Search

OBJECTIVE Lifestyle intervention is recommended as first-line treatment of diabetes at all ages; however, little is known about the efficacy of lifestyle intervention in older adults with diabetes. We aimed to determine whether lifestyle intervention would improve glycemic control and age-relevant outcomes in older adults with diabetes and comorbidities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 100 older adults with diabetes were randomly assigned to 1-year intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) (diet and exercise at a facility transitioned into community-fitness centers and homes) or healthy lifestyle (HL) group. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c. Secondary outcomes included glucoregulation, body composition, physical function, and quality of life. Changes between groups were analyzed with mixed-model repeated-measures ANCOVA following the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS HbA1c improved more in the ILI than the HL group (mean ± SE −0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 0.1 ± 0.1%), associated with improved insulin sensitivity (1.2 ± 0.2 vs. −0.4 ± 0.2) and disposition (26.0 ± 8.9 vs. −13.0 ± 8.4 109 min−1) indices (between-group P < 0.001 to 0.04). Body weight and visceral fat decreased more in the ILI than HL group (−8.4 ± 0.6 vs. −0.3 ± 0.6 kg, P < 0.001, and −261 ± 29 vs. −30 ± 27 cm3, P < 0.001, respectively). Physical Performance Test score increased more in the ILI than HL group (2.9 ± 0.6 vs. −0.1 ± 0.4, P < 0.001) as did VO2peak (2.2 ± 0.3 vs. −1.2 ± 0.2 mL/kg/min, P < 0.001). Strength, gait, and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary score also improved more in the ILI group (all P < 0.001). Total insulin dose decreased in the ILI group by 19.8 ± 4.4 units/day. Adverse events included increased episodes of mild hypoglycemia in the ILI group. CONCLUSIONS A lifestyle intervention strategy is highly successful in improving metabolic and functional health of older adults with diabetes.

Background Obesity and hypogonadism additively contribute to frailty in older men; however, appropriate treatment remains controversial. Objective Determine whether testosterone replacement augments the effect of lifestyle therapy on physical function in older men with obesity and hypogonadism. Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting VA Medical Center Participants 83 older (age ≥65 years) men with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) and persistently low am testosterone ( Interventions Participants were randomized to lifestyle therapy (weight management and exercise training) plus either testosterone (LT+Test) or placebo (LT+Pbo) for 6 months. Outcome Measures Primary outcome was change in Physical Performance Test (PPT) score. Secondary outcomes included other frailty measures, body composition, hip bone mineral density (BMD), physical functions, hematocrit, prostate specific antigen (PSA), and sex hormones. Results PPT score increased similarly in LT+Test and LT+Pbo group (17% vs. 16%; P = 0.58). VO2peak increased more in LT+Test than LT+Pbo (23% vs. 16%; P = 0.03). Despite similar -9% weight loss, lean body mass and thigh muscle volume decreased less in LT+Test than LT+Pbo (-2% vs. -3%; P = 0.01 and -2% vs -4%; P = 0.04). Hip BMD was preserved in LT+Test compared with LT+Pbo (0.5% vs −1.1%; P = 0.003). Strength increased similarly in LT+Test and LT+Pbo (23% vs 22%; P = 0.94). Hematocrit but not PSA increased more in LT+Test than LT+Pbo (5% vs 1%; P < 0.001). Testosterone levels increased more in LT+Test than LT+Pbo (167% vs 27%; P < 0.001). Conclusion In older, obese hypogonadal men, adding testosterone for 6 months to lifestyle therapy does not further improve overall physical function. However, our findings suggest that testosterone may attenuate the weight loss–induced reduction in muscle mass and hip BMD and may further improve aerobic capacity.

Background Both hypogonadism and obesity are common in older men which additively exacerbate their age-related decline in physical function resulting in frailty. However, the appropriate treatment approach for frail, older men with hypogonadism and obesity is still controversial. Methods In this randomized, comparative efficacy, double-blinded, placebo-controlled (for testosterone) trial, we examined the effect of 6-months: 1) lifestyle therapy (diet-induced weight loss and supervised aerobic and resistance exercise training) + testosterone replacement therapy (LT+Test) vs. 2) lifestyle therapy + placebo (LT+Pbo) in 83 older (age≥65 years) male veterans with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2) and evidence of persistently low AM serum testosterone ( Results In the intention-to-treat analysis, the score in the PPT increased similarly in the LT+Test group and LT+Pbo (increase from baseline of 17% vs. 17%, respectively; P=0.78 for between-group comparison). Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) increased more in the LT+Test group than in the LT+Pbo group (increase of 23% vs. 16%, respectively; P=0.04). Moreover, despite equivalent weight loss between groups (both groups lost 9% of body weight from baseline), lean body mass decreased less in the LT+Test group than in LT+Pbo group (-1.8% vs. -3.5%, respectively; P=0.02). Likewise, bone mineral density at the total hip was relatively preserved in the LT+Test group compared to the LT+Pbo group (+0.5% vs. -1.1%; respectively; P Conclusions In older men with hypogonadism and obesity associated with frailty, testosterone replacement therapy significantly augments the increase in endurance capacity in response to lifestyle intervention with diet and regular exercise and helps to preserve muscle and bone mass during weight loss. However, testosterone replacement therapy does not lead to greater amelioration of frailty than in response to intensive lifestyle intervention alone in this population.

