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Research news

As an ICAA member you can access a library of over 2,000 peer-reviewed and published studies. You can also stay up to date with current research by reading ICAA Research Review, the online newsletter of breaking news in health, wellness and demographics. Published 45 times each year, Research Review is emailed to ICAA members. To learn more about becoming an ICAA member please visit, www.icaa.cc or telephone ICAA toll-free at 866-335-9777.

Walking often and far reduces risks in heart patients
An exercise program that burns a lot of calories reduces cardiac risk factors better than standard cardiac rehabilitation in overweight coronary patients. That was the finding of a research study led by Philip A. Ades, MD, professor of medicine and director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington.

The study authors randomized 74 overweight cardiac rehabilitation patients (average age 64, 20% women) to either moderate-pace walking for 45–60 minutes on 5–6 days a week, intended to burn 3,000–3,500 calories weekly; or standard rehabilitation therapy, burning 700–800 calories a week. Rehabilitation involved walking, biking or rowing for 25–40 minutes at a brisker pace 3 times a week. The 2 groups were similar at baseline in age, gender, body weight and fat distribution.

After 5 months, compared to the group doing traditional rehab, individuals in the high-calorie-burning group showed:

• significantly greater improvement in 10 heart-risk factors, including insulin sensitivity (a hallmark of metabolic syndrome), total cholesterol and the total cholesterol/good cholesterol ratio, blood pressure, and cardiorespiratory fitness

• greater average reduction in weight (18 lbs. versus 8 lbs.), body fat, (13 lbs. versus 6 lbs.) and waistlines (2.7 in. versus 2 in.)

All changes were statistically significant.

“Eighty percent of our rehabilitation patients are now overweight and many of them are becoming diabetic,” says Ades. While standard rehabilitation has benefit, the high-calorie-burning exercise increases the benefit, which is crucial with the increasing prevalence of obesity, the researchers note. The study’s message, they conclude, is “walk often and walk far.” Ades cautions, however, that cardiac patients require supervision by medical staff. 

Sources: American Heart Association; May 11, 2009; Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 119(20), 2671–2678, 2009

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Australia’s male Baby Boomers risk loneliness, isolation in retirement years

Men in Australia are planning for their financial security in retirement, but not for their happiness, according to a report from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. These findings are based on a survey of 377 men and women ages 50–66 years, which reveals that more women than men plan for their health and leisure interests before they stop working. The survey suggests that men could find retirement lonely and isolating unless they build social and leisure networks before they leave the workforce.

“Our finding is significant because a person’s level of leisure involvement during their working years tends to predict their involvement during retirement,” says coauthor Joanne Earl, PhD, lecturer in the UNSW School of Psychology. “People are less likely to start new activities after retirement, so getting involved in activities and social activities preretirement make good sense.” Adds Earl, “If the men we surveyed are representative, Australia’s male Baby Boomers could be in for a tough time during retirement.”

Sources: University of New South Wales, June 1, 2009; Psychology and Aging, 24(1), 245–251, 2009

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In the US, healthy lifestyles decline among aging adults

Unhealthy lifestyle choices are associated with the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. Despite the well-known benefits of a lifestyle that includes physical activity, a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintenance of a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of aging adults in the United States follow this healthy lifestyle pattern. In fact, the numbers are declining, a recently published article observes.

Investigators from the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, compared the results of 2 large-scale studies of the US population in 1988–1994 and in 2001–2006. They found that, in the intervening 18 years, the percentage of adults ages 40–74 with a body mass index greater than 30 increased from 28% to 36%; physical activity 12 times a month or more decreased from 53% to 43%; smoking rates remained essentially unchanged (26.9% to 26.1%); eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day decreased from 42% to 26%; and moderate alcohol use increased from 40% to 51% (due to nondrinkers taking up the habit). In addition, the number of people adhering to all 5 healthy habits decreased from 15% to 8%.

The study further revealed that people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or risk factors for these conditions, were no more likely to adhere to a healthy lifestyle pattern than people without such risk factors.

“The potential public health benefits from promoting a healthier lifestyle at all ages, and especially ages 40–74 years, are substantial,” writes lead author Dana E. King, MD, MS. “Regular physical activity and a prudent diet can reduce the risk of premature death and disability from a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, and are strongly related to the incidence of obesity.” King notes that research shows that “individuals are capable of adopting healthy habits in middle age, and making an impact on cardiovascular risk.”

