Blackmores Institute

Researchers are calling for more study into the role of micronutrient supplementation to prevent frailty and disability following the results of their study suggesting that low micronutrient concentrations are associated with prefrailty and frailty in older adults. The cross-sectional study, using data from over 4000 adults aged 50 years or older, analysed the circulating micronutrients lutein, zeaxanthin, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin D with measures of frailty and found attenuated but significant associations were also observed with all measures of prefrailty for lutein, vitamin D, and number of micronutrient insufficiencies. “Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Phenotype, the Frailty Index, and the FRAIL Scale (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight), instruments. After adjusting for age, sex, and educational attainment, all three measures of frailty were associated with lower levels of lutein [relative risk ratios (RRRs): 0.43‒0.63], zeaxanthin (RRRs: 0.49‒0.63), and vitamin D (RRRs: 0.51‒0.75), and with the accumulation of micronutrient insufficiencies (RRRs: 1.42‒1.90),” the researchers reported. Even after additional adjustments for social, lifestyle, health and seasonal factors, the study found associations with frailty persisted. “Frailty is modifiable, representing a transition between healthy aging and disability, and is a target condition for increasing healthy life years. It impacts multiple functional domains including nutrition, strength, mobility, physical activity, cognition, and social engagement with inadequate dietary intake implicated in the increased risk of chronic diseases and frailty. The importance of adequate nutrition to postponing frailty and sarcopenia (a central component of frailty) among older adults is well-established,” the authors explained. According to the researchers, their finding that prefrailty and frailty are progressively associated with accumulation of micronutrient insufficiencies may be due to multiple dysregulated pathways including DNA synthesis, protein biosynthesis, mitochondrial function, and cell regulation processes, resulting in oxidative stress leading to impaired cell function and senescence. “We have presented the most consistent evidence in the largest study to date that lower levels of specific micro-nutrients lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin D are progressively associated with prefrailty and frailty using 3 commonly utilized frailty instruments. “Our data suggest that low micronutrient status may act as an easily modified marker and intervention target for frailty among adults age ≥50 years. Micronutrient supplementation and mandatory food fortification may be cost-effective strategies to both prevent and intervene in the progression of frailty. If our findings are confirmed by ongoing research studies internationally, delays in implementing such policies may represent a missed opportunity to preserve function and increase healthy life years by ameliorating frailty and disability risk in older adults,” the authors concluded. Source: O’Halloran AM, et.al.: Circulating Micronutrient Biomarkers Are Associated With 3 Measures of Frailty: Evidence from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.06.011 " target="_blank">JAMDA 21 (2020) 240e247</a>

Growing old doesn’t have to mean growing frail with results of a new study suggesting that micronutrient concentrations may have an important role to play in healthy ageing.

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