Fat to lean mass ratio in spinal cord injury: Possible interplay of components of body composition that may instigate systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome

Objective To investigate the relationships between percentage fat mass (%FM), percentage lean mass (%LM), and the ratio of %FM to %LM with pro-inflammatory adipokines and metabolic syndrome in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Observational, cross-sectional. Linear and logistic regression were used to examine the associations between the %FM, %LM, and the %FM to %LM ratio with inflammatory markers and metabolic syndrome, respectively. Participants Seventy chronic SCI men and women. Main Outcome Measures %FM, %LM, %FM to %LM ratio; fasting lipids, glucose, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP); metabolic syndrome as determined by The International Diabetes Federation criteria. Results There were significant correlations between %FM, %LM and the %FM to %LM ratio with hs-CRP. The %LM beta coefficient value was negative and greater than the beta coefficient value for %FM. The %FM to %LM ratio had the strongest correlation with hs-CRP and showed the only significant relationship with IL-6. There were strong significant correlations between %FM, %LM and the %FM to %LM ratio with metabolic syndrome. However, the %FM to %LM ratio, again, showed the strongest relationship indicating that it may be the best predictor of metabolic syndrome. Conclusion Both higher %FM and lower %LM affect cardiometabolic health and can be used as predictors for metabolic syndrome. However, the %FM to %LM ratio was the best predictor of systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic disorders in this group of SCI participants, suggesting that they both contribute to the statistical model.

Automated summary

The study found that there were correlations between percentage fat mass (%FM), percentage lean mass (%LM), and the ratio of %FM to %LM with inflammatory markers and metabolic syndrome in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The %FM to %LM ratio may be the best predictor of metabolic syndrome.