How body fat and muscle affect recovery and quality of life after lung transplant
Official title: The impact of body composition on peri-operative and patient-centered outcomes in lung transplantation.
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11146424 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether body fat, muscle mass, and related body-measure tests predict complications, survival, and quality of life for people getting lung transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $427,051 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HL163242-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146424 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People being evaluated for or listed for lung transplantation, and those scheduled to undergo lung transplant surgery, are the ideal candidates for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without lung disease, not undergoing transplantation, or unable to attend in-person body-composition testing would not be direct candidates and are unlikely to benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If you are evaluated for or receive a lung transplant, researchers will measure your body composition using tools like bioelectrical impedance (BIA), CT scans, and DXA scans. They will follow you through the transplant surgery period to record perioperative complications (including primary graft dysfunction), survival, and patient-reported outcomes such as functioning and health-related quality of life. The study will compare people with obesity, low muscle mass (sarcopenia), or sarcopenic obesity to see who is at higher risk of complications and poorer quality of life afterward. Findings may be used to guide targeted pre-transplant optimization or post-transplant care for people at higher risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians identify transplant candidates at higher risk and tailor pre- and post-transplant interventions to improve survival and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies, including work from this team, have linked obesity and low muscle mass to worse transplant outcomes, but applying BIA broadly and defining 'sarcopenic obesity' in this setting is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singer, Jonathan Paul — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Singer, Jonathan Paul
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Body composition and outcomes after lung transplant
A patient-focused look at how body fat and muscle measurements around the time of lung transplant relate to recovery, complications, and quality of life after surgery.
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Advanced body fat imaging to improve lung transplant outcomes
This project uses CT imaging of fat distribution to better predict who will do well with a lung transplant and when to list them, with the goal of improving survival after transplant.
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Body composition and outcomes after lung transplant
This study explores how body composition affects recovery and patient-reported well-being after lung transplantation.
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How body fat and muscle affect recovery after lung transplant
This project looks at how body fat and muscle mass relate to recovery, complications, and quality of life for people getting lung transplants.
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How body composition affects outcomes in lung transplantation
This study is looking at how body weight and muscle health affect recovery and quality of life for people getting a lung transplant, so we can better support patients during their healing process.
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How body composition affects outcomes for lung transplant patients
This study is looking at how body weight and muscle mass affect the health and recovery of people getting a lung transplant, with the goal of helping doctors better care for their patients.
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.