BackgroundReduced muscle mass (RMM) is a phenotypic criterion for malnutrition; the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) are both applicable indicators in the global leadership initiative on malnutrition (GLIM) guideline. However, their sensitivity and prognostic effect remain unclear.MethodsClinical data of 2,477 patients with malignant tumors were collected. Multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to obtain ASMI and FFMI. RMM was confirmed by ASMI (< 7.0 kg/m2 for men and < 5.7 kg/m2 for women) or FFMI (< 17 kg/m2 for men and < 15 kg/m2 for women). Propensity score match analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the efficacy of FFMI and ASMI in diagnosing severe malnutrition and multivariate Cox regression analysis to determine the efficacy of RMM in predicting survival.ResultsIn total, 546 (22.0%) and 659 (26.6%) participants were diagnosed with RMM by ASMI (RMM.ASMI group) and FFMI (RMM.FFMI group); 375 cases overlapped. Body mass index (BMI), midarm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, and maximum calf circumference were all significantly larger in the RMM.FFMI group for both sexes (P < 0.05). A 1:1 matched dataset constructed by propensity score match contained 810 cases. RMM.FFMI was an influential factor of severe malnutrition with HR = 3.033 (95% CI 2.068–4.449, P < 0.001), and RMM.ASMI was a predictive factor of overall survival (HR = 1.318, 95% CI 1.060–1.639, P = 0.013 in the RMM.ASMI subgroup, HR = 1.315, 95% CI 1.077–1.607, P = 0.007 in the RMM.FFMI subgroup).ConclusionIn general, RMM indicates negative clinical outcomes; when defined by FFMI, it predicts nutritional status, and when defined by ASMI, it is related to poor survival in cancer patients.
BackgroundThe anthropometric index is not accurate but shows a great advantage in accessibility. Simple body composition formulas should be investigated before proceeding with the universal nutrition screening.Materials and MethodsClinical data of patients with a malignant tumor of the digestive system were collected. SliceOmatic 5.0 software (TOMOVISION, Canada) was used to analyze abdominal CT images and taken as references. A linear regression analysis was adopted to establish the formula for calculating skeletal muscle index (SMI) and visceral fat area (VFA). In addition, the relweights function was adopted to measure the contribution of each variable.ResultsIn total, 344 patients were divided into the training set and 134 patients into the validation set. The selected formulas were SMI.pre = 0.540 × weight (kg) – 0.559 × height (cm) – 13.877 × sex (male = 1, female = 2) + 123.583, and VFA.pre = 5.146 × weight (kg) – 2.666 × height (cm) + 1.436 × age (year) + 134.096, of which the adjusted R2 were 0.597 and 0.581, respectively. The “weight” explained more than 80% of R2 in the prediction of VFA. In addition, “sex” occupied approximately 40% of R2 in the prediction of SMI. The paired t-test showed no significant difference between the real measured indices and the predicting ones (p = 0.123 for SMI and p = 0.299 for VFA). The logistic regression analysis exhibited similar diagnostic efficacy of the real measured parameters and formulas.ConclusionThe SMI and VFA formulas were developed through basic indices, such as weight, height, sex, and age. According to the contribution of each variable, weight should always be focused on preserving appropriate muscle and adipose tissue.
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