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Biomedical subjects

Suzanne G Leveille

Publications and source records attributed to Suzanne G Leveille.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cognitive function, habitual gait speed, and late-life disability in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002.

BACKGROUND: Both cognitive function and gait speed are important correlates of disability. However, little is known about the combined effect of cognitive function and gait speed on multiple domains of disability as well as about the role of gait speed in the association between cognitive function and late-life disability. OBJECTIVE: To investigate (1) how cognition and habitual gait speed are related to late-life disability; (2) the role of habitual gait speed in the cognitiondisability association; and (3) the combined effect of cognitive function and habitual gait speed on late-life disability. METHOD: Participants (>60 years, n = 2,481) were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADL (IADL), leisure and social activities (LSA), and lower extremity mobility (LEM) was obtained by self-report. Cognitive function was measured by a 2-min timed Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), an executive function measure from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test. Habitual gait speed was obtained from a 20-foot timed walk. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between cognitive function and disability. RESULTS: Cognitive function was associated with decreased likelihood for disability in each domain. The odds ratios (ORs) for disability in ADL, IADL, LSA, and LEM for each standard deviation (SD) increase in the DSST score were 0.47 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34-0.64), 0.53 (95% CI = 0.42-0.67), 0.61 (95% CI = 0.47-0.79), and 0.73 (95% CI = 0.61-0.86), respectively, in the multi-variable models. After additional adjustment for habitual gait speed in the cognition-disability relationship, DSST score was no longer a significant correlate for LSA and LEM disability. The strength of the association between DSST score and disability in ADL/IADL was also diminished. The attenuated association between cognition and disability implies that limitation in gait speed likely mediates the association between cognitive function and disability. We found additive effects of cognition and habitual gait speed on late-life disability. The OR of disability in respective domains were lowest among participants with high-DSST score (high executive function) and with high gait speed. In contrast, the OR tended to be highest among participants with low-DSST score (low executive function) and low gait speed. CONCLUSION: Cognitive function was associated with multiple domains of disability. There was a joint effect of cognitive function and gait speed on late-life disability. This study also suggested that habitual gait speed partially mediated the inverse association between cognitive function and late-life disability, providing a mechanistic explanation in the context of disablement process.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

The pathway from musculoskeletal pain to mobility difficulty in older disabled women.

