Community-dwelling Elderly Women Research Articles

Dietary glycemic index/load and peripheral adipokines and inflammatory markers in elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk

Background and AimsEpidemiological and clinical studies suggest that low-glycemic index diets could protect against weight gain. However, the relationship between these diets and adipokines or inflammatory markers is unclear. In the present study we examine how the dietary glycemic index (GI) and dietary glycemic load (GL) are associated with several adipokines and related metabolic risk markers of obesity and diabetes in a cross-sectional and longitudinal manner. Methods and Results511 elderly community-dwelling men and women at high cardiovascular risk were recruited for the PREDIMED trial. Dietary data were collected at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up. The GI and GL were calculated. Plasma leptin, adiponectin and other metabolic risk markers were measured at baseline and after 1 year. At baseline, subjects in the highest quartiles of GI showed significantly higher levels of TNF and IL-6 than those in the lowest quartiles. Dietary GI index was negatively related to plasma leptin and adiponectin levels. After 1 year of follow-up, subjects with a higher increase in dietary GI or GL showed a greater reduction in leptin and adiponectin plasma levels. There was no association between GI or GL and the other metabolic markers measured. ConclusionOur results suggest that the consumption of high-GI or high-GL diets may modulate plasma concentrations of leptin and adiponectin, both adipostatic molecules implicated in energy balance and cardiometabolic risk.

Effects of Exercise and Amino Acid Supplementation on Body Composition and Physical Function in Community‐Dwelling Elderly Japanese Sarcopenic Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise and amino acid supplementation in enhancing muscle mass and strength in community-dwelling elderly sarcopenic women. Randomized controlled trial. Urban community in Tokyo, Japan. One hundred fifty-five women aged 75 and older were defined as sarcopenic and randomly assigned to one of four groups: exercise and amino acid supplementation (exercise+AAS; n=38), exercise (n=39), amino acid supplementation (AAS; n=39), or health education (HE; n=39). The exercise group attended a 60-minute comprehensive training program twice a week, and the AAS group ingested 3 g of a leucine-rich essential amino acid mixture twice a day for 3months. Body composition was determined using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Data from interviews and functional fitness parameters such as muscle strength and walking ability were collected at baseline and after the 3-month intervention. A significant group×time interaction was seen in leg muscle mass (P=.007), usual walking speed (P=.007), and knee extension strength (P=.017). The within-group analysis showed that walking speed significantly increased in all three intervention groups, leg muscle mass in the exercise+AAS and exercise groups, and knee extension strength only in the exercise+AAS group (9.3% increase, P=.01). The odds ratio for leg muscle mass and knee extension strength improvement was more than four times as great in the exercise+AAS group (odds ratio=4.89, 95% confidence interval=1.89-11.27) as in the HE group. The data suggest that exercise and AAS together may be effective in enhancing not only muscle strength, but also combined variables of muscle mass and walking speed and of muscle mass and strength in sarcopenic women.

Unmet need and psychological distress predict emergency department visits in community-dwelling elderly women: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundUnmet need to perform activities of daily living (ADL) is associated with increased use of urgent health services by the elderly. However, the reported associations may be confounded by psychological distress. We examine the independent effects of unmet need and psychological distress upon emergency department (ED) visits.MethodsWe conducted a prospective study of randomly selected community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 75. We report here the results for women only (n = 530). In-person interviews collected data on self-reported unmet need and the 14-item l'Indice de détresse psychologique de Santé Québec psychological distress scale. ED visits were identified from an administrative database. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of any ED visit in the 6 months following the baseline interview.ResultsIn multivariable analysis, unmet need in instrumental ADL was associated with subsequent ED visits (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-2.41), as was psychological distress (odds rate = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.67). The magnitude of the association between unmet need and ED visits was overestimated in statistical models that did not adjust for psychological distress.ConclusionsBoth unmet need and psychological distress were independent predictors of ED visits. Future investigations of unmet need and health services utilization should include psychological distress to control for confounding and improve the internal validity of statistical models.

