Daigo Yoshida1, Tomoyuki Ohara2, Jun Hata1, Mao Shibata3, Yoichiro Hirakawa4, Takanori Honda1, Kazuhiro Uchida5, Satoshi Takasugi6, Takanari Kitazono4, Yutaka Kiyohara7, Toshiharu Ninomiya1. 1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Fukuoka, Japan. 2. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukuoka, Japan. 3. Center for Cohort Studies, Fukuoka, Japan. 4. Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. 5. Department of Health Promotion, School of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Nakamura-Gakuen University, Fukuoka, Japan. 6. R&D Division, Meiji Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. 7. Hisayama Research Institute for Lifestyle Diseases, Fukuoka, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between dairy intake and risk of functional disability in the elderly. OBJECTIVES: We examined the influence of dairy intake on the development of declining functional capacity and activities of daily living (ADL) in a prospective cohort study of an elderly population. METHODS: A total of 859 community-dwelling Japanese residents, aged ≥65 y without functional disability, were followed up for 7 y. Functional capacity impairment was defined as a Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence score of ≤12, and ADL disability was defined as a Barthel Index score of ≤95. Dairy intake was evaluated using a 150-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, grouped into quartiles. The RR of dairy intake on incident functional disability was computed using a Poisson regression model. RESULTS: The multivariable-adjusted RR of impaired functional capacity decreased significantly with increasing dairy intake levels (RR [95% CI]: quartile 1, 1.00 [reference]; quartile 2, 0.85 [0.71, 1.02]; quartile 3, 0.81 [0.68, 0.98]; and quartile 4, 0.74 [0.61, 0.90]; P-trend = 0.001). Regarding the three subscales of functional capacity, the inverse association between dairy intake and risk for impairment of intellectual activity and social role remained significant (P-trend = 0.0009 and 0.02, respectively), but such an association was not observed for instrumental ADL. The multivariable-adjusted risk of ADL disability also decreased weakly but significantly with elevating dairy intake (P-trend = 0.04). A similar association was seen for severity of functional disability (P-trend = 0.002). However, the magnitude of these associations was attenuated after further adjustment for protein intake. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that higher dairy intake is associated with a lower risk of functional disability and its progression in the elderly, probably via an increase in protein intake.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between dairy intake and risk of functional disability in the elderly. OBJECTIVES: We examined the influence of dairy intake on the development of declining functional capacity and activities of daily living (ADL) in a prospective cohort study of an elderly population. METHODS: A total of 859 community-dwelling Japanese residents, aged ≥65 y without functional disability, were followed up for 7 y. Functional capacity impairment was defined as a Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence score of ≤12, and ADL disability was defined as a Barthel Index score of ≤95. Dairy intake was evaluated using a 150-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, grouped into quartiles. The RR of dairy intake on incident functional disability was computed using a Poisson regression model. RESULTS: The multivariable-adjusted RR of impaired functional capacity decreased significantly with increasing dairy intake levels (RR [95% CI]: quartile 1, 1.00 [reference]; quartile 2, 0.85 [0.71, 1.02]; quartile 3, 0.81 [0.68, 0.98]; and quartile 4, 0.74 [0.61, 0.90]; P-trend = 0.001). Regarding the three subscales of functional capacity, the inverse association between dairy intake and risk for impairment of intellectual activity and social role remained significant (P-trend = 0.0009 and 0.02, respectively), but such an association was not observed for instrumental ADL. The multivariable-adjusted risk of ADL disability also decreased weakly but significantly with elevating dairy intake (P-trend = 0.04). A similar association was seen for severity of functional disability (P-trend = 0.002). However, the magnitude of these associations was attenuated after further adjustment for protein intake. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that higher dairy intake is associated with a lower risk of functional disability and its progression in the elderly, probably via an increase in protein intake.