Physical frailty and health outcomes of fitness, hormones, psychological and disability in institutionalized older women: an exploratory association study.

Little is known about symptoms associated with frailty in institutionalized Portuguese older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association of frailty with diverse geriatric health characteristics. Cross-sectional data from 140 women aged between 75 and 85 years were analyzed. Data were collected between March and June, 2016. Fried's definition of physical frailty, psychological, sex hormones, disability and physical fitness outcomes were examined. The prevalence of frailty was 40%. Frail women had lower scores in cognitive and physical fitness, and higher scores for depressive symptoms and comorbidities. Significant correlations emerged between frailty and disability, fear of falling, aerobic resistance and cognition. Regression analyses and Receiver Operating Only aerobic resistance (sensitivity [93-96%]; specificity [74-77%], p = .001) and cognition (sensitivity [77-88%]; specificity [65-71%], p < .001) remained in the equation as independently related to physical frailty. A trend of significant differences in lower systolic blood pressure may reflect being less physically active and/or having more systemic comorbidity. Fried's model can be considered applicable. The 2-minute step test and the Mini Mental State Examination could better identify frail populations. The role of blood pressure and level of education in physical frailty status needs to be further explored.

Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Continuous Training on Galectin-3 Gene Expression in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Galectin-3 is a pro-inflammatory biomarker associated with the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF). Physical-activity reduces the risk of heart-failure by modification of inflammation and fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) versus moderate-intensity aerobic continuous training on a predictive factor of HF in postmenopausal women. Thirty sedentary postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group performed the HIIT program at 60%-90%, and the second group performed an exercise program at 50%-65% of HR reserve. The control group maintained their normal daily regular physical activity level. The gene expressions of galectin-3 and lipid profiles were measured at the baseline and the end of Week 8. The HIIT and moderate-intensity aerobic continuous training attenuated the gene expression of galectin-3, serum low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations and enhanced high-density lipoprotein concentrations. These changes were considerably higher in the HIIT group. Our results show that HIIT is superior to moderate-intensity aerobic continuous training in improving the decrease in HF risk in postmenopausal women.

Physical frailty and cognitive status over-60 age populations: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyse the magnitude of the effect-size of the cognitive status of populations over 60 years of age, when comparing nonfrail versus pre-frail and nonfrail versus frail subgroups. A systematic review of prospective studies published from 2000 to 2017 was completed in Medline, B-on, Ebsco, Ebsco Health, Scielo, ERIC, LILACS and Sport discus databases and observational, cohort and cross-sectional studies were selected. The Mini-Mental State Examination to screening cognitive status and the Fried phenotype for assess physical frailty state was used as clinical outcomes. After applying additional search criteria, 14 manuscripts (26,798 old participants) were selected from an initial universe of 1681 identified. When comparing the scores of cognitive status of the participants who were non-frail (n = 12,729, 47.4%) versus pre-frail (n = 11,559, 43.2%) and non-frail versus frail (n = 2452, 9.4%) subgroups, significant statistical differences were found for both comparisons (M ±â€¯SD = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.50-0.62, p < 0.001 and M ±â€¯SD = 3.43, 95%CI: 2.26-4.60, p < 0.001, respectively). It is clear that poor cognitive function is strongly closed associated with pre-frailty and frailty subgroups in older populations around the world.

Comportamento da pressão arterial em homens pré-hipertensos participantes em um programa regular de natação / Blood pressure behaviour in pre-hypertensive men engaged in a regular swimming program / Comportamiento de la presión arterial después de la práctica de natación en hombres pre-hipertensos

INTRODUÇÃO: A natação tem sido recomendada como tipo de atividade física para a prevenção, tratamento e controle da hipertensão arterial. OBJETIVO: Analisar os efeitos da prática regular de natação sobre a pressão arterial de adultos pré-hipertensos. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi composta por 36 homens pré-hipertensos divididos em dois grupos: Experimental - GE (n=24, 40,60±9,36 anos) e Controle - GC (n=12, 40,57±8,05 anos). O GE realizou um programa regular de natação, com três sessões semanais de 45 min, durante 12 semanas, enquanto o GC não alterou seus hábitos alimentares e permaneceu sem praticar atividade física no período. O procedimento estatístico utilizado para verificar as diferenças entre as médias antes e depois de 12 semanas do programa regular de natação foi o teste-t de Student. O estudo admitiu o nível de p < 0.05 para a significância estatística. RESULTADOS: O grupo GE apresentou diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas variáveis analisadas quando comparadas com o GC, tanto na pressão arterial sistólica, PAS (Δ = - 5,89 mmHg, p = 0,00), como na pressão arterial diastólica, PAD (Δ = - 5,15mmHg, p = 0,00). CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados mostram que um programa regular de natação provoca reduções significativas na pressão arterial em repouso em homens pré-hipertensos. .

INTRODUCTION: Swimming as a modality of physical activity that has been recommended for preventing, controlling and treating arterial hypertension. OBJECTIVE: To verify the persistent effects of a regular swimming program on pre-hypertensive adults on arterial pressure levels. METHODS: The sample was constituted of 36 pre-hypertense individuals who were divided into two groups: experimental - GE (n=24, 40.60 ± 9.36 years old) and control - GC (n=12, 40.57 ± 8.05 years old. GE individuals took part in a regular swimming programme consisting of three forty-five training sessions weekly (ST) for 12 weeks, whereas GC individuals were instructed not to alter their nutritional habits and did not practice any physical activity during the experiment. The Student t-test was used as statistical procedure to analyze the differences between the average indexes recorded before and after the 12-weeks regular swimming program. The study admitted a level statistical significance at p < 0.05 for. RESULTS: The results led to the conclusion that experimental group presented a statistically significant difference for the analyzed variables when compared to Control group. There was an important reduction of systolic blood pressure, SBP(Δ = - 5,89 mmHg, p = 0,00), and also of diastolic blood pressure, DBP (Δ = - 5,15mmHg, p = 0,00). CONCLUSION: The results showed that a regular swimming program leads to a significant decrease in resting blood pressure values of pre-hypertensive men. .

