Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging
Project Number: 8050-51000-099-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: May 16, 2019
End Date: Mar 11, 2024
Objective:
Objective 1: Characterize dietary factors, such as variation in nutrient composition and nutrient-nutrient interactions, and non-dietary factors, such as age, genetics and hormone status, that contribute to the inter-individual variation in vitamin K and vitamin D metabolism.
Sub-objective 1.A: Impact of processing on the vitamin K content of foods.
Sub-objective 1.B: Relative absorption of menaquinone forms compared to phylloquinone.
Objective 2: Determine role of nutrients including vitamin K and vitamin D on bone, muscle, and joint metabolism and function in older adults.
Sub-objective 2.A: Effect of dried fruit intake on musculoskeletal health, weight, and body composition in community dwelling older adults – a feasibility study.
Sub-objective 2.B: Effect of the disruption of the microbiome and associated vitamin K forms on bone tissue in rodents.
Sub-objective 2.C: Association between circulating vitamin K, with or without vitamin D, and incident mobility limitation and disability in older adults.
Objective 3: Determine the role(s) and underlying mechanisms of vitamin K and vitamin D, alone and in combination, and the acid-base balance of the diet in age-related diseases, such as cardiometabolic and neurological diseases.
Sub-objective 3.A: Association between vitamin D and K metabolites in the brain and cognitive impairment and neuropathology in older persons.
Sub-objective 3.B: Associations of biomarkers of vitamin K status with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and coronary artery calcification in adults with chronic renal disease.
Objective 4: Assess oxylipins as a driver of cellular senescence and age-related pathologies.
Objective 5: Develop HIV therapy-induced premature aging as a new model for nutritional intervention in aging and degenerative disease.
Approach:
Our focus is to develop further understanding of the mechanisms by which fruits, vegetables, and vitamins K and D affect bone, muscle, and joint health and identify the benefits of increased dietary intake. We will utilize mouse models to study the metabolism of multiple vitamin K forms present in the diet and/or formed by gut bacteria and their impact on bone quantity and quality. Concurrently, we will use a variety of study designs, including clinical trials and observational studies, to examine the impact of dried fruit and leafy vegetables, and vitamins K and D, on bone, muscle and body composition in older adults. Cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease often co-exist with musculoskeletal disease, so we will conduct observational studies to characterize the contribution of low vitamin K and D levels to these conditions in older adults. Evidence gained from this project will provide scientific justification for more accurate dietary guidance for maintenance of musculoskeletal health and related health outcomes.
