title: Associations of Abdominal Muscle Area with 4-Year Change in Coronary Artery Calcium Differ by Ethnicity Among Post-Menopausal Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of abdominal muscle area with coronary artery calcium (CAC) presence, extent, and progression in a multi-ethnic cohort of older, community-dwelling post-menopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample comprised 179 non-Hispanic White women, 116 Filipina women and 144 African American women, all without known CVD, who underwent chest and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans twice about four years apart for abdominal muscle and fat, as well as CAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  CAC presence, extent and progression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant interaction of ethnicity with baseline oblique muscle area (p-for-interaction .01), and marginally significant interactions with baseline total and paraspinal muscle for change in CAC (p-for-interactions both .09). Among Filipina women, each standard deviation (SD) greater total muscle area was associated with a 26% (95% CI (-43%, -4%), P=.02) reduced rate of change in CAC; higher paraspinal and oblique muscle area were associated with a 24% (-38%, -6%, P=.01) and a 37% (-53%, -16%, P=.0002) reduced rate of change in CAC, respectively. These associations were not significant in African American or non-Hispanic White women. There were no significant associations of abdominal muscle with CAC presence or extent, nor were there significant ethnicity by muscle interactions in these models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among Filipina women, greater abdominal muscle mass is associated with a decreased rate of CAC progression. Higher muscle mass may be important for this group in reducing CVD outcomes.
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Vermont.
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wassel
authors.affiliation: 2. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Gail A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Laughlin
authors.affiliation: 3. Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.affiliation: 2. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Maria Rosario G
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Araneta
authors.affiliation: 4. County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Services.
authors.forename: Wilma
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wooten
authors.affiliation: 2. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrett-Connor
authors.affiliation: 3. Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology; D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D017698:Postmenopause; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D044465:White People
keywords: Abdominal Muscle; Coronary Artery Calcium; Ethnicity; Muscle Mass; Race