The relationship between skeletal muscle mass and cardiac structure in elderly male inpatients
Lingyan Chen, Le Song, Xi Li, Yu Hu, Man Luo · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2026
Introduction: To investigate the associations of skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and handgrip strength with cardiac structure and function in elderly male inpatients without severe acute cardiovascular conditions.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 143 male inpatients aged ≥60 years. SMI was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, handgrip strength was measured by electronic dynamometry, and cardiac structure and function were evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiography. Multivariable linear regression and restricted cubic spline models were performed to assess the associations between skeletal muscle characteristics and echocardiographic parameters.
Results: for non-linearity > 0.05). Subgroup analyses showed consistent associations across predefined strata without significant interactions.
Discussion: In elderly male inpatients, SMI was independently and linearly associated with left ventricular structure and systolic function, whereas handgrip strength showed fewer significant associations with cardiac parameters. These observational
Findings: suggest that SMI may represent a potential marker of age-related left ventricular structural changes; however, longitudinal studies are required to determine the temporal relationship and clinical implications.