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Metabolic SyndromeNCT07836088

A Clinical Study on Using Multimodal Ultrasound to Assess Muscle Mass in Metabolic Diseases

An observational study of Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, run by Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of multimodal ultrasound for assessing muscle mass in patients with metabolic diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and simple obesity. Skeletal muscle is the largest metabolic organ in the human body and plays a critical role in glucose metabolism. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Sarcopenia
How many people
320 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Jul 2023to 31 Dec 2027
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Adult patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, or simple obesity, as well as healthy volunteers, recruited from the Endocrinology Department and Physical Examination Center of Zhangzhou Hospital, Fujian Medical University. All participants must meet the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The three metabolic disease groups will be matched with healthy controls by age and sex. A total of 320 participants (80 per group) will be enrolled.

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome according to the Chinese Consensus on Diagnosis and Management of Metabolic Syndrome (2020 edition), meeting at least 3 of the following 5 criteria: abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C.
  • Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes according to the ADA 2023 diagnostic criteria, with disease duration of at least 1 year.
  • Body mass index (BMI) >= 28 kg/m², without hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, or other metabolic abnormalities.
  • Healthy volunteers without metabolic diseases, muscle diseases, chronic liver or kidney dysfunction, malignancies, cardiovascular diseases, or neurological disorders, and without long-term use of corticosteroids or other medications affecting muscle metabolism.
  • Age and sex matched across all four groups.
  • Willing and able to provide written informed consent and comply with all study procedures including ultrasound examination, DXA scan, and follow-up visits.

Who cannot join

  • Severe hepatic or renal failure, malignancy, stroke, severe cardiovascular disease, or autoimmune diseases.
  • Long-term use of corticosteroids, muscle relaxants, or other medications affecting muscle metabolism.
  • Presence of movement disorders, joint diseases, muscle injury, muscular dystrophy, or other conditions affecting muscle function.
  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Inability to cooperate with ultrasound examination, DXA scanning, or follow-up assessments.
  • Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with the study objectives or participant safety.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Fahui Lu, Master's contact

0596-2082027

18750745115@163.com

Wenting Jiang, Master's contact

13625926205

120722807@163.com

China1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Zhangzhou Hospital, Fujian Medical University

    Zhangzhou, Fujian, 363000

    Fahui Lu, Master's, 0596-2082027, 18750745115@163.com

    Wenting Jiang, Master's, 13625926205, 120722807@163.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of multimodal ultrasound for assessing muscle mass in patients with metabolic diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and simple obesity. Skeletal muscle is the largest metabolic organ in the human body and plays a critical role in glucose metabolism. Muscle mass reduction is common in patients with metabolic diseases and is associated with insulin resistance, poor disease control, and increased risk of complications. Currently available methods for muscle assessment, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have limitations including high cost, radiation exposure, or poor portability, making them unsuitable for routine bedside monitoring.

Multimodal ultrasound combines B-mode imaging, shear-wave elastography, superb microvascular imaging, and artificial intelligence analysis to provide a comprehensive evaluation of muscle morphology, stiffness, microcirculation, and quality. This non-invasive, radiation-free, and portable technique may serve as an ideal tool for muscle assessment in clinical practice.

Read more

This prospective observational study will enroll 320 participants divided into four groups: metabolic syndrome (n=80), type 2 diabetes (n=80), simple obesity (n=80), and healthy controls (n=80). All participants will undergo baseline assessments including clinical data collection, biochemical tests, muscle function tests (handgrip strength, gait speed, Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]), multimodal ultrasound examination (muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity, Young's modulus, microvascular density), and DXA measurement as the reference standard. The three metabolic disease groups will be followed prospectively for 12 months with repeat assessments at 6 and 12 months.

The primary objectives are to determine diagnostic thresholds of multimodal ultrasound parameters for detecting metabolic sarcopenia; to establish correlation between ultrasound parameters and metabolic indicators (blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR], lipids); to develop a combined diagnostic model integrating ultrasound and clinical parameters; and to evaluate the predictive value of baseline ultrasound parameters for 12-month disease progression and complications. The findings will provide a non-invasive, convenient, and widely applicable tool for early screening, risk stratification, and therapeutic monitoring of muscle abnormalities in patients with metabolic diseases.

Read the detailed description

This study will be conducted at Zhangzhou Hospital, Fujian Medical University. Participants in the four groups will be matched for age and sex to ensure comparability. Multimodal ultrasound examinations will be performed by two trained sonographers using a high-end musculoskeletal ultrasound system (GE Logiq E9 or Philips EPIQ 7) with a 10-15 MHz linear array probe. Parameters assessed include B-mode imaging (muscle thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, cross-sectional area, and echo intensity); shear-wave elastography (shear wave velocity and Young's modulus measured at rest and during isometric contraction); and artificial intelligence (automated region of interest [ROI] segmentation and texture analysis for quantification of muscle fat infiltration).

