Computed tomography-based muscle and fat composition in a Dutch population: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Human Physiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Normative adult body composition data from North America exists, but European-specific, sex- and age-adjusted reference values are lacking.
• Obesity and sarcopenia are significant risk factors for disease and mortality.
• Computed tomography (CT)-based body composition analysis offers precise muscle and fat quantification for personalized medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish sex- and age-specific reference values for body composition parameters in a European adult population using CT imaging.
• To provide CT-derived body composition reference curves for Dutch adults for clinical application.
• To investigate age- and sex-related changes in muscle mass and fat distribution.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing CT scans of adult trauma patients (n=2286) from a level-1 trauma center.
• An artificial intelligence algorithm automatically segmented muscle and fat components at the third lumbar vertebra level.
• Calculated skeletal muscle indices and analyzed muscle attenuation and visceral fat areas, generating age- and sex-specific percentile curves.

Main Results:

• Total muscle index decreased with age around 60 in males and when excluding intramuscular fat in females.
• Mean muscle attenuation declined substantially with age in both sexes.
• Visceral fat areas increased rapidly with age in both sexes, with higher values observed in males.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first CT-derived European reference values for body composition in Dutch adults.
• These reference values are intended for use in clinical practice to aid in personalized risk assessment and treatment.
• CT-based body composition assessment is valuable for identifying individual risks and improving patient care strategies.