A better quality of muscles in the elderly is closely linked to a reduction in geriatric syndromes. A recent study analyzed data from 121 participants over the age of 65 who underwent abdominal computed tomography scans. The results show that the density and composition of muscles, assessed through imaging, play a key role in the overall health of seniors.<\/p>\n
People with higher muscle density better preserve their independence in daily activities. They also exhibit a better quality of life, less frailty, and fewer cognitive disorders. Similarly, a high ratio of healthy muscle to total muscle mass is associated with better mobility, a reduction in falls, and a decreased risk of depression. Conversely, increased fat infiltration in the muscles\u2014a phenomenon called myosteatosis\u2014worsens these issues.<\/p>\n
Myosteatosis refers to the accumulation of fat in muscle tissue, which impairs its function. This process promotes systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, two mechanisms that can also affect the brain. Thus, muscle deterioration is not limited to a loss of strength but can also contribute to cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
The men in the study had overall better muscle measurements than the women, but both groups showed similar trends in terms of frailty and independence. This suggests that, even though women often have less muscle mass, their functional capacity can remain comparable to that of men if muscle quality is maintained.<\/p>\n
Falls and pain, however, appear to be less directly related to muscle quality. These issues also depend on other factors such as balance, environment, or medications. Pain, for example, can stem from arthritis or neuropathies, conditions that are not directly linked to muscle health.<\/p>\n
This study highlights the importance of assessing muscle quality, not just quantity, to prevent aging-related complications. Computed tomography scans, already commonly used in clinical practice, could thus become a valuable tool for early identification of at-risk individuals. By targeting interventions to preserve muscle quality, it may be possible to reduce frailty and improve the quality of life for seniors.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11357-026-02279-8<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Association of CT-derived muscle quality with multiple geriatric syndromes in older adults: a cross-sectional study<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> GeroScience<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Deng-Chi Yang; Chien-Chou Su; Yu-Hsuan Lai; Yi-Ching Yang; Yi-Shan Tsai<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Muscle quality influences geriatric syndromes in the elderly A better quality of muscles in the elderly is closely linked to a reduction in geriatric syndromes. A recent study analyzed data from 121 participants over the age of 65 who underwent abdominal computed tomography scans. The results show that the density and composition of muscles, assessed… Continue reading Muscle quality influences geriatric syndromes in the elderly<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions\/58"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepublichealthreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}