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Mitochondrial blood-based biomarker is related to cardiorespiratory fitness and aging in a sex-dependent manner
Riley E Kemna, Amanda Szabo-Reed, Hana D Mayfield, Paul J Kueck, Jenae Pennington, Casey S John, Brittany M Hauger, Heather M Wilkins et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.), 2025-10-07
Topic: Gut, metabolism and diet
As expected, males had higher lean mass and VO2peak than females (p = 0.01), but groups did not differ in body mass index (p = 0.51). Males had a higher MFI compared to females (p = 0.01). Within each sex, we observed unique metabolic relationships. In males, there was an age-associated decline in MFI (R 2 = 0.382, p = 0.01). In females, our systemic measure of mitochondrial superoxides had a negative relationship with lean mass (R 2 = 0.648, p < 0.01) and oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) (R 2 = 0.271, p = 0.04). We combined an MFI with measures related to fitness in a cognitively healthy older adult population. We explored physiological factors that impact cardiorespiratory fitness, such as sex. We observed relationships between mitochondrial superoxides and OUES and lean mass in females, whereas males had higher MFI overall. Sex-dependent differences in mitochondrial function and superoxide might be an underlying factor of variable cardiorespiratory fitness between sexes and could help explain differences in AD risk. HIGHLIGHTS: Mitochondrial blood-biomarker shows sex-dependent relationships in aging.Mitochondrial function index is higher in older adult males.Mitochondrial function index declines with age in males.Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are negatively associated with fitness in females.Mitochondrial ROS are negatively associated with lean mass in females.
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APA 7th
Kemna, R. E., Szabo-Reed, A., Mayfield, H. D., Kueck, P. J., Pennington, J., John, C. S., et al. (2025). Mitochondrial blood-based biomarker is related to cardiorespiratory fitness and aging in a sex-dependent manner. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70163
Vancouver
Kemna RE, Szabo-Reed A, Mayfield HD, Kueck PJ, Pennington J, John CS, et al. Mitochondrial blood-based biomarker is related to cardiorespiratory fitness and aging in a sex-dependent manner. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). 2025. doi:10.1002/trc2.70163. PMID: 41070365.
BibTeX
@article{kemna2025-41070365,
author = {Kemna, Riley E and Szabo-Reed, Amanda and Mayfield, Hana D and Kueck, Paul J and Pennington, Jenae and John, Casey S and Hauger, Brittany M and Wilkins, Heather M and others},
title = {{Mitochondrial blood-based biomarker is related to cardiorespiratory fitness and aging in a sex-dependent manner}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia (New York, N. Y.)},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/trc2.70163},
pmid = {41070365},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.70163}
}
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Key findings
- As expected, males had higher lean mass and VO2peak than females (p = 0.01), but groups did not differ in body mass index (p = 0.51).
- Males had a higher MFI compared to females (p = 0.01).
- Within each sex, we observed unique metabolic relationships.
- In males, there was an age-associated decline in MFI (R 2 = 0.382, p = 0.01).
- In females, our systemic measure of mitochondrial superoxides had a negative relationship with lean mass (R 2 = 0.648, p < 0.01) and oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) (R 2 = 0.271, p = 0.04).
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 26 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 46 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41070365) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 26 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 26 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 46 out of 100. |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
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