New research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy, has found that poor muscle health can significantly increase the risk of early death in people living with obesity.
The study, conducted by Swedish researchers using data from the UK, showed that individuals with both low muscle volume and high muscle fat were up to three times more likely to die during the study period than those with healthier muscles.
Muscle Health and Obesity
Obesity has long been linked to various health risks, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Weight loss is often recommended as a way to manage these risks, and recent advancements in weight loss medications are allowing individuals to lose more weight than ever before.
However, some experts are now raising concerns about the potential negative effects of rapid weight loss on muscle health.
“Although people with obesity generally have more muscle mass, their muscles tend to be weaker and lower in quality,” explained Dr. Jennifer Linge, the study’s lead researcher from AMRA Medical in Sweden. “This can lead to reduced mobility, lower strength, and a higher risk of health problems.”
Accurately measuring muscle composition—both its quantity and quality—could help doctors determine whether rapid weight loss is safe, especially for older adults or those with conditions like sarcopenic obesity (a condition where obesity and muscle loss occur together).
The Study: How Poor Muscle Health Increases Mortality Risk
To investigate the link between muscle health and early death, researchers analyzed MRI scans from 56,109 participants in the UK Biobank study. Using advanced imaging software, they measured muscle volume (how much muscle a person had) and muscle fat levels (an indicator of muscle quality). Each participant was given a muscle volume z-score, which compared their muscle volume to others of the same sex and body size.
The study focused on 9,840 participants with obesity, with an average age of 64.4 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 33.5. Among them, 2,001 individuals (about 20%) had adverse muscle composition, meaning they had both low muscle volume and high muscle fat.
Participants were followed for an average of 3.9 years. During this period, 174 individuals died, with the most common causes being heart-related diseases such as coronary heart disease and hypertension-related conditions.
Key Findings
- Individuals with both low muscle volume and high muscle fat had the highest risk of death. They were three times more likely to die than those with healthy muscle composition.
- Having only low muscle volume or only high muscle fat did not significantly increase the risk of death.
- The link between poor muscle health and early death remained even after considering other risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
- Overall, adverse muscle composition was associated with a 70% higher risk of early death after adjusting for all other factors.
The study also found that men, older adults, people with type 2 diabetes, and smokers had a higher risk of early death, reinforcing the importance of managing these risk factors.
Why This Matters
This research highlights the importance of maintaining not just body weight, but also muscle health in people with obesity. Many weight loss programs focus solely on reducing fat, but this study suggests that losing muscle mass or worsening muscle quality can be dangerous.
With weight loss drugs becoming more effective, experts are now urging doctors to monitor muscle health closely during treatment. “Understanding whether these medications cause excessive muscle loss or damage muscle quality is crucial for making weight loss treatments safer,” Dr. Linge said.
Moving Forward
This study adds to growing evidence that poor muscle health plays a major role in long-term health outcomes. While previous research has linked poor muscle health to lower strength, slower mobility, and a higher risk of falls, this study shows that it also significantly increases the risk of early death in people with obesity.
To improve muscle health, experts recommend:
- Strength training to maintain or increase muscle mass.
- A protein-rich diet to support muscle growth and repair.
- Regular physical activity, including resistance exercises and walking.
- Careful monitoring during weight loss treatments to ensure muscle mass is preserved.
Ultimately, the findings emphasize that weight loss alone is not enough—maintaining strong and healthy muscles is just as important for long-term survival and overall well-being.
If you care about muscle, please read studies about factors that can cause muscle weakness in older people, and scientists find a way to reverse high blood sugar and muscle loss.
For more health information, please see recent studies about an easy, cheap way to maintain muscles, and results showing these vegetables essential for your muscle strength.
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