Associations of skeletal muscle mass with atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers in Korean adults

Background: Several global studies have clarified the relationship of sarcopenia with inflammatory markers and atherosclerosis; however, these associations in Korean adults remain unclear. We evaluated whether low skeletal muscle mass is associated with atherosclerosis and inflammatory markers in Korean adults. Methods: We analysed data from 1556 Korean adults who visited a Health Promotion Centre in South Korea. We assessed their brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in a cross-sectional study to analyse the relationships of skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), and low muscle mass (LMM) to atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic risk factors, and inflammatory markers. Results: In men, SMI was significantly negatively correlated with baPWV, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR); in women, SMI was negatively associated with baPWV and hs-CRP after adjusting for confounding factors including atherosclerosis and related risk factors. ASMI showed similar results to SMI for both males and females. In an unadjusted model, baPWV and NLR were significantly higher in men with LMM than in the normal population, and the outcomes remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors. Similarly, baPWV and hs-CRP were higher in women with LMM than in the normal population after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusions: LMM, peripheral atherosclerosis, and inflammatory markers were closely associated in Korean adults. Further studies are required to evaluate the effect of increased muscle mass on the prevention of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular events.