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Adequate Protein Intake on Comprehensive Frailty in Older Adults: Kyoto-Kameoka Study

  • Original Research
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Defining an adequate protein intake in older adults remains unresolved. We examined the association between calibrated protein intake and comprehensive frailty by sex in the Kyoto-Kameoka study.

Design

Cross-sectional study of baseline data.

Setting and Participants

The study included 5679 Japanese participants aged 65 years or older.

Methods

Calibration coefficients were estimated from food frequency questionnaires and 7-day dietary records as a reference. Comprehensive frailty was evaluated using the 25-item Kihon Checklist (KCL) and defined as a total KCL score of ≥7points. Sex-specific calibrated protein intakes were presented as % of energy, per kg of actual body weight (BW), and per kg of ideal BW.

Results

Multiple logistic regression analysis shoed that calibrated protein intake is inversely associated with comprehensive frailty. The association between protein intake and comprehensive frailty was also evaluated using curve fitting with non-linear regression, a weak U-shaped association was found in males and an L-shaped association in females. Men had a low prevalence of frailty at a calibrated protein intake of 15–17% energy from protein, 1.2 g/kg actual BW/day, or 1.4 g/kg ideal BW/day, and women had a low prevalence of frailty at 17–21% energy from protein or 1.6 g/kg ideal BW/day, with the prevalence of frailty remaining unchanged at higher protein intakes. Meanwhile, the inverse relationship between protein intake per ABW and frailty showed a gradual decrease at 1.4 g/kg ABW/day for protein in women.

Conclusions and Implications

A non-linear relationship was found between calibrated protein intake and frailty, with a U-shaped association in men and an L-shaped association in women. Adequate protein intake in healthy Japanese older adults was higher than the current recommended daily allowance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted with JSPS KAKENHI and was supported by a research grant provided to Misaka Kimura (24240091) and Yosuke Yamada (15H05363). The current study was also funded by Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tokyo, Japan. We would like to thank all members of the Kyoto-Kameoka study Group for their valuable contributions. We acknowledge the administrative staff of Kameoka city and Kyoto prefecture. We thank Shinkan Tokudome, who was a former director of the National Institute of Nutrition and Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Activity Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8636, Japan

    Hinako Nanri, D. Watanabe, T. Yoshida, E. Yoshimura & Y. Yamada

  2. Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Kyoto, Japan

    D. Watanabe, T. Yoshida, H. Fujita, M. Kimura & Y. Yamada

  3. Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tokyo, Japan

    Y. Okabe, M. Ono, T. Koizumi & H. Kobayashi

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  1. Hinako Nanri
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  2. D. Watanabe
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  3. T. Yoshida
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  4. E. Yoshimura
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  5. Y. Okabe
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for the Kyoto-Kameoka Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hinako Nanri.

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The ethics committee approved the study.

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Conflict of Interest

This study was supported by Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Authors Yuki Okabe, Miho Ono, Tomonori Koizumi, and Hisamine Kobayashi are employed by Ajinomoto Co., Inc. This study is not related to any particular products of a company, and the results do not recommend any particular products. Yuki Okabe, Miho Ono, Tomonori Koizumi, and Hisamine Kobayashi contributed to the study design, interpretation of the data, and revision and approval of the manuscript.

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Nanri, H., Watanabe, D., Yoshida, T. et al. Adequate Protein Intake on Comprehensive Frailty in Older Adults: Kyoto-Kameoka Study. J Nutr Health Aging 26, 161–168 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1740-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1740-9

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