Association of Serum Amino Acid Concentration With Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass After 1 Year in Cardiac Rehabilitation Center Patients.

ABSTRACT

Background: Decreased skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) is a major complication of severe chronic heart failure (HF), but no appropriate indices have been developed to predict decreased SMI. Methods and Results: We enrolled patients with a structural heart disease or history of HF and collected body composition and blood sample data, including serum amino acid concentration. On multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, serum branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) concentration was a significant predictor of decreased SMI at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Serum BCAA concentration at baseline was significantly associated with decreased SMI at 1-year follow-up.