Midlife Physical Activity Preserves Lower Extremity Function in Older Adults: Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (original) (raw)

2013, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

OBJECTIVES-To examine the long-term association between mid-life physical activity (PA) and lower extremity function (LEF) in late-life. DESIGN-A longitudinal study with an average of 25 years of follow up. PARTICIPANTS-A large community-based population of 4753 men and women (mean age 76±6 yrs) residing in Reykjavik, Iceland. MEASUREMENTS-On the basis of weekly hours of regular PA reported at the mid-life examination, participants were classified as "Active" and "Inactive". Measures of LEF in late-life included gait speed from 6m walk (meter per second, m/s), Timed Up and Go (TUG, second), and Knee Extension (KE) strength (kg) tests. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association. RESULTS-Participants who were active in mid-life had significantly better LEF (faster gait speed,, β = 0.05, p ≤ 0.001; faster TUG time, β = −0.53, p ≤ 0.001; stronger KE strength, β = 1.3, p ≤ 0.001) in late-life compared with those who were not active in mid-life, after adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. After adjustment for cognitive function in late life (speed of processing, memory, and executive function), participants who were active in mid-life still had significantly faster gait speed (β = 0.04, p ≤ 0.001), faster TUG time (β = −0.34, p ≤ 0.001), and greater KE strength (β = 0.87, p ≤ 0.001) in old age compared with those who were not active in mid-life.