ArticleThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2014
Intramuscular fat and inflammation differ in older adults: the impact of frailty and inactivity.
Article in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 101 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
101 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 167 citations in OpenAlex.
- Inflammatory Biomarkers and Gait Impairment in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Pooled it
- Preserved Muscle Strength Despite Muscle Mass Loss After Bariatric Metabolic Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Obesity surgery · 2023Pooled it
- Association Between Fear of Falling and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Clinical interventions in aging · 2022Pooled it
- A Comparison of Peripheral Imaging Technologies for Bone and Muscle Quantification: a Mixed Methods Clinical Review.Current osteoporosis reports · 2016Pooled it
- Circulating Interleukin-6 Is Associated with Skeletal Muscle Strength, Quality, and Functional Adaptation with Exercise Training in Mobility-Limited Older Adults.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2020Trial
- Effects of Changes in Regional Body Composition on Physical Function in Older Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2015Trial
- Age-related change in skeletal muscle strength, size, and adiposity over 18 years in Caribbean men.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Integrative Analysis Uncover the Effects and Multi-Omics Features of Thigh Muscle Fat Infiltration.Aging cell · 2026Article
- Observational
- Functional Analysis of IL-6 Genetic Variants and Their Potential Role in Lipid Homeostasis and Inflammatory Regulation in Colombian Athletes.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Article
- Clinical Sensitivity of Sub-millimetre-resolution Definite Versus Thin Inter-/Intramuscular Fat Streaks from Calf and Thigh MRI.Calcified tissue international · 2026Article
- Macrophage and fibro-adipogenic progenitor communication in skeletal muscle regeneration: tissue homeostasis and pathogenic remodeling.Journal of leukocyte biology · 2026Review
- Assessing health in aging male and female mice: does cardiac function dictate frailty or physical resilience?The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Article
- Automated CT-Based Muscle Density Predicts Mortality Regardless of Muscle Area.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2026Article
- Acid-Base Dysregulation Links Aging Metabolism to Frailty.Aging cell · 2026Article
- Lower Limb Phase Angle Correlates Most with Locomotive Syndrome and Walking Function in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Study.Spine surgery and related research · 2026Article
- Bridging assessment, biomarkers, and interventions: progress in muscle health research.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Article
- Myosteatosis: an emerging biomarker of aging.Frontiers in aging · 2026Review
- Poor muscle quality: A hidden and detrimental health condition in obesity.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2025Review
- Intramuscular adipose tissue restricts functional muscle recovery.Cell reports · 2025Article
41 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesIntramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is recognized as a negative predictor of both muscle and mobility function in older adults, however the mechanism by which IMAT may negatively influence muscle and mobility function is currently unknown. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from IMAT provides a potential reason for these negative associations. To explore this hypothesis we compared IMAT and muscular inflammation in age-and BMI-matched older non-obese frail and non-frail adults. We also sought to examine the relationship between IMAT and inflammation, and muscle and mobility function in this group of older adults.
designA case-control sampling was used for this study. Age-and BMI-matched non-obese frail and non-frail individuals (<65 years) were recruited. MEASUREMENTS: MRI was used to quantify thigh IMAT and lean tissue. Unilateral muscle biopsies were used to quantify muscular inflammation as represented by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Muscle and mobility function was also measured using a maximal voluntary isometric contraction, six-minute walk, and self-selected gait speed.
participants26 older (80.7 +/- 5.4 years) individuals (8 frail and 18 non-frail) were enrolled.
resultsThe frail-group had increased IMAT (p<0.01) and decreased lean tissue (p<0.01), and elevated IL-6 muscle mRNA (p=0.02) and IL-6 protein content (p=0.02) compared to the non-frail group. IMAT was significantly associated with IL-6 mRNA (r=0.43, p=.04) and protein expression within the muscle (r=0.41, p= 0.045). IL-6 mRNA was significantly associated with six-minute walk (r=-0.63, p<0.01), and gait speed (r=-0.60, p <0.01) and IL-6 protein was significantly associated with muscle force (r=-0.54, p=0.01), six-minute walk (r=-0.66, p<0.01), and gait speed (r=-0.76, p<0.01). No significant relationships were found for any variables with TNF-a.
conclusionNon-obese, older, frail individuals have increased IMAT and muscular inflammation when compared to their non-frail, age- and BMI-matched peers. A significant relationship exists between IMAT and muscle IL-6 expression as well as between IL-6 and muscle and mobility function of these older adults. This IMAT-inflammatory pathway provides a potential link between IMATs and decreased muscle and mobility function.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.