The interaction between Mediterranean diet and intestinal microbiome: relevance for preventive strategies against frailty in older individuals.

Age-related changes in intestinal microbiome composition and function are increasingly recognized as pivotal in the pathophysiology of aging and are associated with the aging phenotype. Diet is a major determinant of gut-microbiota composition throughout the entire lifespan, and several of the benefits of a healthy diet in aging could be mediated by the microbiome. Mediterranean diet (MD) is a traditional dietary pattern regarded as the healthy diet paradigm, and a large number of studies have demonstrated its benefits in promoting healthy aging. MD has also a positive modulatory effect on intestinal microbiome, favoring bacterial taxa involved in the synthesis of several bioactive compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), that counteract inflammation, anabolic resistance, and tissue degeneration. Intervention studies conducted in older populations have suggested that the individual response of older subjects to MD, in terms of reduction of frailty scores and amelioration of cognitive function, is significantly mediated by the gut-microbiota composition and functionality. In this context, the pathophysiology of intestinal microbiome in aging should be considered when designing MD-based interventions tailored to the needs of geriatric patients.

Multifaceted well-being experienced by community dwelling older adults engaged in volunteering activities of frailty prevention in Japan.

AIM: This study aims to elucidate what volunteering activities mean for older adults in Japan by analyzing their emotions and evaluations from hedonic (e.g., happiness), eudaimonic (e.g., self-growth), and social (e.g., social coherence) well-being. METHODS: The qualitative research was conducted to describe the subjective experience of older adults' volunteering activities (frailty checkups) in the community-setting. Eight older adults were interviewed about their experiences during these activities. The interview data were analyzed from two assumption frameworks: first, three aspects of well-being, and second, timeframes of well-being, during the activity, medium-term, and long-term. Previous studies have not focused on the polysemy or the timeframe of well-being. RESULTS: Our results showed that hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being are not independent, but overlap. Furthermore, even if older adults experience certain emotions at a point of time, they may change in the long term. This implies that it is important to analyze older adults' feelings and experiences from not only one aspect but from different perspectives and measure their feelings not just at a particular moment but in the long term. This is the first empirical study to examine qualitatively the holistic experiences of well-being among older adults who volunteer. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this study is unique in that it attempted to associate empirically the experiences of older adults during volunteering with their general psychological status of well-being. These findings could help make volunteering activities more meaningful for older adults and create or promote an active community. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 273-278.

Effects of China's Clean Air Act on Frailty Levels Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Population-Based Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is a frailty risk factor, yet the frailty-related health benefits of China's air pollution control policy, the Clean Air Action (CCAA), are unclear. Frailty progression and transitions differ among robust, prefrail, and frail adults. This study aimed to evaluate the CCAA's effect on frailty levels among robust, prefrail, and frail Chinese adults. METHODS: Using propensity score matching with difference-in-differences analysis, we studied 9 788 adults aged ≥45 from the 2011 and 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The Frailty Index (FI), summarizing 32 health deficits, quantifies frailty level (range: 0-1 scores). Frailty was defined as FI ≥ 0.25, prefrailty as FI 0.10-0.25, and robust as FI ≤ 0.10. We examined frailty transitions between these states (robust, prefrail, and frail) from 2011 to 2018. Based on provincial particulate matter reduction targets, participants were assigned to intervention (>10% reduction) or control (≤10%) groups and categorized as robust, prefrail, or frail pre-CCAA implementation. RESULTS: The CCAA significantly reduced FI scores among preimplementation robust individuals by 0.0205 and among prefrail individuals by 0.0114, with no significant changes in frail individuals. Frailty transition analyses confirmed specific benefits of the CCAA, which significantly reduced worsening from robust to prefrail or frail by 7.0% and prefrail to frail by 3.9%. However, it did not facilitate the improvement from frail to prefrail/robust or from prefrail back to robust. No significant subgroup differences were observed across age, gender, Hukou, education, and social participation. CONCLUSIONS: CCAA has been associated with a reduction in frailty deterioration in robust and prefrail populations.