Clinical and biochemical assessments include fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile, insulin, HOMA-IR, and liver/kidney function. Muscle function is assessed by handgrip strength, 6-meter gait speed, and SPPB. All assessments follow standardized protocols with quality control measures including inter-observer reproducibility testing (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > 0.85).

Statistical analyses will be performed using SPSS 26.0. Group comparisons will use analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Correlation analyses will use Pearson or Spearman methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis will determine diagnostic thresholds. Logistic regression will be used to construct combined diagnostic models. Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis will evaluate prognostic value. A p-value < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

The study is expected to yield diagnostic thresholds of multimodal ultrasound parameters for metabolic sarcopenia; a combined ultrasound-clinical diagnostic model; prognostic prediction models for disease progression and complications; and a standardized protocol for clinical application of multimodal ultrasound in metabolic disease management.

Keywords
Multimodal Ultrasound, Muscle Mass, Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, Sarcopenia, Shear-Wave Elastography, Skeletal Muscle, Diagnostic Accuracy, Insulin Resistance, Prospective Study, DXA
Medical subject headings
Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Sarcopenia, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Insulin Resistance

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT07836088
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Metabolic Syndrome GroupParticipants diagnosed with metabolic syndrome according to the Chinese Consensus on Diagnosis and Management of Metabolic Syndrome (2020 edition). Inclusion criteria: meeting at least 3 of the following 5 criteria: abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL-C.
Type 2 Diabetes GroupParticipants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes according to the ADA 2023 diagnostic criteria, with disease duration of at least 1 year.
Simple Obesity GroupParticipants with BMI ≥ 28 kg/m², without hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, or other metabolic abnormalities.
Healthy Control GroupHealthy volunteers without metabolic diseases, muscle diseases, chronic liver/kidney diseases, malignancies, cardiovascular diseases, or neurological disorders. Age and sex matched to the other three groups.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia

    Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of ultrasound parameters including muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity (SWV), and Young's modulus (Emean) for detecting metabolic sarcopenia, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) as the reference standard.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  2. Sensitivity of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia

    Sensitivity (true positive rate) of ultrasound parameters including muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity (SWV), and Young's modulus (Emean) for detecting metabolic sarcopenia, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) as the reference standard.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  3. Specificity of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia

    Specificity (true negative rate) of ultrasound parameters including muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity (SWV), and Young's modulus (Emean) for detecting metabolic sarcopenia, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) as the reference standard.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  4. Positive predictive value of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia

    Positive predictive value of ultrasound parameters including muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity (SWV), and Young's modulus (Emean) for detecting metabolic sarcopenia, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) as the reference standard.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  5. Negative predictive value of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia

    Negative predictive value of ultrasound parameters including muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, echo intensity, shear wave velocity (SWV), and Young's modulus (Emean) for detecting metabolic sarcopenia, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) as the reference standard.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  6. Correlation between ultrasound parameters and metabolic indicators

    Correlation coefficients (Pearson or Spearman) between multimodal ultrasound parameters (muscle thickness, cross-sectional area [CSA], echo intensity, shear wave velocity [SWV], Young's modulus [Emean], microvascular density) and metabolic indicators including fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and systemic inflammatory markers.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  7. Combined diagnostic model for metabolic sarcopenia

    Development and validation of a combined diagnostic model integrating multimodal ultrasound parameters and clinical indicators (age, BMI, metabolic components) for diagnosing metabolic sarcopenia, with model performance evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plot, and decision curve analysis.

    Measured: At baseline assessment

  8. Predictive value of baseline ultrasound for 12-month outcomes

    Hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards regression models for baseline multimodal ultrasound parameters as predictors of metabolic disease progression, incident sarcopenia, and cardiovascular complications during the 12-month prospective follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier survival curves will be generated to compare complication rates across different ultrasound parameter levels.

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Sep 2026
  2. Study start1 Jul 2023
  3. Primary completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
320 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07836088
Sponsor's protocol ID
lufahui
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
14 Sep 2026
Last updated
23 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: This is a single-center observational diagnostic study and doesn't involve the need for multi-center data sharing. The protocol doesn't mention plans to share data with other researchers. The study data will mainly be used for internal publications and building a database, and won't involve providing raw individual patient data (IPD) to external researchers.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, run by Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Fahui Lu, Master's (0596-2082027, 18750745115@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Area under the ROC curve (AUC) of multimodal ultrasound for detecting metabolic sarcopenia (time frame: At baseline assessment). The study lists 8 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Sep 2026.

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