Sources: Elsevier Health Sciences, May 27, 2009; American Journal of Medicine, 122(6), 528–534, 2009

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Survey documents impact of economy on retirement

The economic climate has generated large financial losses and uncertainty during the last year, triggering all generations to reassess the funding, timing and purpose of retirement, according to San Francisco-based Age Wave, consultants on aging and retirement issues. To learn how this past year has altered the retirement hopes, worries and plans of Americans, Age Wave and Harris Interactive surveyed more than 2,000 individuals from 4 generations. Among others, findings of the study (Retirement at the Tipping Point: The Year That Changed Everything) include:

• The single biggest worry among those ages 55 and older is that they will be unable to afford uncovered medical expenses (46%). This is now a greater concern than either lack of personal savings (18%) or uncertain entitlements [e.g., Social Security] (11%).
• For the first time in US history, we may witness a significant increase in the retirement age as respondents say on average they will now need to postpone retirement by 4.2 years—which will also adjust the “work-to-retirement ratio.”
• The majority of respondents (58%) said that loving family and relationships are at the heart of what we hold most dear today—twice as important as being wealthy (33%) and 20 times more important than wielding power and influence (3%).
• Fully 60% of Americans now say they view retirement to be “a new, exciting chapter in life” contrasted with 52% last year. And 70% want to include working in retirement as a way to contribute, remain stimulated and pay the bills.
• Three-quarters of all respondents think the US would benefit in important ways if retirees were more involved in contributing their valuable skills and experience to communities, with the most enthusiastic response coming from retirees themselves (83%).
• With growing interest in civic engagement, the majority (57%) of respondents would prefer a volunteer activity that makes use of their full range of work and life skills and experience, rather than basic service and support tasks.

“There’s no question that this past year has been a time of struggle and worry,” comments Age Wave’s founder and CEO, Ken Dychtwald, PhD. “At this point, most of us are taking a deep breath, assessing the damage and trying to figure out how to move forward. As we reviewed the survey results,” Dychtwald continues, “we couldn’t help reflecting that Retirement at the Tipping Point demonstrates the fortitude and resilience of our country as we rethink the funding, timing and purpose of retirement. Though the study uncovered anxiety and uncertainty necessitating shifting plans and priorities, it also revealed a hopeful outlook as a new, more engaged and sustainable model of retirement is being envisioned.” Source: Age Wave, May 4, 2009

Wii video games and dancing help older adults to meet exercise recommendations

Two studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)’s 56th Annual Meeting in May show the benefits of specific activities in helping older adults meet exercise recommendations. One study revealed that Nintendo’s Wii Bowling significantly increased heart rate in older-adult participants, as well as boosted mood and helped them feel refreshed and energized.

“Older adults often have a difficult time starting a fitness routine later in life,” commented study coauthor Lucas Willoughby, an ACSM Certified Health/Specialist and study coauthor. “Active game-playing might help them see that exercise isn’t about just hitting the treadmill. It can be fun and socially enjoyable, too.”

Another study examined the participation of sedentary older adults in a 12-week ballroom dancing program. These participants danced one to 2 hours per week in an instructor-led class. The researchers found that the beginner dance lessons replaced previously sedentary time, helping the group achieve close to 20% (i.e., 2,000 steps) of recommended daily steps within a 2-hour period by the end of the intervention. Likewise, activity intensity increased over time for this group.

“Considering the age of our group, the way they embraced ballroom dancing as a form of activity should have implications for any physically inactive group,” concluded Stephen P. Cobley, PhD, lead author of the study. “Dance is something almost everyone can do and enjoy, and use to their advantage.”

Source: American College of Sports Medicine, May 29, 2009

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A higher purpose in life cuts risk of death among older adults

Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults, according to researchers from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Purpose in life was defined as the tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and be focused and intentional, explains study author Patricia A. Boyle, PhD.

Boyle, a neuropsychologist, and her colleagues from the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center studied 1,238 community-dwelling older participants from 2 ongoing research studies, the Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Minority Aging Research Study. None of the participants had dementia. Boyle’s team used data from baseline evaluations of purpose in life and up to 5 years of follow-up for their research project.