Association between adherence to the Nordic diet and frailty in older adults: A systematic review of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: The Nordic or Baltic Sea diet is a healthy plant-based dietary pattern composed of foods originating from Nordic countries, closely related to the Mediterranean diet. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been found to be associated with a reduced risk of frailty. Although adherence to the Nordic diet has been associated with health benefits, little is known about its association with frailty. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the evidence from observational studies regarding the association between the Nordic/Baltic Sea diet and frailty among older adults. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Three databases (Medline/Ovid, Embase/Ovid, and Scopus) were systematically searched in February 2023 for observational studies examining the association between adherence to the Nordic diet and frailty among adults ≥60 years. The two authors independently assessed the full text of the papers for eligibility of studies and risk of bias. RESULTS: Three studies (the results of which were reported across 6 papers) met the inclusion criteria, among which one study (2 papers) included only women. Greater adherence to the Nordic diet was associated with a reduced risk of frailty measured by modified Fried criteria in women (one study). Moreover, greater adherence to the Nordic diet was associated with improved muscle (handgrip/leg) strength (one study) and physical performance (two studies), but these differences were seen only in women, with no significant results in men in two studies. Greater adherence to the Nordic diet was also associated with a lower risk of mobility limitations and improved ability to carry out self-care tasks (one study) and a borderline non-significant difference in Activities of Daily Living (one study). A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogenous outcomes. Although all studies were of good quality, the results should be carefully interpreted due to methodological limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the Nordic diet could be promising in reducing frailty risk, but more robust studies with equal gender representation and frailty-specific outcomes are needed.

A Judo-Based Exercise Program to Reduce Falls and Frailty Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the feasibility (including recruitment, safety and adherence) and the effects of a twice weekly supervised Judo-based exercise program over eight weeks on mobility, balance, physical performance, quality of life, fear of falling and physical activity (including by frailty status) in community-dwelling older people aged ≥65 years. DESIGN: Pre-post study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17 participants (mean age 74.3±6.2; range 66-87 years; 76.5% female). INTERVENTION: A Judo-based exercise program conducted twice weekly for 60 minutes per session over eight weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Pre and post assessments included the Timed Up and Go (TUG); the Berg Balance Scale (BBS); the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB); the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36); the Falls Efficiency Scale International (FES-I); and an ActivPal accelerometer to measure participants' physical activity. RESULTS: Most participants had low (≤3) Charlson's Comorbidity Index scores (n=17, 100%), were well nourished (n=16, 94.1%), not sarcopenic (n=16, 94.1%), and not cognitively impaired (n=13, 76.5%), anxious or depressed (n=14, 82.4%). Ten participants (58.8%) were non-frail and seven were pre-frail (41.2%). Significant improvements (p<0.05) were seen for mobility (TUG), balance (BBS) and physical performance (SPPB). Pre-frail participants showed greater improvement in mobility (TUG) than non-frail participants (p=0.020). No changes (p≥0.05) were seen in quality of life, fear of falling, or physical activity. Participants' adherence (i.e., attending sessions) was high (i.e., ≥81.2%). No serious adverse events or withdrawals were reported. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the eight week Judo-based exercise program can be delivered safely to older adults aged ≥65 years, including those at-risk of frailty, as long as there is close supervision with individualisation of the program in response to emergent health symptoms and the program is conducted on requisite Judo mats. This Judo-based exercise program is effective in improving physical function with potential to prevent falls and frailty risk.

