Association between Skeletal Muscle Mass and Blood Pressure among Healthy Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Skeletal muscle is the largest metabolically active tissue in the human body and plays an important role in cardiovascular and metabolic regulation. Although obesity is a well-established risk factor for hypertension, the relationship between skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and blood pressure in healthy young adults remains inadequately explored. Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between SMM and blood pressure among healthy young adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 200 healthy medical students aged 18–25 years. SMM was measured using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Blood pressure was recorded using a standardized automated sphygmomanometer following American Heart Association recommendations. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the association between SMM and blood pressure parameters. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after adjusting for age, sex, height, and body mass index (BMI). A two-tailed P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean SMM was 28.9 ± 5.8 kg. The mean systolic and DBP were 116.8 ± 10.4 mmHg and 74.2 ± 7.8 mmHg, respectively. SMM showed significant positive correlations with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.32, P < 0.001), DBP (r = 0.28, P < 0.001), and mean arterial pressure (r = 0.30, P < 0.001), while no significant correlation was observed with pulse pressure (r = 0.09, P = 0.198). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that SMM was an independent predictor of SBP (β = 0.23, P = 0.009) and DBP (β = 0.20, P = 0.014) after adjusting for age, sex, height, and BMI. Conclusion: SMM is significantly associated with systolic and DBP among healthy young adults. Assessment of SMM may complement conventional anthropometric measures in evaluating cardiovascular health and blood pressure.