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Background: Few studies have examined the associations between changes in depressive symptoms and handgrip strength in older people. This study aimed to examine the magnitude of the association between depressive symptoms over 2 years and weak handgrip strength on the 4 years of follow-up.Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative panel survey of older adults in England. Data were derived from waves 4 (2008-2009), 5 (2010-2011), and 6 (2012-2013). A total of 5,080 participants were included in the analysis. Depressive symptoms were dichotomized using the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale in waves 4 and 5 and were regarded as the exposure. Handgrip strength measurements objectively measured in wave 6 were dichotomized according to the 25th percentile of the British norm and used as the outcome. The targeted maximum likelihood estimation model was utilized to assess time-variant depressive symptoms on handgrip strength, adjusted for time-variant and time-invariant covariates.Results: The maintenance of non-depressive symptoms (relative risk [RR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.87) or improvement of depressive symptoms (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55-0.91) had a protective effect on weak handgrip strength compared with the persistence of depressive symptoms.Limitation: This study is not a randomized control trial but a longitudinal observational study, indicating that our study finding may still have been affected by unknown confounders.Conclusion: Our findings suggest the importance of managing depressive symptoms to prevent poor physical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nitrate supplements can improve vascular and muscle function. Whether higher habitual dietary nitrate is associated with better muscle function remains underexplored.Objective: The aim was to examine whether habitual dietary nitrate intake is associated with better muscle function in a prospective cohort of men and women, and whether the relation was dependent on levels of physical activity.Methods: The sample (n = 3759) was drawn from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) (56% female; mean ± SD baseline age: 48.6 ± 11.1 y). Habitual dietary intake was assessed over 12 y by obtaining an average [of at least 2 time points, e.g., baseline (2000/2001) and 2004/2005 and/or 2011/2012] from a food-frequency questionnaire. Nitrate intake was calculated from a validated nitrate database and other published literature. Muscle function was quantified by knee extension strength (KES) and the 8-ft-timed-up-and-go (8ft-TUG) test performed in 2011/2012. Physical activity was assessed by questionnaire. Generalized linear models and logistic regression were used to analyze the data.Results: Median (IQR) total nitrate intake was 65 (52-83) mg/d, with ∼81% derived from vegetables. Individuals in the highest tertile of nitrate intake (median intake: 91 mg/d) had 2.6 kg stronger KES (11%) and 0.24 s faster 8ft-TUG (4%) compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of nitrate intake (median intake: 47 mg/d; both P < 0.05). Similarly, individuals in the highest tertile of nitrate intake had lower odds for weak KES (adjusted OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.73) and slow 8ft-TUG (adjusted OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.78) compared with those in the lowest tertile. Physical activity did not influence the relationship between nitrate intake and muscle function (KES; P-interaction = 0.86; 8ft-TUG; P-interaction = 0.99).Conclusions: Higher habitual dietary nitrate intake, predominantly from vegetables, could be an effective way to promote lower-limb muscle strength and physical function in men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD) can develop a range of motor and non-motor symptoms due to its progressive nature and lack of effective treatments. Exercise interventions, such as multimodal (MM) programmes, may improve and sustain physical or cognitive function in PD. However, studies usually evaluate physical performance, cognition, and neuroprotective biomarkers separately and over short observation periods. Part one evaluates the effects of a weekly community-based MM exercise class (60 min) on physical function in people with PD (PwP). Exercise participants (MM-EX; age 65 ± 9 years; Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale ≤ IV) completed a battery of functional assessments every 4 months for one (n = 27), two (n = 20) and three years (n = 15). In part two, cognition and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were assessed over 6-to-8 months and compared to aged-matched non-active PwP (na-PD, n = 16; age 68 ± 7 years; H&Y scale ≤ III) and healthy older adults (HOA, n = 18; age 61 ± 6 years). MM-EX significantly improved walking capacity (5% improvement after 8 months), functional mobility (11% after 4 months), lower extremity strength (15% after 4 months) and bilateral grip strength (9% after 28 months), overall, maintaining physical function across 3 years. Group comparisons showed that only MM-EX significantly improved their mobility, lower extremity strength, cognition and BDNF levels. Weekly attendance to a community-based MM exercise group session can improve and maintain physical and cognitive function in PD, with the potential to promote neuroprotection. • Community-based multimodal exercise offers a structured, feasible and safe strategy for people with Parkinson's (PwP). • Weekly attendance at a community-based group exercise class improves physical function, cognition and BDNF in PwP. • Exercise maintains function and avoids declines in PwP's physical function across all study monitoring periods (≤3 years). • Engaging with exercise may be key to obtain improvements in physical function, cognition and BDNF in PwP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim is to inspect the effects of exercise and nutritional intervention on prefrail older adults' physical function. Systematic review and meta-analysis registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021261197). Randomized controlled trials involving prefrail older adults who received exercise and/or nutritional interventions. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Clinical Trials, and PubMed were searched from inception to September 1, 2021. Primary outcomes were physical function, including physical performance, mobility, and grip strength. The short physical performance battery score and chair sit-to-stand test were used to assess the physical performance. Timed up and go and gait speed were applied to assess the mobility. Secondary outcomes were frailty status, weight, body mass index, Barthel index, and quality of life (Euro quality of life 5 dimension index values). We included 16 randomized controlled trials comprising 1199 prefrail older adults (intervention group, n = 593; control group, n = 606). Exercise and nutritional interventions significantly improved the short physical performance battery score [n = 5, mean difference 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21‒1.42, I2 = 62%], handgrip strength (n = 7, mean difference 1.52, 95% CI 0.70‒2.34, I2 = 6%), and gait speed (n = 4, standard weighted mean difference −1.06, 95% CI -1.87 to −0.25, I2 = 89%). There were no significant differences among the chair sit-to-stand test, timed up and go, weight, body mass index, and Barthel index. Our systematic review and meta-analysis shows that the receipt of exercise and nutritional intervention significantly improved physical function in prefrail older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PCDS features the mutual declines of physical and cognitive function of older people. • 18.9% of the community-dwelling older persons had PCDS. • Multidomain intervention improved cognitive performance of PCDS, as well as some subdomains of physical function • PCDS is a potentially reversible condition that may prevent disability & dementia. To investigate the efficacy of a community group-based intervention among community-dwelling older adults with physio-cognitive decline syndrome (PCDS). A prospective cluster randomized controlled trial included 733 community-dwelling older adults with adjusted Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA adj) scores >18 from 40 community-based sites across Taiwan. PCDS was defined as the concomitant presence of physical declines, i.e., slowness and/or weakness plus dysfunction in any cognitive domain. The multidomain intervention integrated physical exercise, cognitive training, nutritional advices and health education lessons. Conventional health education in control group entailed periodic telephone calls to offer participants health education and advice. The primary outcome was the mean differences of MoCA adj total scores and all domains of MoCA adj between baseline and 6- and 12-month follow-up in each group of PCDS, cognitive dysfunction, mobility-type frailty and normal functioning, and the secondary outcomes included the changes of frailty score, handgrip strength, gait speed and physical activity. Intervention effects were analysed using a generalized linear mixed model. Overall, 18.9% of the study sample had PCDS. Multidomain intervention for 12 months significantly improved cognitive performance in people with PCDS, and those with cognitive dysfunction only. An early benefit on visuo-spatial executive function was seen in older adults with mobility-type frailty. Intervention also improved frailty scores among participants with mobility-type frailty, handgrip strength for participants with PCDS, and gait speed in the normal group. PCDS is a potentially reversible condition that may prevent subsequent disability and dementia, which deserves further investigation to confirm the long-term effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]