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Introduction. The onset of the menopause entails numerous changes, both physical and mental, in the functioning of the bodies of women. Moreover, the early menopause increases the risk of occurrence of many civilization-related diseases. Major factors contributing to health deficits include lowered bone mineral density and sarcopenia, which can result in serious functional limitations and the acceleration of ageing processes in the body. The aim of this study was to determine how the menopause onset age is linked with bone mineral density and the strength of selected muscles of the limbs and the trunk. Material and Methods. 756 women aged 50-80 years were subjected to tests. The subjects were divided into three groups: (I) from 50 to 59 years, (II) from 60 to 69 years, and (III) from 70 to 79 years. Each of the women specified the age when her final menstrual period occurred. On this basis, groups of women with (1) the early menopause—before the 50th year of life—and (2) with the late menopause—after the 50th year of life—were distinguished. Bone mineral density (BMD), dominant hand grip strength, knee extensor and flexor strength, and functional upper and lower body muscle strength were determined in each of the women. Results. The test results indicate differences in levels of muscle strength and BMD between the 50-year-old early- and late-menopausal women. The late-menopausal women score better motor ability test results and higher BMD values. The differences decrease in the groups of 60-year-old women, whereas the 70-year-old early- and late-menopausal women score similar results. Conclusions. A higher percentage of women with a lowered bone mass and a lower strength level was found in the group of early-menopausal subjects. The rate of decline in hand grip strength, the functional efficiency of the upper and lower limbs, and BMD is faster in the late-menopausal women, whereby the two groups of 70-year-old women score similar test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The commonly observed prevalence of increasing overweight and obesity, particularly among older women with coexisting symptoms of depression and high stress level, is a motivation to undertake comprehensive therapeutic actions. Objectives. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a therapeutic programme for women with overweight and obesity from the biopsychosocial perspective. Material and methods. An observational study was conducted at the Foundation for Senior Citizen Activation SIWY DYM, Poland. 42 women from 60 to 88 years of age were qualified for the project, the mean value of Body Mass Index amounted to 30.65 kg/m2, 48% of the women were diagnosed as overweight, and 40% were diagnosed as obese. The Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Perception of Stress Questionnaire were used to assess the emotional state of the programme participants. Results. The therapeutic programme proved to be effective in all studied areas: reduction of body mass, reduction of depression symptoms and reduction of stress level. A statistical significance was recorded in mood improvement along with a decrease in stress level in the whole group. The subjects who at the moment of joining the therapeutic programme showed the most severe symptoms of depression demonstrated the highest mood improvement. At the end of the research project, there was no case of severe symptoms of depression. The greatest benefits were experienced by older women and those with low life satisfaction at the beginning of the treatment. Conclusions. The therapeutic programme addressed to older women with overweight and obesity proved to be efficient in the biopsychosocial aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To comparatively analyze the rate and magnitude of age-related changes between two groups of elderly women with different lifestyles living in Poland: women attending a University of the Third Age (active lifestyle) and less-active peers not involved in any seniors association. Methods: The study was conducted in 2010-2012. The study design was approved by the Senate Ethics Committee for Scientific Research of the University School of Physical Education. In total, 417 women were recruited. Basic somatic characteristics, body composition, bone mineral density, physical fitness, respiratory function, postural stability, and body posture were measured. Regression analysis and Student's t-tests for independent samples were calculated. Results and conclusion: The best results among the tests assessing functional biological markers of health were found in the group of elderly women attending a University of the Third Age. The rate of change was larger in the group of seniors leading a less-active lifestyle, indicating the important role of a preventive gerontological approach and the participation of seniors in programs that accentuate the need for physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper was to evaluate changes in muscle force-velocity parameters (F-v) in elderly women subjected to physical exercise. The examinations encompassed 20 women, aged 62–71, who were students at the University of the Third Age in Wrocław. The evaluation of flexors and extensors of the knee joint, as well as flexors and extensors of the spine within the lumbar part, was performed under isokinetic conditions. The assessment was conducted three times: first, a preliminary evaluation; second, after four months of rehabilitation, which included march training and systemic exercises; third, was performed after another 12 months, during which the patients were subjected to various forms of individually selected physical activity. The examinations of muscles affecting the knee joint revealed that the results achieved in the second measurement, performed with load of 60°/s, revealed higher values than in the first examination and were similar or higher in the third examination. With a load of 180°/s, values achieved in the second measurement were higher than results from the first measurement and were mostly lower than registered in the measurement. The highest values of parameters F-v for flexors and extensors of the lumbar part of the spine were registered in third examination. The results were about 20% higher than achieved within measurements 1 and 2. The increase and maintenance of muscular fitness in elderly women is possible only if a load applied exceeds threshold values and is applied for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: It's really important to measure the actual functional physical fitness of elderly independent living persons from different environments to know the level and rate of decrease may inform about the threat of loss of functional independence, hence the need to monitor and assess the senior's motor realm and adapt to it the appropriate programs and treatments in the care for the elderly person., Methods: The study involved 5367 people (mean age 69,63 ± 7,06), including 4164 women (mean age 69,55 ± 7,11) and 1203 men (mean age 69,91 ± 6,86) aged 60 to 93 years old. We have measured basic anthropometric features and physical fitness (by using Senior Fitness Test)., Results: The average values in individual SFT tests significantly decrease along with age. After age of 80 and 85 there were no sex differences in SFT. The largest deficits concern the dynamic balance and the decrease reaches 69% in men and 62% in women A significantly higher rate of decline in aerobic capacity concerns men (43%) than women (36.9%). A clearly lower rate of loss occurs in the muscular strength of the lower and upper body and does not exceed 30%., Conclusions: The results are of great clinical importance for the development of effective prevention and gerontological education programs in terms of promoting active lifestyle and successful ageing, at the same time limiting the economic consequences of treatment and hospitalisation.

