Approved Research

Contribution of energy, protein intake and the interaction with physical activity to transitions between frailty states: prospective analysis of the UK Biobank

Lay summary

The European population is ageing but, for many countries, the extra years of life are not free of disability. Compressing morbidity into the later years of life is of special interest; not only to increase quality of life, but also to relieve the immense strain on the European healthcare systems. Frailty is a clinical syndrome defined as an increased vulnerability or failure to return to a healthy equilibrium after a stressor event that increases the risk of dependency, care home admission, hospitalisation, and death. Frailty is defined by five criteria: muscle weakness, slow walking, low activity, exhaustion, and unintentional weight loss. Diet and physical activity are major modifiable risk factors for morbidity, disability, and death and are central do these five frailty criteria. Having a healthy diet with enough energy and protein coupled with physical activity may slow down the appearance of frailty above and beyond what each would be able to achieve by itself. Therefore, for the next 2 years we will use the UK Biobank to try to determine the contribution of energy intake, protein intake and physical activity to the transitions (progression or recovery) to and from frailty states (robust, pre-frail and frail) in individuals aged 50 and over. The results will inform dietary guidelines for older adults as well as their relationship with different levels of physical activity, and possibly change the approach to combat frailty in Europe.