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The association of obesity (as defined by high body-mass index [BMI]) with risk for premature death in older adults has been inconsistent, and some studies suggest that mortality might be lower in those who are obese than in those who are not. Notably, BMI incorporates both fat and muscle mass, which have different metabolic effects. To determine whether greater muscle mass is associated with lower all-cause mortality, researchers examined data collected between 1988 and 1994 on 3659 U.S. adults (age, ≥55 in men and ≥65 in women) who were not underweight and who were alive ≥2 years after the start of the study. Muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance.
During median follow-up of 13.2 person-years, 2012 participants died. After …