Strength, muscle quality and markers of cardiometabolic risk in older women

Abstract The aging process is associated with a decline in physiological functions, including a reduction in muscle quality, as well as changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify if a correlation exists between muscle strength and quality and cardiometabolic risk markers in older women. Thirty older women (66.13±5.26 years, 67.33±12.45 kg, 1.54±0.07 m, body mass index: 28.20±4.72) were submitted to the evaluation of muscle thickness and strength and blood analysis of cardiometabolic risk markers (glucose, basal insulin, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR). No significant correlations were found between muscle phenotypes and markers of cardiometabolic risk, even after adjustment for confounding factors. The present study indicates that muscle strength or quality is not correlated with markers of cardiometabolic risk.