Total Nutrition Status in Patients with Dementia

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19297
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Tomohiko Sato 東京医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70421071)
• Research Collaborator: Hirose Daisuke ; Tsugawa Akito
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: サルコペニア / 栄養 / 認知症 / ロイシン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the AWGS criteria based on skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, muscle strength, and gait speed. Cognitive function, depression, and activities of daily living was evaluated using the MMSE, GDS-15, and Barthel Index(BI). In addition, we assessed blood biomarkers of nutritional status.
Sarcopenic group showed lower height, weight, cognitive function and BI score. In blood biomarkers, it showed lower isoleucine, leucine, total amino acids, EAAs and BCAAs and higher adiponectin, total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins.
Ten patients with sarcopenia underwent a 6-month intervention of 2400mg of leucine supplementation. As for the nutritional status, there were no significant differences between pre-/postintervention. There were none the worse for status despite high risk group. Therefore, leucine supplementation may be the nutritional approach to the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.

Free Research Field

老年医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

認知症対象者の約46％にサルコペニアを認めており、高齢者特に認知症では有病率が高いこと、また認知機能・生活活動もサルコペニアとの関わりがあることが研究にて明らかになった。アディポネクチンやアミノ酸を用いることにより採血にて簡易的にサルコペニアの診断がつく可能性も考慮される。ロイシンの介入ではリスクの高い患者が変化を認めなかったことより将来のサルコペニアの治療に結びつく可能性が示唆された。