Alpha-klotho and insulin resistance in older adults: a cohort analysis
In an abstract of a cohort of 825 adults aged 55 and older, higher alpha-klotho measured 3 years after enrollment was associated with higher insulin resistance among overweight participants, but not with incident diabetes. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The abstract aimed to examine alpha-klotho's association with insulin resistance and incident diabetes in older adults and whether it differs by body mass index. [1]
Among 370 overweight participants, each logarithm unit of alpha-klotho was associated with 0.51 higher HOMA-IR after adjustment. [1]
Alpha-klotho was not significantly associated with incident diabetes overall or in any BMI subgroup. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Secondary analysis of a prospective population-based cohort (abstract).
- Population / context
- 825 community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older in the Invecchiare in Chianti Study.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- June 24, 2026
Alpha-klotho and metabolic outcomes in older adults
The abstract describes alpha-klotho as a circulating protein linked to better metabolic and aging-related outcomes, but says its relationship with insulin resistance and the role of body fat remain unclear, especially in older adults. The stated aim was to examine the association of circulating alpha-klotho with insulin resistance measures and incident diabetes in older adults, and whether this differs by body mass index.
Supporting source [1]
Overweight subgroup showed higher HOMA-IR
This secondary analysis used 825 community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older from the Invecchiare in Chianti Study, a prospective population-based cohort. Alpha-klotho and outcomes were assessed 3 years after enrollment. Among 370 overweight participants (BMI 25.0–29.9), each logarithm unit of alpha-klotho was associated with 0.51 higher HOMA-IR (95% CI 0.07–0.94) after adjustment, and with higher serum glucose (Beta 0.56, 95% CI 0.04–1.09), but not serum insulin. No significant associations appeared in the other BMI groups (interaction P = 0.18).
Supporting source [1]
No link to incident diabetes in any BMI group
Alpha-klotho was not significantly associated with incident diabetes, overall or in any BMI subgroup. The authors conclude that alpha-klotho was positively associated with insulin resistance, but not incident diabetes, among overweight adults, and suggest a context-dependent relationship. These are associations from an observational cohort, not evidence of cause; the abstract does not report effect sizes for the diabetes outcome or the number of diabetes cases.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a secondary analysis of one observational cohort, so associations are not causal. The abstract does not report diabetes case counts or effect sizes for that outcome, and the interaction test was not significant.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Ahmad A, Shardell M, Kalyani RR, Semba RD, Mitchell BD, Tanaka T, Taylor S, Shrestha A, Ferrucci L. · europepmc.org · June 24, 2026