Skeletal Muscle Strength and Waist-to-Height Ratio Serve as Partial Mediators in the Relationship Between Muscle Mass and Exercise Capacity in Individuals with Heart Failure: A Mediation Analysis.

In individuals with HF, muscle mass is associated with exercise capacity both directly and indirectly through muscle strength and WtHR. Assessing these characteristics together may help account for the impact of abdominal obesity, which is associated with reduced exercise capacity in this population.