Little is known about the pathway from musculoskeletal pain to mobility difficulty among older persons. We examined potential physical and psychological mediators of the pain-disability relationship in the Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS), a cohort of women aged 65 who had at least mild disability at baseline. Pain was classified according to location and severity (widespread pain; lower extremity pain; other pain; none or mild pain in only one site). Among women without a lot of difficulty in stair climbing (n=676) or walking (n=510) at baseline, those who reported widespread pain were more likely than those with none or mild pain to develop a lot of difficulty with mobility during the 3 year follow-up. The likelihood for mobility difficulty was unchanged after adjusting for physical impairments and symptoms of depression and anxiety (walking aOR=1.85, 95%CI, 1.08-3.17; stair climbing, aOR=2.68, 95%CI, 1.56-4.62). Lower extremity pain was associated with increased likelihood for difficulty with climbing stairs but not with walking. However, this association was attenuated after adjusting for physical impairments and psychological symptoms (aOR=1.66, 95%CI, 0.99-2.77). Pain was not associated with increased risk for becoming unable to walk or climb stairs. The findings suggest that pain is a unique domain as a cause of disablement, independent of the usual pathway to disability via physical impairments. Research is needed to better understand the development of pain-related disability in order to determine optimum approaches to prevent and treat mobility disability in older persons with persistent pain.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Does gynecologic surgery contribute to low back problems in later life? An analysis of the women's health and aging study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether women with potential injuries to the abdominal and pelvic musculature from past gynecologic surgery are at higher risk for low back pain (LBP). DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING: Eastern region of the city and county of Baltimore, MD. PARTICIPANTS: Disabled women (N=1002) aged 65 and older, 448 of whom reported gynecologic surgery who were participants in the Women's Health and Aging Study. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: LBP presence in the last year, LBP severity for the last month, and adjudicated lumbar diagnoses (disk disease, stenosis) were examined in relation to reports of surgical menopause or ovarian surgery adjusted for LBP risk factors. RESULTS: Women with surgical menopause experienced more moderate LBP (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.3) than women without surgical menopause. Women with ovarian surgery also experienced more moderate LBP than women without ovarian surgery, but this association was not statistically significant (AOR=1.39; 95% CI, 0.96-2.09). Gynecologic surgery was not associated with an increased likelihood of lumbar disk disease or stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical menopause may increase the risk of moderate LBP. Further research is needed to determine how gynecologic surgery might influence low back pathology. Abdominal and pelvic muscle rehabilitation after gynecologic surgery may provide protection from LBP later in life.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Linking C-reactive protein to late-life disability in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation, measured by interleukin-6, predicts incident disability among elderly people. However, little is known about the relation of C-reactive protein (CRP) to disability. METHOD: Participants (>60 years old, N = 1680) were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), leisure and social activities (LSA), lower extremity mobility (LEM), and general physical activities (GPA) was obtained by self-report. Peak muscle power was the product of isokinetic peak leg torque and peak force velocity. Functional limitations were evaluated via habitual walking speed, which was obtained from a 20-foot timed walk. CRP levels were quantified by using latex-enhanced nephelometry. RESULTS: Elevated CRP levels were associated with disability in IADL, LSA, LEM, and GPA, independent of basic demographics, chronic medical diseases, health behaviors, as well as nutritional markers. The corresponding odds ratios of disability for each standard-deviation increase in natural-log-transformed CRP were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.35), 1.18 (95% CI, 1.00-1.39), 1.17 (95% CI, 1.03-1.33), and 1.17 (95% CI, 1.05-1.31), respectively. The relationship diminished after additional adjustment of leg power and/or walking speed, meaning that impairment in leg power and limitations in gait speed likely mediate the association between CRP and disability. CRP had an inverse relationship to leg power and walking speed. Likewise, additional adjustment for leg power substantially diminished the association between CRP and walking speed, suggesting a mediating effect of power between CRP and gait speed. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of chronic diseases, elevated CRP is associated with multiple domains of disability through mediation of muscle power, habitual gait speed, or both. Future research is needed to understand CRP as a risk factor for disability in older populations.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Exploring how peak leg power and usual gait speed are linked to late-life disability: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2002.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of both peak leg power and usual gait speed in their association with varying domains of late-life disability. DESIGN: Participants (> or =60 yrs of age, n = 1753) were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. Disability in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities was obtained by self-report. Peak muscle power was the product of isokinetic peak leg torque and peak force velocity. Functional limitations were evaluated via usual gait speed, which was obtained from a 20-foot timed walk. RESULTS: Low usual gait speed was associated with disability independent of basic demographics, cognitive performance, co-morbidities, health behaviors, and inflammatory markers. The odds ratios for disabilities in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities for each standard-deviation increase in walking speed were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.87), 0.63 (95% CI, 0.52-0.77), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45-0.72), 0.56 (95% CI, 0.47-0.67), and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.64-0.85), respectively. The odds ratios for disabilities in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities for each standard-deviation increase in leg power were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.55-0.89), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53-0.86), 0.62 (95% CI, 0.47-0.83), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.47-0.72), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.87), respectively. Supplementary adjustment for walking speed mildly attenuated the relation of leg power to disability. CONCLUSION: Peak leg power and habitual gait speed were associated with varying domains of late-life disability. The association between peak leg power and disability seems to be partially mediated through usual gait speed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Benzodiazepine use and physical disability in community-dwelling older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether benzodiazepine use is associated with incident disability in mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs) in older individuals. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Four sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 9,093 subjects (aged > or =65) who were not disabled in mobility or ADLs at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Mobility disability was defined as inability to walk half a mile or climb one flight of stairs. ADL disability was defined as inability to perform one or more basic ADLs (bathing, eating, dressing, transferring from a bed to a chair, using the toilet, or walking across a small room). Trained interviewers assessed outcomes annually. RESULTS: At baseline, 5.5% of subjects reported benzodiazepine use. In multivariable models, benzodiazepine users were 1.23 times as likely as nonusers (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09-1.39) to develop mobility disability and 1.28 times as likely (95% CI = 1.09-1.52) to develop ADL disability. Risk for incident mobility was increased with short- (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.08-1.50) and long-acting benzodiazepines (HR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03-1.39) and no use. Risk for ADL disability was greater with short- (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.25-2.01) but not long-acting (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.89-1.39) agents than for no use. CONCLUSION: Older adults taking benzodiazepines have a greater risk for incident mobility and ADL disability. Use of short-acting agents does not appear to confer any safety benefits over long-acting agents.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Trends in obesity and arthritis among baby boomers and their predecessors, 1971-2002.

