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Strong muscles may decrease your odds of dying from cancer, reports a new study in the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
Researchers analyzed CT scans of both young and old patients with advanced melanoma. Regardless of age, patients with higher muscle density in their psoas—a trunk muscle that attaches to your upper thigh—were found to have significantly better survival rates and less spread of the cancer than patients with lower muscle density.
A strong psoas indicates a powerful core and a fit body. Frailty—not the number of candles on your birthday cake—is associated with decreased survival rates in cancer patients, says Michael S. Sabel, M.D., lead study author and associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan.
Right now, researchers don’t fully understand why high muscle density increases a person’s chances of surviving the disease. However, Sabel thinks a person’s immune system may function better when their muscles are strong and toned.
Researchers analyzed CT scans of both young and old patients with advanced melanoma. Regardless of age, patients with higher muscle density in their psoas—a trunk muscle that attaches to your upper thigh—were found to have significantly better survival rates and less spread of the cancer than patients with lower muscle density.
A strong psoas indicates a powerful core and a fit body. Frailty—not the number of candles on your birthday cake—is associated with decreased survival rates in cancer patients, says Michael S. Sabel, M.D., lead study author and associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan.
Right now, researchers don’t fully understand why high muscle density increases a person’s chances of surviving the disease. However, Sabel thinks a person’s immune system may function better when their muscles are strong and toned.
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