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
DOI 10.1080/07853890.2018.1511918
More from this paper
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- Muscle quality, assessed by muscle attenuation (fat infiltration) via CT or MRI, is an independent and emerging prognostic indicator for survival and outcomes, often more predictive than muscle mass alone.Good
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
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- 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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