Preventing the Loss of Muscle and Function in Hospitalized Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT02566590

Last Updated: 2019-04-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2016-12-31

Brief Summary

One third of independent older adults over the age of 65y will be hospitalized for an acute medical illness, injury, or operative procedure. Unfortunately, 50% of these older adults will experience functional decline during their hospital stay from the amount of time they are physically inactive and in bed. Following discharge, the functional deficits can persist for months and in many instances never return to pre-hospitalization levels thus compounding morbidity, health care costs and dying. A classic consequence of short-term bed rest in older adults is the significant loss in skeletal muscle mass which underlies the accelerated leg strength deficits. The investigator has shown that an important mechanism of skeletal muscle loss is the inability of nutrients to stimulate a normal muscle protein synthesis response; a process highly regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway (mTOR) and amino acid transporters. Day to day maintenance of force generating muscle tissue is dictated by anabolic stimulation from muscle contraction and essential amino acid ingestion. Therefore, anabolic interventions such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and high quality protein supplementation that contains a high proportion of essential amino acids (whey protein) may be promising approach to maintain leg muscle mass and strength in hospitalized older adults and prevent the long term consequences of repeated periods of short-term physical inactivity. The purpose of this study is to test in older adults if the combination of NMES and protein supplementation is capable of preserving muscle mass and strength and maintaining muscle nutrient anabolic sensitivity during bed rest. The investigators current hypotheses are that daily NMES and protein supplementation during 5-days of bed rest in older adults will: 1) preserve lower extremity muscle mass and strength and 2) maintain muscle nutrient anabolic sensitivity as measured by mTOR signaling and amino acid transporter expression. The long term goal is to utilize this inpatient preventative therapeutic approach in a clinical setting in which muscle mass and strength deficits are profound (e.g., intensive care patients).

Detailed Description

A majority of older adults experience repeated periods of physical inactivity during acute illnesses, injuries or after an operative procedure. Following discharge from the hospital, daily activities are adversely impacted. Infirmity follows repeated periods of inactivity (termed "catabolic hits") that can occur over an older adults' lifespan and lead to a downward spiral of potentially irrecoverable deficits in physical function resulting in increased health care costs, loss of independence, and premature death. The hallmark sign of short-term physical inactivity in older adults is the rapid deterioration of skeletal muscle mass and strength. Understandably, little attention is placed on physical function during these requisite periods of inactivity as the medical management and/or postoperative recuperation is the focus. However, the muscle deficits that follow as a result of acute hospitalization can have profound long-term consequences.

Muscle contraction and essential amino acids are powerful independent anabolic stimuli and fundamental to maintain skeletal muscle mass and strength. The primary mechanism of disuse atrophy during short-term bed rest in older adults is the reduced acute nutrient stimulation of muscle protein synthesis regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and amino acid transporter expression (i.e., LAT1). Intervening with essential amino acid supplements can maintain some muscle function in older adults during bed rest, but it does not preserve muscle mass. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) as a muscle intervention is also feasible, but alone is not a panacea. NMES has recently been shown to acutely stimulate protein synthesis in ambulatory older adults with diabetes and attenuate some loss in muscle mass in critically ill patients. The investigator suggests that, together, daily NMES, and a high quality protein source of EAAs (PRO), can be a potent two-pronged approach to preserve the loss of muscle and strength in older adults confined to short-term bed rest. The goal is to test if the combination of NMES and PRO will maintain muscle mass, strength, nutrient-induced mTOR signaling and amino acid transporter expression in older adults during bed rest. The central hypothesis for this project which will support this next step is that a daily combination of NMES and PRO in older adults experiencing bed rest will preserve: 1) leg muscle mass and knee extensor strength and 2) muscle anabolic sensitivity in response to acute nutrient ingestion, as measured by mTOR signaling and LAT1 expression.

Conditions

Muscular Atrophy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Control

Participants will complete bed rest but will receive a non-protein placebo supplement

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

non-protein placebo supplement

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

supplement will be used as a placebo to control participants. The supplement will be provided 3x a day during bed rest.

NMES + PRO

Participants will receive daily treatment with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and daily supplements of a protein drink.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

NMES

Intervention Type: DEVICE

device is used to stimulate muscle contraction in the legs of the patient. The intervention will be used 3 times a day during bed rest.

Protein

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

supplement will used to enhance muscle anabolism. The intervention will be provided 3 times a day during bed rest.

Interventions

NMES

device is used to stimulate muscle contraction in the legs of the patient. The intervention will be used 3 times a day during bed rest.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Protein

supplement will used to enhance muscle anabolism. The intervention will be provided 3 times a day during bed rest.

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

non-protein placebo supplement

supplement will be used as a placebo to control participants. The supplement will be provided 3x a day during bed rest.

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Age between 60-85 yrs Ability to sign informed consent Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA) exam score ≥26 Free-living, prior to admission

Exclusion Criteria

1. Cardiac abnormalities considered exclusionary by the study physician (e.g., CHF, CAD, right-to-left shunt)

2. Uncontrolled endocrine or metabolic disease (e.g., hypo/hyperthyroidism, diabetes)

3. GFR <65 mL/min/1.73m2 or evidence of kidney disease or failure

4. Vascular disease or risk factors of peripheral atherosclerosis. (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia > 250 mg/dl, claudication or evidence of venous or arterial insufficiency upon palpitation of femoral, popliteal and pedal arteries)

5. Risk of DVT including family history of thrombophilia, DVT, pulmonary emboli, myeloproliferative diseases including polycythemia (Hb>18 g/dL) or thrombocytosis (platelets>400x103/mL), and connective tissue diseases (positive lupus anticoagulant), hyperhomocysteinemia, deficiencies of factor V Leiden, proteins S and C, and antithrombin III

6. Use of anticoagulant therapy (e.g., Coumadin, heparin)

7. Elevated systolic pressure >150 or a diastolic blood pressure > 100

8. Implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers, electronic infusion pumps, stimulators)

9. Cancer or history of successfully treated cancer (less than 1 year) other than basal cell carcinoma

10. Currently on a weight-loss diet or body mass index > 30 kg/m2

11. Inability to abstain from smoking for duration of study

12. A history of > 20 pack per year smoking

13. HIV or hepatitis B or C*

14. Recent anabolic or corticosteroids use (within 3 months)

15. Subjects with hemoglobin or hematocrit lower than accepted lab values

16. Agitation/aggression disorder (by psychiatric history and exam)

17. History of stroke with motor disability

18. A recent history (<12 months) of GI bleed

19. Depression [>5 on the 15 items Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)]

20. Alcohol or drug abuse

21. Exercise training (>1 session of moderate to high intensity aerobic or resistance exercise/week)

22. Liver disease (AST/ALT 2 times above the normal limit, hyperbilirubinemia)

23. Respiratory disease (acute upper respiratory infection, history of chronic lung disease with resting oxygen saturation <97% on room air)

24. Any other condition or event considered exclusionary by the PI and faculty physician

• Minimum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 85 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Utah

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Micah Drummond

Ph.D.

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Micah Drummond, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Utah

Locations

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

72083

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id