Pattern of Physical Activity in Overweight/Obese Older Adults with CVD or the Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

PURPOSE: There is a lack of objective data regarding the pattern of physical activity (PA) of obese older adults with CVD or the metabolic syndrome. The Cooperative Lifestyle Intervention Program (CLIP) study was designed to examine effects of a PA and weight loss intervention on mobility disability of older (60-79 years) overweight/ obese adults with CVD or the metabolic syndrome. The purpose of the current investigation was to evaluate the pattern of PA in these participants at baseline and to take a preliminary look at changes during the intervention in a small subset of participants. METHODS: One-hundred and two overweight/obese older adults with CVD or the metabolic syndrome wore an accelerometer for 7 days, except while sleeping or bathing. Eighty-two (male 22, female 60) had at least 5 days of complete data. For these individuals, we evaluated the number of steps/day, PA energy expenditure/day (PAEE), and minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per/day (mod-PA). Nine subjects wore the accelerometer for 7 days at 6 months of the 18-month intervention. These nine subjects (male 2, female 7) were in either the PA only group or PA plus weight loss group. Both groups had been encouraged to walk for 180 min/week. In this subgroup, we compared baseline PA to the patterns observed after 6 months of the intervention. RESULTS: At baseline, the number of steps, PAEE, and minutes of mod-PA averaged 4717±1867steps/day, 160±70 kcal/day, and 6±6 min/day, respectively. In the 9 participants studied at 6-months, we observed significant increases from baseline in the number of steps, PAEE, and minutes of mod-PA: 4405±1966 vs. 7561±2586 steps/day (p<0.01), 149±83 vs. 257±97 kcal/day (p<0.01), and 6.2±6.6 vs. 12.9±10.5 min/day (p<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that overweight/obese older adults, predominantly women with CVD or the metabolic syndrome, have lower levels of PA than generally observed (6,000–8,500 steps/day) in healthy older adults. Although based on a very small sample, the PA intervention in CLIP appears to be effective in increasing PA in this population.