Sarcopenic obesity: a new diagnostic method using artificial intelligence
IHU ICAN research teams publish a new study on sarcopenic obesity, a muscular disease in which abnormal or excessive body fat accumulation is combined with reduced muscle mass and function.
Published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, “A diagnostic proposal for sarcopenic obesity in adults based on body composition phenotypes“ investigates an innovative new method for diagnosing sarcopenic obesity using artificial intelligence (AI).
Find out more about the findings of this study conducted by Vittoria Zambon Azevedo (PhD student in nutrition, IHU ICAN), under the supervision of Pr Vlad Ratziu (Hepato-gastro-enterologist, IHU ICAN, AP-HP) and Pr Jean-Michel Oppert (Head of the nutrition department at the E3M institute and of the human nutrition research center – CRNH) at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital.
What is sarcopenic obesity?
Sarcopenic Obesity is a muscular disease characterized by reduced muscle mass and function in obese patients.
Unfortunately, there are no standardized diagnostic criteria for assessing sarcopenic obesity. Estimates of its prevalence therefore vary widely, leading to under-diagnosis of the disease among affected patients.
Sarcopenia is also a major factor in the progression of many cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes, heart and vascular disease…).
A new AI-based diagnostic method
ICAN researchers have developed an innovative diagnostic method for sarcopenic obesity using artificial intelligence (AI) processing of a large number of body composition data, in a cohort of 1427 subjects.
This work identified a group of subjects with high levels of adiposity and low levels of muscle mass.
The phenotype identified correlates with numerous cardiometabolic traits. The diagnostic index thus developed, taking gender into account, is proposed as a powerful diagnostic criterion for sarcopenic obesity. Its clinical correlation with other parameters (hepatological, cardiological, metabolic) is currently the subject of further studies.
Support this research project
The number of people suffering from obesity has tripled in the last 50 years.
IHU ICAN’s research teams are working on a number of areas (role of the microbiota, development of new treatments, etc.) in the fight against this pathology, with the aim of developing multidisciplinary, personalized care for each patient.
Your support is invaluable in furthering our understanding of this disease, a major public health issue of today and tomorrow.
