The review examined the latest research over the course of a year (January 2016 – January 2017) including more than 140 studies in inpatient, outpatient and long-term care settings, and had one resounding conclusion — muscle mass matters. The data show muscle mass can say a lot about a person’s overall health status, especially if living with a chronic disease. For example:

  • A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed women with breast cancer with low muscle mass had a 40 percent higher likelihood of mortality.3
  • Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) with more muscle spend less time on the ventilator — as well as less time in the ICU — and have a better chance of survival.4,5,6
  • People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have more muscle experience better respiratory outcomes and lower occurrence of osteopenia or osteoporosis.7,8
  • In the long-term care setting, a study found individuals with lower muscle mass had more severe Alzheimer’s.9

“Muscle mass should be looked at as a new vital sign,” said Carla Prado, Ph.D., R.D., associate professor at the University of Alberta and principal author of the paper. “If healthcare professionals identify and treat low muscle mass, they can significantly improve their patients’ health outcomes. Fortunately, advances in technology are making it easier for practitioners to measure muscle mass.”

 

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