Abstract
The development of chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation in the elderly (inflammaging) has been associated with increased incidence of chronic diseases, geriatric syndromes, and functional impairments. The aim of this study was to examine differences in habitual physical activity (PA), dietary intake patterns, and musculoskeletal performance among community-dwelling elderly men with low and elevated systemic inflammation. Nonsarcopenic older men free of chronic diseases were grouped as ‘low’ (LSI: n = 17; 68.2 ± 2.6 years; hs-CRP: <1 mg/L) or ‘elevated’ (ESI: n = 17; 68.7 ± 3.0 years; hs-CRP: >1 mg/L) systemic inflammation according to their serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP). All participants were assessed for body composition via Dual Emission X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), physical performance using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and handgrip strength, daily PA using accelerometry, and daily macro- and micronutrient intake. ESI was characterized by a 2-fold greater hs-CRP value than LSI (p < 0.01). The two groups were comparable in terms of body composition, but LSI displayed higher physical performance (p < 0.05), daily PA (step count/day and time at moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were greater by 30% and 42%, respectively, p < 0.05), and daily intake of the antioxidant vitamins A (6590.7 vs. 4701.8 IU/day, p < 0.05), C (120.0 vs. 77.3 mg/day, p < 0.05), and E (10.0 vs. 7.5 mg/day, p < 0.05) compared to ESI. Moreover, daily intake of vitamin A was inversely correlated with levels of hs-CRP (r = −0.39, p = 0.035). These results provide evidence that elderly men characterized by low levels of systemic inflammation are more physically active, spend more time in MVPA, and receive higher amounts of antioxidant vitamins compared to those with increased systemic inflammation.
Highlights
Chronic exposure to antigens as well as to chemical, physical, and nutritional stressors that the immune system has to cope with, in combination with the dramatic increase in life expectancy, result in the overstimulation of the immune system with advancing age and the development of a chronic and persistent pro-inflammatory state [1,2]
Significant differences were observed in physical performance, with LSI achieving a higher Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score compared to ESI (LSI: 11.9 ± 0.2 vs. ESI: 11.2 ± 1.0; χ2 = 6.436, p = 0.016; Effect sizes (ES) = 0.90; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = −1.63, −0.17)
Interpretation of the level of moderate physical activity (PA) by group means examined in relation to the PA guidelines adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that both groups met the recommendation for at least
Summary
Chronic exposure to antigens as well as to chemical, physical, and nutritional stressors that the immune system has to cope with, in combination with the dramatic increase in life expectancy, result in the overstimulation of the immune system with advancing age and the development of a chronic and persistent pro-inflammatory state [1,2] This age-associated, low-grade, chronic inflammatory status has been termed as “inflammaging” [1] and is clinically assessed by measuring systemic concentrations of cytokines and acute-phase proteins, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) [3].
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