Li Jujia, Ren Congcong, Yang Fan, Li Qian, Wang Ming, Bai Lin, Zhang Ping, Zhao Jian
Medical Imaging Department, Hebei Province Biomechanical Key Laboratory of Orthopedics, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, China.
Medical Imaging Department, Beijing Geriatric Hospital, Beijing, 100095, China.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2025 Feb 19;26(1):170. doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-08409-1.
The interaction between muscles and fat tissue has a significant impact on human health. The speed of muscle atrophy and fat infiltration varies in different genders and age groups. The study aims to observe the changes of fat and muscle parameters of abdominal tissue and paravertebral muscle with age and gender, and further to explore the characteristics of muscle atrophy and fat infiltration with age and gender through changes in the proportion of paravertebral muscle content to abdominal tissue content.
713 subjects who came to our hospital for physical examination of chest low-dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) scanning from September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022 were collected. The scanning sequence and post-processing of quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) were performed on them. The contents (including mass and area) of abdominal overall fat, visceral fat, visceral soft tissue, paravertebral intramuscular fat and paravertebral intramuscular muscle at the central level of L2 vertebrae were obtained. Then calculate the proportion of paravertebral intramuscular fat content to overall fat content, paravertebral intramuscular fat content to visceral fat content, and paravertebral intramuscular muscle content to visceral soft tissue content. Group the subjects by age and gender and observe the characteristics of changes in each parameter with age and gender.
There was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.637-0.999, P<0.001) between the mass and area in the overall fat, visceral fat, visceral soft tissue, as well as paravertebral intramuscular fat and muscle. The content of visceral fat (for mass: F = 3.645, P = 0.006; for area: F = 3.406, P = 0.009) and paravertebral intramuscular fat (for mass: F = 3.455, P = 0.009; for area: F = 3.750, P = 0.005) in males increased with age, while the muscle content of paravertebral muscle (for mass: F = 4.556, P = 0.001; for area: F = 4.077, P = 0.003) decreased. The percentage of paravertebral intramuscular fat content to overall fat content (for mass: F = 3.522, P = 0.008; for area: F = 3.454, P = 0.009), paravertebral intramuscular fat content to visceral fat content (for mass: F = 2.485, P = 0.043; for area: F = 2.503, P = 0.042) in males increased with age, and the percentage of paravertebral intramuscular muscles content to visceral soft tissue content (for mass: F = 3.408, P = 0.009; for area: F = 2.956, P = 0.020) decreased with age. For females, the content of overall fat (for mass: F = 12.476, P<0.001; for area: F = 12.301, P<0.001), visceral fat (for mass: F = 17.878, P<0.001; for area: F = 17.861, P<0.001) and paravertebral intramuscular fat (for mass: F = 6.399, P<0.001; for area: F = 6.960, P<0.001) increased with age, the percentage of paravertebral intramuscular fat content to overall fat content (for mass: F = 4.342, P = 0.002; for area: F = 4.068, P = 0.003), paravertebral intramuscular fat content to visceral fat content (for mass: F = 2.986, P = 0.019; for area: F = 2.801, P = 0.026) decreased before 60y and increased after 61y.
The fat and muscle content of abdominal tissues and paravertebral muscles have different characteristics in different age groups. Age and gender factors should be paid attention to when solving the problems of fat and muscle changes in clinic.
肌肉与脂肪组织之间的相互作用对人类健康有重大影响。肌肉萎缩和脂肪浸润的速度在不同性别和年龄组中有所不同。本研究旨在观察腹部组织和椎旁肌的脂肪和肌肉参数随年龄和性别的变化，并通过椎旁肌含量与腹部组织含量的比例变化进一步探讨肌肉萎缩和脂肪浸润随年龄和性别的特征。
收集2021年9月1日至2022年9月1日来我院进行胸部低剂量计算机断层扫描（LDCT）体检的713名受试者。对他们进行定量计算机断层扫描（QCT）的扫描序列和后处理。获取L2椎体中心层面腹部总脂肪、内脏脂肪、内脏软组织、椎旁肌内脂肪和椎旁肌内肌肉的含量（包括质量和面积）。然后计算椎旁肌内脂肪含量与总脂肪含量的比例、椎旁肌内脂肪含量与内脏脂肪含量的比例以及椎旁肌内肌肉含量与内脏软组织含量的比例。按年龄和性别对受试者进行分组，观察各参数随年龄和性别的变化特征。
总脂肪、内脏脂肪、内脏软组织以及椎旁肌内脂肪和肌肉的质量与面积之间存在显著正相关（r = 0.637 - 0.999，P < 0.001）。男性内脏脂肪含量（质量：F = 3.645，P = 0.006；面积：F = 3.406，P = 0.009）和椎旁肌内脂肪含量（质量：F = 3.455，P = 0.009；面积：F = 3.750，P = 0.005）随年龄增加，而椎旁肌的肌肉含量（质量：F = 4.556，P = 0.001；面积：F = 4.077，P = 0.003）减少。男性椎旁肌内脂肪含量与总脂肪含量的百分比（质量：F = 3.522，P = 0.008；面积：F = 3.454，P = 0.009）、椎旁肌内脂肪含量与内脏脂肪含量的百分比（质量：F = 2.485，P = 0.043；面积：F = 2.503，P = 0.042）随年龄增加，椎旁肌内肌肉含量与内脏软组织含量的百分比（质量：F = 3.408，P = 0.009；面积：F = 2.956，P = 照年龄增加，椎旁肌内肌肉含量与内脏软组织含量的百分比（质量：F = 3.408，P = 0.009；面积：F = 2.956，P = 0.020）随年龄降低。对于女性，总脂肪含量（质量：F = 12.476，P < 0.001；面积：F = 12.301，P < 0.001）、内脏脂肪含量（质量：F = 17.878，P < 0.001；面积：F = 17.861，P < 0.001）和椎旁肌内脂肪含量（质量：F = 6.399，P < 0.001；面积：F = 6.960，P < 0.001）随年龄增加，椎旁肌内脂肪含量与总脂肪含量的百分比（质量：F = 4.342，P = 0.002；面积：F = 4.068，P = 0.003）、椎旁肌内脂肪含量与内脏脂肪含量的百分比（质量：F = 2.986，P = 0.019；面积：F = 2.801，P = 0.026）在6０岁前降低，61岁后增加。
腹部组织和椎旁肌的脂肪和肌肉含量在不同年龄组具有不同特征。临床解决脂肪和肌肉变化问题时应关注年龄和性别因素。
