Background: Older adults are at increased risk of falls due to ageing, decreased muscle strength and impaired balance. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and effectiveness of the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme in improving functioning and preventing falls. However, programme completion is often low, impacting the potential benefits of FaME.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Falls incidence increases with age alongside declines in strength and balance. Clinical trials show that the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme improves strength and balance, which can reduce falls and improve physical functioning.
Objective: To determine if the clinical trial efficacy of FaME translates into effectiveness in non-research settings.
Aim: To explore the experiences of older adults participating in strength and balance exercise programmes and understand participants' rationale for programme uptake and completion.
Background: Regular physical activity, specifically strength and balance exercises, has been shown to improve health and well-being and reduce the risk of falling in older adults. With the number of people living into older age increasing, understanding older people's experiences of strength and balance programmes and what encourages their take-up and completion is extremely important.
Objective: To estimate the costs and outcomes associated with treating non-asthmatic adults (nor suffering from other lung-disease) presenting to primary care with acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) with oral corticosteroids compared with placebo.
Design: Cost-consequence analysis alongside a randomised controlled trial. Perspectives included the healthcare provider, patients and productivity losses associated with time off work.
Background: Lack of physical activity (PA) is a recognised global public health problem, which is increasing in prevalence with a detrimental impact on the pattern of disease worldwide. In the UK, older adults comprise the most sedentary group, with only 57% of males and 52% of females aged 65-74 years and 43% of males and 21% of females aged 75-84 years meeting PA recommendations. PA confers multiple health benefits including increased stamina, muscle, bone and joint strength, increased independence and reduced risk of falls in old age.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Falls in older people are a leading causes of unintentional injury. Due to an ageing population, injuries are likely to increase unless more is done to reduce older people's falls risk. In clinical trials, the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme has reduced the rate of falls and falls-related injuries in community-dwelling older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Acute lower respiratory tract infection is common and often treated inappropriately in primary care with antibiotics. Corticosteroids are increasingly used but without sufficient evidence.
Objective: To assess the effects of oral corticosteroids for acute lower respiratory tract infection in adults without asthma.