INTRODUCCIÓN: La natación ha sido recomendada como un tipo de actividad física para la prevención, tratamiento y control la de hipertensión arterial. OBJETIVO: Analizar los efectos de la práctica regular de natación sobre la presión arterial de adultos prehipertensos. MÉTODOS: La muestra se ha compuesto por 36 hombres con prehipertensión delineados en dos grupos: experimental - GE (n=24, 40,60±9,36 años) y Control - GC (n=12, 40,57±8,05 años). El GE realizó un programa regular de natación, con tres sesiones semanales, duración de 45 minutos, durante 12 semanas, mientras que el GC no cambió los hábitos alimenticios y permaneció sin realizar actividad física en el período. El procedimiento estadístico utilizado para averiguar las diferencias entre los promedios antes y después de 12 semanas del programa regular de natación fue el test t de Student. El estudio admitió el nivel de p< 0.05 para la significancia estadística. RESULTADOS: El grupo GE presentó diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las variables analizadas, cuando comparadas con el GC, tanto en la presión arterial sistólica, PAS (Δ = - 5,89 mmHg, p = 0,00) como en la presión arterial diastólica, PAD (Δ = - 5,15mmHg, p = 0,00). CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados muestran que un programa regular de natación provoca reducciones significativas en la presión arterial en reposo en hombres prehipertensos. .

Diferenças em populações de células exterminadoras naturais (Natural Killers-NK) sanguíneas periféricas entre atletas de caiaque e não atletas / Differences in peripheral blood Natural Killer cell populations between elite kayakers and non-athletes

INTRODUÇÃO: O exercício estressante prolongado tem sido associado a uma depressão transitória da função imune, com rotinas de treinamento e competição intensas e prolongadas capazes de levar os atletas a uma deficiência imune. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi observar se o treinamento cr ônico foi capaz de produzir diferenças sustentáveis no sangue periférico (SP) subpopulações de leucócitos (LEU, granulócitos, monócitos, linfócitos totais, linfócitos B e T, e células CD4+ e CD8+T e células natural killers) de atletas de caiaque de elite quando comparados com não atletas. MÉTODOS: A amostra incluiu 13 homens atletas de caiaque de elite, 20 ± 3 anos, 75,0kg ± 7,9 peso e 177,3 ± 7,1 cm estatura. O VO2max foi 58,3 ± 7,8mL.kg.min-1. O grupo de não atletas incluiu sete homens saudáveis, idade 18 ± 1 ano de idade, 81,3 ± 13,8Kg de peso corporal e 171,9 ± 4,5cm de estatura. As amostras de sangue dos atletas foram coletadas no início da temporada de treinamento, após um período fora do treinamento de seis semanas. Populações de células sanguíneas periféricas foram identificadas por análise de citometria de fluxo. Para identificar as diferenças entre os grupos de atletas e não atletas, o teste U de Mann-Whitney foi utilizado. RESULTADOS: N ão foram identificadas diferenças entre os atletas de caiaque treinados e não atletas em repouso, exceto para células natural killers (CD3-CD56+) e os valores da subpopulação CD3-CD56+CD8+ os quais foram mais baixos nos atletas. CONCLUSÃO: Nosso estudo encontrou que, após um período prolongado sem treinamento (seis semanas), somente a população de NK CD3-CD56+ e, em especial, a subpopulação de altamente citotóxica CD3-CD56+CD8+ apresentou níveis mais baixos nos atletas de elite quando comparados com os homens destreinados.

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged strenuous exercise has been associated with a transient depression of immune function, with prolonged intense training schedules and competition able to lead to immune impairment in athletes. OBJETIVE: The objective of this study was to see if chronic training was able to produce sustained differences in the peripheral blood (PB) leukocyte subpopulations (WBC, granulocytes, monocytes, total lymphocytes, B and T lymphocytes, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and Natural Killer cells) of elite kayakers when compared to non-athletes. METHODS: The sample comprised 13 elite male kayakers, 20 ± 3 years old, 75.0 kg ±7.9 weight and 177.3±7.1 cm stature. The VO2max was 58.3±7.8 mL.kg.min-1. The Non-athlete group comprised 7 health males, aged 18±1 years old, 81.3±13.8 kg of weight and 171.9±4.5cm stature. The athlete's blood samples were collected at the beginning of the training season, after an off period of six weeks of training. Peripheral blood cell populations were identified by flow cytometry analysis. To verify the differences between the athlete and non-athlete groups the Mann-Whitney U Test was used. RESULTS: No differences between the trained kayakers and the non-athletes were found at rest except for Natural Killer cells (CD3-CD56+) and the CD3-CD56+CD8+ subset values that were lower in the athletes. CONCLUSION: Our study found that after a prolonged time without training (six weeks) only the NK CD3-CD56+ population and particularly the highly cytotoxic CD3-CD56+CD8+ subpopulation had lower levels in the elite athletes when compared to the untrained men.