A significant proportion of older adults, around 10%, experience muscle weakness and a decline in physical function, resulting in detrimental health consequences and physical disability. These age-related challenges significantly impact mobility, often leading to reduced independence, institutionalization, and even mortality.
However, a recent study highlights an encouraging finding: the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors can play a pivotal role in preserving physical function as individuals age. By addressing and effectively managing CVD risk factors, older adults can potentially mitigate the decline in physical function and its associated adverse outcomes.
This study sheds light on the importance of adopting strategies to identify and control CVD risk factors in older adults, emphasizing that such interventions have the potential to positively impact physical function, overall health, and quality of life in the aging population.
“Approximately 10% of older adults have muscle weakness and diminished physical function that leads to adverse health outcomes and physical disability,” remarks lead author Dr. Shivani Sahni. “Since loss of physical function contributes to reduced mobility, disability, institutionalization, and mortality, management of CVD risk factors can help preserve physical function with age.”
In a significant contribution to the field, a recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences has shed light on the connection between vascular health and physical function decline in aging individuals.
The study, conducted within a community-based setting, extensively examined the relationship between aortic stiffness, vascular function, and the age-related decline in physical function. The findings revealed that higher levels of aortic stiffness were associated with a subsequent loss of physical function over a span of approximately 11 years.
Dr. Sahni, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, who spearheaded the research, emphasized the significance of the study’s results. She highlighted the importance of comprehensive evaluation and monitoring of aortic stiffness and vascular function in understanding and addressing the decline in physical function associated with aging. Dr. Sahni also serves as the director of the Nutrition Program at the Marcus Institute, further underscoring her expertise in the field.
This pioneering study contributes to the growing body of evidence highlighting the role of vascular measures in grip strength and gait speed, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying age-related physical function decline.
Age-related decline in blood flow is a consequence of arterial stiffening, which has implications for organ health and muscle mass reduction, as explained by Dr. Sahni. However, the role of vascular function and its impact on mobility and muscle strength has received limited attention in previous studies.
To address this research gap, the current study utilized data from a large cohort of relatively healthy men and women, employing a longitudinal study design to gain further insights.
Most previous studies on this topic have employed cross-sectional study designs with small sample sizes. Recognizing this limitation, the authors emphasize the importance of future research focusing on evaluating interventions targeting vascular health to potentially mitigate age-related declines in physical function.
This is of significant relevance since a considerable proportion of older adults experience physical limitations, leading to reduced mobility, disability, institutionalization, and increased mortality. Consequently, there is an urgent need for innovative interventions aimed at preventing physical limitations in older adults.
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