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Researchers at The University of Western Australia are investigating how to prevent some of the injuries from falls that will place increased demands on Australia's health services as the population ages.

Professor Miranda Grounds, of the School of Anatomy and Human Biology, said loss of muscle mass was one of the reasons why older people tend to fall and why, after a fall, rehabilitation was more difficult.

Professor Miranda Grounds and Associate Professor Peter Arthur will use an Australian Research Council Linkage grant of more than $80,000 to appoint a PhD student to support research examining whether oxidative stress is a key factor in muscle wasting.

"We already know that oxidative stress - which has the effect of ‘weathering' the body - is linked to many chronic diseases and conditions including Alzheimer's, type two diabetes, heart failure and ageing," Associate Professor Arthur said.

"We suspect that it also contributes to loss of muscle mass.  We know that oxidative stress is higher in older people who have less protein in their body.  Good diet and exercise can help slow loss of muscle mass in older people, but simply taking an anti-oxidant won't prevent oxidative stress."  We will be better positioned to develop an appropriate therapy if we understand the complexities of oxidative stress.

The PhD student will be working to develop new technology to measure oxidative stress with Dr Richard Lipscombe of Perth-based Proteomics International .

Media references

Associate Professor Peter Arthur (+61 8)  6488 1750
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716