Mixed
Low muscle mass is a significant predictor of poor clinical outcomes, including higher surgical complications, longer hospital stays, reduced physical function, and shorter survival, across diverse patient populations in inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings.
For patients in clinical settings, low muscle mass is a critical risk factor for poor outcomes, regardless of body weight. Healthcare providers should prioritize measuring muscle mass (via CT, DXA, or BIA) over BMI alone to identify at-risk individuals. Interventions should focus on preventing and reversing muscle loss through multimodal approaches, including exercise and nutrition, to improve survival and reduce healthcare costs.
Low muscle mass is associated with outcomes such as higher surgical and post-operative complications, longer length of hospital stay, lower physical function, poorer quality of life and shorter survival.
Why this rating
Based on a narrative review of 143 studies from a single year, including observational, longitudinal, and clinical trials, though not a systematic review.
Source
Implications of low muscle mass across the continuum of care: a narrative review
Carla M. Prado et al. · Annals of Medicine · 2018
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