Higher Muscle Mass Tied to Lower Pre-, Overt Diabetes Risk

Higher Muscle Mass Tied to Lower Pre-, Overt Diabetes Risk

Each 10 percent increase in skeletal mass index tied to 11 percent decrease in insulin resistance
FRIDAY, Aug. 5

(HealthDay News) -- Higher muscle mass relative to body size is associated with lower insulin resistance and a lower risk of prediabetes (PDM) or overt diabetes mellitus (DM), according to a study published online July 21 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Preethi Srikanthan, M.D., and Arun S. Karlamangla, Ph.D., M.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, investigated the association between increase in muscle mass at average and above average levels with improved glucose regulation. Data from 13,644 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III were analyzed. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), blood glycosylated hemoglobin level, prevalence of PDM, and prevalence of overt DM were the outcome measures.
The investigators found that all four outcome measures decreased from the lowest quartile to the highest quartile of skeletal muscle index (SMI).

After adjustments, each 10 percent increase in SMI was correlated with an 11 percent relative reduction in HOMA-IR and a 12 percent relative reduction in PDM prevalence. A stronger association of SMI with HOMA-IR and PDM prevalence was observed in patients without diabetes.

"Across the full range, higher muscle mass (relative to body size) is associated with better insulin sensitivity and lower risk of pre- or overt diabetes," the authors write.

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