Nature· 2026Q1
Artificial intelligence-enabled clinical phenotyping of human brown fat
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Artificial intelligence analysis of 101,243 patients reveals that the presence of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is linked to significantly lower rates of cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases, and higher BAT activity, particularly in the armpit, correlates with better metabolic health and fat distribution.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- AI analysis of 101,243 patients found brown adipose tissue (BAT) is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases.
- Machine learning quantified BAT activity in ~8,700 patients, linking higher activity (especially axillary) to lower cardiometabolic disease odds.
- People with BAT showed favorable glycaemic, lipid, inflammatory, and echocardiographic profiles.
- Angiotensin receptor blocker use was positively associated with BAT presence; losartan increased brown adipocyte activity and energy expenditure in a proof-of-concept study.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Adipose tissue has a central role in systemic energy balance and the pathogenesis of obesity and its sequelae1,2. In contrast to white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue (BAT) uses energy to produce heat3. Detectable BAT in humans is associated with decreased prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases4. However, the complete spectrum of health conditions associated with BAT remains unknown, and high-throughput methods to quantify BAT activity in humans are lacking5,6. Here we leveraged big data and artificial intelligence to systematically define the clinical impact of BAT in a cohort of 101,243 patients from a large cancer centre. Our unbiased analyses revealed that, across all diagnoses, cardiovascular and psychiatric diseases were less prevalent in people with BAT. Using a machine learning approach, we semi-automatically quantified BAT activity in approximately 8,700 patients and demonstrated that higher BAT activity, especially in the axillary depot, is associated with lower odds of cardiometabolic diseases and healthier white fat distribution. People with BAT also exhibited more favourable glycaemic parameters, lipid profiles, inflammatory markers and echocardiographic indices. Analysis of medication usage demonstrated that angiotensin receptor blocker use was positively associated with BAT presence. As proof of concept, we showed that the angiotensin receptor blocker losartan increased brown adipocyte activity and whole-body energy expenditure. Altogether, our studies harnessing artificial intelligence and big data identify new clinical phenotypes linked to BAT and serve as a platform for drug repurposing to activate this tissue in humans. Artificial intelligence-enabled quantification and analyses of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity uncover links between BAT and a healthier metabolic profile along with lower rates of psychiatric disease, and can identify pharmacologic agents that could be repurposed to activate this tissue in humans.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Nature, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Physiology
PhysiologyMedicine