Abstract
Objective
Sarcopenia of legs is an important cause of physical dysfunctions, frailty and dependence.
Many predisposing and underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia, including age, sedentary
life style, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and low testosterone levels, are
also known to be related to atherosclerosis, which is another leading cause of morbidity
and mortality in elderly subjects. In this study, we investigated our hypothesis that
sarcopenia and atherosclerosis are associated with each other to facilitate mutual
abnormalities.
Methods
Study was performed in apparently healthy 496 middle-aged to elderly persons recruited
consecutively among the visitors to the medical check-up program, Anti-Aging Doc,
in a University hospital, from March 2006 to December 2007. Mid-thigh muscle cross-sectional
area (CSA) was measured by computed tomography and corrected by body weight (CSA/BW).
Carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV)
were measured.
Results
Thigh muscle CSA/BW was significantly and negatively associated with carotid IMT and
baPWV in men but not in women. After correction for other confounding parameters,
baPWV was an independent risk for the presence of sarcopenia in men (odds ratio of
1 m/s increase of baPWV = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01–1.30, p < 0.05) in addition to age, body height, low physical activity, free testosterone level.
Conversely, thigh muscle CSA/BW was an independent determinant of baPWV (β = −0.15, p < 0.01) in addition to age, blood pressure, triglyceride, and antihypertensive drug
use in men.
Conclusions
Arterial stiffness is related to thigh muscle volume in men. Sarcopenia and atherosclerosis
may share a common pathway and interact with each other to facilitate mutual abnormalities.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 16, 2010
Accepted:
May 17,
2010
Received in revised form:
April 28,
2010
Received:
October 28,
2009
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
