Scientists from Concordia University found that the negative effect of a high percentage of adipose tissue on human health is not compensated even by a high content of muscle mass. Research published in the journal preventive medicine.
The body mass index only takes into account a person’s height and weight and is often used to assess whether they are obese or overweight. The researchers found that body mass index, while far from perfect, was in some cases a better indicator of diabetes and hypertension risk than body fat and muscle mass.
The scientists found that participants with high fat and low muscle levels had higher total cholesterol levels and lower “good” cholesterol levels.
The least healthy group was the group with high muscle percentage and high fat percentage. These participants had negative scores for all measures of cardiovascular and metabolic health, were 80% more likely to have hypertension, and were 23% to 35% more likely to have an excessive intake of saturated fat. Additionally, people in this group were less likely to follow physical activity recommendations than others.
The low-fat, low-fat group had significantly lower BMI and waist circumference, as well as the lowest grip strength. The latter itself is associated with health problems, especially in the elderly.
The scientists’ findings showed that BMI can provide an inexpensive and rapid indicator of heart and metabolic risks at the population level, but it may be useful to account for the muscle-to-fat ratio at the individual level.
Results were also adjusted for age, gender, race, and education. The fat and muscle content of the participants was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
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Source: Gazeta
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