Validity of muscle-to-fat ratio as a predictor of adult metabolic syndrome

[Purpose] This study was aimed at determining the validity of the muscle-to-fat ratio as an indicator for the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome by establishing an optimal cutoff value. [Subjects and Methods] Data from the first and second year of the fifth Korea National Health Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were used. A total of 6,256 subjects were included in the study. Diagnostic accuracy was measured by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. [Results] The receiver operating characteristic curve for the muscle-to-fat ratio, which represents the diagnostic power for predicting metabolic syndrome, was 0.713 in men and 0.721 in women. The optimal cutoff value for the prediction and diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was 3.09 kg/kg in men and 1.83 kg/kg in women. Intergroup differences based on the muscle-to-fat ratio indicated that the low-ratio group had higher values for all indicators of metabolic syndrome than the high-ratio group. [Conclusion] The muscle-to-fat ratio can be used as an indicator for the prediction and diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, and early prevention and management of metabolic syndrome can help in improving public health.