LINKÖPING, Sweden, May 6, 2026 – On May 12-15th, AMRA Medical is heading to Istanbul and the 33rd European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026), where our team is looking forward to again contributing to the conversation by sharing findings from a study using our MRI-based muscle biomarkers to quantify and assess longitudinal changes in muscle composition among adults with obesity undergoing metabolic surgery.
Researchers from AMRA, alongside our collaborators at the University of California San Diego, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Regeneron investigated muscle composition changes in 98 participants scanned from the neck to the knee at up to five specific timepoints beginning 2–4 weeks before surgery and concluding 52 weeks post-operation. This sizable study specifically compared the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on several key metrics: thigh fat-free muscle volume, muscle fat infiltration, and a sex-, height-, weight-, and BMI-invariant muscle volume z-score (z-MV).
The findings revealed that while metabolic surgery is associated with an overall reduction in muscle mass, it simultaneously leads to improved muscle quality through decreased fat infiltration. The majority of muscle volume loss occurred within the first 12 weeks following surgery and was generally plateaued by the one-year mark. Although RYGB appeared to have a more pronounced impact on muscle mass than SG, both groups showed a potential recovery of muscle volume relative to body weight, indicated by an increasing z-MV between weeks 12 and 52.
This latest study complements AMRA’s growing body of research demonstrating the value of precise MRI-based analyses in understanding how weight loss interventions impact muscle composition. Through the consistent application of our standardized assessment across trials, AMRA supports our partners in generating high-quality data across a range of therapeutic approaches in the weight management space [1-3].
The study, titled ‘Impact of metabolic surgery on muscle composition: A longitudinal MRI study’ will be shared during an oral presentation by AMRA’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Jennfier Linge, featured as a “Hot Topics” abstract during the T4 Session on May 14th from 11:30 – 13:00. For over 30 years, the European Congress on Obesity has been the premier forum for exchanging the latest in clinical care and research progress within obesity and metabolic disease. AMRA is honored to be at the forefront of these discussions, helping to demonstrate how much more we can learn from detailed assessments of muscle composition such as MRI-based measures and biomarkers.
Want to know more about how AMRA’s MRI-based fat and muscle biomarkers can help transform your trials in obesity, diabetes, and beyond? If you’ll be in Istanbul for ECO 2026, make sure to tune into our presentation and connect with Jennifer Linge and Leanna Kellerman onsite to learn more about our science! Reach out at info@amramedical.com to set up a meeting with one of our expert scientists to discuss working with AMRA on your next project.
References
- Linge J, Birkenfeld AL, Neeland IJ. Muscle Mass and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: Adaptive or Maladaptive Response to Weight Loss? Circulation. 2024 Oct 15;150(16):1288-1298. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.067676. Epub 2024 Oct 14. PMID: 39401279.
- Sattar N, Neeland IJ, Dahlqvist Leinhard O, Fernández Landó L, Bray R, Linge J, Rodriguez A. Tirzepatide and muscle composition changes in people with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-3 MRI): a post-hoc analysis of a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025 Jun;13(6):482-493. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00027-0. Epub 2025 Apr 30. PMID: 40318682.
- Pandey A, Patel KV, Segar MW, Ayers C, Linge J, Leinhard OD, Anker SD, Butler J, Verma S, Joshi PH, Neeland IJ. Effect of liraglutide on thigh muscle fat and muscle composition in adults with overweight or obesity: Results from a randomized clinical trial. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2024 Jun;15(3):1072-1083. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.13445. Epub 2024 Apr 1. PMID: 38561962; PMCID: PMC11154779.
About AMRA Medical
AMRA Medical is a global leader in health informatics, pioneering the field of fat and muscle analysis with proprietary, MRI-based technologies. Our gold-standard platform delivers highly precise and standardized biomarkers, providing an advanced understanding of metabolic and musculoskeletal health that surpasses conventional body composition metrics. These insights play a critical role in optimizing clinical trial design, improving endpoint selection, and supporting data-driven decision-making in both research and clinical practice.
Built on rigorous science and driven by continuous innovation, AMRA’s solutions are designed to meet the complex demands of modern healthcare and pharmaceutical development. Through standardized, cloud-based workflows and strategic collaboration, we enable partners to access actionable data with clarity and confidence–accelerating progress from early-stage discovery to impactful clinical outcomes.
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