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Proinflammatory cytokines are elevated in people with
chronic illness and in healthy older adults. Whether these
cytokines have the same negative effect on nutrient intake
in healthy adults as in chronic illness is unknown. The
purpose of the proposed research is to examine the
relationships between nutritional intake and proinflammatory
cytokine activity in a group of healthy older adults.
Forty community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older
and free of chronic illness will be recruited for the study.
Nutritional intake will be assessed using four-day food
diaries. Blood will be drawn and plasma analyzed for the
proinflamamtory cytokine TNFα and its soluble receptors
sTNFR1 and sTNFR2. A descriptive examination of total number
of nutrient deficiencies per person will be used to describe
the nutritional intake of the group. The effects of
cytokines on food intake will be determined by comparing
calorie intake, protein intake, and number of nutritional
deficiencies between two groups divided by a median split of
serum cytokine levels. The effect of dietary fatty acid
intake on proinflammatory cytokine activity will be
determine by comparing proinflammatory cytokine levels
between two groups divided by median intake of three fatty
acids.
This study will provide data for determining the effects
of fatty acids on cytokine activity and whether cytokines
are involved in both the decrease in food intake associated
with normal aging and with chronic illness. This information
will assist in developing appropriate interventions to
improve and maintain nutritional intake of older adults
according to their health status.
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