Body Composition Markers are Associated with Changes in Inflammatory Markers but not Vice Versa: A Bi-directional Longitudinal Analysis in a Population-based Sample

•We evaluated longitudinal associations of body composition with inflammatory markers and vice versa to substantiate the direction of the association.•Body weight, WC and relative body fat at baseline were most strongly associated with changes in hsCRP, while absolute body fat showed the strongest association with changes in serum fibrinogen levels.•Baseline inflammatory markers were not consistently associated with changes in body composition.•Our study indicates the importance of anthropometric, body composition and fat distribution markers as a risk for the development of inflammation.