Background: As muscle capillarization is related to the oxidative capacity of the muscle and the size of muscle fibres, capillary rarefaction may contribute to sarcopenia and functional impairment in older adults. Therefore, it is important to assess how ageing affects muscle capillarization and the interrelationship between fibre capillary supply with the oxidative capacity and size of the fibres. Methods: Muscle biopsies from healthy recreationally active young (22 years; 14 men and 5 women) and older (74 years; 22 men and 6 women) people were assessed for muscle capillarization and the distribution of capillaries with the method of capillary domains. Oxidative capacity of muscle fibres was assessed with quantitative histochemistry for succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Results: There was no significant age-related reduction in muscle fibre oxidative capacity. Despite 18% type II fibre atrophy (P = 0.019) and 23% fewer capillaries per fibre (P < 0.002) in the old people, there was no significant difference in capillary distribution between young and old people, irrespective of sex. The capillary supply to a fibre was primarily determined by fibre size and only to a small extent by oxidative capacity, irrespective of age and sex. Based on SDH, the maximal oxygen consumption supported by a capillary did not differ significantly between young and old people. Conclusions: The similar quantitative and qualitative distribution of capillaries within muscle from healthy recreationally active older people and young adults indicates that the age-related capillary rarefaction, which does occur, nevertheless maintains the coupling between skeletal muscle fibre size and capillarization during healthy ageing.

BACKGROUND: Muscle mass, strength, and power are known determinants of mobility in older adults but there is limited knowledge on the influence of muscle architecture or tendon properties on mobility. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mobility and plantarflexor muscle-tendon properties in healthy older adults.METHODS: A total of 52 subjects (age 70-81 years) were measured for 6-minute walk test (6MWT), timed "up and go"-test (TUG), isometric plantarflexion strength, Achilles tendon stiffness, triceps surae muscle architecture, lower extremity lean mass, isometric leg extension strength, and leg extension power. Partial correlations and multivariate regression models adjusted for sex, age, body mass, and height were used to examine the relationship between mobility (6MWT and TUG) and lower limb muscle-tendon properties.RESULTS: Multivariate regression models revealed that Achilles tendon stiffness (p = .020), plantarflexion strength (p = .022), and medial gastrocnemius fascicle length (p = .046) were independently associated with 6MWT. Plantarflexion strength (p = .037) and soleus fascicle length (p = .031) were independently associated with TUG.CONCLUSIONS: Plantarflexor muscle-tendon properties were associated with mobility in older adults independent of lower extremity lean mass, leg extension strength, or power. Plantarflexion strength was a stronger predictor of mobility than leg extension strength or power. The novel finding of this study was that muscle architecture and tendon properties explained interindividual differences in mobility. This study highlights the importance of the plantarflexors for mobility in older adults and provides understanding of possible mechanisms of age-related decline in mobility.

Purpose To propose a manual segmentation method for individual quadriceps femoris (QF) muscles and to test its reliability for muscle volume estimation. Materials and Methods Images were acquired every 5 mm along the thigh using a 3T MRI scanner on 10 young (mean age: 25 years) and 10 older (mean age: 75 years) adults using a three-point 3D Dixon sequence. In each slice, anatomical cross-sectional areas of the individual quadriceps muscles of the dominant leg were outlined by two operators working independently. Differences between operators were assessed by means of Bland–Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). This study was approved by the local Ethics Committee. Results Precise delimitation of individual muscles along the femur often remains challenging, particularly near their insertion areas where some muscles may be partially or totally fused. There was, however, an excellent interoperator segmentation reliability despite a systematic significant difference between operators (ICC > 0.99), mainly due to delineation divergences. Considering all subjects and muscles, differences between operators were all lower than 4.4%. Conclusion This work has demonstrated the excellent reliability of manual segmentation to assess cross-sectional areas and therefore the volume of individual QF muscles using MRI. It may serve as a basis for a future segmentation consensus of the QF muscles. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:239–247. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

