Higher Muscle Mass Linked with Better Physical Function, Quality of Life in Dialysis Patients

Among 105 maintenance dialysis patients, higher BMI at study initiation was linked with shorter 6-minute walking distances when first measured, and again after 6 months and 12 months. Results of the CJASN study were similar for waist circumference and intra-abdominal fat. On the other hand, higher levels of mid-thigh muscle (which indicates higher muscle mass) were linked with longer 6-minute walking distances. After adjusting for BMI, increases in mid-thigh muscle were also strongly linked with higher physical and mental health scores at the start of the study, but only weakly so at later times.