Roles of Baseline Intrinsic Capacity and its Subdomains on the Overall Efficacy of Multidomain Intervention in Promoting Healthy Aging among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Analysis from a Nationwide Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Impaired intrinsic capacity (IC), which affects approximately 90% of older adults, is associated with a significantly heightened risk of frailty and cognitive decline. Existing evidence suggests that multidomain interventions have the potential to enhance cognitive performance and yield positive effects on physical frailty. OBJECTIVE: To examine roles of baseline IC and its subdomains on the efficacy of multidomain interventions in promoting healthy aging in older adults. DESIGN: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 1,054 community-dwelling older adults from 40 community-based clusters across Taiwan. INTERVENTION: A 12-month pragmatic multidomain intervention of exercise, cognitive training, nutritional counseling and chronic condition management. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline IC was measured by 5 subdomains, including cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA), sensory (visual and hearing impairment), vitality (handgrip strength or Mini-Nutritional Assessment-short form), psychological well-being (Geriatric Depression Scale-5), and locomotion (6m gait speed). Outcomes of interest were cognitive performance (MoCA scores) and physical frailty (CHS frailty score) over a follow-up period of 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Of all participants (mean age:75.1±6.4 years, 68.6% female), about 90% participants had IC impairment at baseline (2.0±1.2 subdomains). After covariate adjustment using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the multidomain intervention significantly prevented cognitive declines and physical frailty, particularly in those with IC impairment ≥ 3 subdomains (MoCA: coefficient: 1.909, 95% CI: 0.736 ~ 3.083; CHS frailty scores: coefficient = -0.405, 95% CI: -0.715 ~ -0.095). To assess the associations between baseline poor capacity in each IC subdomain and MoCA/CHS frailty scores over follow-up, a 3-way interaction terms (time*intervention*each poorer IC subdomains) were added to GLMM models. Significant improvements in MoCA scores were shown for participants with poorer baseline cognition (coefficient= 1.138, 95% CI: 0.080 ~ 2.195) and vitality domains (coefficient= 1.651, 95% CI: 0.541 ~ 2.760). The poor vitality domain also had a significant modulating effect on the reduction of CHS frailty score after the 6- and 12-month intervention period (6 months: coefficient= -0.311, 95% CI: -0.554 ~ -0.068; 12 months: coefficient= -0.257, 95% CI: -0.513 ~ -0.001). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: A multidomain intervention in community-dwelling older adults improves cognitive decline and physical frailty, with its effectiveness influenced by baseline IC, highlighting the importance of personalized strategies for healthy aging.

Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the risk of frailty and falling: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Due to inconclusive evidence from observational studies regarding the impact of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior on frailty and falling risk, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal associations between PA, sedentary behavior, and frailty and falls. METHODS: We extracted summary data from genome-wide association studies conducted among individuals of European ancestry, encompassing PA (n = 90 667-608 595), sedentary behavior (n = 372 609-526 725), frailty index (n = 175 226), and falling risk (n = 451 179). Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with accelerometer assessed fraction >425 milligravities, self-reported vigorous activity, moderate to vigorous physical acticity (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST), and sedentary behavior at work were taken as instrumental variables. The causal effects were primarily estimated using inverse variance weighted methods, complemented by several sensitivity and validation analyses. RESULTS: Genetically predicted higher levels of PA were significantly associated with a reduction in the frailty index (accelerometer assessed fraction >425 milligravities: ß = -0.25, 95% CI = -0.36 to -0.14, p = 1.27 × 10-5 ; self-reported vigorous activity: ß = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.20 to -0.05, p = 7.9 × 10-4 ; MVPA: ß = -0.28, 95% CI = -0.40 to -0.16, p = 9.9 × 10-6 ). Besides, LST was significantly associated with higher frailty index (ß = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.14-0.22, p = 5.2 × 10-20 ) and higher odds of falling (OR = 1.13, CI = 1.07-1.19, p = 6.9 × 10-6 ). These findings remained consistent throughout sensitivity and validation analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our study offers evidence supporting a causal relationship between PA and a reduced risk of frailty. Furthermore, it underscores the association between prolonged LST and an elevated risk of frailty and falls. Therefore, promoting PA and reducing sedentary behavior may be an effective strategy in primary frailty and falls prevention.

Summary of best evidence for prevention and management of frailty.

