Fat accumulation in the muscles: the problem is silent and needs to be treated

This condition is called myosteatosis and causes as much concern as the presence of fat around the belly and in the liver; understand

EINSTEIN AGENCY – Did you know that excess body fat can penetrate muscles, both between muscle fibers and within them? This disease, still not widespread, is called myosteatosis. A study recently published in the journal Radiology points out that adults with fat accumulation in the muscles have a higher risk of death, similar to that associated with smoking or diabetes. Experts are therefore taking a new approach to muscle adiposity, just as they are already doing by monitoring excess fat in the liver.

According to endocrinologist Clayton Macedo, who coordinates the Exercise and Sport Endocrinology Center of the Albert Einstein Hospital of Israel and the Sports Endocrinology Outpatient Department of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), myosteatosis is an infiltration of intramuscular fat that appears more and more often in scientific studies that correlate it to obesity, diabetes, sarcopenia (ie the decrease in muscle mass) and also to cardiovascular diseases. “Our muscle is made up of muscle fibers and when we have ectopic deposits [de uma gordura que não deveria estar ali]we have myosteatosis,” he explains.

Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, aging, diabetes and metabolic syndrome can lead to the accumulation of fat in the muscles in the same way as occurs with the accumulation of fat in the liver (fatty liver disease). When fat begins to take up space within the muscle fiber, the muscle gets sick, becomes inflamed and begins to lose quality, strength and mobility. The disease usually has no symptoms initially, but over time the muscle loses its function and is replaced by fat.

“This is something we should carefully consider because muscle is considered the our greatest asset. When the muscle contracts, it releases a series of substances (myokines) that regulate all of our bone, cardiovascular, metabolic health and even our neuroplasticity. A muscle with a lot of fat doesn’t function properly and, when it loses function, it will no longer perform motor tasks and will not secrete hormones adequately,” Macedo warned.

AS myosteatosis usually has no symptoms, usually the identification of the disease takes place thanks to tests such as magnetic resonance and tomography which are carried out to investigate other pathologies. “The two diagnostic methods are considered the gold standard and succeed in defining the fat content in the muscle. This fat can be subcutaneous (under the skin, between the muscle fibers) or intramuscular (within the muscle fiber – this is myosteatosis),” he explained.

a silent danger

In research conducted by the Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research of the Catholic University of Leuven in Brussels, scientists have found that people with a similar body mass index (BMI) may have a variety of health problems, including accumulation of fat in the muscles (myosteatosis), which increases the risk of death.

To arrive at their findings, they evaluated abdominal CT scans of adults undergoing routine screening for colorectal cancer between 2004 and 2016. In total, 8,982 patients were screened: 507 died in the period. due to heart problems, stroke, aneurysm, among others. According to the researchers, the accumulation of fat in the muscles was present in 55% of the deceased and was associated with an increased vulnerability to serious health problems.

The study points out that the absolute risk of mortality among adults with myosteatosis was 15.5% – higher than the risk associated with obesity (7.6%) and fatty liver disease (8.5%). The risk was also equated with smoking and type 2 diabetes. The researchers also noted that the relationship between myosteatosis and increased mortality was independent of BMI or the diagnosis of obesity in the participants. Therefore, for them, myosteatosis is a key predictor of mortality risk, independent of obesity.

“The result of this work is very interesting because it evaluated mortality and found myosteatosis to be a better predictor of risk. Muscle is a determinant of health and excess fat has a negative impact on muscle quality. This shows how much it is muscle is important and how much it is replaced by fat will have a negative effect, which is death,” Macedo said.

According to the researchers, the diagnosis of myosteatosis still faces difficulties because doctors focus on excess visceral fat and the liver, while myosteatosis acts silently and is discovered only in patients who undergo tests to investigate other pathologies.

For Macedo this is because it is still a very new topic, with few works showing this correlation with mortality. “It’s simpler to measure fatty liver disease and until now we hadn’t taken myosteatosis into consideration. Science will evolve and I strongly believe in this model of approach, in which we see the muscle as a vital organ for our body and our health cardiovascular and metabolic.”

How to prevent?

Prevention of myosteatosis occurs mainly through exercise and a balanced diet. An inadequate diet and a sedentary lifestyle end up favoring the accumulation of fat in places where it would not normally accumulate: among these, in the muscle, in the liver (hepatic steatosis), around the heart (epicardial fat) and between the viscera in the abdomen (visceral fat). .

According to Macedo, the ideal is to do a combination of two types of physical exercise: aerobic, which works by burning fat, and resistance (strength), which helps maintain muscle mass and strength. Both contribute to the maintenance of muscle health and also the prevention of sarcopenia. An adequate intake of carbohydrates and proteins, as well as restful sleep, are also essential for better quality and quantity of muscles.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.