LINKÖPING, Sweden, May 30, 2024 – Researchers at Linköping University presented an abstract based on a research collaboration with AMRA at the 61st European Renal Association Congress in Stockholm, Sweden last week – giving the renal disease community valuable insights into the role of adverse muscle composition (AMC) in mortality risk for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The study utilized the proprietary MRI-based AMRA® Researcher to analyze 894 UK Biobank participants with CKD in order to assess each individual’s thigh muscle volume and muscle fat infiltration (MFI). Additionally, an innovative, personalized BMI-independent muscle volume z-score biomarker was generated for each participant, and was used alongside MFI to stratify the study population into four phenotype subgroups; “normal muscle composition”, “only low muscle volume”, “only high MFI”, and “AMC” – which is described as presenting both low muscle volume z-score and high MFI. The subgroups were then further assessed for associations with all-cause mortality.
894 participants with CKD were identified and 50 of them died during an average follow-up duration of 4 years. Over 30% of the CKD participants exhibited the AMC phenotype. The research team found that compared to those with normal muscle composition, participants with AMC were over six times more likely to die during the follow-up (HR: 6.17; 95% CI: 2.36-16.15, p<0.001). Even after fully adjusting the statistical model, those with AMC were still over four times more likely to die (HR: 4.34; 95% CI 1.55-12.17, p=0.005). Read the full abstract here.
The above findings provide solid evidence that an AMC phenotype is a strong and consistent predictor of mortality in the CKD population, given the statistical significance that transcends any confounding variability and adjustments, as well as the hazard ratios that were conserved as the model was corrected. This data comes at a crucial time in the world of kidney disease research, as clinicians and researchers work to identify at-risk populations; which AMRA has demonstrated is possible via robust muscle composition analyses. When evaluating potential pharmaceutical interventions for CKD during drug trials, it is important to note that the prevalent subpopulation with AMC 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.
These findings continue to build on AMRA’s emerging presence in kidney disease research, expanding on findings shared at the ICFSR 2024 conference this past March which linked AMC phenotypes in CKD to comorbid risk. You can read more about AMRA’s CKD ICFSR 2024 presentation here. AMRA has also recently demonstrated that AMC is a strong predictor of mortality in obesity at the 2024 European Congress on Obesity, showcasing how AMRA’s technology transcends disease research areas and is positioned to provide insights for research aimed to help a multitude of burdened patient groups.
Through their gold-standard MRI-based analysis methodologies, AMRA is committed to pioneering the exploration of muscle composition’s impact on CKD, gleaning new insights that will eventually help at-risk individuals.
Learn more about AMRA Medical and how the use of MRI-based body composition analysis is advancing disease research in CKD and beyond.
Reach out to our team of experts for questions or a detailed discussion at info@amramedical.com.
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.
Learn more about AMRA Medical’s MRI-based solutions at https://amramedical.com/solutions, or connect with our team of experts for a detailed discussion at info@amramedical.com.
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