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Citation
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Serra-Prat M, Sist X, Domenich R, Jurado L, Saiz A, Roces A, Palomera E, Tarradelles M, Papiol M. Age Ageing 2017; 46(3): 401-407. |
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Affiliation
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ABS Argentona, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent frailty is scarce.
OBJECTIVE: to assess the effect of an intervention in preventing frailty progression in pre-frail older people. STUDY DESIGN: a randomised, open label, controlled trial with two parallel arms. POPULATION: community-dwelling pre-frail older people (≥70 years) consulting in primary care. INTERVENTION: nutritional assessment (and derivation to a Nutritional Unit for usual care in the event of nutritional risk) and a physical activity programme including aerobic exercise and a set of mixed strengthening, balance and coordination exercises CONTROL GROUP: patients receiving the usual care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: prevalence of frailty (Fried criteria) at 12 months. SECONDARY OUTCOMES MEASURES: functional capacity (Barthel index), falls and nutritional status (Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment) on follow-up at 12 months.
RESULTS: one hundred and seventy-two participants were recruited and randomised (mean age: 78.3 years; mean number of Fried criteria: 1.45). Thirty-nine participants (22.6%) were dropped out during the study. At follow-up, 4.9% of the intervention group and 15.3% of the control group had evolved to frailty, for a crude odds ratio (OR) of 0.29 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-1.08; P = 0.052) and an adjusted (by age, gender and number of co-morbidities) OR of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.04-0.95; P = 0.044). Intervention group showed a higher outdoors walking hour per day (0.97 versus 0.73; P = 0.019) but no difference was observed in muscle strength, gait speed or other functional indicators.
CONCLUSION: an intervention focused on physical exercise and maintaining good nutritional status may be effective in preventing frailty in community-dwelling pre-frail older individuals. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02138968.
© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Language: en |