Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic used AI to analyze abdominal CT scans and identify early predictors of fall risk in adults as young as 45.
The study found that muscle density — not size — was the strongest imaging-based predictor of future falls, according to a Jan. 15 news release from the health system. Researchers said AI-derived measurements of abdominal muscle quality, fat distribution and bone density revealed that darker, more homogenous core muscles were associated with better physical function and lower fall risk.
Although leg strength has traditionally been emphasized in fall prevention, the findings highlight the predictive value of core muscle condition. Mayo Clinic researchers said the associations were strongest in middle-age adults, underscoring the importance of maintaining core strength well before old age.
The research suggests routine abdominal imaging may offer new, noninvasive insight into functional decline and injury risk years before clinical symptoms emerge.
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