Fat-to-muscle ratio as a predictor for dyslipidaemia in transitional-age youth

Abstract

Background Although dyslipidaemia may have a crucial impact on cardiovascular health in adults, there is a lack of specific data in transitional-age youth. Therefore, this study attempted to evaluate the association of dyslipidaemia with fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR), and establish FMR thresholds for diagnosing dyslipidaemia in transitional-age youth. Methods One thousand six hundred sixty individuals aged 16 to 24 years from the baseline of a subcohort in the Northwest China Natural Population Cohort: Ningxia Project were analysed. Anthropometric characteristics were gauged by a bioelectrical impedance analyser, and dyslipidaemia components were measured using a Beckman AU480 chemistry analyser. Additionally, this study used logistic regression to estimate the risk of dyslipidaemia based on FMR quintiles, and calculate the gender-specific ideal cut-off values of dyslipidaemia and its components by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Of the 1660 participants, aged 19.06 ± 1.14 years, 558 males and 1102 females. The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 13.4% and was significantly associated with FMR quintiles among all participants (P < 0.05). The ideal values of FMR in diagnosing dyslipidaemia were 0.2224 for males and 0.4809 for females, while males had a higher AUC than females (0.7118 vs. 0.6656). Meanwhile, high FMR values were significantly associated with adverse outcomes of dyslipidaemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridaemia (P < 0.05). Conclusions The FMR was positively correlated with the prevalence of dyslipidaemia. The FMR can be used as an effective body composition index for diagnosing dyslipidaemia, especially in males, and preventive strategies should be initiated in transitional-age youth to decrease obesity-related dyslipidaemia.

The metabolic load‐capacity model and cardiometabolic health in children and youth with obesity

“…High LCI by ADP predicted dyslipidemia, and participants with high versus low LCI by ADP or US had a worse cardiometabolic profile. Previous research has also demonstrated a relationship between dyslipidemia, 39 metabolic syndrome, 40 and hyperinsulinemia 41 and the ratio of FM to skeletal muscle (or related compartments) in the pediatric population 42 . Our findings therefore support the concept that having a higher LCI, or a greater adipose tissue than muscle mass also known as the sarcopenic obesity phenotype in older adults, poses a physiological overload that the available muscle mass cannot overcome, increasing the risk of cardiometabolic dysfunction.…”