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Changes in Muscle Mass and the Risk of Liver-Related Events: A Prospective Cohort Study
Zihao Gui1, Hualin Duan1, Qingtao Yu1
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan, China.
Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism
|July 19, 2026
Summary
Maintaining or increasing muscle mass is linked to a reduced risk of liver-related events (LRE). This protective effect is particularly notable in individuals under 60 years old, highlighting muscle mass as a key factor in liver health assessment.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Lower baseline muscle mass is a known risk factor for liver-related events (LRE).
- Limited evidence exists on how longitudinal changes in muscle mass impact LRE risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between changes in appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and the incidence of LRE.
- To explore potential age-related differences in this association.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 19,660 participants with baseline and follow-up body composition data.
- Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) indexed to BMI (ASM/BMI) and its change (ΔASM/BMI) were calculated.
- Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess LRE risk over a median follow-up of 9.87 years.
Main Results:
- Higher ΔASM/BMI was significantly associated with a lower risk of incident LRE.
- Participants in higher tertiles of ΔASM/BMI showed reduced LRE risk (HRs 0.59 and 0.44).
- The association was more pronounced in individuals younger than 60 years, with a significant interaction (p=0.042).
Conclusions:
- Preserving or increasing muscle mass is associated with decreased risk of incident liver-related events.
- Maintaining muscle mass may be important for liver risk stratification, especially in younger populations.
- Findings support the clinical relevance of monitoring muscle mass changes for liver health.
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