In individuals aged 65 and older, reduced physical abilities could potentially serve as a preventative measure against cardiovascular disease!
In a recent study, researchers at the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study investigated the link between physical function, as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and future cardiovascular events in older adults.
The study, led by Dr. Kunihiro Matsushita, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, focused on participants with an average age of 75 in 2011-2019. Over 8 years, 930 participants experienced at least one confirmed cardiovascular event, including heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
Participants were categorised into low, middle, and high physical function groups based on their SPPB test performance. The SPPB, first administered at the ARIC 5th visit, assesses physical function by generating a score based on walking speed, timed get-up-and-go, and standing balance.
The findings suggest that lower SPPB scores are associated with a higher risk of experiencing at least one cardiovascular event. Specifically, those with low physical function scores were 47% more likely to experience a cardiovascular event compared to those with high scores. Those with moderate scores had a 25% higher risk.
It's worth noting that the study did not account for individuals with mobility limitations who would not be suitable for a clinical trial. Furthermore, more research is needed to validate these findings for individuals from different ethnic groups and those with less physical function.
Despite these limitations, the study found that the relationship between physical function and cardiovascular disease remained significant even after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. This indicates that the SPPB score provides information beyond traditional risk factors by reflecting an individual’s overall functional and frailty status.
Other studies indicate that poorer physical function, as assessed by the SPPB, is linked with malnutrition and muscle wasting (sarcopenia), conditions that exacerbate cardiovascular vulnerability in older adults independent of traditional risk factors. Physical frailty detected by poor SPPB performance thereby complements cardiovascular risk assessment.
The study's lead author, Xiao Hu, emphasised the importance of measuring physical function levels in clinical practice for older adults. Improving or maintaining SPPB performance through interventions like cardiac rehabilitation and resistance training can be crucial for reducing future cardiovascular events and improving recovery.
In conclusion, the SPPB score is a meaningful predictor of cardiovascular prognosis in older adults, providing information beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors by reflecting an individual’s overall functional and frailty status. Further research is needed to validate these findings for a broader population and to explore the potential benefits of interventions aimed at improving SPPB performance.
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- The study underlines the crucial role of fitness-and-exercise interventions like cardiac rehabilitation and resistance training, as they are vital for improving SPPB performance in older adults which can reduce future cardiovascular events and enhance health-and-wellness.
- The research revealed a strong correlation between medical-conditions such as malnutrition and muscle wasting (sarcopenia), and poorer physical function as measured by the SPPB, which exacerbates cardiovascular vulnerability in older adults, independent of traditional risk factors.
- The study further jotted down that aging, along with its associated decline in physical function as assessed by the SPPB, has a significant impact on cardiovascular-health, with the relationship between physical function and cardiovascular disease remaining robust even after accounting for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors.
