title: Skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio is associated with metabolic syndrome and arterial stiffness: The Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study (KSOS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sarcopenia measured as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and central obesity measured as visceral fat area (VFA) may act synergistically to influence metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. However, several previous studies reported that metabolic risk is higher in non-sarcopenic obesity groups than in sarcopenic obesity groups because of the close relationship between muscle mass and body fat. We investigated the association of the ASM to VFA ratio, which we have termed the muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR), with metabolic syndrome and arterial stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed in 526 apparently healthy adults enrolled in the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study, an ongoing prospective observational cohort study. ASM was evaluated with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and VFA with computed tomography. Arterial stiffness was measured using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MFR was significantly associated with waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profiles, glucose and baPWV. By multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for metabolic syndrome was 5.43 (lowest versus highest tertile of MFR, 95% confidence interval, 2.56-13.34). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that MFR was an independent determinant of baPWV (R²=0.57).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MFR, a new index of sarcopenic obesity, showed an independent negative association with metabolic syndrome and arterial stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Center, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Nyun
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, College of Natural Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Man Sik
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kang Il
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sae Jeong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine, Division of Physical Education, Soonchunhyang University, A-San, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Science Laboratory, Institute of Sports Science, Department of Physical Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Wook
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sin Gon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nan Hee
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sei Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Seop
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 152-050, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: medica7@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kyung Mook
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055948:Sarcopenia; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D055815:Young Adult