Frailty and sarcopenia in aging adults
Official title: Project 3: Frailty and Sarcopenia
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11411368 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aging adults, especially women, may develop frailty and muscle loss, and this project explores how muscle blood flow and inflammation relate to these conditions and to dementia and heart problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $465,346 |
| NIH project number | 5U54AG094168-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411368 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults (across health span) including both women and men, with an emphasis on those at risk for frailty or sarcopenia.
✕Less likely to help
People without age-related frailty or sarcopenia or those not contributing to the studied cohort may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will study 150 adults across ages, with data collected from two sites, to understand how muscle blood vessel function and inflammation interact to worsen frailty and sarcopenia. Researchers will analyze how these factors relate to cognitive health and heart disease risk, particularly in the context of Alzheimer’s-related dementias. The study will use a comprehensive assessment approach to link physical function with underlying biology over time. The goal is to identify targets that could improve muscle health, cognition, and overall quality of life in aging adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new strategies to preserve muscle function and reduce dementia and heart failure risk in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown links between inflammation, muscle health, and aging, but this project tests their joint effects in a diverse cohort to identify actionable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Michael Douglas — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Michael Douglas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Investigating frailty and aging in childhood cancer survivors
This study is looking at childhood cancer survivors to see how they might face health challenges similar to older adults as they grow up, and it aims to find ways to help them stay strong and healthy by exploring treatments that could improve their well-being.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Exercise-based frailty program for people awaiting lung transplants
A tailored exercise and lifestyle program is being tested to reduce frailty and improve outcomes for people waiting for a lung transplant.
-
AI-enabled bone aging and frailty markers in osteoporosis using advanced imaging
A clinician-scientist is using artificial intelligence with CT scans and epigenetics to better understand early bone aging and osteoporosis in adults.
-
Adapting an evidence-based workout program to slow frailty in older women living with HIV
A new program will tailor a proven physical activity plan to help older women with HIV stay stronger, more mobile, and less frail.
-
MiRNA roles in age-related muscle loss and NMJ health
This project explores how small RNA molecules called miRNAs influence muscle aging and the neuromuscular junction in adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.