Mixed
Among individuals who lose weight, a higher ratio of skeletal muscle mass loss to total weight loss (SMMC/WC) is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events, with risk doubling when muscle loss accounts for approximately 50% of weight loss.
If you are losing weight, monitor how much of that loss is muscle. If you lose muscle equal to half your total weight loss, your cardiovascular risk effectively doubles compared to someone who preserves muscle. To mitigate this, prioritize resistance training and protein intake during caloric restriction.
Among the participants with weight loss, when SMMC/WC reached around 50%, this HR soared to approximately two-fold.
Why this rating
Derived from the same robust RCT post-hoc analysis with spline regression showing a clear trend.
Source
Cardiovascular effects of weight loss in old adults with overweight/obesity according to change in skeletal muscle mass
Xiaojie Cai et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2023
DOI 10.1002/jcsm.13409
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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