Longitudinal effects of physical exercise on health‐related outcomes based on frailty status in community‐dwelling older adults

Abstract

Aim To clarify the difference in the longitudinal effects of physical exercise on health‐related outcomes according to the baseline frailty status (frail or non‐frail) in community‐dwelling older adults. Methods Participants included 177 adults aged ≥65 years who carried out multicomponent physical exercises (strength, aerobic, gait and balance) for 40 min, one to three times per week, for 1 year at a day‐care center. Bodyweight, comfortable walking speed, 6‐min walking distance and Mini‐Mental State Examination were measured at baseline and every 3 months. For longitudinal trend, we analyzed the change in scores from baseline for each outcome using the linear mixed effects model. Fixed effects included “group” (frail or non‐frail), “time” (4 time points every 3 months, from 3 to 12 months) and “interaction between group and time.” Results The effect sizes from baseline showed almost all positive values for each outcome. The linear mixed effects model showed significant effects on “interaction between group and time” in changes in bodyweight (P = 0.033), “group” in changes in walking speed (P = 0.013) and “time” in changes in the Mini‐Mental State Examination (P < 0.001). Bodyweight showed a decreasing trend in the non‐frail group after 3 months, unlike in the frail group. For walking speed, moderate effect sizes (d = 0.67–0.74) were sustained over time in the frail group, as did lesser effect sizes (d = 0.26–0.40) in the non‐frail group. Conclusions Exercise‐based multicomponent interventions were effective for both groups. The longitudinal effects on walking speed and bodyweight were greater in the frail group. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 213–218.

Effects of a 12-week Vivifrail exercise program on intrinsic capacity among frail cognitively impaired community-dwelling older adults: secondary analysis of a multicentre randomised clinical trial

“…Our study further showed greater impact of exercise on the IC composite score and IC domains of frail older adults compared to pre-frail individuals. This observation is compatible with previous research [ 72 , 73 ], and could be due to the lower reserves of frail individuals, for which similar exercise regimes might constitute a greater physiological insult, and therefore, lead to greater adaptations in the context of their greater trainability [ 74 ]. This fact might reinforce the need to adapt and individualise exercise prescription as proposed in Vivifrail, with the objective of optimising gains independently of the baseline frailty status/functional ability.…”

Differences in Improvement of Physical Function in Older Adults with Long-Term Care Insurance with and without Falls: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Regarding the significant improvement in gait speed, TUG, and CS30 for the no-fall group and all participants, and gait speed for the fall group, physical function improvement in older adults with LTCI has been reported with the use of a daycare center for six months [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Thus, the exercise program at the daycare center is expected to improve the physical function of most participants.…”

“…Exercise has been shown to be effective in improving physical function in older adults, including muscle strength, balance, and walking ability [ 12 ]. Improvements in physical function have also been reported in older adults with frailty after a six-month exercise program that included resistance, balance, and gait training [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Furthermore, the effectiveness of lower-extremity strength, gait, and balance training in preventing falls in older adults has been reported [ 12 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”