BACKGROUND: Frailty in older people can seriously affect their quality of life and increase the demand for long-term care and health care expenses. Aims of this study are to provide an evidence-based basis for clinical practice of frailty in older people by systematically searching for the best current evidence on interventions for the prevention and management of frailty. METHODS: According to the '6S' evidence resource model, evidence retrieval is searched from the top-down and collected relevant guidelines, best practices, evidence summaries, systematic reviews and expert consensus. The retrieval time limit was from the database establishment to 20 March 2023. Two reviewers independently screened and evaluated the literature, and then extracted and summarised the evidence according to the JBI grading of evidence and recommendation system. RESULTS: A total of 44 publications were finally included, including 12 guidelines, 5 best practices, 4 expert consensus, 5 evidence summaries and 18 systematic reviews. Through the induction and integration of the evidence, the evidence was finally summarised from eight aspects: frailty screening, frailty assessment, exercise intervention, nutrition intervention, multi-domain intervention, drug administration, social support and health education, and 43 best evidences were formed. CONCLUSIONS: This study summarised the best evidence for the prevention and management of frailty from eight aspects, which can provide guidance for clinical or community medical staff to develop and apply frailty intervention and practice programmes for older people and improved the clinical outcome and quality of life of older people.

Mediterranean diet associated with lower frailty risk: A large cohort study of 21,643 women admitted to hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Mediterranean diet is traditionally considered as a healthy dietary pattern, while its association with frailty has not been confirmed. This study investigated associations between Mediterranean diet and risk of frailty among women admitted to hospitals in England from an older-aged women's cohort study. METHODS: A modified Mediterranean diet was evaluated from a validated 217-item food frequency questionnaire. Incident frailty was determined using a hospital frailty risk score based on linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics up to March 2019. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Further subgroup analyses stratified by age and body mass index (BMI), and sensitivity analyses were additionally explored. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 13 years, there were 14,838 (68.6%) cases of frailty out of 21,643 individuals included in this study. Compared with low adherence to Mediterranean diet, moderate adherence was associated with 5% (HR = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.91, 0.99) lower risk of frailty, with high adherence associated with even lower risk (HR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.85, 0.94). The magnitude of above associations remained consistent in subgroups stratified by age and BMI, except the association between moderate adherence and risk of frailty was attenuated in the ≥60-year (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.93, 1.06) and the BMI > 24.9 kg/m2 (HR = 0.97, 95%CI: 0.91, 1.03) subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with lower risk of frailty. The better the adherence, the greater the magnitude of the protective association. Older and overweight women may potentially benefit from greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet regarding frailty prevention.

Measuring the effects of a nurse-led intervention on frailty status of older people living in the community in Ethiopia: A protocol for a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: The recent recognition of the multidimensional features of frailty has emphasised the need for individualised multicomponent interventions. In the context of sub-Saharan Africa, few studies have examined: a) the frailty status of the older population; b) the level of frailty and its health implications and; c) the impact of a nurse-led intervention to reduce frailty. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to design, implement, and evaluate a nurse-led intervention to reduce frailty and associated health consequences among older people living in Ethiopia. METHODS: The study will be conducted on 68 older persons using a pre-, post-, and follow-up single-group quasi-experimental design. Residents of Ethiopia, ≥60 years and living in the community will be invited to participate in a 24-week program designed to decrease frailty and associated health consequences. Data will be collected at three-time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 12 weeks post-intervention. To determine the effect of the intervention, changes in frailty, nutritional status, activities of daily living, depression and quality of life scores will be measured. To measure the effect of a nurse-led intervention on the level of frailty among older people a generalised linear model (GLM) using repeated measures ANOVA will be used. Statistical significances will be set at p-values < 0.05. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will determine the impact of a nurse-led intervention to reduce frailty amongst community-dwelling older people living in Ethiopia. The results of this study will inform the development of future interventions designed to reduce frailty in lower-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier of NCT05754398.

Protein and Exercise to Reverse Frailty in Older Men and Women Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Design of the PERFORM-TAVR Trial.

