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. 2021 Sep;45(7):1591-1596.
doi: 10.1002/jpen.2030. Epub 2020 Dec 8.

Muscle Echogenicity and Changes Related to Age and Body Mass Index

Andrea Z Pereira  1   2 , Clarissa Baia Uezima  1 , Maria Teresa Zanella  1 , Rogério Ruscitto do Prado  1 , Maria Cristina Gonzalez  3 , Jolene Zheng  4 , Steven B Heymsfield  4
Affiliations

Muscle Echogenicity and Changes Related to Age and Body Mass Index

Andrea Z Pereira et al. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Introduction: Muscle fibers are lost and replaced by fat- and fibrous-tissue infiltration during aging. This process decreases muscle quality and influences tissue appearance on ultrasound images over time. Increased muscle "echogenicity" represents changes caused by fat- and fibrous-tissue infiltration and can be quantified with recently developed software.

Objective: To investigate skeletal muscle quality through echogenicity, estimates according to participant's body mass index (BMI) and age were taken.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana with 117 participants (57 men and 60 women), with mean age (±SD) 38.9 ± 17.0 years and BMI 28.6 ± 6.2 kg/m². All participants were examined by ultrasound (LOGIQ GE Healthcare), using a 5.0-MHz linear transducer. Participants had muscle thickness measured by ultrasound at 4 anatomic locations (biceps and triceps brachial, femoral quadriceps, and calf triceps). Echogenicity was analyzed with specific software (Pixel Health) that evaluated the image in gray scale.

Results: According to BMI, 41% of participants were obese. There was a positive correlation between age and thigh-muscle echogenicity (rp = 0.534, P < .0001) and a negative correlation between thigh-muscle echogenicity and thickness (rp = -0.395, P <.0001). There was high muscle echogenicity in participants with overweight and obesity aged 50 years or older (P < .05).

Conclusion: Older age and higher BMI were associated with stronger echogenicity signals and smaller muscle thickness. People with overweight, obesity, and/or older than 50 years old have reduced muscle quality with smaller muscle thickness, as observed with ultrasound.

Keywords: body composition; echogenicity; elderly; muscle; obesity; ultrasound.

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