Exercise Slows Deterioration in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Friday, March 9th 2007

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 07 - Nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease who participate in a moderate exercise program for 1 hour twice weekly have a significantly slower decline in performing activities of daily living than those who receive routine medical care, according to findings published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In a randomized, controlled trial, Dr. Yves Rolland, of Hopital La Grave-Casselardit, Toulouse, France, and colleagues examined the effects of an exercise program on activities of daily living, physical performance, nutritional status, behavioral disturbance and depression among 134 Alzheimer's disease patients in nursing homes.

The patients, who were ambulatory and had mild to severe disease, were randomized to the exercise program, which focused on walking, strength, balance and flexibility training, or to routine medical care for 12 months.

The subjects were a mean of 83 years old. Overall, 110 (82.1%) subjects completed the study.

High adherence was observed in 19% of participants in the exercise group. More than 28% of subjects had intermediate adherence and 42% had low adherence. Seven participants performed none of the exercise sessions. Of the 56 subjects in the exercise group who completed the study, the mean adherence was 33.2%.

At the end of the 12 months, the mean activities of daily living score was significantly more improved in the exercise group than in the routine medical care group, Dr. Rolland's team reports. In regression analysis, mean walking speed improvements were significantly higher in exercisers than in the routine medical care group at 6 months and 12 months.

However, the exercise program had no apparent effect on behavioral disturbance, depression or nutritional assessment scores.

In the intervention group, adherence to the exercise sessions was predictive of change in ability to perform activities of daily living, the researchers concluded.

J Am Geriatr Soc 2007;55:158-165.

 

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