Despite the high procedural success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), 2 out of 5 older adults report poor physical performance and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the ensuing months, particularly those with frailty. There has yet to be a trial examining the synergistic effects of exercise and protein supplementation to counteract frailty and improve patient-centred outcomes following TAVR. The PERFORM-TAVR trial is a multicentre parallel-group randomised clinical trial that is enrolling 200 frail older adults ≥ 70 years of age undergoing TAVR. Patients will be randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups: standard-of-care lifestyle education (control group) or protein-rich oral nutritional supplement for 4 weeks before TAVR with the addition of home-based supervised exercise sessions for 12 weeks after TAVR (intervention group). The primary outcome will be physical performance as measured by a blinded observer using the Short Physical Performance Battery at 3 months. Secondary outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months will include HRQOL, as measured by the Short-Form 36 Physical and Mental Component summary scores, and a composite safety end point. The PERFORM-TAVR trial is testing a novel frailty intervention in older adults undergoing TAVR to optimise recovery and downstream HRQOL. This represents a potential paradigm shift that highlights the value of assessing and treating patients' frailty in parallel with their underlying heart valve disease. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03522454.

Holistic frailty prevention: The promise of movement-based mind-body therapies.

Aging is characterized by fundamental cellular and molecular hallmarks that result in physiologic decline of most body systems. This may culminate in frailty, a state of decreased reserve. Because frailty is a state of multisystem dysregulation, multimodal interventions may be necessary to mitigate and prevent progression rather than interventions targeting a single system. Movement-based mind-body therapies, such as tai chi and yoga, are promising multimodal strategies for frailty prevention and treatment given their inherent multicomponent nature. In this review, we summarize the links between hallmarks of aging and frailty and how tai chi and yoga may impact these hallmarks. We review trial evidence for the impact of tai chi and yoga on frailty in older populations and discuss opportunities for future research.

[Frailty: Prevention]. / Frailty: Prävention.

The Frailty syndrome is usually related to the aging process and chronological age, but it is not an inevitable consequence of it - at least until the final phase of life. Primary care interventions that promote physical activity and nutrition can prevent the progression from pre-frailty to frailty. This article presents the current state of knowledge on primary and secondary prevention of frailty.

Effect of Multicomponent Intervention on Functional Decline in Chinese Older Adults: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To confirm whether multicomponent exercise following vivifrail recommendations was an effective method for improving physical ability, cognitive function, gait, balance, and muscle strength in Chinese older adults. METHODS: This was a multicenter and randomized clinical trial conducted in Jiangsu, China, from April 2021 to April 2022. Intervention lasted for 12 weeks and 104 older adults with functional declines were enrolled. All participants were randomly assigned to a control (usual care plus health education) or exercise group (usual care plus health education plus exercise). Primary outcomes were the change score of Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and activities of daily living (ADL). The secondary outcomes included instrumental activities of daily living, Tinetti scores, Frailty score, short-form Mini Nutritional Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, the 12-item Short Form Survey, 4-meter gait speed test, 6-min walking distance, grip strength, and body composition analysis. RESULTS: Among the participants, the average age was 85 (82, 88) years. After 12 weeks of follow-up, the exercise group showed a significant improvement in SPPB, with a change of 2 points (95% confidence interval [0, 3.5], P<0.001) compared to control. In contrast, SPPB remained stable in the control group. Compared to the control group, ADL improved in the exercise group, as did instrumental activities of daily living, Tinetti, Frailty, Short Form Survey, 4-meter gait speed test, and 6-min walking distance. Although there was no significant difference between groups in body composition analysis after post-intervention, the exercise group still improved in soft lean mass (P=0.002), fat-free mass (P=0.002), skeletal muscle mass index (P<0.001), fat-free mass index (P=0.004), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (P<0.001), and leg muscle mass (P<0.001), while the control group had no significant increase. No difference was observed in adverse events during trial period. CONCLUSIONS: The multicomponent exercise intervention following vivifrail recommendations is an effective method for older adults with functional decline and can reverse the functional decline and improve gait, balance, and muscle strength. Additionally, the 12-week multicomponent exercise method provides guidance for Chinese medical professionals working in the field of geriatrics and is a promising method to improve physical function in the general population.

