Samenvatting

Introduction A rapidly increasing patient group is older adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The risk of accelerated muscle loss is prominent in this patient group. This population could benefit from weight loss, at the cost of increased risk of muscle loss and sarcopenia. Previous studies showed that adequate protein intake and exercise were important factors in maintaining muscle mass. It was unknown whether protein intake at baseline could provide more insight into the risk of sarcopenia or actual protein needs among the study population. This study aimed to investigate the following research question: What is the relation between protein intake and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) among older adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes in the PROBE study? Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted for 123 older adults (55-85 year) with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The analyzed data was recorded at baseline in the PROBE study. Protein intake was recorded with a diet diary. ASMM was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The data was analyzed through linear regression analysis with SPSS version 25. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant for any data tested. Results The mean ASMM was 26.7 kg (SD = 5.2) for this study population. The mean total protein intake per kg of body weight per day was 0.85 g (SD = 0.23) for the overall study population. Linear regression analysis in the unadjusted model showed no significant linear relation between protein intake and ASMM for the study population (R = 0.100, ß = 2.20, p = 0.28). There was also no significant linear relation found after correcting for identified confounders or after testing for men and women separately. Excess energy (kcal/d), physical activity (accelerometry), visceral fat (DXA) and duration of type 2 diabetes (months) were identified confounding factors in these calculations. Conclusion There was no significant relation between protein intake and appendicular skeletal muscle mass found among older adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes in the PROBE study at baseline, which is contradictory to previous theories on this subject.