OBJECTIVES: We examined trends in obesity and arthritis prevalence among the "baby boom" (born 1946-1965) and "silent" (born 1926-1945) generations. METHODS: We conducted birth cohort analyses using successive waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1971-2002). RESULTS: Obesity rates increased markedly, beginning earlier in life with each successive birth cohort. When the members of the silent generation were aged 35-44 years, 14%-18% were obese. At comparable ages, 28%-32% of the youngest baby boomers were obese. Differences in arthritis prevalence were not evident across birth cohorts. However, the relative risk of arthritis because of obesity increased over time; consequently, the percentage of arthritis cases attributable to obesity increased from 3% to 18% between 1971 and 2002. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that members of the baby boom generation were more obese, and became so at younger ages than their predecessors. Although differences in arthritis prevalence are not yet evident, findings suggest that obesity has contributed to more cases of arthritis in recent years than in previous decades.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Sex differences in musculoskeletal pain in older adults.

Little is known about sex differences in musculoskeletal pain in older persons. There were 682 women and 380 men aged 72 years and older who participated in the 22nd biennial exam of the Framingham Study (1992-1993). Participants were asked to identify pain locations on a homunculus showing all regions of the body. Pain was categorized according to number of regions, with the most disseminated pain classified as widespread pain (back pain and upper and lower extremity pain with bilaterality). Among the women, 63% reported pain in one or more regions, compared to 52% of men. Widespread pain was more prevalent among women than men (15 versus 5%, respectively). In both men and women, pain was associated with fair or poor self-rated health, history of back pain before age 65, and disability. Factors associated with pain only in women included body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and depressive symptoms. In men but not women, pain was associated with polyarticular radiographic osteoarthritis. In conclusion, musculoskeletal pain was more prevalent and more widespread in older women than older men. Men and women differ in the factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in older ages. Further research is needed to understand sex differences in musculoskeletal pain the older population.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Risk factors for falls in older disabled women with diabetes: the women's health and aging study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine whether older disabled women with diabetes have an increased risk of falls compared to women without diabetes and to identify fall risk factors among this high-risk subgroup of patients. METHODS: Data are from the Women's Health and Aging Study I (n = 1002, age > or = 65 years), a prospective, population-based cohort study of the one third most disabled women in the Baltimore (MD) urban community-dwelling population. Participants were followed semiannually for 3 years. Falls were ascertained at each interview. Diabetes was ascertained by means of a standardized algorithm using multiple sources of information. RESULTS: Baseline prevalence of diabetes was 15.5%. Of the 878 women who participated in at least one follow-up visit and were able to walk at baseline, 64.9% fell at least once during the study and 29.6% experienced two or more falls during a follow-up interval. After adjustment for traditional risk factors, women with diabetes had a higher probability of any fall (odds ratio [OR] 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.81) and of falling two or more times during a follow-up interval (OR 1.69; CI, 1.18-2.43), compared with women without diabetes. Among diabetic women, presence of widespread musculoskeletal pain (OR 5.58; CI, 1.89-16.5), insulin therapy (OR 2.02; CI, 1.10-3.71), overweight (OR 3.50; CI, 1.21-10.1), and poor lower-extremity performance (OR 7.76; CI, 1.03-58.8) were independently associated with increased likelihood of recurrent falls, after adjusting for major risk factors. There were synergistic effects of diabetes and lower-extremity pain and also diabetes and body mass index levels on the risk of falling (p for interactions <.05). CONCLUSION: Even among disabled older women diabetes is associated with an increased risk of falling, independent of established fall risk factors. In this specific group of older women, pain, high body mass index, and poor lower-extremity performance are powerful predictors of falling.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2004

