It’s not just belly fat to watch out for but also arm fat, warned researchers at the European Congress of Endocrinology. Especially after 50.
We know to what extent abdominal fat (that located around the stomach) haunts women as they age. For aesthetic reasons but also for health reasons. Too much belly fat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But also bone disease, according to a study presented at the 26th European Congress of Endocrinology in Stockholm. “The more abdominal fat located deep inside the abdomen and around the internal organs, the lower the quality of the spongy bone (or trabecular bone) of the spine.” explain its authors. What’s more “visceral fat (around the viscera) – strongly correlated with low bone quality – is the most hormonally active component of total body fat. It produces molecules called adipocytokines that cause inflammation that likely negatively impacts bone quality. bones”. These researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece also made an “astonishing” discovery during their study.
They examined 14 men and 101 women, without osteoporosis (a bone disease common after age 50 but rarely diagnosed even though it increases the risk of fractures) and aged around 60 (some were younger, others older). . Those with excess body fat, regardless of their body mass index (BMI) had poor bone quality in the spine. The researchers then looked at the distribution of body fat under the skin and discovered – in addition to the importance of belly fat – that individuals with higher arm fat were more likely to have poorer quality bone and less resistance of the spine.
The simple skin compass method to know
“Surprisingly, we identified for the first time that arm body composition – particularly arm fat mass – is negatively associated with bone quality and vertebral strength,” said Professor Eva Kassi, lead author of the study. “This could mean that subcutaneous arm fat, which can be easily estimated by the simple and inexpensive skin caliper method, could appear as a useful index of quality of the spine, possibly predicting the risk of vertebral fractures.”
Many people do not have visible symptoms of osteoporosis until they suffer an injury or fracture, which most often occurs in the spine – called spinal or vertebral fractures. “While our results remain robust, we will increase the number of participants and expand the age range by including younger adults between 30 and 50 years old, as well as a larger number of men,” said Professor Kassi. “Additionally, using arm fat loss as a marker, we will try to determine the most effective physical exercise routine that not only targets visceral fat but also focuses on the upper body so that these adults at higher risk lose arm fat and improve the quality of the bones of the vertebrae.