A study by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, in partnership with University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom, has found that the combination of abdominal fat and muscle loss increases the risk of death by 83 per cent, compared to people without these conditions.

The results of the study were published in the journal ‘Aging Clinical and Experimental Research’. This combination is so dangerous that it identifies an even greater problem: sarcopenic obesity.

This condition is characterised by loss of muscle mass while gaining fat throughout the body, reported the ‘Medical Xpress’.

It is a difficult condition to diagnose, and it is related to loss of autonomy and a worsening quality of life in older adults. It is also known as frailty syndrome and is associated with an increased risk of falls and other comorbidities.

“In addition to assessing the risk of death associated with abdominal obesity and low muscle mass, we were able to prove that simple methods can be used to detect sarcopenic obesity.”