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Background: Falls are the leading cause of injury among adults ≥ 65 years of age. Participation in physical activity (PA) is associated with improved balance, though it is impact in the middle-age population is not well understood. Aim: The purpose of the current study was to examine the influence of PA intensity on static balance in middle-aged and older aged individuals. Methods: Included were middle-aged adults (40–64 years) and older adults (≥ 65 years) from the 2003–2004 years of the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey. Light physical activity (LPA) and moderate–vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were collected via accelerometer and static balance via the Romberg Test of Standing Balance. Results: No significant odds ratio relationship was found between MVPA or LPA and having good static balance in the middle-aged population; 1.04 (95% CI 0.95, 1.13) p = 0.427 and 1.05 (95% CI 0.97, 1.14) p = 0.182, respectively. Whereas, in older adults, every 60-min increase in LPA was significantly associated with 28% higher odds of good balance (95% CI 1.15, 1.41; p < 0.001), and every 10-min increase in MVPA with 25% higher odds of good balance (95% CI 1.08, 1.45; p = 0.006). Discussion: LPA and MVPA were not associated with good static balance in middle-aged adults, but in older adults LPA was significantly associated with good static balance. Conclusion: A significant relationship is found between age and fall risk, which is a major concern in the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Ingestion of ethanol before a glucose challenge enhances the insulin response by an unknown mechanism. In addition, epidemiological studies consistently indicate that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). The purposes of this study were to evaluate the potential involvement of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in alcohol-induced augmentation of the insulin response and to determine if red wine acutely improves glucose tolerance during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Methods Nine subjects (eight T2D and one pre-diabetes) completed two OGTT 30 min after consumption of 263 ml water or red wine (28 g ethanol). Blood samples were obtained for 3 h and analyzed for glucose, insulin, C-peptide, GIP, and GLP-1. Results Compared with water, consumption of red wine increased the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for insulin by 50 % (14,837 ± 4759 vs. 9885 ± 2686 μU/ml 9 min; p<0.05) and for GIP by 25 % (7729 ± 1548 vs. 6191 ± 1049 pmol/l 9 min; p<0.05). Glucose and GLP-1 responses were not affected by red wine. Conclusion Wine consumption before an OGTT augments the insulin response, which may be partially driven by a greater GIP response. Because glucose levels were not reduced, acute wine consumption may not be effective treatment for enhancing glycemic control or may need to be combined with therapy that improves insulin sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]