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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Oliver Shannon
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© The Author(s) 2024.Purpose: Dietary nitrate intake is inversely related to numerous contributors towards frailty, including cardiovascular disease and poor physical function. Whether these findings extend to frailty remain unknown. We investigated if habitual nitrate intake, derived from plants or animal-based foods, was cross-sectionally associated with frailty in women. Methods: Community-dwelling older Australian women (n = 1390, mean age 75.1 ± 2.7 years) completed a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Nitrate concentrations in food were obtained from international nitrate databases. We adopted the Rockwood frailty index (FI) of cumulative deficits comprising 33 variables across multiple health domains (scored 0 to 1), which predicts increased hospitalisation and mortality risk. A FI ≥ 0.25 indicated frailty. Cross-sectional associations between nitrate intake (total plant and animal nitrate, separately) and frailty were analysed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models (including lifestyle factors), as part of restricted cubic splines. Results: A non-linear inverse relationship was observed between total plant nitrate intake and frailty. Compared to women with the lowest plant nitrate intake (Quartile [Q]1), women with greater intakes in Q2 (OR 0.69 95%CI 0.56–0.84), Q3 (OR 0.67 95%CI 0.50–0.90) and Q4 (OR 0.66 95%CI 0.45–0.98) had lower odds for frailty. A nadir in the inverse association was observed once intakes reached ~ 64 mg/d (median Q2). No relationship was observed between total animal nitrate and frailty. Conclusion: Community-dwelling older women consuming low amounts of plant-derived nitrate were more likely to present with frailty. Consuming at least one daily serving (~ 75 g) of nitrate-rich green leafy vegetables may be beneficial in preventing frailty.
Author(s): Hayes E, Dent E, Shannon OM, Zhong LZ, Bozanich T, Blekkenhorst LC, Zhu K, Bondonno CP, Siervo M, Hoogendijk EO, Hodgson JM, Prince RL, Lewis JR, Sim M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Nutrition
Year: 2024
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 18/05/2024
Acceptance date: 20/04/2024
Date deposited: 04/06/2024
ISSN (print): 1436-6207
ISSN (electronic): 1436-6215
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-024-03412-z
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03412-z
PubMed id: 38761280
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