title: Decline in functional capacity is unaffected by diet quality alone or in combination with physical activity among generally healthy older adults with T2D from the NuAge cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both diet quality (DQ) and physical activity (PA) have been shown to play a role in the prevention of functional capacity (FC) decline. Because older adults (OA) with T2D are at a higher risk of FC decline compared to their non-diabetic counterparts, our aim was to determine if DQ alone, or combined with PA is associated with FC decline in OA with T2D over a 3-year follow-up in a secondary analysis of the NuAge cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 159 OA with T2D (mean age=75 years), FC change was calculated as the difference in FC scores at T1 and T4 measured by the SMAF (Système de Mesure de l'Autonomie Fonctionnelle). Baseline DQ was calculated from three non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls collected at T1 using the validated Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI). PA change was calculated from Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) as T4-T1. Associations were evaluated between FC decline and four combinations of variables: C-HEI score < or ≥70 with PASE change < or > median and analyzed by GLM while controlling for covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither DQ alone nor DQ combined with PA change were associated with FC decline over follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of effect may be explained by characteristics of this healthy sample of OA with T2D who showed relatively good adherence to dietary recommendations (mean C-HEI=70) and were highly functional shown by minimal, clinically non-significant FC decline over 3 years. More research is needed to confirm the role of DQ in preventing FC decline in a larger diabetic sample showing clinically significant FC decline.
authors.affiliation: Département de Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahi
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, McGill University, Canada.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre, Canada; Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierrette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaudreau
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement, CSSS-IUGS, Sherbrooke, Canada; Faculté de medicine et des sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Payette
authors.affiliation: Département de Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Canada; Centre de recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Canada. Electronic address: bryna.shatenstein@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Bryna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shatenstein
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002170:Canada; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058620:Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Diabetes; Diet quality; Functional capacity; Older adults; Physical activity