Calf circumference as a predictor of skeletal muscle mass in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Summary: Background & Aims: Menopause causes significant changes in the quantity of female muscle mass. Reduced muscle mass is associated with lower quality of life, increased risk of fractures, and decline in functional capacity. Therefore, the use of simple and affordable measures to detect decreased skeletal muscle mass is important for an efficient clinical practice. This study analyzed the correlation between skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with calf circumference (CC) and handgrip strength (HGS) in postmenopausal women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on postmenopausal women ≥ 60 years old (n = 120) recruited in an outpatient clinic of a Brazilian university. Sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data (height, body mass, body mass index - BMI, CC), HGS, and SMM using BIA were collected according to standardized protocols. Correlation between variables (SMM, CC, HGS, and BMI) were analyzed using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests. Multivariate linear regression was applied to determine the influence of CC, HGS and BMI on SMM. Statistical tests were performed at 95% confidence level. Results: Significant and moderate correlation were found between SMM and BMI (r = 0.54; P < 0.001), low correlations with SMM and dominant handgrip strength (r = 0.35; P < 0.001) and non-dominant handgrip strength (r = 0.33; P < 0.001). CC was high correlated to SMM (r = 0.71; P < 0.001). CC was the only variable associated with SMM after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle variable (P < 0.005), meaning that for every centimeter increase in CC there was an increase of 0.53 kg in SMM. Conclusions: CC was associated to SMM in postmenopausal women, expanding the possibilities of using simple measures in clinical practice for tracking sarcopenia.

Keywords

• Menopause
• Body Composition
• Anthropometric Measurement
• Muscle Strength
• Muscle Mass
• Sarcopenia