary sarcopenia.

Function Over Mass: A Meta-Analysis on the Importance of Skeletal Muscle Quality in COVID-19 Patients

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is a highly contagious disease affecting both the higher and lower portions of the respiratory tract. This disease reached over 265 million people and has been responsible for over 5.25 million deaths worldwide. Skeletal muscle quality and total mass seem to be predictive of COVID-19 outcome. This systematic review aimed at providing a critical analysis of the studies published so far reporting on skeletal muscle mass in patients with COVID-19, with the intent of examining the eventual association between muscle status and disease severity. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate whether skeletal muscle quantity, quality and function were related to disease severity. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted according to the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and reported according to the guidelines of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guide. From a total of 1,056 references found, 480 were selected after removing duplicates. Finally, only 7 met the specified inclusion criteria. The results of this meta-analysis showed that skeletal muscle quality, rather than quantity, was associated with COVID-19 severity, as confirmed by lower skeletal muscle density and lower handgrip strength in patients with severe disease. Muscle function assessment can thus be a valuable tool with prognostic value in COVID-19.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on long-term prognosis after gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer: a propensity score matching analysis

We investigated the long-term prognostic impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) after gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer. This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy for primary p-T2 or more advanced-stage gastric cancer, between April, 2008 and June, 2018. The overall survival (OS) of patients with DM and those without DM were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis after adjusting for group differences using propensity score matching (PSM). Among the 512 patients who met the eligibility criteria, 92 (18.0%) had DM and 420 (82.0%) did not. After PSM, the subjects of this analysis were 72 patients in the DM group and 216 patients in the non-DM. OS was significantly worse in the DM group than in the non-DM group (P = 0.037). Multivariate analysis revealed that a low skeletal muscle mass index was a significant independent prognostic factor for OS in the patients with DM (hazard ratio, 2.284; 95% confidence interval, 1.005-5.189; P = 0.048). DM in patients with advanced gastric cancer is associated with poor OS. A low skeletal muscle mass in patients with DM is a particularly poor prognostic factor for OS after surgery for gastric cancer.

The validity of ASMI, RASM, and L3 SMI in assessing skeletal muscle mass in patients with lung cancer.

Both bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and electron computed tomography (CT) can be used as tools for assessing skeletal muscle mass. In order to find a more suitable method for assessing skeletal muscle mass in lung cancer patients, this study conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of the two methods. We collected baseline data from patients admitted to the oncology department of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2017 to December 2021, and collected data through physical examination, body composition analysis measurements and CT examinations. Then we calculated skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), relative skeletal muscle index (RASM), and third lumbar spine skeletal muscle index (L3 SMI), respectively. Finally we analyzed the correlation between the three methods and body composition and biochemical indicators and the validity of the three methods. A total of 63 patients, 41 males and 22 females, were screened and eligible for enrollment, and the validity of RASM and ASMI was analyzed using L3 SMI as the diagnostic criteria: the sensitivity of RASM and ASMI were 66.67% and 13.33%, respectively, and the specificity was 70.83% and 39.58%, respectively, and the AUC of ROC was 0.736 (p<0.05), 0.264 (p<0.05). In this study, L3 SMI was used as the diagnostic criterion and after calculating and comparing the valid parameters of RASM and ASMI, RASM was recommended as the assessment criterion for skeletal muscle mass in Chinese lung cancer patients.

Impact of Simple Equation for Estimating Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Impact of Simple Equation for Estimating Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention