The Effect of Protein Supplementation on Bone Health in Healthy Older Men and Women

Impact of a Protein Supplement on Bone Mass in Older Men and Women

Women and men consuming a low protein diet may be at risk for bone loss. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a daily protein supplement will improve bone health among healthy older adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Osteoporosis; Bone Resorption
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Whey protein supplement; Dietary supplement: Placebo

Detailed Description

Dietary protein plays an important role in maintaining balanced calcium levels in the body. Protein's impact on skeletal health remains unclear. It is well accepted that increasing dietary protein results in greater excretion of calcium through urine. The excreted calcium is thought to come in part from bone, which would suggest a negative effect on bone health. However, recent studies have found that higher protein intake is, in fact, associated with higher bone mineral density and lower rates of bone loss. The purpose of this study is to determine if a daily protein supplement will improve bone health and hormonal measures of bone metabolism among healthy older men and women who consume low-to-normal levels of dietary protein.

This study will last 18 months. For the duration of the study, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a 40-gram protein supplement or placebo daily. There will be a total of nine study visits that will occur at screening, study entry, Month 1.5, and every three months thereafter. Dietary records, nutritional counseling, glucose finger stick tests, and questionnaires related to falls, physical activity, habits, and study satisfaction will occur at all study visits. Blood and urine collection, functional testing, and bone mineral density (BMD) testing will occur at selected visits. At Months 0 and 18, half of the participants will undergo a quantitative computed tomography (CT) scan to determine bone mineral density.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 208
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • Farmington, Connecticut, United States, 06030
      • University of Connecticut Health Center
    • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520
      • Yale University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Willing to travel to one of the study sites
• Women age 60 years or greater, men age 70 years or greater
• Dietary protein intake level between 0.6 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg at baseline

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active Paget's disease
• Primary hyperparathyroidism or unexplained hypercalcemia
• Untreated hyperthyroidism or hyperthyroidism that has resulted from medical treatment
• Diabetes mellitus type 1
• Cancer diagnosis for solid malignancies (e.g., cancer of the colon, breast,prostate, lungs, lymphocytes) within the 18 months prior to study entry
• Long-term use of chemotherapeutic drugs, aromatase inhibitors, or tamoxifen
• Active treatment for leukemia or multiple myeloma
• Active inflammatory bowel disease
• Life expectancy of less than 2 years
• Current and ongoing use of methotrexate, phenytoin, phenobarbital, or inhaled corticosteroids at a dose of greater than 800 mcg/day
• Use of raloxifene, estrogen, androgen, progesterone, soy isoflavones, oral glucocorticoids, or herbal supplements with estrogenic activity OR a change in dosage of thyroid medications within the 1 year prior to study entry if unwilling to avoid such agents during the duration of the study
• Current use of antiresorptive agents (e.g., calcitonin or bisphosphonates). More information about this criterion can be found in the protocol.
• serum creatinine greater than 1.2 mg/dl
• History of chronic liver disease or evidence of liver disease at screening
• Bilateral hip replacement
• women who have a bone mineral density T-score < -2.5 at either the hip or spine unless they have decided to decline treatment with conventional anti-osteoporotic medications
• Body mass index (BMI) greater than 32 or less than 19
• Use of proton-pump inhibitors taken twice daily
• Fasting glucose level greater than 110 mg/dl
• Serum albumin level less than 3.0 mg/dl
• Kidney stones or history of kidney stones within the 3 years prior to study entry

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Protein powder; Participants will receive a protein supplement daily (40 g whey protein supplement).	Dietary supplement: Whey protein supplement; 40-g whey protein supplement daily for 18 months
Placebo Comparator: Placebo carbohydrate; Participants will receive a placebo supplement daily (40 g maltodextrin).	Dietary supplement: Placebo; Placebo supplement daily for 18 months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Anterior-posterior Spine Bone Mass Density Measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Compared to Baseline	There is no absolute normative range for bone mineral density. Population norms have been established for specific races and men and women for the hip based on data collected by National Health Examination Nutrition Surveys (NHANES) and for the spine based largely on data collected by individual manufacturers. Values within 1 standard deviation of the population mean are generally considered normal. Values below 1 standard deviation from the population mean are generally considered to reflect reduced bone mass.	Measured at baseline and 18 months
Change in Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) Compared to Baseline	There is no normative data for quantitative computed tomography it is based on local experience.	Measured at baseline and 18 months
Anterior-posterior Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) at Baseline	There is no absolute normative range for bone mineral density. Population norms have been established for specific races and men and women for the hip based on data collected by National Health Examination Nutrition Surveys (NHANES) and for the spine based largely on data collected by individual manufacturers. Values within 1 standard deviation of the population mean are generally considered normal. Values below 1 standard deviation from the population mean are generally considered to reflect reduced bone mass.	Measured at 0 months
Anterior-posterior Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) at 9 Months	There is no absolute normative range for bone mineral density. Population norms have been established for specific races and men and women for the hip based on data collected by National Health Examination Nutrition Surveys (NHANES) and for the spine based largely on data collected by individual manufacturers. Values within 1 standard deviation of the population mean are generally considered normal. Values below 1 standard deviation from the population mean are generally considered to reflect reduced bone mass.	Measured at 9 months
Anterior-posterior Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) at 18 Months	There is no absolute normative range for bone mineral density. Population norms have been established for specific races and men and women for the hip based on data collected by National Health Examination Nutrition Surveys (NHANES) and for the spine based largely on data collected by individual manufacturers. Values within 1 standard deviation of the population mean are generally considered normal. Values below 1 standard deviation from the population mean are generally considered to reflect reduced bone mass.	Measured at 18 months
Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) at Baseline	There is no normative data for quantitative computed tomography it is based on local experience.	Measured at 0 months
Spine Bone Mineral Density Measured by Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) at 18 Months	There is no normative data for quantitative computed tomography it is based on local experience.	Measured at 18 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS); Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Karl L. Insogna, MD, Yale University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Newton KM, LaCroix AZ, Levy L, Li SS, Qu P, Potter JD, Lampe JW. Soy protein and bone mineral density in older men and women: a randomized trial. Maturitas. 2006 Oct 20;55(3):270-7. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2006.04.011. Epub 2006 May 26.
• Uenishi K, Ishida H, Toba Y, Aoe S, Itabashi A, Takada Y. Milk basic protein increases bone mineral density and improves bone metabolism in healthy young women. Osteoporos Int. 2007 Mar;18(3):385-90. doi: 10.1007/s00198-006-0228-5. Epub 2006 Oct 18.
• Kerstetter JE, Bihuniak JD, Brindisi J, Sullivan RR, Mangano KM, Larocque S, Kotler BM, Simpson CA, Cusano AM, Gaffney-Stomberg E, Kleppinger A, Reynolds J, Dziura J, Kenny AM, Insogna KL. The Effect of a Whey Protein Supplement on Bone Mass in Older Caucasian Adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Jun;100(6):2214-22. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-3792. Epub 2015 Apr 6.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: February 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 11, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): January 12, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 9, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 31, 2020
• Last Verified: March 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Bone mineral density; Calcium; IGF-1; Dietary protein; Bone markers; Parathyroid hormone; Urine Calcium
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Metabolic Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Bone Diseases; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Osteoporosis; Bone Resorption
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0610001951; R01AR053701 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); 1R01AR053701-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)