Chest Muscle vs Body Fat as an Indicator of ICU Survival

If you have been reading along with me for awhile, you know that losing weight has been a large part of my journey.  When I first met my Transplant Team, I was denied the opportunity for a transplant because I had too much body fat.  At my heaviest I weighed 289 lbs. At the bottom of my weight loss journey I weighed in the mid 140's.  I feel my best in the mid 150's, but my Team wanted me to put on a bit more weight to give me an energy reserve for those times when I was sick. I'm currently in the low 170's and this makes my Team (and my Mom) happy. I would prefer to be lighter.  I bring this up because the results of a recent study indicate that body fat may not provide any additional chance of surviving a visit to the ICU.  From PulmonologyAdvisor:

Amount of Muscle Mass During ICU Admission May Be Linked to Survival

The above article suggests that the amount of muscle in your chest is a much better indicator of survival than amount of body fat when you visit the ICU.

Larger PMA at admission was associated with significantly better outcomes, including higher rates of 6-month survival ..., lower rates of hospital mortality ..., and more ICU-free days (.... In contrast, SAT was not significantly associated with any of the measured outcomes.

PMA = Pectoralis Muscle Area.  SAT = Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue.

What this says to me as a patient who spends a lot of time in the hospital, and some of that time will be in the ICU, is that I should maintain my body fat and muscle mass pretty much the same as a healthy individual.

It is also a bit of a concern for me as during my last visit the Doctor mentioned that the muscles in the right side of my chest are shrinking.  Back to the kettlebells I go.

Something to talk with my Team about during our next visit.

12/9/18 - Muscle mass and core strength are also shown to help with lung transplant recovery.