Relationship between skeletal muscle mass and atherosclerosis risk factors and nutrition/dietary content examined using health check-up data

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00893
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Kyoto Women's University
• Principal Investigator: MIYAWAKI Takashi 京都女子大学, 家政学部, 教授 (10422966)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 保野 慎治 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (20467476)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 骨格筋量 / インピーダンス法 / 動脈硬化リスク因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A decrease in skeletal muscle mass may be associated with risk factors for arteriosclerosis independently of obesity and visceral fat accumulation, with cutoff values of around 32-33% for men and 25-26% for women.
The newly developed device, which can measure skeletal muscle mass separately in the upper and lower limbs, has made it possible to examine the relationship with the risk of arterial stiffness in more detail.
For early assessment of possible atherosclerosis risk at health checkups and other occasions, it is necessary to measure not only body weight, body fat, and visceral fat but skeletal muscle mass, An impedance device that can measure body composition easily and accurately without the risk of radiation exposure is useful for measuring skeletal muscle mass.

Free Research Field

予防医療、生活習慣病

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで、骨格筋量の減少は高齢者におけるサルコペニアとの関連を中心に論じられてきた。しかし、本研究により、骨格筋量の減少は、体重、体脂肪、内臓脂肪とは独立して、高血圧症、糖尿病、脂質異常症といった動脈硬化リスク因子と関連することが示唆された。
そのため、今後は、健診や臨床の場で測定する体組成においては、体重、体脂肪、内臓脂肪に加えて骨格筋量についても測定及び評価する必要があると考えられる。