Altered H19/miR‐675 expression in skeletal muscle is associated with low muscle mass in community‐dwelling older adults

Background Despite increasing knowledge of the pathogenesis of muscle ageing, the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Based on an expression analysis of muscle biopsies from older Caucasian men, we undertook an in‐depth analysis of the expression of the long non‐coding RNA, H19, to identify molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the loss of muscle mass with age. Methods We carried out transcriptome analysis of vastus lateralis muscle biopsies from 40 healthy Caucasian men aged 68–76 years from the Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study (HSS) with respect to appendicular lean mass adjusted for height (ALMi). Validation and replication was carried out using qRT‐PCR in 130 independent male and female participants aged 73–83 years recruited into an extension of the HSS (HSSe). DNA methylation was assessed using pyrosequencing. Results Lower ALMi was associated with higher muscle H19 expression (r2 = 0.177, P