Body Fat and Skeletal Muscle Mass in Relation to Physical Disability in Very Old Men and Women of the Framingham Heart Study

Abstract

In contrast to current assumptions, low skeletal muscle mass was not associated with self-reported physical disability. Persons with a high percent body fat had high levels of disability. Because it cannot be ruled out that persons with low skeletal muscle mass dropped out earlier in the study, prospective studies are needed to further assess the relationship between body composition and physical disability.