Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2015 Feb;63(2):222-32.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.13205. Epub 2015 Jan 30.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its association with physical capacity, disability, and self-rated health in Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study participants

Anda Botoseneanu  1 , Walter T Ambrosius, Daniel P Beavers, Nathalie de Rekeneire, Stephen Anton, Timothy Church, Sara C Folta, Bret H Goodpaster, Abby C King, Barbara J Nicklas, Bonnie Spring, Xuewen Wang, Thomas M Gill; LIFE Study Groups
Collaborators, Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its association with physical capacity, disability, and self-rated health in Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study participants

Anda Botoseneanu et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its association with physical capacity, disability, and self-rated health in older adults at high risk of mobility disability, including those with and without diabetes mellitus.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting: Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study.

Participants: Community-dwelling sedentary adults aged 70 to 89 at high risk of mobility disability (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score ≤9; mean 7.4 ± 1.6) (N = 1,535).

Measurements: Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the 2009 multiagency harmonized criteria; outcomes were physical capacity (400-m walk time, grip strength, SPPB score), disability (composite 19-item score), and self-rated health (5-point scale ranging from excellent to poor).

Results: The prevalence of MetS was 49.8% in the overall sample (83.2% of those with diabetes mellitus, 38.1% of those without). MetS was associated with stronger grip strength (mean difference (Δ) = 1.2 kg, P = .01) in the overall sample and in participants without diabetes mellitus and with poorer self-rated health (Δ = 0.1 kg, P < .001) in the overall sample only. No significant differences were found in 400-m walk time, SPPB score, or disability score between participants with and without MetS, in the overall sample or diabetes mellitus subgroups.

Conclusion: Metabolic dysfunction is highly prevalent in older adults at risk of mobility disability, yet consistent associations were not observed between MetS and walking speed, lower extremity function, or self-reported disability after adjusting for known and potential confounders. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether MetS accelerates declines in functional status in high-risk older adults and to inform clinical and public health interventions aimed at preventing or delaying disability in this group.

Keywords: Short Physical Performance Battery; grip strength; metabolic syndrome; mobility disability; self-rated health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The editor in chief has reviewed the conflict of interest checklist provided by the authors and has determined that the authors have no financial or any other kind of personal conflicts with this paper.

References

    1. Studenski S, Perera S, Patel K, et al. Gait speed and survival in older adults. JAMA. 2011;305:50–58. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rantanen T, Volpato S, Ferrucci L, et al. Handgrip strength and cause-specific and total mortality in older disabled women: Exploring the mechanism. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003;51:636–641. - PubMed
    1. Penninx BWJH, Ferrucci L, Leveille SG, et al. Lower extremity performance in nondisabled older persons as a predictor of subsequent hospitalization. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55:M691–M697. - PubMed
    1. Rantanen T, Guralnik JM, Foley D, et al. Midlife hand grip strength as a predictor of old age disability. JAMA. 1999;281:558–560. - PubMed
    1. Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Pieper CF, et al. Lower extremity function and subsequent disability. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55:M221–M231. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms