High percent body fat mass predicts lower risk of cardiac events in patients with heart failure: an explanation of the obesity paradox

Table 2 Laboratory data and body composition analysis

Parameters	Overall		Increased FM					Muscle wasting
	Overall		absent		present		p value	absent		present		p value
	n = 198		n = 84 (42%)		n = 114 (58%)			n = 65 (33%)		n = 133 (67%)
Hemoglobin, g/dl	11.8	[10.4–13.3]	11.5	[10.1–13.2]	12.0	[11.0–13.4]	0.249	11.8	[10.5–13.5]	11.6	[10.4–13.2]	0.367
Albumin, g/dl	3.5	[3.3–3.8]	3.5	[3.2–3.7]	3.6	[3.3–3.9]	0.322	3.6	[3.4–3.8]	3.5	[3.2–3.8]	0.154
Creatinine, mg/dl	1.02	[0.76–1.50]	1.04	[0.74–1.60]	0.99	[0.81–1.33]	0.755	1.03	[0.82–1.22]	0.97	[0.75–1.57]	0.964
FPG, mg/dl	91	[83–102]	89	[80–102]	91	[84–102]	0.287	90	[86–97]	91	[82–105]	0.837
Insulin, μIU/ml	5.1	[3.4–7.6]	3.8	[2.4, 6.3]	5.9	[4.4, 9.4]	< 0.001	5.6	[4.1, 8.6]	4.7	[3.1, 7.2]	0.056
TC, mg/dl	162	[143–186]	160	[133–189]	163	[145–182]	0.358	161	[147–186]	162	[140–187]	0.806
HDL-C, mg/dl	51	[42–61]	52	[42–64]	50	[41–57]	0.055	48	[40–60]	52	[43–62]	0.363
LDL-C, mg/dl	90	[73–111]	87	[72–106]	92	[75–112]	0.218	90	[76–111]	90	[73–111]	0.692
TG, mg/dl	88	[64–121]	76	[59–103]	98	[77–123]	< 0.001	91	[70–123]	87	[64–115]	0.441
NT-proBNP, pg/dl	1522	[750–3240]	2316	[807–4130]	1236	[622–2566]	0.002	1133	[496–2654]	1673	[879–3581]	0.049

FM fat mass, FPG fasting plasma glucose, TC total cholesterol, LDL-C low density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C high density lipoprotein cholesterol, TG triglyceride, ASMI appendicular skeletal muscle mass index; PBF, percent body fat
Increased percent body fat mass (increased FM) was defined as percent body fat > 25% in males and > 30% in females
Muscle wasting, i.e., reduction in skeletal muscle mass, was defined as appendicular skeletal muscle mass index < 7.0 kg/m² in males and < 5.4 kg/m² in females

ISSN: 1471-2318