TY - JOUR
T1 - Circulating Micronutrient Biomarkers Are Associated With 3 Measures of Frailty
T2 - Evidence From the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing
AU - O'Halloran, Aisling M.
AU - Laird, Eamon J.
AU - Feeney, Joanne
AU - Healy, Martin
AU - Moran, Rachel
AU - Beatty, Stephen
AU - Nolan, John M.
AU - Molloy, Anne M.
AU - Kenny, Rose Anne
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Irish Government Department of Health; Irish Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine; the Atlantic Philanthropies; and Irish Life PLC. AOH and JF were supported by Institute of Public Health - Division of Ageing Research and Development (formerly Centre for Ageing Research and Development - CARDI) Leadership in Ageing Research Awards.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
PY - 2020/2
Y1 - 2020/2
N2 - Objectives: To examine the associations between 3 frailty instruments and circulating micronutrients in a large representative sample of older adults. Design: Cross-sectional data from a nationally representative cohort study conducted between October 2009 and July 2011. Participants and setting: Adults age ≥50 years (n = 4068) living in the community in Ireland. Measurements: Circulating micronutrients (lutein, zeaxanthin, folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D) were measured, transformed, and standardized. Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Phenotype, the Frailty Index, and the FRAIL Scale (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight), instruments. Multinomial logistic regression determined associations between micronutrients and prefrailty or frailty. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and seasonal factors. Results: Adjusting for age, sex, and educational attainment, all 3 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). Attenuated but significant associations were also observed with all measures of prefrailty for lutein, vitamin D, and number of micronutrient insufficiencies. The associations with frailty persisted following additional adjustment for social, lifestyle, and health and seasonal factors, and following multiple test correction. Conclusions and implications: We have presented the most consistent evidence in the largest study to date that micronutrient concentrations are associated with prefrailty and frailty in older adults. Our data suggest that low micronutrient status has potential as an easily modifiable marker and intervention target for frailty and supports further investigation into micronutrient supplementation and fortification to prevent frailty and disability among older adults.
AB - Objectives: To examine the associations between 3 frailty instruments and circulating micronutrients in a large representative sample of older adults. Design: Cross-sectional data from a nationally representative cohort study conducted between October 2009 and July 2011. Participants and setting: Adults age ≥50 years (n = 4068) living in the community in Ireland. Measurements: Circulating micronutrients (lutein, zeaxanthin, folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D) were measured, transformed, and standardized. Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Phenotype, the Frailty Index, and the FRAIL Scale (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight), instruments. Multinomial logistic regression determined associations between micronutrients and prefrailty or frailty. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and seasonal factors. Results: Adjusting for age, sex, and educational attainment, all 3 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). Attenuated but significant associations were also observed with all measures of prefrailty for lutein, vitamin D, and number of micronutrient insufficiencies. The associations with frailty persisted following additional adjustment for social, lifestyle, and health and seasonal factors, and following multiple test correction. Conclusions and implications: We have presented the most consistent evidence in the largest study to date that micronutrient concentrations are associated with prefrailty and frailty in older adults. Our data suggest that low micronutrient status has potential as an easily modifiable marker and intervention target for frailty and supports further investigation into micronutrient supplementation and fortification to prevent frailty and disability among older adults.
KW - aging
KW - biomarkers
KW - frailty
KW - Micronutrients
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070228588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.06.011
DO - 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.06.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 31401047
AN - SCOPUS:85070228588
SN - 1525-8610
VL - 21
SP - 240-247.e5
JO - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
JF - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
IS - 2
ER -