Effect of medical conditions on improvement in self-reported and observed functional performance of elders.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of nine disabling medical conditions upon recovery from functional limitations by elders. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospective longitudinal cohort. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Persons aged 65 and older in Framingham Heart Study. MEASUREMENTS: Change in function in elders from biennial Examinations 18 (1983-85; baseline) through 23 (1994-96). At each examination, subjects reported limitations in heavy household work, walking up and down stairs, walking half a mile, bathing, toileting, and continence. They were also directly observed for performance of transferring in and out of a chair, dressing, walking 50 feet, and carrying a 10-pound object 10 feet. The prevalence of functional limitations and the incidence of recovery from functional limitation by the subsequent examination for each task were calculated. The effects of congestive heart failure, cognitive impairment, diabetes mellitus, stroke, depressive symptoms, hip fracture, knee pain, claudication, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were evaluated. The relationship between the total number of comorbid conditions present (0, 1, 2, 3 or more), the presence of each individual condition at the start of each examination cycle, and the incidence of recovery from functional limitations were examined using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: One thousand eight hundred twenty-five subjects were studied at baseline; 1,026 were available 10 years later. Mean age of subjects at baseline was 73.5 (range 61-95); 60.7% were women. The prevalence of functional limitations ranged from 3.1% to 29.8% at biennial Examination 18 and increased to 15.1% to 32.4% at Examination 23. The incidence of recovery ranged from 3.2% to 78.4% depending upon the task and the examination cycle. Increasing disease burden, as measured by the number of comorbidities, was associated with a decreased likelihood of recovery from functional limitations. Diabetes mellitus, stroke, depressive symptoms, hip fracture, and knee pain had the strongest adverse effect upon recovery from functional limitations. CONCLUSION: In these community-dwelling elders, recovery from prevalent functional limitations was frequent. Increasing disease burden was associated with a decreased incidence of recovery. Diabetes mellitus, stroke, depressive symptoms, hip fracture, and knee pain had the strongest adverse effect on recovery from functional limitations.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Advancing the taxonomy of disability in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Refinement of the traditional task-based classification of disability is needed to advance the field of disability research and to inform clinical practice. We propose an enhancement of the taxonomy of disability that incorporates information about symptoms and impairments that directly contribute to disability. In the first step of this new development, we present evidence to support five categories of disability related to pain, balance, weakness, endurance, and other symptoms. METHODS: The Women's Health and Aging Study, begun in 1992, was a population-based study of older disabled women living in the Eastern region of Baltimore and surrounds. In-home examinations were conducted every 6 months for 3 years. During the second examination, the 879 participants were asked the main symptom cause of their disability for each activity with which they had difficulty. Symptom causes of disability in activities of daily living were grouped into five nonmutually exclusive categories as stated above. Descriptive analyses were used to compare groups according to sociodemographic, health, disease, and physical performance information. RESULTS: Women with pain-related disability were younger, more obese, and had high prevalence of widespread pain and symptomatic osteoarthritis. Balance-related disability was related to having an age of 85 years or older, being Caucasian, and poor performance in tests of standing balance and gait. Women with weakness-related disability were older, more often African American and sedentary, had high prevalence of stroke and diabetes, and performed poorly in chair-stands and knee strength tests. Endurance-related disability was associated with low self-rated energy, depressive symptoms, smoking history, and lung and cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed refinement of the taxonomy of disability describes a set of empirically derived symptom and impairment-related disability groupings that have criterion and face validity. Further research about symptom and impairment-related disability in other populations of older persons is warranted.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Activities of daily living function and disability in older adults in a randomized trial of the health enhancement program.