INTRODUCTION: Both hypogonadism and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are associated with increased fracture risk. Emerging data support the negative effect of low testosterone on glucose metabolism, however, there is little information on the bone health of hypogonadal men with diabetes. We evaluated the bone mineral density (BMD), bone geometry and bone turnover of hypogonadal men with T2D compared to hypogonadal men without diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, men 40–74 years old, with average morning testosterone (done twice) of < 300 ng/dl. Areal BMD (aBMD) was measured by DXA; volumetric BMD (vBMD) and bone geometry by peripheral-quantitative-computed-tomography; serum C-telopeptide (CTX), osteocalcin, sclerostin and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) by ELISA, testosterone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) by automated immunoassay and estradiol by liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. Groups were compared by ANOVA adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: One-hundred five men, 49 with and 56 without diabetes were enrolled. Adjusted vBMD at 38% tibia was higher in diabetic than non-diabetic men (857.3 ± 69.0 mg/cm(3) vs. 828.7 ± 96.7 mg/cm(3), p = 0.02). Endosteal (43.9 ± 5.8 mm vs. 47.1 ± 7.8 mm, p = 0.04) and periosteal (78.4 ± 5.0 mm vs. 81.3 ± 6.5 mm, p = 0.02) circumferences and total area (491.0 ± 61.0 mm(2) vs. 527.7 ± 87.2 mm(2), p = 0.02) at 38% tibia, were lower in diabetic men even after adjustments for covariates. CTX (0.25 ± 0.14 ng/ml vs. 0.40 ± 0.19 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and osteocalcin (4.8 ± 2.8 ng/ml vs. 6.8 ± 3.5 ng/ml, p = 0.006) were lower in diabetic men; there were no differences in sclerostin and 25OHD. Circulating gonadal hormones were comparable between the groups. CONCLUSION: Among hypogonadal men, those with T2D have higher BMD, poorer bone geometry and relatively suppressed bone turnover. Studies with larger sample size are needed to verify our findings and possible even greater risk for fractures among hypogonadal diabetic men.

Background As muscle capillarization is related to the oxidative capacity of the muscle and the size of muscle fibres, capillary rarefaction may contribute to sarcopenia and functional impairment in older adults. Therefore, it is important to assess how ageing affects muscle capillarization and the interrelationship between fibre capillary supply with the oxidative capacity and size of the fibres. Methods Muscle biopsies from healthy recreationally active young (22 years; 14 men and 5 women) and older (74 years; 22 men and 6 women) people were assessed for muscle capillarization and the distribution of capillaries with the method of capillary domains. Oxidative capacity of muscle fibres was assessed with quantitative histochemistry for succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Results There was no significant age‐related reduction in muscle fibre oxidative capacity. Despite 18% type II fibre atrophy (P = 0.019) and 23% fewer capillaries per fibre (P

There is a clear advantage to developing automated systems to detect human motion in the field of computer vision for applications associated with healthcare. We have compiled a diverse dataset of clinically-relevant motions using the Microsoft Kinect One sensor and release the dataset to the community as an open source solution for benchmarking detection, quantification and recognition algorithms. The dataset, namely Kinect 3D Active (K3Da), includes motions collected from young and older men and women ranging in age from 18–81 years. Participants performed standardised tests, including the Short Physical Performance Battery, Timed-Up-And-Go, vertical jump and other balance assessments which were recorded using depth sensor technology and extracted to generate motion capture data, sampled at 30 frames-per-second. Preliminary evaluations using Support Vector Machines, Random Forests, Artificial Neural Networks and Boltzmann Machines show age-related differences in many of the movements. These results demonstrate the relevance of the dataset to support benchmarking of algorithms associated and/or intended for use in a healthcare setting.

Muscle mass is particularly relevant to follow during aging, owing to its link with physical performance and autonomy. The objectives of this work were to assess muscle volume (MV) and intramuscular fat (IMF) for all the muscles of the thigh in a large population of young and elderly healthy individuals using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to test the effect of gender and age on MV and IMF and to determine the best representative slice for the estimation of MV and IMF. The study enrolled 105 healthy young (range 20-30 years) and older (range 70-80 years) subjects. MRI scans were acquired along the femur length using a three-dimension three-point Dixon proton density-weighted gradient echo sequence. MV and IMF were estimated from all the slices. The effects of age and gender on MV and IMF were assessed. Predictive equations for MV and IMF were established using a single slice at various femur levels for each muscle in order to reduce the analysis process. MV was decreased with aging in both genders, particularly in the quadriceps femoris. IMF was largely increased with aging in men and, to a lesser extent, in women. Percentages of MV decrease and IMF increase with aging varied according to the muscle. Predictive equations to predict MV and IMF from single slices are provided and were validated. This study is the first one to provide muscle volume and intramuscular fat infiltration in all the muscles of the thigh in a large population of young and elderly healthy subjects.