The accumulation of abdominal fat associated with muscle mass loss—a condition known as sarcopenic obesity—increases the risk of death by over 80 percent compared to people who do not have these two conditions combined. The conclusion can be found in a study by the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), in São Paulo, in partnership with University College London, in the UK.
Abdominal obesity, the experts say, can be defined as an abdominal circumference greater than 102 centimeters for men and 88 centimeters for women. Muscle condition, in turn, is verified using a skeletal muscle mass index.
One of the researchers, Professor Valdete Regina Guandalini, from the university’s Department of Gerontology, explained that sarcopenic obesity is also related to old age, particularly with the loss of autonomy and a decline in quality of life in this age group.
Even though muscle loss is normal after age 40, she pointed out, some things can make it happen faster or slower.
“Your exercise routine, your eating and sleeping habits, as well as alcohol and tobacco use can can all play a role in how fast it happens,” she stated.
She noted that healthy habits reduce the incidence of sarcopenic obesity, mentioning other data from the study, such as a 40 percent reduction in the risk of death among those with low muscle mass but no abdominal obesity. This is also observed in individuals with abdominal obesity but adequate muscle mass.
Source: Agência Brasil