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Excessive alcohol intake and liver fibrosis are associated with skeletal muscle mass reduction in elderly men: the Wakayama study

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Abstract

Background

Excessive alcohol intake complicated by liver dysfunction has been presumed to affect skeletal muscles. This study aimed to examine the association between excessive alcohol intake, liver fibrosis, and loss of skeletal muscle mass in elderly men.

Methods

The study participants comprised 799 community-dwelling elderly men (age, 71 ± 3 years) with no history of treatment for liver disease. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed to estimate the appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) of each participant. The ASM values were also normalized for height (ASM index). Liver fibrosis was evaluated using the Fib4 index, which was calculated using participant age, AST level, ALT level, and platelet count. Usual alcohol intake was estimated based on the type of alcohol, frequency of drinking, and amount of alcohol consumed per day.

Results

Among the excess drinkers (≥ 20 g/day), the ASM index of the subgroup with liver fibrosis (Fib4 index ≥ 2.67) was significantly lower than that of the subgroup with no liver fibrosis (Fib4 index < 2.67). However, no significant difference between the subgroups was found in the non-drinkers and moderate drinkers (< 20 g/day). In multiple regression analysis, the Fib4 index was significantly associated with the ASM index, independent of potential confounding factors. The association between the Fib4 index and ASM index was more pronounced in excess drinkers than in non-drinkers and moderate drinkers.

Conclusion

These results suggest that liver fibrosis is associated with loss of skeletal muscle mass in elderly men, and excessive alcohol intake combined with liver fibrosis may lead to greater muscle mass reduction than each individual condition.

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Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Numbers: JP25350894, 17K01861, 18H03054, and 19K10581).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Health and Nursing Science, Wakayama Medical University, 580 Mikazura, P.O. Box 641-0011, Wakayama, Japan

    Shuhei Onishi, Nobuyuki Miyai, Toshifumi Oka & Eriko Nogami

  2. Graduate School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan

    Yan Zhang

  3. Wakayama Faculty of Nursing, Tokyo Healthcare University, Wakayama, Japan

    Miyoko Utsumi

  4. Department of Cardiology, Sumiya Rehabilitation Hospital, Wakayama, Japan

    Mikio Arita

Authors
  1. Shuhei Onishi
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  2. Nobuyuki Miyai
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  3. Yan Zhang
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  4. Toshifumi Oka
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  5. Eriko Nogami
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  6. Miyoko Utsumi
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Contributions

SO conceived the study design, data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation, and drafted the manuscript. NM contributed to the statistical analysis, interpretation, drafting, and final revision of the manuscript. YZ, EN, and TO contributed to the data collection and interpretation. MU and MA contributed to the conception and design of the work, drafting, and final revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nobuyuki Miyai.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest associated with this manuscript.

Statement of human and animal rights

All procedures performed in this study were approved by the ethical committee of Wakayama Medical University (approval number 92) and in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Written informed consent and clearance for the use of examination data were obtained from the participants after explaining the purpose of the study and the experimental procedures.

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Onishi, S., Miyai, N., Zhang, Y. et al. Excessive alcohol intake and liver fibrosis are associated with skeletal muscle mass reduction in elderly men: the Wakayama study. Aging Clin Exp Res 34, 185–192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-021-01902-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-021-01902-2

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