타이치운동이 여성노인의 불안, 무력감 및 자아존중감에 미치는 효과

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Tai Chi exercise program (Sun style 12 forms) on anxiety, powerlessness, self-esteem in community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: With a quasi-experimental design, a nonequivalent control group pretest-post test was used. Elderly women who agreed to participate in the study were assigned into an experimental group (n=23), or a control group (n=23). The experimental group participated in Tai Chi exercise program for 50 minutes per session, 2 times a week for 11 weeks. Tai Chi exercise program consisted of 10 minutes for warm-up, 35 minutes for main session, and 5 minutes for cooling down exercises. Anxiety, powerlessness, and self-esteem were measured with questionnaires to evaluate the effect of Tai Chi exercise program. The data were analyzed by using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney test by a SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvement for self-esteem (z=-3.130, p=.002), powerlessness(z=-3.267, p=.001), and anxiety (z=-2.932, p=.003) when compared to control group, Conclusions: Tai chi exercise program may be an effective nursing intervention to improve self-esteem and to reduce powerlessness and anxiety in community-dwelling elderly women.

Frontiers in vitamin D; basic research and clinical application. Vitamin D and falls

Along with aging, the synthesis of vitamin D₃ in the skin declines with insufficient sunlight exposure, leading to vitamin D deficiency. In the elderly, vitamin D deficiency results not only in impaired bone mineralization, but also myopathy. Low vitamin D has also been shown to be associated with decline of muscle strength, sarcopenia, functional limitation, and disability. Several recent studies have shown that low serum vitamin D concentration is associated with lower physical function and falls in older adults. The previous study of Japanese community elderly aged 65 years and older has also shown that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] level is significantly associated with inferior physical performance and experience of fall. In this chapter, a prospective follow-up study conducted to clarify the association between serum 25 (OH) D level and the risk of falls is introduced. The subjects were the community-dwelling elderly women aged 75 years or older (n = 1,393) who participated in a mass health examination. The baseline prevalence of 25 (OH) D insufficiency [blood level<20 ng/mL] was 35.2%. In a multiple logistic regression model adjusted for age, women in the lowest tertile of 25 (OH) D (≤ 19 ng/mL) were at significantly higher risk of any fall (OR = 1.56 ; 95% CI = 1.14-2.14 ; p = 0.005) and recurrent fall (OR = 1.75 ; 95% CI = 1.15-2.68, p = 0.010) compared to women in the highest tertile [25 (OH) D ≥ 25 ng/mL] . A multiple logistic regression model adjusted for various confounding variables showed that serum 25 (OH) D level was independently associated with the risk of falls (p = 0.023) . In conclusion, these results indicate that lower 25 (OH) D, particularly levels below 20 ng/mL, is independently and significantly associated with an increased risk of falling.

Unmet Need for Assistance to Perform Activities of Daily Living and Psychological Distress in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women

Community-dwelling seniors increasingly require physical assistance to perform the activities of daily living (ADL). To examine the possible association of this need with psychological distress, we conducted a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling people age 75 and older in Montreal, Canada. We report the results for women only (n = 530). Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the association between met and unmet need in instrumental ADL (IADL) and personal ADL (PADL) with concomitant psychological distress. Unmet IADL need was associated with elevated psychological distress [β = 0.42 (95% CI: 0.26, 0.60)], as was met IADL need [β = 0.19 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.33)], but not met and unmet PADL need. The full model explained 32.8 per cent of the total variance in psychological distress. Receiving assistance to meet IADL needs is associated with elevated psychological distress. Not receiving assistance, however, is associated with even greater distress.

Effects of a 12-Month Physical Activity Intervention on Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly Men and Women

There is a lack of information on whether exercise training alone can reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in elderly men and women. This study was an ancillary to the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot Study, a four-site, single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial comparing a 12-month physical activity (PA) intervention (N = 180) with a successful aging intervention (N = 181) in elderly (70-89 years) community-dwelling men and women at risk for physical disability. The PA intervention included aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises, with walking as the primary mode. MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. There was no significant change in body weight or fat mass after either intervention. The trend of MetS prevalence over the intervention period was similar between PA and successful aging groups (p = .77). Overall, the prevalence of MetS decreased significantly from baseline to 6 months (p = .003) but did not change further from 6- to 12-month visits (p = .11). There were no group differences in any individual MetS components (p > .05 for all group by visit interactions). However, in individuals not using medications at any visit to treat MetS components, those in the PA intervention had lower odds of having MetS than those in the successful aging group during follow-up (odds ratio = 0.28, 95% confidence interval = 0.08-0.96). In this sample, a 12-month PA intervention did not reduce the prevalence of MetS more than a successful aging intervention, perhaps due to the large proportion of individuals taking medications for treating MetS components.