Symptomatic and preventive medication use according to age and frailty in Australian and Japanese nursing homes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate symptomatic and preventive medication use according to age and frailty in Australian and Japanese nursing homes (NHs). METHODS: Secondary cross-sectional analyses of two prospective cohort studies involving 12 Australian NHs and four Japanese NHs. Frailty was measured using the FRAIL-NH scale (non-frail 0-2; frail 3-6; most-frail 7-14). Regular medications were classified as symptomatic or preventive based on published lists and expert consensus. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the prevalence and ratio of symptomatic to preventive medications. RESULTS: Overall, 550 Australian residents (87.7 ± 7.3 years; 73.3% females) and 333 Japanese residents (86.5 ± 7.0 years; 73.3% females) were included. Australian residents used a higher mean number of medications than Japanese residents (9.8 ± 4.0 vs 7.7 ± 3.7, p < 0.0001). Australian residents used more preventive than symptomatic medications (5.5 ± 2.5 vs 4.3 ± 2.6, p < 0.0001), while Japanese residents used more symptomatic than preventive medications (4.7 ± 2.6 vs 3.0 ± 2.2, p < 0.0001). In Australia, symptomatic medications were more prevalent with increasing frailty (non-frail 3.4 ± 2.6; frail 4.0 ± 2.6; most-frail 4.8 ± 2.6, p < 0.0001) but less prevalent with age (< 80 years 5.0 ± 2.9; 80-89 years 4.4 ± 2.6; ≥ 90 years 3.9 ± 2.5, p = 0.0042); while preventive medications remained similar across age and frailty groups. In Japan, there was no significant difference in the mean number of symptomatic and preventive medications irrespective of age and frailty. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of symptomatic to preventive medications was higher with increasing frailty but lower with age in Australia; whereas in Japan, the ratio remained consistent across age and frailty groups. Preventive medications remained prevalent in most-frail residents in both cohorts, albeit at lower levels in Japan.

Hybrid Exercise Program Enhances Physical Fitness and Reverses Frailty in Older Adults: Insights and Predictions from Machine Learning.

PURPOSE: The declining physical condition of the older adults is a pressing issue. Wu Qin Xi exercise, despite being low-intensity, is highly effective among older adults. Inspired by its characteristics, we designed a new exercise program for frail older adults, combining strength, endurance, and Wu Qin Xi. Furthermore, we employed machine learning to predict whether frailty can be reversed in older adults after the intervention. METHODS: A total of 181 community-dwelling frail older adults aged 65 years or older participated in this single-center, randomized controlled study, with 54.7% (n=99) being female. The study assessed the effectiveness of several exercise modalities in reversing frailty. The Fried's frailty criterion was used to assess the degree of frailty of the subjects. Participants were assigned a three-digit code 001-163 and randomly assigned (1:1:1) by computer to three different groups based on the study participant number: the Wu Qin Xi group (WQX), the strength exercise mixed with endurance exercise training group (SE), and the WQXSE hybrid exercise group incorporated the above two. Body composition and frailty-related physical fitness factors were measured before and after a 24-week intervention. The measurements included Body height, Body mass, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), grip strength assessment (GS), 6min walk test (6 min WT), and 10 m maximum walk speed (10 m MWS). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to determine group and time interaction effects and machine learning models were used to predict program effectiveness. RESULTS: A total of 163 participants completed the study, with 53.9% (n=88) of them being female. The two items, 10 m maximum walking speed (10 m MWS) and grip strength, were significantly affected by the interaction of group and time. Compared to the other two groups, the WQXSE group showed the most improvement in the item 10 m MWS. In addition, following 24 weeks of training, 68 (41.7%) of the initially frail older adults had reversed their frailty status. Among them, 19 (36.5%) were in the WQX group, 24 (44.4%) were in the WQXSE group, and 25 (43.9%) were in the SE group. The stacking model exhibited superior performance when compared to other algorithms. CONCLUSION: A hybrid exercise regimen comprising the Wu Qin Xi routine and exercises focused on both strength and endurance holds the potential to yield greater improvements in the physical fitness of older adults, as well as reducing frailty. Leveraging a stacking model, it is possible to forecast the likelihood of older adults successfully reversing their frailty status following participation in a prevention exercise program.

