What happens to our muscles as we get older?
SOMMA is expanding our ongoing research study, and we need you!
You may be able to help our research team learn more about the properties of muscle tissue and how muscle contributes to mobility, fitness and walking speed.
You may qualify for this study if you are:
at least 70 years old
able to attend visits at our clinic
willing to have an MRI
There are no medications or lifestyle changes involved in this study. You will be compensated for your time and effort. Transportation is available if needed. Find a Clinic Near You!
What is SOMMA?
SOMMA, or the Study of Muscle, Mobility, and Aging, is the largest observational study in the world of muscle aging. SOMMA is a large university research study that is taking place at three clinical centers at the University of Pittsburgh, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and AdventHealth Translational Research Institute (TRI). This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The main purpose of SOMMA is to understand how muscle changes as we age and learn why some people maintain mobility as they age.
Why is SOMMA important?
Many adults in the United States see their muscles weaken and experience more problems walking as they age. Nine million adults over the age of 65 cannot walk ¼ mile, or can only do so with great difficulty. Changes in muscle and our ability to move around can eventually contribute to social, psychological, and physical restraints that impact quality of life, increase health care costs and contribute to overall health decline.
SOMMA has been a unique resource for the scientific community engaged in research on human aging. SOMMA allows to identify ways to potentially improve mobility and target specific interventions that help prevent mobility decline as we age. SOMMA scientists have even published papers in leading scientific journals and presented SOMMA findings at national and international conferences, with many more papers underway!
