Physical activity has been proven to be effective in improving and sustaining physical and cognitive performance in dementia.
Background: Decline in physical activity and functioning is commonly observed in the older population and might be associated with biomarkers such as Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). AGEs contribute to age-related decline in the function of cells and tissues in normal aging and have been found to be associated with motor function decline. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the levels of AGEs, as assessed by skin autofluorescence, and the amount of physical activity and loss of physical functioning in older participants.Methods: Cross-sectional data of 5,624 participants aged 65 years and older from the Lifelines cohort study was used. Linear regression analyses were utilized to study associations between skin autofluorescence/AGE-levels (AGE reader), the number of physically active days (SQUASH), and physical functioning (RAND-36), respectively. A logistic regression analysis was used to study associations between AGE-levels and the compliance with the Dutch physical activity guidelines (SQUASH).Results: A statistical significant association between AGE levels and the number of physically active days (β = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.35 to -0.07, P = .004), physical functioning (β = -1.60, 95% CI: -2.64 to -0.54, P = .003), and compliance with the Dutch physical activity guidelines (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.94, P = .010) was revealed.Conclusions: This study indicates that high AGE levels may be a contributing factor as well as a biomarker for lower levels of physical activity and functioning in the older population.
De samenwerking tussen de onderzoeksgroep FRIA van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, afdeling oudergeneeskunde van het UMCG Groningen en de onderzoeksgroep (lectoraat) Healthy Ageing, Allied health Care and Nursing van de Hanzehogeschool Groningen is gericht op onderzoek naar bewegingsstoornissen bij veroudering. In het bijzonder wordt gekeken naar paratonic, een bewegingsstoornis bij dementie.The International Joint Research group ‘Move in Age’ concluded in a systematic review that paratonia still is a barely understood and devastating phenomenon in dementia and revealed the urgency of gaining more insight in the pathophysiology. Paratonia, a distinctive change in muscle tone, starts in early stages of dementia and develops further with progress of the disease. Resulting in severe discomfort for patients, but also affecting caregivers since daily care becomes increasingly difficult. It is hypothesized that changes in motor control due to dementia influences peripheral neurological control and biomechanical muscle structures (by crosslinking and inflammation caused by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).This IJRG started in 2018 and aims to develop a long-term comprehensive research program on movement-related impairments at higher age. The three partners have a strong track record on research in the area of movement-related impairments in older persons; however, each focusing on a specific aspect. In fact, the Frailty in Ageing research group (FRIA) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is running focused research program on the triad sarcopenia-dynapenia-inflammation with mainly a bio-gerontological and bio-psycho-medical approach; the department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) has anongoing research line on the medical aspects of mobility impairments in frail elderly persons and in elderly dementia patients; and finally Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen (HUAS) developed a research program on physical, psycho-cognitive and social dimensions of frailty including the functional impact of mobility impairments. In the first 3-5 years, the focus will be on the movement-related impairments that occur in patients with dementia and in specific on paranoia. The programme will be extended towards movement-related impairments in the context of other geriatric syndromes.
