Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, PO Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, 23 University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GA, UK.
Eur J Nutr. 2020 Apr;59(3):1181-1189. doi: 10.1007/s00394-019-01978-7. Epub 2019 May 7.
Nordic nutrition recommendations (2012) suggest protein intake ≥ 1.1 g/kg body weight (BW) to preserve physical function in Nordic older adults. However, no published study has used this cut-off to evaluate the association between protein intake and frailty. This study examined associations between protein intake, and sources of protein intake, with frailty status at the 3-year follow-up.
Participants were 440 women aged 65─72 years enrolled in the Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention-Fracture Prevention Study. Protein intake g/kg BW and g/d was calculated using a 3-day food record at baseline 2003─4. At the 3-year follow-up (2006─7), frailty phenotype was defined as the presence of three or more, and prefrailty as the presence of one or two, of the Fried criteria: low grip strength adjusted for body mass index, low walking speed, low physical activity, exhaustion was defined using a low life-satisfaction score, and weight loss > 5% of BW. The association between protein intake, animal protein and plant protein, and frailty status was examined by multinomial regression analysis adjusting for demographics, chronic conditions, and total energy intake.
At the 3-year follow-up, 36 women were frail and 206 women were prefrail. Higher protein intake ≥ 1.1 g/kg BW was associated with a lower likelihood of prefrailty (OR = 0.45 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.73) and frailty (OR = 0.09 and CI = 0.01-0.75) when compared to protein intake < 1.1 g/kg BW at the 3-year follow-up. Women in the higher tertile of animal protein intake, but not plant protein, had a lower prevalence of frailty (P for trend = 0.04).
Protein intake ≥ 1.1 g/kg BW and higher intake of animal protein may be beneficial to prevent the onset of frailty in older women.
北欧营养建议（2012 年）建议老年人蛋白质摄入量≥1.1g/kg 体重以维持身体功能。然而，目前尚无研究使用这一界限来评估蛋白质摄入量与虚弱之间的关系。本研究旨在探讨蛋白质摄入量及蛋白质来源与 3 年后虚弱状态之间的相关性。
440 名年龄在 65-72 岁的女性参加了骨质疏松风险因素和预防骨折预防研究。2003-4 年基线时通过 3 天的食物记录计算蛋白质摄入量（g/kg 体重和 g/d）。在 3 年随访（2006-7 年）时，采用 Fried 标准定义衰弱表型：低握力（按体重指数调整）、低行走速度、低体力活动、低生活满意度评分表示的疲惫、体重减轻>5%体重。采用多变量回归分析调整人口统计学、慢性疾病和总能量摄入，探讨蛋白质摄入量、动物蛋白和植物蛋白与虚弱状态之间的关系。
3 年后，36 名女性为衰弱，206 名女性为衰弱前期。与 3 年后蛋白质摄入量<1.1g/kg BW 相比，蛋白质摄入量≥1.1g/kg BW 与衰弱前期（OR=0.45，95%可信区间 0.01-0.73）和衰弱（OR=0.09，95%可信区间 0.01-0.75）的可能性降低相关。与蛋白质摄入量<1.1g/kg BW 相比，较高的动物蛋白摄入量 tertile 组的女性衰弱患病率较低（趋势 P=0.04），但植物蛋白摄入量 tertile 组无此相关性。
蛋白质摄入量≥1.1g/kg BW 和较高的动物蛋白摄入量可能有益于预防老年女性虚弱的发生。
