Simple Blood Test Can Predict Post-Menopausal Health

Study shows link between level of fat and muscles, and risk of diabetes and frailty later in life

- Judith Tan

A simple blood test can predict which woman will have less muscle and will be walking more slowly later in life.

It is also practical and cheaper than current methods of measuring muscle, such as the current gold standard magnetic resonance imaging scans or strength tests, which are also more time-consuming.

This new insight from a longitudinal cohort study of midlife women in Singapore shone light on how muscle strength, visceral fat and their association with physical decline after menopause can potentially lead to downstream health impacts among women here.

Researchers from the National University Hospital (NUH) and National University of Singapore (NUS) found that women with a lower creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio (CCR)—a marker derived from blood tests—had less muscle and walked more slowly as they age.

Creatinine is a by-product of normal muscle function and energy use, and a higher level indicates higher skeletal muscle mass or poor kidney function.

Cystatin C is a protein produced by the body's cells that is filtered out by the kidneys. A normal cystatin C level rules out poor kidney function.

A low CCR of under 8.16 was associated with a lower muscle volume of 0.35 litres in the thigh, and a slower gait of 0.049m a second.

This suggested that CCR could be a useful early warning sign for age-related muscle loss, which may lead to falls, frailty and reduced quality of life.

The findings were published in Menopause, a monthly peer-reviewed journal, in March.