In a July 2019 study by University of São Paulo’s Medical School said,
“We evaluated the body composition of this group, focusing on appendicular muscle mass, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. We then sought to determine which of these factors could predict mortality in the ensuing years. We concluded that the key factor was the amount of appendicular lean mass,”
“According to the most widely used criteria [appendicular lean mass in kg divided by height squared in m], most of the individuals identified as having sarcopenia are lean. However, our sample had a higher-than-average BMI [body mass index], so we substituted muscle mass for fat mass. Subjects with muscle mass that was 20% below average were classified as having sarcopenia,”
“We then conducted a number of statistical analyses to detect differences between the subjects who died and those who remained alive, particularly, whether it was possible to predict a person’s death on the basis of body composition measured by the DXA examination,”
“We found that other parameters also negatively influenced mortality in the men, statistically reducing the significance of appendicular muscle mass. In the women, however, muscle mass stood out as a key factor and hence had more influence,”
“The rapid and significant transition from a protective estrogenic environment to a deleterious hypoestrogenic environment, which is particularly adverse for the cardiovascular system, may make the protective metabolic role of skeletal muscles, including the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, more important in the postmenopause period. This hormone change is far less abrupt in men,”