Impaired Regulation of Energy Balance in Elderly People (Balance Study)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Over the past century life expectancy has risen rapidly. As a result, the proportion of elderly people continues to grow. Elderly people probably have an impaired regulation of energy balance (energy intake versus energy expenditure) whereby the underlying physiological mechanisms are not fully understood. The first objective of this study is to provide further evidence for an age-related failure to regulate energy balance in elderly. If the hypothesis of impaired regulation of energy balance in elderly is confirmed then the second objective becomes to elucidate the underlying physiological mechanisms of the age-related failure to regulate energy intake in elderly.

Official Title
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Impaired Regulation of Energy Balance in Elderly People and the Underlying Physiological Mechanisms.

Conditions
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Anorexia of Ageing

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Energy restriction period


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: men healthy 20-40 and 65-85 years of age normal weight free-living in Wageningen and surrounding Exclusion Criteria: anemia diabetes restrained eating dementia weight changes of > 2 kg during the last 2 months

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Young men<br>Energy restriction period | Other: Energy restriction period<br>* The experiment can be divided in 3 phases, namely (1) run-in phase, (2) energy restriction phase and (3) ad libitum food intake phase. Thus, for all participants the experiment consists of three subsequent phases.<br>|
| Experimental: Elderly men<br>Energy restriction period | Other: Energy restriction period<br>* The experiment can be divided in 3 phases, namely (1) run-in phase, (2) energy restriction phase and (3) ad libitum food intake phase. Thus, for all participants the experiment consists of three subsequent phases.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Energy Intake Compensation | To assess energy intake compensation, we will assess average energy intake during the ad libitum food intake phase - which is the period after energy restriction- in young men and compare this to average energy intake in older men. Average energy intake is assessed by measuring total megajoule of energy intake during nine days of the ad lib phase, and then divide it by nine (MJ/day) | Average intake of energy during ad lib phase (9 days) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Appetite/Satiety Hormones and Questionnaires |  | Before and after the energy restriction period. | 
| Gastrointestinal Function |  | Before and after the energy restriction period | 
| Resting Energy Expenditure, Body Composition and Body Weight |  | Before and after the energy restriction period | 
| Expression of Genes Involved in Energy Metabolism |  | Before and after the energy restriction period. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Anorexia of ageing, Anorexia of aging, Energy balance, Elderly