Abstract
We compared a mixed exercise program (i.e., balance exercise plus resistance exercise) with resistance exercise in a single-blind, randomized controlled trial in a post-acute care unit. In total, 60 sarcopenic patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (12-week mixed exercise) and a control group (12-week resistance exercise). The primary outcomes were the change of the Barthel Index and the number of fallers. The intervention group showed a mean increase of 9.5 points on the Barthel Index (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9–15.1), while the control group showed a mean increase of 6.3 points (95% CI 2.3–10.4). The mixed exercise program provided a significant benefit over resistance exercise (adjusted mean difference of the change of Barthel Index: 6.8 points; 95% CI 1.4–12.1). The number of fallers was 13.3% and 23.3% in the intervention and control groups, respectively, but the difference was not significant (risk ratio (RR) 0.89, 95% CI 0.69–1.13, p = 0.506). In conclusion, compared with resistance exercise, the mixed exercise program appears to further improve the activities of daily living and physical performance in our study population. Under the monitoring of experienced physiotherapists, both exercise programs are feasible and safe for this population.
Highlights
At present, the only candidate with robust evidence for treating sarcopenia in older adults is e xercise[6,7,8]
A recent overview of systematic reviews indicated that the majority of exercise interventions for sarcopenia were mixed exercise programs including aerobic, balance, and resistance exercise[11]
30 participants were assigned to the intervention group and 30 to the control group
Summary
The only candidate with robust evidence for treating sarcopenia in older adults is e xercise[6,7,8]. A recent systematic review demonstrated that exercise interventions are effective for preventing falls in community-dwelling older adults, but they might not have the same efficacy when transferred to post-acute care settings[13]. The recommendations regarding exercise interventions for sarcopenic older patients in post-acute care settings should not be established only based on studies conducted in community-dwelling older adults. Most of these studies had no control group and none was designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) To address this important clinical question, we conducted an RCT to compare the effectiveness and feasibility of a mixed exercise program (i.e., balance exercise plus resistance exercise) with resistance exercise for treating sarcopenia in older patients in a post-acute care unit
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