A Significant Relationship between Plasma Vitamin C Concentration and Physical Performance among Japanese Elderly Women

Maintenance of physical performance could improve the quality of life in old age. Recent studies suggested a beneficial relationship between antioxidant vitamin (eg, vitamin C) intake and physical performance in elderly people. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma vitamin C concentration and physical performance among Japanese community-dwelling elderly women. This is a cross-sectional study involving elderly females residing in an urban area in Tokyo, Japan, in October 2006. We examined anthropometric measurements, physical performance, lifestyles, and plasma vitamin C concentration of participants. A total of 655 subjects who did not take supplements were analyzed. The mean age (±standard deviation) of participants was 75.7 ± 4.1 years in this study. The geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) of plasma vitamin C concentration was 8.9 (1.5) μg/mL. The plasma vitamin C concentration was positively correlated with handgrip strength, length of time standing on one leg with eyes open and walking speed, and inversely correlated with body mass index. After adjusting for the confounding factors, the quartile plasma vitamin C level was significantly correlated with the subject's handgrip strength (p for trend = .0004) and ability to stand on one leg with eyes open (p for trend = .049). In community-dwelling elderly women, the concentration of plasma vitamin C related well to their muscle strength and physical performance.

Risk of glycemic disorder in elderly women adjusted by anthropometric parameters and cytokine genotypes

Summary Objective The objective of the present study was to examine the association of glucose intolerance and type-2 diabetes mellitus with the -174 G > C and -308 G > A allelic variations of IL-6 and TNF-α, respectively, through anthropometric measurements and age strata. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using data from 285 community dwelling elderly women who underwent physical, biochemical, and genetic examinations. Results Genotype-unadjusted analysis revealed that the risk of glucose intolerance and diabetes in elderly women with elevated BMI was 1.71 and 2.82 times higher, respectively, whereas age and conicity index did not show predictive value. Prevalence ratios for glucose intolerance and diabetes across allelic variants of IL-6 and TNF-α did not associate IL-6 with unbalanced glucose levels, despite adjustment for BMI, age, and conicity index. Conversely, carriers of the TNF-α A allele were 2.06 and 5.58 times more likely to exhibit glucose intolerance and diabetes, respectively, compared to GG homozygotes. Conclusion Our results suggest that bearing the A allele of the -308 G > A polymorphism of TNF-α predisposes to anthropometric measure-sensitive impaired glucose metabolism in older women.

Risco de distúrbio glicêmico em mulheres idosas ajustado por antropometria e genótipos de citocinas

The objective of the present study was to examine the association of glucose intolerance and type-2 diabetes mellitus with the -174 G > C and -308 G > A allelic variations of IL-6 and TNF-α, respectively, through anthropometric measurements and age strata.This is a cross-sectional study using data from 285 community dwelling elderly women who underwent physical, biochemical, and genetic examinations.Genotype-unadjusted analysis revealed that the risk of glucose intolerance and diabetes in elderly women with elevated BMI was 1.71 and 2.82 times higher, respectively, whereas age and conicity index did not show predictive value. Prevalence ratios for glucose intolerance and diabetes across allelic variants of IL-6 and TNF-α did not associate IL-6 with unbalanced glucose levels, despite adjustment for BMI, age, and conicity index. Conversely, carriers of the TNF-α A allele were 2.06 and 5.58 times more likely to exhibit glucose intolerance and diabetes, respectively, compared to GG homozygotes.Our results suggest that bearing the A allele of the -308 G > A polymorphism of TNF-α predisposes to anthropometric measure-sensitive impaired glucose metabolism in older women.

