Effect of Physical Activity on Frailty: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
Frailty, a state of increased vulnerability to stressor events, confers a high risk for surgical complications, morbidity, disability, and mortality in older adults (19). Presently, no universally accepted consensus definition of frailty exists (7, 10). However, Ensrud and colleagues (2) proposed a frailty index based on data from the SOF (Study of Osteoporotic Fractures). This widely used index measures frailty on the basis of 2 or more of the following criteria: the inability to rise from a chair 5 times without using the arms, a self-reported reduced energy level, and weight loss. Emerging evidence suggests that exercise-based interventions may improve physical functioning and prevent disability in frail older persons (1113). Yet, to date, no large randomized trial has examined whether long-term physical activity reduces the risk for frailty over an extended follow-up or prevents associated mobility disability. The main findings from the LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) trial showed that a structured, moderate-intensity physical activity program reduced major mobility disability (MMD) over 2.7 years among older adults at risk for disability (14). Because frailty status was not examined in the primary LIFE study findings, whether long-term physical activity may also prevent MMD in frail older persons remains unknown. To address the limitations of previous research, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from the LIFE trial to specifically…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 24 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Chaos and quantum thermalization
- The Dalton quantum chemistry program system
- Cord Blood Leptin and Adiponectin as Predictors of Adiposity in Children at 3 Years of Age: A Prospective Cohort Study
- Quantitative metabolomics by H-NMR and LC-MS/MS confirms altered metabolic pathways in diabetes
- Stable adiabatic quantum batteries
- A novel self-lipid antigen targets human T cells against CD1c(+) leukemias
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.