Muscular Strength and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

This review discusses the associations of muscular strength (MusS) with cardiovascular disease (CVD), CVD-related death, and all-cause mortality, as well as CVD risk factors, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. We then briefly review the role of resistance exercise training in modulating CVD risk factors and incident CVD. The role of MusS has been investigated over the years, as it relates to the risk to develop CVD and CVD risk factors. Reduced MusS, also known as dynapenia, has been associated with increased risk for CVD, CVD-related mortality, and all-cause mortality. Moreover, reduced MusS is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. The majority of the studies investigating the role of MusS with cardiometabolic risk, however, are observational studies, not allowing to ultimately determine association versus causation. Importantly, MusS is also essential for the identification of nutritional status and body composition abnormalities, such as frailty and sarcopenia, which are major risk factors for CVD.

Factors Affecting the Intention to Modify Lifestyle in the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Group in Korea

“…In the present study, hypertension and obesity were confirmed as the predictors of intention to engage in muscle training in at-risk CVD groups. As emphasized by the AHA guidelines [ 19 ], with the importance of muscle training in preventing CVD and in lowering the associated mortality, muscle training becomes more important with advancing age [ 32 ]. Our results showed that only 20.3% of the intermediate-risk group and 24.9% of the high-risk group engaged in muscle training, hence highlighting the importance of strategies that instill self-efficacy and inform individuals about the outcomes of exercise, for example it is recommended, to promote muscle training [ 33 ].…”

‘Fat but powerful’ paradox: association of muscle power and adiposity markers with all-cause mortality in older adults from the EXERNET multicentre study

“…as numerous studies have reported their overall benefits, 20 21 especially in older and clinical populations. [22][23][24][25] For example, handgrip strength was demonstrated to be the third strongest modifiable risk factor for mortality when considered together with other behavioural, metabolic, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, household and ambient pollution. 26 Notably, it was found out that muscle power is a stronger predictor of functional ability in older people than muscle strength, muscle mass and aerobic capacity.…”

Relevance of nutritional assessment and treatment to counteract cardiac cachexia and sarcopenia in chronic heart failure

“…Handgrip strength measured by dynamometry has been used as an isolated surrogate marker for muscle strength and frailty [29], and it has been associated with higher postoperative complication rates and increased mortality in patients with advanced CHF undergoing LVAD implantation [44]. There are also numerous bioelectrical and imaging methods that have been used to assess body composition indirectly in the context of CHF, including bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and muscle ultrasound.…”

“…It has been shown that in patients undergoing LVAD implantation or after cardiac transplantation, sarcopenia, as measured by psoas muscle area, is associated with major morbidity and increased mortality [27,28]. However, it is not clear whether reduced muscle strength is a mediator or simply a marker of worse nutritional status related to a greater risk of cardiometabolic diseases [29]. Thus, current evidence suggests that CHF is associated with alterations in energy metabolism at the myocardial level, which influences the nutritional state.…”