Benefits of home-based rocking-chair exercise for physical performance in community-dwelling elderly women: a randomized controlled trial — a pilot study

Home-based exercise is a viable alternative for older adults with difficulties in exercise opportunities outside the home. The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits of home-based rocking-chair training, and its effects on the physical performance of elderly women. Community- dwelling women (n=51) aged 73-87 years were randomly assigned to the rocking-chair group (RCG, n=26) or control group (CG, n=25) by drawing lots. Baseline and outcome measurements were hand grip strength, maximal isometric knee extension, maximal walking speed over 10 meters, rising from a chair five times, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The RCG carried out a six-week rocking-chair training program at home, involving ten sessions per week, twice a day for 15 minutes per session, and ten different movements. The CG continued their usual daily lives. After three months, the RCG responded to a mail questionnaire. After the intervention, the RCG improved and the CG declined. The data showed significant interactions of group by time in the BBS score (p=0.001), maximal knee extension strength (p=0.006) and maximal walking speed (p=0.046), which indicates that the change between groups during the follow-up period was significant. Adherence to the training protocol was high (96%). After three months, the exercise program had become a regular home exercise habit for 88.5% of the subjects. Results indicate that home-based elderly women benefit from this easily implemented rocking-chair exercise program. The subjects became motivated to participate in training and continued the exercises. This is a promising alternative exercise method for maintaining physical activity and leads to improvements in physical performance.

Depressive Symptoms and Change in Abdominal Obesity in the Elderly: Positive or Negative Association?

Recent evidence suggests that depression can result in abdominal obesity in the elderly. Few longitudinal studies are available and none has been conducted outside the United States. To examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and abdominal obesity, data from 3,998 community-dwelling Chinese elderly men and women age 65 years and older with 4-year follow-up were analyzed. Depression was defined by a Geriatric Depression Scale score of 8 or higher. At baseline and after 4 years, overall obesity measures included body mass index, percentage of body fat, and general adiposity or body fat index (expressed by total body fat mass measured by DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) in kilograms divided by the square of stature in meters). Abdominal obesity measures included waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, and relative truncal fat (ratio of truncal fat mass to total fat mass measured by DEXA). After adjustment for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and medical factors, the presence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline was associated with significant decrease in waist circumference at follow-up after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, baseline obesity, lifestyle, and medical factors (β = -1.801, t = -2.93, df = 1564, p = 0.0034), although this relationship disappeared in older age women in further age-stratified analysis. This study shows that depressive symptoms may result in a decrease in abdominal obesity, suggesting that more research is needed to further explore this relationship. Similar studies conducted in different cultural groups may help to explain these conflicting findings.

Relationships between measures of muscular performance, proprioceptive acuity, and aging in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis

Introduction: OA is a multifactorial condition, which predisposes elderly individuals to disabilities. Therefore, aging, especially in women, is considered to be a risk factor for the development and progression of this disease. The aging process and the presence of degenerative diseases lead to losses of strength and proprioceptive acuity. However, studies have reported conflicting results regarding the relationships between these variables. Moreover, it is unclear whether age remains an aggravating factor of these variables in individuals with knee OA. Objectives: To analyze the relationships between measures of muscular performance, proprioceptive acuity, and age in community-dwelling elderly women with knee OA. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 35 elderly women aged 65 years and over, who had a clinical diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral knee OA and were able to walk independently. The volunteers were tested for proprioceptive acuity (joint position sense and kinesthesia) and isokinetic muscular performance of the quadriceps and hamstrings on the isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3 Pro®. Descriptive statistics were carried out for all outcome variables and correlation coefficients were calculated with a significance level of α < 0.05. Results: No significant correlations were found between the measures of muscular performance and proprioceptive acuity. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between age and measures of strength and proprioception. Conclusions: The results suggested no significant relationships between measures of proprioceptive acuity and muscular performance of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles and, especially, no influences of age on these variables in elderly women with knee OA.

Effects of exercise treatment with or without heat and steam generating sheet on urine loss in community‐dwelling Japanese elderly women with urinary incontinence

