Effects of a 12-Week Exercise Training Program on Physical Function in Institutionalized Frail Elderly.

Cristiane Batisti Ferreira,Athila Teles Dantas Maya,Geiane Alves Dos Santos,Pâmela Dos Santos Teixeira,Ricardo Moreno Lima,Paula Americano Do Brasil,Cláudio Córdova,Vinícius Carolino Souza,Otávio De Toledo Nóbrega,Aparecido Pimentel Ferreira

doi:10.1155/2018/7218102

Cristiane Batisti Ferreira, Athila Teles Dantas Maya + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7218102

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Abstract

With the increase in life expectancy, the Brazilian elderly population has risen considerably. However, longevity is usually accompanied by problems such as the loss of functional capacity, cognitive decline, frailty syndrome, and deterioration in anthropometric parameters, particularly among those living in long-term care facilities. This randomized controlled trial aimed to verify the effects of exercise training on biochemical, inflammatory, and anthropometric indices and functional performance in institutionalized frail elderly. The sample consisted of 37 elderly people of both genders, aged 76.1 ± 7.7 years, who were randomly allocated into 2 groups: 13 individuals in the exercise group (EG) and 24 in the control group (CG). Anthropometrics, clinical history, functional tests, and biochemical evaluation were measured before and after the completion of a physical exercise program, which lasted for 12 weeks. The 12-week exercise program for frail elderly residents in a long-term care facility was efficient in improving muscle strength, speed, agility, and biochemical variables, with reversal of the frailty condition in a considerable number. However, no effects in anthropometric and inflammatory parameters were noted.

Highlights

Aging is a continuous process in which a progressive decline takes place in most physiological systems. is may expose the elderly to frailty, a syndrome characterized by a decrease in the homeostatic reserve and reduction of the body’s ability to endure and perform, leading to a cumulative, vicious cycle of decline in multiple physiological systems and to vulnerability to adverse outcomes [1, 2].In addition to physiological problems, aging is usually related to socioeconomic disadvantages
Institutionalization may result in damage to functional decline and physical dependence, since older people living in the current models of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) do not seem to be properly stimulated [3]
Study Characterization and Sample. is is a randomized experimental study conducted with institutionalized elderly volunteers. e sample consisted of 37 individuals of both genders, aged 60 years or older, who were residents of an LTCF in Brasılia, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Is may expose the elderly to frailty, a syndrome characterized by a decrease in the homeostatic reserve and reduction of the body’s ability to endure and perform, leading to a cumulative, vicious cycle of decline in multiple physiological systems and to vulnerability to adverse outcomes [1, 2]. In addition to physiological problems, aging is usually related to socioeconomic disadvantages. It is usually accompanied by an increase in expenditure, with medications, in addition to decreasing income, since there is loss of production capacity and dependence almost exclusively of retirement income. Institutionalization may result in damage to functional decline and physical dependence, since older people living in the current models of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) do not seem to be properly stimulated [3]. Frailty has healthcare cost implications, and its prevention could lead to a reduction in public costs and individual burden, which grows proportionally as the world population ages [7, 8]

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