Endocrinol Metab.  2017 Dec;32(4):442-450. 10.3803/EnM.2017.32.4.442.

Changes in Body Composition According to Age and Sex among Young Non-Diabetic Korean Adults: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study

• Kim SK
• Kwon YH
• Cho JH
• Lee DY
• Park SE
• Oh HG
• Park CY
• Lee WY
• Oh KW
• Park SW
• Rhee EJ

• KMID: 2406188
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2017.32.4.442

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Age-related decreases in lean mass represent a serious health problem. We aimed to analyze the risks of rapid decreases in lean mass by age and sex in relatively young Korean adults during a 4-year follow-up study.
METHODS
A total of 65,856 non-diabetic participants (59.5% men, mean age 39.1 years) in a health screening program were subjected to bioimpedance body composition analyses and metabolic parameter analyses at baseline and after 4 years. The participants were sub-divided according to age, and additionally to six groups by age and the degree of body weight change over the 4-year period. The actual changes in body weight, lean mass, and fat mass and the percent changes over the 4-year period were assessed.
RESULTS
The percent change in lean mass decreased and the percent change of fat mass increased with increasing age in every age and sex group. However, the annual percent decrease in lean mass and percent increase in fat mass were significantly higher among women than among men (−0.26% vs. −0.15% and 0.34% vs. 0.42%, respectively; P<0.01). Participants who were older than 50 years and had a weight loss <−5% during the 4 years had significantly greater decreases in lean mass and smaller decreases in fat mass, compared to those who were younger than 50 years. An odds ratio analysis to determine the lowest quartile of the percent change in lean mass according to age group revealed that participants older than 60 years had a significantly increased risk of a rapid decrease in the lean mass percentage (2.081; 95% confidence interval, 1.678 to 2.581).
CONCLUSION
Even in this relatively young study population, the lean mass decreased significantly with age, and the risk of a rapid decrease in lean mass was higher among women than among men. Furthermore, the elderly exhibited a significantly more rapid decrease in lean mass, compared with younger participants.

Keyword

Sarcopenia; Lean mass; Aging; Sex

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Aging
Body Composition*
Body Weight
Body Weight Changes
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Mass Screening
Odds Ratio
Sarcopenia
Weight Loss

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Comparison of the mean percent change of body weight, lean mass, and fat mass among three groups divided by the percent weight change over 4 years and age at baseline.

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  Fig. 2 Comparison of percent changes in lean and fat mass during a 4-year period by age and sex.

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