Objective: The relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and tooth loss in conjunction with periodontal disease is not clear. The suggested effects include alteration in bone remodeling rates as well as the multifaceted etiology of edentulism. There is also a question if other body-related variables besides BMD, such as body composition, may be associated with tooth number and general periodontal health. The aim of this study was to evaluate if tooth number and marginal periodontal status are associated with body composition and BMD in a sample of elderly women., Materials and Methods: The study involved 91 postmenopausal women. Data included basic anthropometric characteristics, body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis, and BMD analysis at the distal end of the radial bone of the nondominant arm via peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A dental examination was performed to assess tooth number, periodontal pocket depth (PD), and gingival bleeding., Results: In nonosteoporotic women, a significant positive correlation was found between BMD and lean body mass, total body water, and muscle mass. The indicators of bone metabolism correlated negatively with PD. Such relationships did not appear in osteoporotic women. In both groups, basic anthropometric characteristics and body composition were significantly and positively correlated with PD and bleeding on probing., Conclusion: The results suggest that body composition and BMD are not significantly correlated with tooth number and gingival bleeding.

The aim of this paper is to establish the optimal values of the body mass index (BMI) which would indicate the most favourable preservation of the bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. The material consists of the data of 369 healthy women aged between 40 and 88 years (mean age 67.84, SD=6.70) inhabitants of Wrocław, which were followed up between 2001 and 2006. The absolute measure of bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral neck was assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), expressed in g/(100mm(2)) and was transformed to T-score values. According to the value of BMI, the women were divided into eight groups, the reference group with value between 18.0 and 21.9kg/m(2) and seven other groups beginning with the value 22.0 with a 2-point interval. Postmenopausal status was defined according to the occurrence of menstruation within the last 360 days. The women with osteopenia and osteoporosis were pooled together and comprised the risk group, whereas the other women comprised the normal group (T-score values above -1.0). The adjusted odds ratio showed the highest value for intervals between 24.0 and 25.9 units of BMI, and the lowest value for interval 26.0-27.9 units of BMI. The Youden index showed the lowest value in the 26.0-27.9BMI kg/m(2) interval. For our sample the optimal value of BMI, with the lowest risk of osteopenia and/or osteoporosis was the value of 26.9kg/m(2). A further increase of BMI does not result in a favourable effect on the bones, it rather intensifies negative phenomena in the body resulting in the onset of many diseases., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

The aim of the study was to estimate the differences in bone mineral density (BMD) at three skeletal sites, with regard to age and menopausal status. The study was conducted between 2001 and 2006 in the Polish city of Wrocław and the sample was comprised of 440 healthy female inhabitants aged 40-88years. The measurements of bone mineral density were taken at three sites: femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter major. Two bone mineral density characteristics were used in further analysis: absolute measure of bone mineral density (BMD) expressed in g/(100mm)(2), and % of BMD of the peak value calculated for young adults (20-45, USA reference population). Pre- and postmenopausal status was defined according to occurrence of menstruation within the last 60days. The changes in bone mineral density with age showed significantly different patterns in different skeletal sites. While the decrease in bone mineral density in the femoral neck and Ward's triangle were parallel and gradual, the changes in trochanter major were very small and between the age groups 51-55 and 71-75, nearly unnoticeable. A comparison between pre- and postmenopausal women aged 46-55, showed a significant effect of menopausal status. The average bone mineral densities in the three skeletal sites were higher in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women. The highest value of bone mineral density was found in the femoral neck, significantly lower in Ward's triangle, and a little lower (non-significantly) in the trochanter major than in the Ward's triangle. Postmenopausal women had a little higher BMD value in the trochanter major than in the Ward's triangle site., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, we analyzed the changes of bone mineral density (BMD) among Polish women age 40-79, as a function of biological aging and body mass index (BMI) class, and compared them with the US sample (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III). The null hypothesis of this study was that the rate of BMD change is femoral region, age, ethnicity, and BMI dependent. The studied group was divided into 4 age decades: 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 and 2 BMI classes (normal: 18.524.99). Analysis of covariance technique, using a generalized linear model with age and BMI as covariates, was used for data analysis. The influence of weight, height, and BMI on BMD loss was analyzed using multivariate regression analysis. The changes in BMD of femoral neck and trochanter are congruent. BMD decrease is not only age dependent but also, for specific ethnic groups, weight, height, and BMI dependent. The obtained results indicate that the analysis of age-dependent BMD changes should be performed by means of regression analysis using a broad age range rather than an age-decade approach.

Background: The study aimed to compare characteristics of postural sway and shape of anteroposterior spinal curvatures in faller and non-faller elderly women., Material and Methods: The study enrolled 265 women aged 51-82 years (mean: 66.2) who were physically fit and free from conditions affecting sensorimotor function. Balance was assessed by stabilographic method. Changes in the location of the centre of the force of foot pressure on the ground were registered over 20-second periods with the subjects standing still with eyes open and closed. Measures of variability in the COP signal were analysed together the viscoelastic parameters of the mathematical model in the standing position. Assessment of the shape of anteroposterior spinal curvatures was conducted by photogrammetric method. Indices of the degree of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were analysed., Results: The group of women who had experienced at least one fall during the year displayed: a) with regard to body balance, a significantly larger range, variability and velocity of body sway in the sagittal plane and increased suppression of postural oscillations in the frontal plane; b) with regard to body posture, more pronounced forward inclination of the trunk, more marked thoracic kyphosis and a smaller degree of lumbar lordosis., Conclusions: Fallers demonstrate poorer body balance in the standing position and poorer body posture than non-fallers.