A recent study reveals how muscle composition markers derived from AMRA’s innovative MRI-based body composition platform can identify vulnerable individuals within CKD and their associated comorbidity risk
LINKÖPING, Sweden, March 25, 2024 – Researchers from AMRA, together with Linköping University, presented results from a recent study examining the prevalence of adverse muscle composition (AMC) and its relation to comorbidity and functional capacity in patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD).
AMC and sarcopenia/muscle wasting have previously been linked to poor function, comorbidity and mortality in the general population, and especially in patient populations suffering from metabolic and chronic disorders. This is the first study showing the utility of biomarkers to describe adverse muscle composition in early-stage CKD, building on AMRA’s experience in validating muscle biomarkers in other chronic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. To complete the study, the research team included 903 UK Biobank participants with CKD, as well as a control group. From the MRI data in the UK Biobank, AMRA® Researcher was used to measure thigh muscle volume and muscle fat infiltration (MFI) and to calculate a sex- and BMI invariant muscle volume z-score (MVz).
In the analysis, patients were separated into four muscle composition (MC) groups: normal, only-low muscle volume, only-high MFI, and AMC (low muscle volume with a high MFI value). The four groups were then assessed for any association(s) to comorbid conditions such as coronary heart disease (CHD) & type II diabetes (T2D), as well as the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and additional functional capacity tests (e.g., grip strength and fall frequency).
When examining comorbidities, participants with AMC exhibited significantly higher comorbidity scores and were more likely to have T2D compared to those with normal muscle composition. Additionally, AMC was linked to poorer physical function, as indicated by a higher prevalence of slow walking pace and reduced hand grip strength. Notably, AMC was more commonly observed in CKD patients than in matched controls without CKD (32.4% vs 24.8%; p<0.001), highlighting an important correlation between CKD and deteriorating muscle health and function.
The findings of the study, which were shared at the 2024 International Conference on Frailty and Sarcopenia Research (ICFSR) this past Thursday, emphasize the important role muscle composition plays in identifying risk populations for comorbid conditions associated with metabolic and chronic disease. When evaluating potential pharmaceutical interventions for CKD, it is important to note that the AMC-prevalent subpopulation may benefit from more targeted approaches; an insight gleaned by AMRA’s ability to conduct personalized analyses using their MRI-powered methodology – especially in chronic diseases with large patient populations, such as CKD.
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About AMRA Medical
AMRA Medical is a health informatics and precision medicine company that is pioneering body composition analysis, providing cutting-edge solutions to advance both clinical research and patient care initiatives. AMRA’s gold-standard technology delivers multiple fat and muscle biomarkers – derived simply from rapid whole-body MRI scans. AMRA is committed to driving transformative care and simplifying vital decision-making in both research and clinical care settings by offering support services via their innovative platform.
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