Iva Miljkovic

Contributions to Public Health

• Epidemiology of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle: Adipose tissue deposition/distribution is a major research focus of my work, with a special emphasis on adiposity in skeletal muscle (myosteatosis), population/ethnic differences, and aging. My long-term objective is to identify risk factors and potential biological targets for novel strategies to preserve a healthier adipose tissue distribution and skeletal muscle, and consequently, to improve cardio-metabolic and brain health and longevity, both locally and globally.
  • Tilves C, Peddada S, Miljkovic I. Body Composition Analyses Require Compositional Data Analytic (CoDA) Methods. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021 May;29(5):783-785. PMID: 33759398. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8340562.
  • Miljkovic I, Kuipers AL, Cvejkus R, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Gordon CL, Zmuda JM. Myosteatosis increases with aging and is associated with incident diabetes in African ancestry men. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016 Feb; 24(2):476-82. PubMed PMID: 26694517; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4731257.
• Molecular, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors for adipose tissue distribution and skeletal muscle: I am exploring lifestyle, molecular, biological and environmental risk factors associated with harmful adipose tissue distribution, particularly in the skeletal muscle. For example, we are currently examining the independent contributions of individual and mixed metal exposures to adipose tissue distribution, skeletal muscle, and associated cardio-metabolic disorders.
  • Tilves C, Mueller N, Zmuda J, Kuipers AL, Methe B, Li K, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Wheeler V, Nair S, Miljkovic I. Associations of Fecal Microbiota with Ectopic Fat in African Caribbean Men. Microorganisms. 2024 Apr 17;12(4):812. PMID: 38674756. PMCID: PMC11052294.
  • Marron MM, Cvejkus RK, Acevedo-Fontanez AI, Kuipers AL, Nair S, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Wheeler V, Miljkovic I: Replacing sedentary time with light activity was associated with less adiposity across several depots in African ancestry men. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022 Dec, 30(12):2489-2496. PubMed PMID: 36415998. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9832382.
• Adipose tissue distribution and skeletal muscle: links with cardio-metabolic disorders: One of my main research objectives is to define the role of adipose tissue distribution, particularly in skeletal muscle, in cardio-metabolic disorders. For example, I added new evidence to support the "ectopic fat syndrome theory" as opposed to the “portal theory” in the etiology of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among African ancestry individuals. I also study adipose tissue “quality” (radiodensity), and reported that it may be more informative predictor of T2D than adipose tissue volume (“quantity”).
  • I Miljkovic I, Kuipers AL, Cvejkus RK, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Thyagarajan B, Wheeler VW, Nair S, Zmuda JM. Hepatic and Skeletal Muscle Adiposity Are Associated with Diabetes Independent of Visceral Adiposity in Non-obese African-Caribbean Men. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2020 Aug;18(6):275-283. PubMed PMID: 32392448; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7406994.
  • Tilves C, Zmuda JM, Kuipers AL, Nair S, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Peddada S, Wheeler V, Miljkovic I. Associations of Thigh and Abdominal Adipose Tissue Radiodensity with Glucose and Insulin in Nondiabetic African-Ancestry Men. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Feb;28(2):404-411. PubMed PMID: 31872575. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6980942.
• Adipose tissue distribution and skeletal muscle: Links with brain health: My ongoing research is also focused on understanding the role of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in brain health. A better understanding of the role of muscle in cognitive decline is a critical gap in knowledge that could lead to novel interventions and risk assessment strategies, through easily accessible muscle (versus brain) tissue, as well as via relevant biomarkers.
  • Acevedo-Fontánez AI, Cvejkus RK, Zmuda JM, Kuipers AL, Barinas-Mitchell E, Sekikawa A, Wheeler V, Rosano C, Miljkovic I. Skeletal muscle adiposity is a novel risk factor for poor cognition in African Caribbean women. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Sep;31(9):2398-2406. PMID: 37475604. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10680092.
  • Rosano C, Newman A, Santanasto A, Zhu X, Goodpaster B, Miljkovic I. Increase in skeletal muscular adiposity and cognitive decline in a biracial cohort of older men and women. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023 Sep; 71(9):2759-2768. PubMed PMID: 37282843. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10524226.
• Skeletal Muscle Aging: Links with physical function and reduced survival: Another major focus of my research is on skeletal muscle aging, in particular, the loss of skeletal muscle mass with aging accompanied by ectopic adipose tissue infiltration in the muscle, and other non-adipose tissue organs, and their links with physical function and reduced survival.
  • Santanasto A, Zmuda M, Cvejkus R, Gordon C, Nair S, Carr JJ, Terry J, Wheeler V, Miljkovic I. Thigh and Calf Myosteatosis are Strongly Associated with Muscle and Physical Function in African Caribbean Men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023 Mar 1;78(3):527-534. PMID: 35661875. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9977257.
  • Miljkovic I, Kuipers AL, Cauley JA, Prasad T, Lee CG, Ensrud KE, Cawthon PM, Hoffman AR, Dam TT, Gordon CL, Zmuda JM. Greater Skeletal Muscle Fat Infiltration Is Associated with Higher All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Older Men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2015 Sep;70(9):1133-40. PubMed PMID: 25838547; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4553718.