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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

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Higher skeletal muscle mass is associated with higher blood pressure and left ventricular mass

Eduard Shantsila1,2, Alena Shantsila2,3, Matthew Sperrin4

  • 1Department of Primary Care and Mental Health.

Journal of Hypertension
|June 10, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Higher skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is linked to increased blood pressure (BP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), independent of body fat. Further research is needed to confirm causality and optimal exercise strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Muscle Physiology
  • Biostatistics

Background:

  • Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) constitutes approximately 40% of total body mass.
  • The precise relationship between SMM, blood pressure (BP), and cardiac structure remains incompletely understood.
  • This study investigates the independent associations of SMM with BP and left ventricular mass index (LVMI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between skeletal muscle mass and blood pressure.
  • To investigate the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and left ventricular mass index.
  • To determine if these associations persist independently of adiposity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort designs with data from 492,498 UK Biobank participants.
  • Measured muscle mass using bioimpedance analysis (MMI), DEXA (lean mass index), and MRI (thigh MMI).
  • Assessed fat mass index (FMI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) using bioimpedance, DEXA, and MRI; employed multivariable regression analysis.

Main Results:

  • Higher muscle mass metrics were independently associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) in cross-sectional analyses.
  • Longitudinal analyses revealed that increases in muscle mass were independently associated with increases in SBP and DBP.
  • Elevated muscle mass and its changes were also independently associated with higher LVMI in both cross-sectional and cohort analyses.

Conclusions:

  • Increased skeletal muscle mass is associated with elevated blood pressure and left ventricular mass index, irrespective of adiposity.
  • The findings suggest a potential link between muscle mass and cardiovascular parameters.
  • Further research is warranted to establish causality and identify optimal exercise interventions for cardiovascular health.
Abstract

Keywords:
blood pressurehypertensionskeletal muscles

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