Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Body Composition and Survival in Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors' conclusion
Muscular wasting, measured by low muscle mass, was associated with increased mortality, strengthening the role of muscle mass in HF prognosis. In contrast, higher fat mass and abdominal adiposity showed no association.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with heart failure (HF)
- Participants
- 36,176 patients · 39 cohort studies
- Comparison
- Body composition parameters
- Outcome
- All-cause mortality
Methodological detailsrandom-effects model, Risk of bias assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale
- Random-effects model
- Risk of bias assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Estimate (95% CI)
Low muscle massI2 = 47%; 7 studies
HR 1.73(1.32–2.26)
Elevated fat massI2 = 77%
pooled adjusted HR 0.75(0.26–2.12)
Further pooled results
Low muscle mass, sensitivity and subgroup analyses
- Prognostic significance of low muscle mass remained consistent
Original publication
Body Composition and Survival in Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JACC Heart Fail. Published 2 April 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it