| Summary: | With an ever-growing population, the number of ageing people is increasing rapidly worldwide. According to an estimate by WHO, by 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 years old or over and the share of population they account for will rise from 1 billion to 1.4 billion.
This steep rise will directly impact the societies or communities we are living in, and we will observe increased incidences of co-morbidities and ill health resulting in increased requirement of hospitalisation and social care needs for the older adults. This will directly increase the pressures on our healthcare services both in terms of funding and workforce requirements.
A progressive decline in blood flow to the limbs with age is observed leading to a significant decline in muscle strength and function which is considered as an independent predictor of disability and mortality in older adults. It is also considered to play role in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. So, exploring the interventions that can improve overall health of older adults are desirable to reduce the impact of these anticipated pressures on our healthcare services.
The benefits of regular exercise in older adults have been extensively studied and it is known to have numerous beneficial effects for preserving health and reducing co-morbidities. Exercise interventions, despite being effective are not suitable for several comorbid older adults due to disabilities, physical and/or time constraints. Consequently, it is crucial to determine other potential interventions which are applicable to a much wider older population. Nutritional supplementation, if investigated adequately, can be an effective intervention to reduce this age-related decline in blood flow to central and peripheral organs in older adults. The current evidence in literature is scarce in terms of investigating the impacts of nutritional supplementation in improving the muscle and limb blood flow in older adults. This thesis will explore the effects of three different nutritional (plant-based) supplements on muscle microvascular and macrovascular blood flow in healthy older adults. This will provide useful insights for improving blood flow and hence, nutrient and oxygen supply in the muscle, and will be beneficial particularly for those adults who cannot exercise due to older age and multiple comorbidities.
|
|---|