BACKGROUND: Disability in basic activities of daily living (ADLs) implies a loss of independence and increases the risk for hospitalization, nursing home admission, and death. Little is known about ways by which ADL disability can be prevented or reversed. The authors evaluated the efficacy of the Health Enhancement Program in preventing and reducing ADL disability in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: The authors analyzed data from a 12-month, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial of a disability prevention, chronic disease self-management program involving 201 adults aged 70 years and older that was conducted from February 1995 to June 1996 at a senior center in western Washington state. Activities of daily living disability incidence, improvement, and worsening were assessed using intention-to-treat methods. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of ADL disability among those who were not ADL disabled at baseline (n = 56 in the intervention group, n = 57 in the control group) was modestly lower in the intervention group than in the control group at 12 months (14.3% vs 21.3%, p = .466). Cumulative improvement in ADL function among those who reported any ADL disability at baseline (n = 41 in the intervention group, n = 43 in the control group) was greater in the intervention group at 12 months (80.5% vs 46.5%, p = .026). The likelihood for ADL improvement was greater in the intervention group compared with controls at 12 months (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 3.22; p = .020). Cumulative worsening of ADL function was slightly lower in the intervention group at 12 months (18.6% vs 26.5%, p = .237). Intervention participants tended to be at lower risk for ADL worsening (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.38 to 1.30; p = .266) compared with control participants. CONCLUSION: The Health Enhancement Program intervention led to improved ADL functioning in those who were disabled initially and thereby offers a promising strategy for limiting or reversing functional decline in disabled elderly persons.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Musculoskeletal aging.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic conditions associated with musculoskeletal aging contribute to a heavy functional and economic burden for our rapidly aging population. The purpose of this article is to review recent investigations in musculoskeletal epidemiology related to aging. RECENT FINDINGS: Well over half the older adults in the United States report chronic joint symptoms. With the projected growth of the older population in the next 25 years, the number of elders with arthritis is expected to double to 41 million. Accumulating evidence points to large ethnic and racial differences in the prevalence of arthritis. Primary care interventions to improve self-management of arthritis have been developed and tested, although further work in this area is warranted. Progress is being made in other major chronic conditions associated with aging. Research shows that optimal screening for osteoporotic fracture risk will require risk factor information in addition to bone densitometry. Recent findings shed new light on treatments for osteoporosis and musculoskeletal pain. A new field of study is investigating sarcopenia, or skeletal muscle loss, in very old populations. Research to date has uncovered evidence that this disabling condition may be the result of immunologic and hormonal changes related to aging. SUMMARY: Investigations in many areas are contributing to a better understanding of the major chronic conditions that affect the lives of many older adults. However, the surge in the elderly population will require far greater research and intervention efforts to postpone or prevent a huge population burden of disability related to common musculoskeletal problems of old age.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Increased Velocity Exercise Specific to Task (InVEST) training: a pilot study exploring effects on leg power, balance, and mobility in community-dwelling older women.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a dynamic form of weighted vest exercise suitable for home use and designed to enhance muscle power, balance, and mobility. DESIGN: A single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Outpatient exercise research facility situated within an academic long-term care center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one community-dwelling women aged 70 and older with a Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score between 4 and 10 (out of 12). INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized into a progressive resistance-training program using weighted vests for resistance with exercises designed to be specific to mobility tasks and have a component performed at the fastest possible velocity (Increased Velocity Exercise Specific to Task (InVEST), n=11) or a control exercise group (control, n=10), which performed slow-velocity, low-resistance exercise. Both groups exercised three times a week for 12 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Changes in muscle power, balance, and physical performance were compared. RESULTS: In comparison to control group, InVEST group manifested significant improvements (P<.05) in leg power across measurements obtained at 75% to 90% of the one-repetition maximum. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in chair stand and SPPB score from baseline, and the InVEST group showed significant improvements in gait speed and chair stand from baseline (P<.05). InVEST produced significantly greater changes in chair stand time than control (P<.05). CONCLUSION: InVEST training appears be an effective means of enhancing leg power and chair rise in this population and is worthy of further investigation as a means of enhancing balance and mobility.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Risks for frequent antimicrobial-treated infections in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults. Little is known about factors that alter the susceptibility to infection in the older population. This study in postmenopausal women examines health-related conditions and behavioral factors that may increase the risk of frequent infections, defined as having, on average, one or more infections per year. METHODS: A prospective cohort study with 5 years of follow-up was conducted in 1320 women aged 55 to 80 years. The subjects were Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC) enrollees screened for a large fracture prevention trial who also participated in a survey of dietary and supplemental vitamin use. The main outcome, total number of infection events per subject, was derived from a new method of identifying outpatient infections based on the antimicrobial prescription fills recorded in GHC automated pharmacy records. RESULTS: Prevalent lung disease (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 2.8-13.4), receiving a prescription for vitamin C (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.4-3.4), and the second and third tertiles of the Chronic Disease Score (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.7 and OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.5-3.9, respectively) were associated with 5 or more antimicrobial-treated infections during follow-up. A body mass index (BMI) of less than 22 kg/m2 (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.0) was suggestive of an association. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides new information on risk factors for outpatient infections and raises new questions regarding the susceptibility to frequent infections in older women. In addition, the automated pharmacy record method used in this study offers a low-cost alternative for use in future epidemiologic research.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

