Calf?

August 10th, 2025| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

Yup, your calf. Measure the calf diameter. It predicts how long you will live. Bring out the tape measure.

Muscle decline, sarcopenia, increases after your pass the Big 6 Oh—it affects 10–15% of the elderly worldwide. And that creates problems: decreased mobility, greater chances of falling, all adding to the general morbidity that accelerates one’s decline to death.

Several studies have found evidence that suggests a person’s calf size relative to the rest of their body is a predictor of various health markers, including cardiovascular risk factors, nutritional status, and even mortality.

That’s where your calf comes in. As a good indicator of muscle mass. The more muscular that part of the body is, the more likely your physical condition and performance will be better, especially for us sexagenarians.

Calf circumference can indicate overall health and disease risk, including sarcopenia, because it is correlated with muscle mass and fat distribution in the body.”

Medical professionals utilize the waist-to-calf ratio (WCR) as a comprehensive health assessment tool. (The addition of waist size to this calculus makes prognosis more accurate because it takes into account abdominal fat and relates it to muscle mass—potentially a better tool than BMI or waist circumference alone.)

Muscle mass plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism and overall metabolic health.”

One 2022 study out of China suggested that the WCR could also be used as an indicator for cognitive impairment in older adults, which is often considered a precursor to dementia. 3,312 participants who were free of cognitive impairment were followed up more than three years later; 565 of these recruits were found to have developed a decline in mental abilities that affected thinking, memory, and decision-making … and they all had high WCRs. Apparently, strong calf muscles, particularly the soleus muscle, plays a role in pumping blood back up to the heart. This contributes to healthy blood pressure and blood flow to the brain, which are crucial for optimal cognitive function.

Last year, another study out of Italy investigated the link between calf circumference and diabetes. Data from 8,900 participants demonstrated that WCR values were higher among those with diabetes than in those without diabetes (a plague that affects more than 37 million Americans). There were “significant differences” in the mean values of WCR across the groups, with an average WCR of 2.4 in individuals without diabetes, 2.6 in individuals with pre-diabetes, and 2.7 in diabetic individuals.

And a more recent report by Chinese researchers, from at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, analyzing 37 studies encompassing more than 62,000 adults (over 18 years of age), discovered that every centimeter increase in calf circumference corresponded to a five per cent reduction in mortality risk. Golly!

And how do you calculate this “WCR” (= Waist Calf Ratio”)? Divide your waist circumference by your calf circumference using the same units.

At any rate, a ratio of 2.4 or below indicates healthy proportions between midsection and lower body composition. Values exceeding 2.4 correlate with elevated cardiovascular and circulatory disease risks.

Your faithful blogger, with 2.5 is losing his brains and his life quickly.

But … I don’t care, because I, …

being always of good courage, and knowing that
while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord …
2 Corinthians 5:6

… anticipate getting there to see Jesus as soon as I can.

Yup. Soon. Jesus promised.

“Yes, I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20

Besides,

… not in the legs of a man does He take pleasure.
Yahweh is One taking pleasure in those who fear Him.
Psalm 147:10–11

SOURCE: Daily Mail