Background: Regular physical activity has multiple health benefits, especially in older people. Therefore, the World Health Organization recommends at least 2.5 h of moderate physical activity per week. The aim of the POWER Study was to investigate whether volunteer-assisted walking improves the physical performance and health of older people.
Methods: We approached people aged 65 years and older with restricted mobility due to physical limitations and asked them to participate in this multicentre randomised controlled trial. The recruitment took place in nursing homes and the community setting. Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group were accompanied by volunteer companions for a 30-50 min walk up to three times a week for 6 months. Participants in the control group received two lectures that included health-related topics. The primary endpoint was physical function as measured with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at baseline and 6 and 12 months. The secondary and safety endpoints were quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), fear of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale), cognitive executive function (the Clock Drawing Test), falls, hospitalisations and death.
Results: The sample comprised 224 participants (79% female). We failed to show superiority of the intervention with regard to physical function (SPPB) or other health outcomes in the intention-to-treat analyses. However, additional exploratory analyses suggest benefits in those who undertook regular walks. The intervention appears to be safe regarding falls.
Conclusions: Regular physical activity is essential to preserve function and to improve health and quality of life. Against the background of a smaller-than-planned sample size, resulting in low power, and the interference of the COVID-19 pandemic, we suggest that community based low-threshold interventions deserve further exploration.
Trial Registration: The trial was registered with the German Clinical Trials Register ( www.germanctr.de ), with number DRKS00015188 on 31/08/2018.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10789062 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04672-4 | DOI Listing |
J Ultrasound
January 2025
Clinical Unit of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University Hospital and Health Services of Trieste, ASUGI, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, 447, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
Introduction: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and dementia affect short- and long-term outcome after stroke and can persist even after recover from a physical handicap. The process underlying PSCI is not yet fully understood. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) is a feasible method to investigate cerebrovascular aging or dementia, through the pulsatility index (PI), the cerebrovascular reactivity (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipids Health Dis
January 2025
Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhuaxi Road Jinan, Shandong, 250012, People's Republic of China.
Background: An association exists between obesity and reduced testosterone levels in males. The propose of this research is to reveal the correlation between 15 indices linked to obesity and lipid levels with the concentration of serum testosterone, and incidence of testosterone deficiency (TD) among adult American men.
Methods: The study utilized information gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) carried out from 2011 to 2016.
BMC Endocr Disord
January 2025
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
Background: Menopause is a significant phase in women's health, in which the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is significantly increased. Body fat distribution changes with age and hormone levels in postmenopausal women, but the extent to which changes in body fat distribution affect the occurrence of OSA is unclear.
Methods: This research performed a cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Sci Rep
January 2025
College of Physical Education and Health Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, China.
Athlete engagement is influenced by several factors, including cohesion, passion and mental toughness. Machine learning methods are frequently employed to construct predictive models as a result of their high efficiency. In order to comprehend the effects of cohesion, passion and mental toughness on athlete engagement, this study utilizes the relevant methods of machine learning to construct a prediction model, so as to find the intrinsic connection between them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOncogene
January 2025
Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Ferroptosis is a unique modality of regulated cell death induced by excessive lipid peroxidation, playing a crucial role in tumor suppression and providing potential therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Here, we find that aldehyde dehydrogenase-ALDH3A1 tightly links to ferroptosis in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Functional assays demonstrate the enzymatic activity-dependent regulation of ALDH3A1 in protecting SCC cells against ferroptosis through catalyzing aldehydes and mitigating lipid peroxidation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!