S-48-1: EXERCISE TRAINING CONSIDERING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SARCOPENIA AND FRAILTY

Abstract

As Japan's population ages, the number of people with cardiovascular disease is also aging, and the frequency of frailty is increasing. Hypertension is another frequent finding in older patients. Hypertension in older patients is associated with frailty, and hypertension can be a risk factor for frailty. Studies have shown that frailty correlates with systolic blood pressure and that frailty is strongly associated with white matter lesions on brain MRI in hypertensive older patients. Thus, flail prevention is extremely important because of the potential impact of hypertension on the development of organ damage. Hypertension is also recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke, and the development of these diseases can cause a decline in health status and/or exacerbate the degree of frailty. As people age, more people also experience blood pressure drops on standing (orthostatic hypotension), particularly as they become frail. This increases the likelihood of falls. Hypertension in older patients is also associated with sarcopenia. We, the Juntendo University Cardiac Rehabilitation Team, provide exercise training for older patients with cardiovascular disease based on the characteristics of frailty and sarcopenia. Specifically, we conduct regular frailty assessments, and in addition to aerobic exercise, we have a program that specifically focuses on improving muscle strength, muscle power, and slowness. In addition, older cardiac patients with frailty and sarcopenia may have difficulty participating in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program due to their own low physical fitness and low physical function, distance to the hospital, and lack of caregivers who can accompany them. To overcome the extremely low participation rate in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program in Japan, the feasibility studies of tele-cardiac rehabilitation with real-time communication are also being conducted.