Dr Marc Sim
Senior Research Fellow, Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University
Research Overview
A third (~1.26 million) of people living in Australia aged ≥65 years have fallen in the previous 12 months, and 20% of these fallers require hospitalisation, with an average hospital stay length of 10 days. Although there are no pharmaceuticals that can preserve muscle function and prevent subsequent falls, exercise and nutritional interventions have been shown to be effective.
Dr Sim's research program has revealed that low vegetable intake (<2 serves/day) is a risk factor for falls and fractures. This work provided the first evidence that consuming specific types of vegetables such as cruciferous and leafy greens, due to high concentrations of nitrates and vitamin K, may be the most beneficial for falls prevention due to better muscle function and bone strength.
Currently, Dr Sim is investigating additional risk factors linked to diet, exercise and body composition for incorporation into a fall screening assessment to identify “at risk” community-dwelling older adults. He is also utilising machine learning to identify unique characteristics in fallers from bone density scans by examining anatomical structures within muscle and the skeleton that are influenced by lifestyle.
Collectively, Dr Sim's research will enable him to identify, design and evaluate innovative interventions to reduce falls and their associated injuries.