Association Between Mid-arm Muscle Circumference and Cognitive Function: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Adults

Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide and low muscle mass may be associated with cognitive decline. Mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) correlates with dual-energy Xray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analyses, yet are not routinely available. Therefore, we examined the association between MAMC and cognitive performance in older adults.

We included community-dwelling adults ≥55 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Cognitive function was estimated based on a subset of the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (0-27, low-high) during years (1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018). A multivariable linear mixed-effects model was used to test whether MAMC was associated with rate of cognitive decline across age groups and cognitive function overall.

Of 3702 adults (53% female, 63.2 ± 7.3 years), mean MAMC was 21.4 cm ± 3.0 and baseline cognitive score was 13.6 points ±6.6. We found no evidence that the age-related rate of cognitive decline differed by MAMC (P = .77). Declines between 5-year age groups ranged from -.80 [SE (standard error) .18] to -1.09 [.22] for those at a mean MAMC, as compared to -.86 [.25] to -1.24 [.31] for those at a 1 MAMC 1 standard deviation above the mean. Higher MAMC was associated with better cognitive function with .13 [.06] higher scores for each corresponding 1 standard deviation increase in MAMC across all ages.

Higher MAMC at any age was associated with better cognitive performance in older adults. Understanding the relationship between muscle mass and cognition may identify at-risk subgroups needing targeted interventions to preserve cognition.