Connective Tissue Diseases in Old Age

The investigators' pre-clinical study confirms the positive effects of combined treatment (VT + HMB) on reducing fat-to-lean tissue ratio, intramuscular fat infiltration and increasing muscle strength in sarcopenia animal model. The results showed that fat mass could be decreased by \~32%, while histology Oil Red O staining indicated a decrease of fat by almost 60%; in contrast, lean muscle mass increased by \~14%. On muscle strength, combined treatment increased twitch force, tetanic force and grip strength by \~30-66%. These in vivo results are very encouraging and the investigators should explore its potential in clinical translation. As VT and HMB supplement have been commercially available and their compliance rates are satisfactory, they can be translated to clinical application easily. The investigators' next step is to confirm its clinical efficacy, so that sarcopenia becomes a new indication of VT and HMB. The hypothesis is that combined treatment of VT and HMB can retard the progression of sarcopenia in human, in terms of muscle mass, muscle strength and performance.