Higher muscle mass associated with lower mortality risk in heart disease patients

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/uoc--hmm042116.php

Public Release: 21-Apr-2016
Higher muscle mass associated with lower mortality risk in heart disease patients
University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA found that cardiovascular disease patients who have high muscle mass and low fat mass have a lower mortality risk than those with other body compositions. The findings also suggest that regardless of a person's level of fat mass, a higher level of muscle mass helps reduce the risk of death.

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Because people with higher muscle mass were more likely to have a high body mass index, the findings could explain the "obesity paradox," which holds that people with a higher BMI have lower mortality levels.

The findings also highlight the importance of maintaining muscle mass, rather than focusing on weight loss, in order to prolong life, even in people who have a higher cardiovascular risk. The authors suggest that clinicians encourage their patients to participate in resistance exercises as a part of healthy lifestyle changes, rather than focusing primarily on, and monitoring, weight loss.