title: Higher dietary acid load is associated with a higher prevalence of frailty, particularly slowness/weakness and low physical activity, in elderly Japanese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiologic evidence on the potential effects of dietary acid load on frailty is lacking. This cross-sectional study examined the association between dietary acid load and frailty.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was based on self-reported data obtained from 2176 Japanese women aged 65-94 years. Dietary acid load was characterized as potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP), based on information on nutrient intake, obtained from a validated brief diet history questionnaire. Frailty score (0-5) was defined as the sum of slowness/weakness (two points), exhaustion (one point), low physical activity (one point), and unintentional weight loss (one point). A score of ≥3 was classified as indicating frailty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of frailty was 17.9%. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, higher PRAL and NEAP were associated with a higher prevalence of frailty. Adjusted OR (95% CI) for frailty in the highest compared to the lowest quintiles was 1.59 (1.08, 2.34) for PRAL (P for trend = 0.048) and 1.42 (0.98, 2.06) for NEAP (P for trend = 0.03). PRAL and NEAP also showed positive associations with the prevalence of slowness/weakness and low physical activity (all P for trend ≤0.03). PRAL (but not NEAP) was positively associated with the prevalence of exhaustion (P for trend = 0.04). There was no association for unintentional weight loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary acid load was positively associated with the prevalence of frailty, particularly slowness/weakness and low physical activity, in elderly Japanese women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Human Cultures, University of Shiga Prefecture, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kataya
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113 0033, Japan. kenmrkm@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, Graduated School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D000073496:Frailty / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats
keywords: Elderly Japanese women; Epidemiology; Frailty; Net endogenous acid production; Potential renal acid load