Effects of Obesity on Physical Abilities and Daily Living Activities in Elderly Adults

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Fitness tests and questionnaires: Anthropometric measurements, physical fitness tests and daily life questionnaires

Study summary

Obesity is a significant health problem whose prevalence has tripled worldwide in the last fifty years, also involving older people. Older people present sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. Sarcopenia, accompanied by an increase in adipose tissue, causes a specific condition called sarcopenic obesity. The increase in adipose tissue and the decrease in muscle mass determines a reduction in strength and physical abilities necessary to perform everyday activities of daily living in obese older people.

To understand how the condition of excess adipose tissue influences the activities of daily living of older people with obesity, it is necessary to compare the physical abilities, body composition, and results of various motor skills with normal-weight subjects, corrected for sex and age.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Fat mass — Baseline
  Fat mass as assessed by bioelectrical impedance
• Lean mass — Baseline
  Lean mass as assessed by bioelectrical impedance
• Barthel Index — Baseline
  Level of independence in 10 basic daily activities (ADLs) Total score ranges from 0 to 100
• Handgrip test — Baseline
  Score in kilograms (kg) using a hand dynamometer

Trial sites (1)

More Istituto Auxologico Italiano trials in Italy

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