TY - JOUR
T1 - Correcting for subcutaneous fat: does it improve the correlation between vastus lateralis echo intensity and physical performance in older women?
T2 - Does it improve the correlation between vastus lateralis echo intensity and physical performance in older women?
AU - Palmer, Ty
AU - Farrow, Ahalee C
N1 - Funding Information:
There was no funding received for this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Numerous studies have corrected the echo intensity of the vastus lateralis for subcutaneous fat thickness. However, it is unclear if correction for subcutaneous fat improves the correlation between vastus lateralis echo intensity and physical performance. We aimed to examine the correlations between vastus lateralis muscle morphology parameters and physical performance outcomes in older women. Twenty healthy older women (67 ± 4 years) participated in this study. Muscle cross-sectional area, raw and corrected echo intensity and subcutaneous fat thickness were determined from ultrasound scans of the vastus lateralis. Physical performance was assessed from timed up-and-go and 6 min walk tests. Raw echo intensity was significantly related to timed up-and-go scores (r = 0.552, p = 0.012) and 6 min walk distance (r = −0.462, p = 0.040), whereas corrected echo intensity was not significantly associated with these performances (r = 0.433, p = 0.056 and r = −0.373, p = 0.105). There was a nonsignificant correlation between raw echo intensity and subcutaneous fat thickness (r = 0.353, p = 0.126). There were also nonsignificant correlations between muscle cross-sectional area and timed up-and-go scores (r = −0.189, p = 0.426) and 6 min walk distance (r = 0.298, p = 0.201). The results of our study showed that raw echo intensity correlated better than corrected echo intensity with physical performance. These findings question the need to correct the echo intensity of the vastus lateralis for subcutaneous fat thickness in older adults.
AB - Numerous studies have corrected the echo intensity of the vastus lateralis for subcutaneous fat thickness. However, it is unclear if correction for subcutaneous fat improves the correlation between vastus lateralis echo intensity and physical performance. We aimed to examine the correlations between vastus lateralis muscle morphology parameters and physical performance outcomes in older women. Twenty healthy older women (67 ± 4 years) participated in this study. Muscle cross-sectional area, raw and corrected echo intensity and subcutaneous fat thickness were determined from ultrasound scans of the vastus lateralis. Physical performance was assessed from timed up-and-go and 6 min walk tests. Raw echo intensity was significantly related to timed up-and-go scores (r = 0.552, p = 0.012) and 6 min walk distance (r = −0.462, p = 0.040), whereas corrected echo intensity was not significantly associated with these performances (r = 0.433, p = 0.056 and r = −0.373, p = 0.105). There was a nonsignificant correlation between raw echo intensity and subcutaneous fat thickness (r = 0.353, p = 0.126). There were also nonsignificant correlations between muscle cross-sectional area and timed up-and-go scores (r = −0.189, p = 0.426) and 6 min walk distance (r = 0.298, p = 0.201). The results of our study showed that raw echo intensity correlated better than corrected echo intensity with physical performance. These findings question the need to correct the echo intensity of the vastus lateralis for subcutaneous fat thickness in older adults.
KW - 6 min walk
KW - cross-sectional area
KW - muscle quality
KW - timed up-and-go
KW - ultrasound
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134158666&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/cpf.12778
DO - 10.1111/cpf.12778
M3 - Article
C2 - 35778784
VL - 42
SP - 372
EP - 379
JO - Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
JF - Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
IS - 5
ER -