“Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA found that cardiovascular disease patients who have high muscle mass and low fat mass have a lower mortality risk than those with other body compositions. The findings also suggest that regardless of a person’s level of fat mass, a higher level of muscle mass helps reduce the risk of death.”
The article says, “The researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004, of 6,451 participants who had prevalent cardiovascular disease. Each subject was categorized into one of four groups:
- low muscle/low fat mass
- low muscle/high fat mass
- high muscle/low fat mass
- high muscle/high fat mass
Those with high muscle mass and low fat mass had the lowest risk of cardiovascular and total mortality.”
The article continues, “The findings also highlight the importance of maintaining muscle mass, rather than focusing on weight loss, in order to prolong life, even in people who have a higher cardiovascular risk. The authors suggest that clinicians encourage their patients to participate in resistance exercises as a part of healthy lifestyle changes, rather than focusing primarily on, and monitoring, weight loss.”
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University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences. “Higher muscle mass associated with lower mortality risk in people with heart disease.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 April 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160422080059.htm>.