Comprehensive research to clarify lifestyle and components of circadian rhythm contributing to improvement of frailty

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13758
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08020:Social welfare-related
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: Kume Yu 秋田大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (40638269)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: フレイル / 高齢 / ライフスタイル / 概日リズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of the current study was to clarify a predictor of circadian RAR or components in lifestyle against change of frail state after the intervention in the elderly community-dwellers. The final samples collected at the period from April in 2020 to March in 2022 were 75 participants, classified into the improved group (n = 12), the maintained group (n = 53) and the deteriorated group (n = 10) according to frail alteration after the six-month intervention. As a result of the multinomial logistic regression analysis with the reference of the maintained group, the improvement of frail state associated with a low value of IS at the baseline, and M10 and L5 at the initial time were also able to predict worsening of frail state after the six-months intervention. A result of this follow-up study provides grounds for our proposal that alterations of circadian RAR in the elderly could be observed in association with recovery or worsening of frail state after the intervention.

Free Research Field

フレイル予防

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、これまで継続的に検証されてきた高齢期の概日リズムに関する新たな知見を応用しながら、フレイル状態の回復に寄与するライフスタイルの構成要素について、社会福祉学・リハビリテーション科学・時間生物学を組み合わせた複合的な観点から明らかにできる点である。また、本研究の成果はフレイル予防事業の整合性を図ることであり、高齢者個人や地域特有のライフスタイルを考慮した高齢者主体のコミュニティづくりへとつながる。コミュニティ活動は高齢者が住み慣れた地域で元気に安心して暮らし続ける社会的役割を担うのみならず、介護・高齢者福祉を含む社会保障費の抑制まで波及する効果が期待され社会的意義も大きい。