Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Jan 4;16(1):177.
doi: 10.3390/nu16010177.

Relationship of Low Vitamin B6 Status with Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Mortality: A Narrative Review

Norihisa Kato  1 , Akiko Kimoto  2 , Peipei Zhang  3   4 , Chanikan Bumrungkit  1 , Sajith Karunaratne  1 , Noriyuki Yanaka  1 , Thanutchaporn Kumrungsee  1   5
Affiliations
Review

Relationship of Low Vitamin B6 Status with Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Mortality: A Narrative Review

Norihisa Kato et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Marginal vitamin B6 (B6) deficiency is a widespread global concern. Inadequate B6 levels have been linked to an increased risk of age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. In recent years, the growing concern over sarcopenia (the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength) and frailty (a decline in physiological resilience and increased vulnerability associated with aging) is particularly relevant due to the emergence of super-aged societies in developed countries. Notably, among the thirty-one studies included in this review, twenty-five showed a significant association of B6 status with sarcopenia, frailty, and all-cause mortality in adults (p < 0.05), while six showed no association. Emerging studies have suggested novel mechanisms underlying this association. These mechanisms involve P2X7 receptor-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, AMPK signaling, PD-L1 signaling, and satellite cell-mediated myogenesis. Furthermore, the modulation of PLP-dependent enzymes due to B6 deficiency is associated with impaired metabolic processes, affecting energy utilization, imidazole peptide production, and hydrogen sulfide production, as well as the kynurenine pathway, all of which play vital roles in skeletal muscle health and pathophysiology. This narrative review provides an up-to-date assessment of our current understanding of the potential role of nutritional B6 status in combating sarcopenia, frailty, and mortality.

Keywords: aging; frailty; imidazole peptide; inflammasome; mortality; myogenesis; sarcopenia; satellite cells; skeletal muscle; vitamin B6.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential underlying mechanisms linking low B6 status to sarcopenia and frailty. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 5 December 2023).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Zhang P., Suda T., Suidasari S., Kumrungsee T., Yanaka N., Kato N. Chapter 15—Novel preventive mechanisms of vitamin B6 against inflammation, inflammasome, and chronic diseases. In: Vinood B.P., editor. Molecular Nutrition, Vitamins. Academic Press; Cambride, MA, USA: 2020. pp. 283–299. - DOI
    1. Kumrungsee T., Zhang P., Yanaka N., Suda T., Kato N. Emerging cardioprotective mechanisms of vitamin B6: A narrative review. Eur. J. Nutr. 2022;61:605–613. doi: 10.1007/s00394-021-02665-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Troesch B., Hoeft B., McBurney M., Eggersdorfer M., Weber P. Dietary surveys indicate vitamin intakes below recommendations are common in representative Western countries. Br. J. Nutr. 2012;108:692–698. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512001808. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ho C.-L., Quay T.A.W., Devlin A.M., Lamers Y. Prevalence and Predictors of Low Vitamin B6 Status in Healthy Young Adult Women in Metro Vancouver. Nutrients. 2016;8:538. doi: 10.3390/nu8090538. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations . World Social Report 2023: Leaving No One behind in an Aging World. United Nations; New York, NY, USA: 2023.