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The association of HALP score with low muscle mass in older adults
Suxia Liu1, Jiansheng Huang1, Xiaolei Hu1
1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lishui Municipal Central Hospital, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, China.
Insights
The HALP score, a combined indicator of inflammation and nutrition, is linked to lower risks of low muscle mass and mortality in elderly Americans. Higher HALP scores correlate with better outcomes, suggesting its value in health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Inflammation Research
Background:
- The HALP score (hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, platelet) integrates inflammatory and nutritional status.
- Low muscle mass and associated mortality are significant concerns in the elderly population.
- The utility of the HALP score in predicting these outcomes requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the HALP score and the prevalence of low muscle mass in elderly Americans.
- To examine the relationship between the HALP score and all-cause mortality in this demographic.
- To identify potential non-linear associations and critical thresholds for the HALP score.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 3,550 US adults aged ≥60 years from NHANES (1999-2004).
- Multivariate logistic and Cox proportional hazards models for low muscle mass and mortality.
- Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis to assess non-linear relationships and identify inflection points.
Main Results:
- Higher quartiles of the ln HALP score were associated with a significantly lower prevalence of low muscle mass (OR=0.71).
- Among participants with low muscle mass, the highest ln HALP quartile showed a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR=0.77).
- RCS analysis revealed a critical ln HALP value of 3.9, below which inverse associations with low muscle mass and mortality were observed.
Conclusions:
- The HALP score is inversely correlated with low muscle mass and associated mortality in elderly Americans.
- The HALP score serves as a valuable composite biomarker for assessing health risks in older adults.
- A critical threshold (ln HALP ≈ 3.9) may exist for the protective effects of the HALP score.
Background:
The HALP score, combining hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet parameters, serves as a comprehensive indicator reflecting both inflammatory processes and nutritional conditions. Our investigation aimed to explore the association of this composite score with the prevalence of low muscle mass and associated mortality in the elderly American population.
Methods:
The investigation incorporated information from 3,550 individuals aged ≥60 years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to assess the presence of low muscle mass, while Cox proportional hazards models examined mortality outcomes. Non-linear associations and inflection points were examined through the application of restricted cubic spline (RCS) methodology. Additional statistical analyses included Kaplan-Meier survival curve, subgroup analyses, interaction testing, and sensitivity analyses.
Results:
Participants within the top ln HALP quartile demonstrated a 29% lower probability of having low muscle mass relative to those in the bottom quartile (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.89). Participants with low muscle mass in the top quartile of ln HALP had a 23% reduced risk of all-cause mortality compared to those in the bottom quartile (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.97). Non-linear modeling using restricted cubic splines established a critical value at ln HALP = 3.9. Below this value, increasing ln HALP was inversely related to both the presence of low muscle mass (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.75) and mortality (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.68). No meaningful statistical trends were detected beyond this critical value. Population stratification analyses supported the generalizability of these findings across diverse subgroups (all P for interaction > 0.05).
Conclusion:
The HALP score demonstrated a negative correlation with the prevalence of low muscle mass and its associated mortality, indicating its utility as a combined indicator for risk assessment.
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