Abstract
The proportion of elderly animals has increased as life span has increased in dogs and cats. Age-related diseases have increased in elderly animals as in humans. A chronic low-grade proinflammatory state of inflammaging appears to accelerate age-related diseases. As nutritional metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes are risk factors for chronic inflammatory diseases, suppression of inflammaging with nutritional approaches helps prevent age-related diseases. Cats are more prone to obesity than dogs owing to the unique characteristics of their glucose and lipid metabolism, and 60% of elderly cats over 10 years of age are considered obese. Overweight cats with high body condition score (BCS) of 7/9 are diagnosed with obesity if they show two or more symptoms such as low adiponectin concentrations, hyperlipidemia, or high serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations. Most obese cats show insulin resistance and have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Senescent adipose cells (remodeling cells) secrete proinflammatory mediators known as senescenceassociated secretory phenotype (SASP). In obese cats, detection of SASP mediators such as decrease in adiponectin and increase in SAA and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and suitable nutritional intervention at an early stage of the disease may prevent the occurrence of severe metabolic dysfunctions like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Supplementation with some polyphenols such as resveratrol and quercetin shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and these supplementations may prevent obesity and age-related diseases in animals.
