Objective To explore the relationship between obesity and muscle mass index and arteriosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly people in community.

Methods The data of 1 011 middle-aged and elderly people who completed both body composition analysis and atherosclerosis testing in Bengbu Dongfeng community were collected consecutively.According to the brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), they were divided into normal group and sclerotic group.The difference of body composition indexes and baseline data were compared between the two groups, and the risk of atherosclerosis in different body composition types was analyzed.

Results There were significant differences in age, body fat (BF), body fat rate (%BF), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), oppendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference (WC), and baPWV of the two groups (P < 0.01).The AMS and AMSI in the sclerotic group were significantly lower than those in the normal group (P < 0.01).There were significant differences in obesity, muscle mass and combined classification between the two groups (P < 0.01).Logistic regression analysis showed that obesity and muscle mass decline were both risk factors for atherosclerosis (P < 0.05), but muscle mass was no longer risk factor for atherosclerosis in the combined classification (P>0.05).

Conclusions The middle-aged and elderly people can monitor the occurrence of arteriosclerosis and its dynamic changes in the intervention by combining body composition indicators, especially those with obesity, muscle mass decline and obesity combined with muscle mass decline should pay more attention to the screening and prevention of arteriosclerosis.