Effect of telephone exercise counseling on frailty in older veterans: project LIFE.
This study sought to determine if telephone exercise counseling attenuates frailty in older, male veterans through increased levels of physical activity. Eighty-one elderly, male veterans (age = 78.4 +/- 4.9 years) randomized to intervention (n = 39) or combined control groups (n = 42) completed baseline and 6-month follow-up measures of gait velocity, 6-min walk, chair stands, body mass index, and physical activity. Adapting the Fried frailty model, deficits in one or more of these outcomes indicated frailty. The intervention group had a 6-month decrease of 18% in the proportion of frail to not frail participants, whereas the control groups had no change in proportions (Fisher's p = .08). Frail participants had a mean 6-month decrease in physical activity levels of 124 kilocalories/week, whereas the not frail group increased by 619 kilocalories/week (p = .07). There was a clinically meaningful change in frailty status with intensive, telephone exercise counseling. Improvement in frailty status was likely due to improvement in functional limitations.
Peterson
Matthew J
MJ
Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. peter076@mc.duke.edu
Sloane
Richard
R
Cohen
Harvey Jay
HJ
Crowley
Gail M
GM
Pieper
Carl F
CF
Morey
Miriam C
MC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003376:Counseling; D015444:Exercise; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013689:Telephone; D014728:Veterans