To determine the effects of exercise treatment with or without heat and steam generating sheet (HSGS) on reducing urine loss in community-dwelling elderly women with urinary incontinence (UI). One hundred and forty-seven community-dwelling women aged 70years and older with stress, urge and mixed UI were randomly assigned to exercise+HSGS (n=37), exercise only (n=37), HSGS only (n=37) or an education group (n=36). Exercise+HSGS, and exercise groups received exercise training twice a week for 3months. When the HSGS was placed on the lower back, the temperature of the skin surface rose to 38-40°C and it continued to generate heat and steam for over 5h. The HSGS group used one sheet per day continuously for 3months. Urine loss and fitness data were collected at baseline and after intervention. The intervention groups showed significant improvements in muscle strength and walking speed compared to the education group. Exercise and HSGS showed urine loss cure rates of 54.1%, exercise 34.3% and HSGS 21.6% after treatment; whereas, the education group (2.9%) showed no significant improvement (χ(2) =21.89, P<0.001). Combining the HSGS to the exercise intervention showed a 61.5% cure rate for stress UI, 50.0% urge UI and 40.0% mixed UI. This data suggests that exercise treatment with HSGS is more effective for treating urine loss regardless of UI type. The HSGS can be used as a supplementary treatment method to enhance the effects of exercise on women with urge, mixed and stress UI.

The effects of multidimensional exercise treatment on community-dwelling elderly Japanese women with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial

Background Urinary incontinence is one of the most prevalent health problems and a significant cause of disability and dependence in the elderly. Pelvic floor exercise is effective in reducing stress urinary incontinence, but few studies have investigated the effect of behavioral management on urge and mixed incontinence. Objectives To determine the effects of multidimensional exercise treatment on reducing urine leakage in elderly Japanese women with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence. Design Randomized controlled, follow-up trial. Settings Urban community-based study. Participants 127 community-dwelling women aged 70 and older with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n = 63) or the control group ( n = 64). Methods Urine leakage and fitness data were collected at baseline, and after the intervention and follow-up. The intervention group received a multidimensional exercise treatment twice a week for 3-month. After treatment, the participants were followed for 7-month. Results There were significant differences in changes of functional fitness and incontinence variables between the intervention and control groups. The intervention group showed urine leakage cure rates of 44.1% after treatment and 39.3% after follow-up ( χ 2 = 21.96, p < 0.001); whereas, the control group showed no significant improvement. The multidimensional exercise treatment was significantly effective in decreasing all three types of urinary incontinence. However, the effects of the exercise treatment were greater on stress urinary incontinence than on urge or mixed urinary incontinence. At the 7-month follow-up, while cure rates of all three types of urinary incontinence were significantly maintained, a slight reversal was seen only in the urge and mixed urinary incontinence ( χ 2 = 10.28, p = 0.008). According to the logistic regression model, urine leakage volume (adjusted odds ratio OR = 0.69, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.39–0.98), compliance (OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01–1.16), and BMI reduction (OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.48–0.89) were significantly associated with the cure of urine leakage after intervention. The cure rate of urine leakage after the follow-up was significantly associated with compliance (OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 1.02–1.29) and BMI reduction (OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.60–0.96). Conclusions The intervention group showed higher urine leakage cure rates than control group. This result suggests that multidimensional exercise strategies may be effective for all three types of urinary incontinence. BMI reduction and compliance to the intervention was the consistent predictor for the effectiveness of the exercise treatment.

The influence of novel compliant floors on balance control in elderly women—A biomechanical study

Novel compliant floors aim to decrease the risk for fall-related injury by providing substantial force attenuation during the impact phase of falls. Certain models of compliant flooring have been shown to have limited influence on postural sway and successful completion of dynamic balance tasks. However, the effects of these products on balance recovery mechanisms following an externally induced perturbation have yet to be quantified. We used a floor translation paradigm to induce a balance perturbation to thirteen elderly community-dwelling women. Outcome measures included the displacement rates and margins of safety for both the underfoot centre-of-pressure and whole-body centre-of-mass across two novel compliant floors (SmartCell, SofTile), two basic foam surfaces (Firm-Foam, Soft-Foam) and a standard ‘Rigid’ floor as a control condition. The centre-of-mass and centre-of-pressure margins of safety, and all centre-of-mass displacement rates, were not significantly lower for the two novel compliant flooring systems compared to the control floor. The centre-of-pressure displacement rates were similar to the control floor for the SmartCell floor condition. The majority of the margin of safety and displacement rate variables for the foam floors were significantly lower than the control condition. This study illustrates that the SmartCell and SofTile novel compliant floors have minimal influences on balance and balance control responses following externally induced perturbations in older community-dwelling women, and supports pilot installations of these floors to inform decisions regarding the development of clinical trials.

