Visceral fat area to skeletal muscle mass ratio is linked to albuminuria.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenic visceral obesity is strongly associated with metabolic dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the association between visceral fat area (VFA) to skeletal muscle mass ratio (VSR) and albuminuria in U.S. non-elderly adults.

METHODS

This study, based on a cross-sectional design, included 5765 non-elderly adults from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. VFA and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Albuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 30 mg/g. To investigate the potential connection between VSR and albuminuria risk, logistic regression, smooth curve fitting, and subgroup analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The albuminuria group exhibited higher VSR levels compared to the non-albuminuria group (P < 0.001). Adjusting for confounding factors, elevated VSR levels were shown to increase the risk of albuminuria (OR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.03-1.14, P = 0.003). Compared to individuals in the first tertile, those in the third tertile of VSR demonstrated a significantly greater risk of developing albuminuria (OR = 1.49, 95%CI:1.05-2.12, P = 0.027). The dose-response relationship was further supported by smooth curve fitting. Subgroup analysis showed that this association was significantly stronger in the hypertensive population compared to the non-hypertensive population (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

VSR has the potential to act as an epidemiological instrument to quantify the role of sarcopenic visceral obesity in albuminuria. Managing skeletal muscle and reducing visceral fat might help to prevent albuminuria risk.