Associations between various types of activity and physical frailty in older Japanese: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is known to help prevent physical frailty, but it is not clear which physical activities practiced alone or in combination are most closely associated with a lower risk of physical frailty. We investigated differences in the associations of exercise habit, social participation, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with physical frailty and its components among community-dwelling older Japanese adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 831 older adults participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical frailty was defined based on the Fried et al. criteria. Exercise habit was defined as exercising ≥ 30 min per day for ≥ 2 days per week for ≥ 1 year. Social participation was defined as participating in community activities ≥ 1/week. MVPA was defined as ≥ 300 min/week of moderate physical activity (MPA) or 150 min/week of vigorous physical activity (VPA). We classified the participants into eight groups according to the presence/absence of these activities, and we performed a logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between different activities, both alone and in combination, and physical frailty. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical pre-frailty + frailty was 74.8% in the None group, 65.0% in the Exercise habit group, 76.3% in the Social participation group, 56.5% in the MVPA group, 58.7% in the Exercise habit + Social participation group, 44.0% in the Exercise habit + MVPA group, 41.3% in the Social participation + MVPA group, and 38.0% in the All group. Compared to the None group, the groups in which participants were engaged in any combination of two or more types of activity, as well as the MVPA-alone group had significantly lower risks of physical pre-frailty + frailty. CONCLUSION: Community-dwelling older Japanese adults who engaged in MVPA or any combination of two or more types of physical activity as defined herein had lower risks of physical pre-frailty and frailty.

Frailty-Preventing Effect of an Intervention Program Using a Novel Complete Nutritional "COMB-FP Meal": A Pilot Randomized Control Trial.

Frailty is a huge concern for the aging population, and dietary nutrition is considered a key factor in the prevention of aging. To solve the problem of frailty in the aging population, we developed a novel dietary intervention program using a novel COMpletely Balanced for Frailty Prevention (COMB-FP) meal, based on the Dietary Reference Intake for Japanese; in addition, we conducted a pilot randomized control trial comparing an exercise program only (control group) with exercise plus the COMB-FP meal program (test group). We included 110 male and female healthy volunteers with pre-frailty or frailty; the trial lasted for 12 weeks. Two daily meals were replaced with the COMB-FP meals during the trial in the test group. Walking speed and cognitive function were significantly improved in the test group compared with the control group. We observed a similar pattern in other frailty-related outcomes, such as occupancy of the microbiome, World Health Organization well-being index (WHO-5), and oxidative stress. Our study might indicate the importance of a well-balanced intake of nutrients for frailty prevention.

Recent developments in frailty identification, management, risk factors and prevention: A narrative review of leading journals in geriatrics and gerontology.

Frailty is an age-related clinical condition characterised by an increased susceptibility to stressors and an elevated risk of adverse outcomes such as mortality. In the light of global population ageing, the prevalence of frailty is expected to soar in coming decades. This narrative review provides critical insights into recent developments and emerging practices in frailty research regarding identification, management, risk factors, and prevention. We searched journals in the top two quartiles of geriatrics and gerontology (from Clarivate Journal Citation Reports) for articles published between 01 January 2018 and 20 December 2022. Several recent developments were identified, including new biomarkers and biomarker panels for frailty screening and diagnosis, using artificial intelligence to identify frailty, and investigating the altered response to medications by older adults with frailty. Other areas with novel developments included exercise (including technology-based exercise), multidimensional interventions, person-centred and integrated care, assistive technologies, analysis of frailty transitions, risk-factors, clinical guidelines, COVID-19, and potential future treatments. This review identified a strong need for the implementation and evaluation of cost-effective, community-based interventions to manage and prevent frailty. Our findings highlight the need to better identify and support older adults with frailty and involve those with frailty in shared decision-making regarding their care.