A comparison of leg power and leg strength within the InCHIANTI study: which influences mobility more?

BACKGROUND: In a clinical study evaluating the functioning of mobility-limited elders, muscle power accounted for more of the variation in function than strength did. There was also evidence that the power-function relationship may be described as curvilinear. However, these findings have never been confirmed in a representative population. METHODS: An analysis was conducted using data from the InCHIANTI study, a population-based cohort of 1032 adults living in Italy. To assess the relationships between impairments in power and strength and mobility performance, we created separate multivariate linear and log-transformed regression models as well as separate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Subjects were age > or = 65 years, predominantly female (54%), with a mean age of 74.2 years, and most had mild-moderate mobility limitations (Short Physical Performance Battery score 10.5 +/- 2.1). Though leg extension power and isometric hip extension strength were closely associated, in several separate multivariate linear regression models, leg power consistently explained more of the variance than strength did in several measures of physical performance. Differences were even larger when observed in curvilinear models of power and strength. Using separate multivariate logistic regression models to examine the odds ratios for mobility limitations in persons with low muscle power versus high muscle power, and in persons with low muscle strength versus high muscle strength, we found that both factors influenced risk for mobility limitations, but low power was associated with a 2-3-fold greater likelihood than low strength. CONCLUSION: These findings identified muscle power to be a more influential proximal determinant of physical performance than impairments in strength and emphasized muscle power as an important determinant of mobility skills in older adults.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Disabling symptoms: what do older women report?.

OBJECTIVE: To answer the question, "What do older disabled women report as the main symptoms causing their disability?" DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 876 women aged 65 and older who participated in the second interview of the Women's Health and Aging Study, a longitudinal study of community-living women, representing the one third of older women with at least mild to moderate disability. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Women were asked to identify the symptom and the condition that was the main cause of disability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and lower extremity mobility. Musculoskeletal pain symptoms were reported as the main cause of disability by at least one third of women with each type of disability. Other symptoms that were less frequently reported as main causes of disability were weakness, fatigue, and unsteadiness. Fear of falls was reported by 14% (95% confidence interval, 11.2% to 17.6%) of 472 women with disability in bathing. When asked to report on the main condition causing their disability, many women responded, "old age" or "no specific disease," but were able to identify symptoms causing their disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal pain was the most common cause of disability reported by older women, followed by weakness and balance difficulties. Greater attention to symptoms that interfere with daily activities of older persons may reduce the burden of disability.

Activities of Daily Living↗