Older adults with high amounts of fat in the skeletal muscles are at risk of greater and faster cognitive decline, according to a new study published June 7, 2023 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.¹

Rosano et al measured the intermuscular adipose tissue of the thigh muscle using CT scans in 1634 adults, aged 69–79 years at year 1 and year 6. They also evaluated the participants for cognitive function using the mini-mental state exam (3MS) at years 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10. Almost half (48%) of the selected study subjects were female and 35% were Black.

The researchers found that the intermuscular adipose tissue of the thigh muscle increased by 4.85 cm2 (Year 1-6) and the cognitive function declined by 3.20 points (Year 6-10) on the 3MS test. Increase in thigh fat content of 4.85 cm2 was associated with decrease of an additional 3.60 points on 3MS.

In this study, a 5-year increase in the fat content of thigh muscle was significantly associated with cognitive impairment suggesting skeletal muscle adiposity as a novel risk factor for cognitive decline. This association between muscle fat and cognitive decline was independent of muscle strength, body composition including the traditional risk factors for dementia. Hence, older adults must be advised to lead a healthy lifestyle with a healthy and well-balanced diet and daily exercise.

Reference

1. Rosano C, et al. Increase in skeletal muscular adiposity and cognitive decline in a biracial cohort of older men and women. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Jun 7. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18419.