During the study period, 151 participants died. The researchers found that a person with high purpose in life was about half as likely to die over the 5-year follow-up compared with a person with low purpose. This association of purpose with mortality did not differ among men and women or whites and blacks, and the finding persisted even after controlling for depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, number of medical conditions, and income.

Significant links with mortality were found with 3 specific items on the purpose-of-life questionnaire to determine the participants’ agreement with the following statements:

• “I sometimes feel as if I’ve done all there is to do in life.”
• “I used to set goals for myself, but that now seems like a waste of time.”
• “My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me.”

“The finding that purpose in life is related to longevity in older persons suggests that aspects of human flourishing—particularly the tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and possess a sense of intentionality and goal-directedness—contribute to successful aging,” Boyle believes.

However, knowledge of the relationship of purpose in life with other demographic characteristics is limited, the researchers add, and future studies are needed to examine whether the association of purpose with mortality might be modified by other variables not measured in their study. In addition, they suggest that future studies should examine whether purpose in life can be enhanced in older adults with interventions.

Sources: Rush University Medical Center, June 12, 2009; Psychosomatic Medicine, 71(5), 574–579, 2009

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DASH diet reduces women’s risk of heart failure

A diet designed to prevent and treat high blood pressure also may be associated with a lower risk of heart failure among women. Led by Emily B. Levitan, ScD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, researchers from the US and Sweden analyzed data from 36,019 women ages 48–83 without heart failure who were participating in a longitudinal study. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire at the beginning of the study, between 1997 and 1998. This information was used to calculate a score indicating how closely their diets matched the guidelines of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, resulting in high potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber consumption, moderately high protein consumption, and low total and saturated fat consumption.

During the 7-year follow-up period, 443 women developed heart failure, including 415 who were hospitalized and 28 who died of the condition. Compared with the one-fourth of women with the lowest DASH diet scores, the one-fourth of women with the highest scores had a 37% lower rate of heart failure after factors such as age, physical activity and smoking were considered. Moreover, women whose scores placed them in the top 10% had half the rate of heart failure compared with the one-fourth who had the lowest scores.

Sources: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, May 11, 2009; Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(9), 851–857, 2009

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Less frequent social activity linked with motor function decline in later life

Among older adults, less frequent participation in social activity is associated with a more rapid rate of motor function decline, a recent study suggests. Motor function decline in older individuals is associated with negative health outcomes, including disability, dementia and death.

Led by Aron S. Buchman, MD, researchers from Rush University Medical Center examined whether the frequency of social activity in late life was related to motor function decline in 906 older adults participating in a longitudinal study with an average follow-up of 4.9 years. The team evaluated participants’ motor function by measuring their grip and pinch strength as well as their ability to stand on one leg and then on their toes, to walk in line in a heel-to-toe manner, to place pegs on a board in 30 seconds, and to tap their index fingers for 10 seconds with both hands.

Individuals completed a health survey to assess their physical activities and used a 5-point rating scale to measure frequency of social activity participation. On this scale, one indicated participation in a particular activity once a year or less; 2, several times a year; 3, several times a month; 4, several times a week; and 5, every day or almost every day. The researchers also recorded participants’ demographic information, education, weight, height and disabilities.

“A lower frequency of participation in social activity was associated with a more rapid rate of motor function decline,” with each one-point decrease in a participant’s social activity score linked to an approximate 33% more rapid rate of decline, the study authors note. Additionally, a one-point decrease on the social activity scale was the same as being approximately 5 years older at baseline. This amount of change was associated with more than a 40% increased risk of death and a 65% increased risk of developing disability.

“The association of social activity with the rate of global motor decline did not vary along demographic lines,” the authors observe, “and was unchanged after controlling for potential confounders including late-life physical and cognitive activity, disability, global cognition depressive symptoms, body composition and chronic medical conditions.” They conclude that “these data raise the possibility that social engagement can slow motor function decline and possibly delay adverse health outcomes from such decline.” However, “further work is needed to ensure that this is a causal relationship.”

Sources: Rush University Medical Center, June 22, 2009; Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(12), 1139–1146, 2009

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