Healthy Older People Everyday (HOPE) - Role of Healthy Diet on Muscle and Bone Health

From our own published local data, the prevalence of pre-frailty in North-West area is 37% and frailty 6.2%. Prevalence of frailty in individuals with diabetes is 12%, double that of general population.

Evidence suggest that multi-component intervention may delay the onset of disability, and in some cases reverse frailty with the potential to avert preventable adverse events such as falls, fractures and reduce overall healthcare utilisation and extend health-span. There is a similar multi-centre trial in progress in Europe called SPRINTT. As physical exercise and adequate protein and energy intake are to date the only strategies of proven efficacy to improve muscle health, it is important that we develop locally relevant protein enriched food prototypes that can deliver an effective dosage of protein to the older adult and compare them with available protein enriched supplements. High protein diet stimulates muscle protein synthesis and plays a role in delaying the onset of frailty and sarcopenia. An adequate intake of dietary proteins is vital to maintaining muscle mass and stimulating protein synthesis. Older adults are at high risk for insufficient protein intake and furthermore, the current recommended dietary allowance for protein (0.8 g/kg/day) might not be sufficient for preserving muscle mass and quality in old age. It appears therefore appropriate to promote a protein intake of 1.0-1.2 g/kg/day, while 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day of protein may be required in older adults with acute or chronic diseases. Finally, older people with severe illnesses or overt malnutrition may need as much as 2.0 g/kg/day of protein. In addition to protein, the PROVIDE study also showed that sufficient levels of vitamin D and protein is necessary to increase muscle mass and reduce sarcopenia. While most middle aged adults and older adults attempt to keep up with physical activity, very few actually are aware of importance of protein and Vitamin D enriched diet. Exercise and increased protein intake can also down-regulate systemic inflammation.

Locally, there's one small study (n=49 for nutrition and n=49 combined intervention) which documented reversal of frailty with multicomponent intervention, where the nutrition component was a commercial formula Fortisip (Nutricia Dublin). Up to now, there are no locally developed high protein supplements and we have no data on average protein content of local diet consumption in older adults. If locally produced, culturally-relevant high protein food prototype is widely accepted and is proven to improve function and quality of life, it will be an innovative solution to solving nutritional gaps and delivering an effective dose of protein to the elderly population in Singapore. This can especially help the elderly population receive protein supplementation not through commercially produced expensive supplements but through the foods and drinks that they consume everyday. These prototypes can also help the local food and beverage industry recognize the importance and value of investing resources into the continued development of these products to better address local public health needs and possibly export these products to the wider region's ageing population.

In addition, the results from this study will provide the basis and baseline for a review of the current recommended dietary allowance for protein, especially among older adults. The current recommendation of 0.8 g of protein/kg/day was based on the maintenance of a healthy adult's nitrogen balance. It would be important to formulate a set of recommendation to meet the functional and physiological needs of the elderly.

This programme will be the nutritional arm of a current study called 'HAPPY' Healthy Ageing Promotion Program For You, where participants are screened for frailty in the day care, senior activity centre's and community centre's. Participants with cognitive impairment and / or pre-frail are invited to participate in dual task exercise led by trainer from Japan. This locally produced high protein food will be trialled in these participants who have been identified during screening for "HAPPY". Informed consent will be obtained from participants to participate in the HAPPY and HOPE programmes.