Effects of Locomotion-Training based on Theories of Behavioral Science -Sustainability of Exercise by Community-dwelling Elderly Women-

〔目的〕本研究では，行動科学の理論に基づいた運動プログラム「ロコトレBBS」が，地域在住高齢女性の運動の継続につながっているかを検証すること，および指導した運動を継続することが地域高齢女性の身体機能にどのような影響を与えるかについて検討することを目的とした．〔対象と方法〕対象は，埼玉県M町の老人福祉センターに通う地域在住高齢女性のうち，運動プログラム「ロコトレBBS」に参加した地域高齢女性12名とした．評価および介入は，6ヶ月間，計6回実施し，運動の実施率，心理的要因，身体機能について調査した．〔結果〕運動実施率は84.2%であった．対象者12名中11名（91.6%）が，ロコトレは楽しかったと答えていた．また，対象者の多くが膝痛，腰痛などが改善したと感じていた．さらに，身体機能の向上も認められた．〔結語〕行動科学の理論に基づいた「ロコトレBBS」は，地域在住高齢女性の運動継続に寄与しており，指導した運動を継続することで身体機能を向上させる効果が認められた．

The Relationship between Grip Strength and Physical Function in Elderly Community-Dwelling Women

〔目的〕本研究では，地域在住女性高齢者を対象に下肢筋力や歩行能力，平衡機能などの身体機能評価を総合的に行い，握力との関連を検討した．〔対象〕F県F町に居住する女性高齢者265名，平均年齢73.7±6.4歳であった．〔方法〕大腿四頭筋筋力，足把持力，片足立ち保持時間，長座体前屈距離，最大歩行速度，6MWT，10 m障害物歩行時間，TUG，上体起こしなどの各種身体機能と握力との関連を調査した．〔結果〕握力と有意な相関を示したのは，足把持力，大腿四頭筋筋力，片足立ち保持時間，最大歩行速度，TUG，10 m障害物歩行時間，6MWTであり，長座体前屈距離とは有意な相関は認められなかった．〔結語〕握力の測定は，地域在住女性高齢者の下肢筋力，立位バランス，応用歩行能力までを含めた全身的な体力を反映する，簡便で有用なテスト法であることが示唆された．

The Relationship Between Pulmonary Function and Physical Function and Mobility in Community-Dwelling Elderly Women Aged 75 Years or Older

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between pulmonary function and the physical function and mobility of community-dwelling elderly women aged ≥75 years. [Methods] The subjects were 1,022 women aged ≥75 years who were living in an urban environment. We measured their vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0) by spirometry, and assessed their physical function and mobility. [Results] Older women exhibited inferior pulmonary function as well as reduced physical function and mobility. These findings highlight the impact of diminished pulmonary function on physical function in old age. [Conclusions] Women of advanced age have diminished pulmonary function, physical function, and mobility, and diminished pulmonary function is associated with declining physical function. When an examination is required, spirometry should be included as an examination modality for its diagnostic value.

Impacto do alongamento estático no ganho de força muscular dos extensores de joelho em idosas da comunidade após um programa de treinamento

The decrease in muscle strength in older adults has an impact on functionality. Muscle strengthening programs have been proposed, however there is some controversy surrounding the effects of stretching prior to strengthening exercises on muscle strength gain. To verify the impact of static stretching on the gain in knee-extensor strength of community-dwelling elderly women after a training program. This was a quasi-experimental study that included a ten-week knee-extensor strengthening program and a final assessment of 12 community-dwelling elderly women divided into two groups: group SE - strengthening exercises with prior static stretching in all sessions, mean age 73.8 (± 5.36) years; and group E - same strengthening exercises as SE without prior stretching, mean age 72.14 (± 5.43) years. To measure knee-extensor strength gains, we used the isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3 Pro, in concentric mode at angular velocities of 60º and 180º/s, and for statistical analysis we used the difference between pre- and post-intervention means of work adjusted by body weight. The data showed normality in the Shapiro-Wilk test (p > 0.266). When comparing the differences between the pre- and post-intervention means using the t test for independent samples, there was no significant difference in any of the limbs at the velocities evaluated (p>0.383). Previous static stretching did not interfere in muscle strength gain following a ten-week muscle strengthening program in the population studied. Article registered in the ISRCTN register under number ISRCTN62824599.