Search results for "Functional ability"
showing 10 items of 51 documents
Association of total serum cholesterol with functional outcome following home care rehabilitation in Italian patients with stroke.
2012
Abstract Background Stroke is a disabling disease. In elderly populations, stroke is the third leading cause of death and the primary cause of reduction in or loss of functional ability and personal autonomy. Possible associations between levels of total serum cholesterol (TC) and both incidence of stroke and functional outcomes after rehabilitation are still under study. Objective To detect positive and negative prognostic factors associated with functional outcomes in first-time stroke patients admitted to an integrated home care rehabilitative program. Methods This study enrolled 141 patients with a first-time stroke who were admitted to a home care rehabilitation program. Primary outcom…
Fifteen-year mortality of patients with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome
2016
Abstract Background The coexistence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (asthma–COPD overlap syndrome: ACOS) is increasingly recognized but data about its prevalence and long-term mortality are needed. Methods Prevalence of ACOS and 15-year mortality rates were assessed in 1065 subjects aged > 65 years, enrolled in the SA.R.A. study, with complete clinical, lung functional and follow-up data. Physical performance, disease-related disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were also evaluated. Results ACOS was found in 11.1% of subjects (29.4% of those previously diagnosed with COPD and 19.7% of those with asthma). ACOS was positively associated with impaired physi…
Physical Function and Properties of Quadriceps Femoris Muscle in Men With Knee Osteoarthritis
2008
To examine the objective physical function of the lower extremities, to measure the properties of quadriceps femoris muscle (QFM), and to assess subjective disabilities in men with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to compare the results with those obtained from age- and sex-matched control subjects.Cross-sectional study.Rehabilitation clinic in a university hospital.Male volunteers (n=54) (age range, 50-69y) with knee OA and randomly selected healthy, age- and sex-matched control subjects (n=53).Not applicable.Physical function evaluated with a test battery including the QFM composition measurement, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the RAND 36-Item…
Jaw mobility changes in patients with upper aerodigestive tract cancer undergoing radiation therapy
2014
Background: Radiation therapy is a therapeutic modality widely used for treatment of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) neoplasms. However, its action is not restricted to tumor cells, and it may cause a variety of adverse reactions, including reduced jaw mobility. Material and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to assess changes in jaw mobility in patients with UADT cancer undergoing radiation therapy. Results: Fifty-six patients completed the study. The results showed a significant reduction in mouth opening ( p <0.001), right lateral excursion ( p =0.038) and left lateral excursion ( p =0.035) of the jaw, a significant increase in the presence ( p <0.001) and severity of ora…
Muscle training for bone strength
2006
The main function of bone is to provide the mechanical integrity for locomotion and protection; accordingly, bone mass and architecture are adjusted to control the strains produced by mechanical load and muscular activity. Age-related patterns involve peak bone mass during growth, a plateau in adulthood, and bone loss during aging. The decline in bone mass and structural integrity results in increased risk of fractures, particularly in post-menopausal women. Athletes competing in strength and power events, such as weight-lifting and jumping, have superior bone mass and structure compared with their untrained counterparts in all age groups. Exercise seems to be most effective during rapid gr…
Efficacy of Selected Electrical Therapies on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Comparative Clinical Pilot Study
2017
Background: In the currently available research publications on electrical therapy of low back pain, generally no control groups or detailed randomization were used, and such studies were often conducted with relatively small groups of patients, based solely on subjective questionnaires and pain assessment scales (lacking measurement methods to objectify the therapeutic progress). The available literature also lacks a comprehensive and large-scale clinical study. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of treating low back pain using selected electrotherapy methods. The study assesses the influence of individual electrotherapeutic treatments on reduction of pain, improvement of …
Impacts of tailored, rehabilitation nursing care on functional ability and quality of life in hospitalized elderly patients after rib fractures
2021
Objectives: We aimed to analyze the effects of a tailored rehabilitation nursing care program on functional ability and quality of life in patients with conservative treatment for rib fractures. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Subjects: Rib fracture patients treated conservatively were randomized into two groups (experimental and control group). Interventions: Patients in control group received Treatment as Usual (TAU) and patients included in experimental group received TAU and an added tailored rehabilitation nursing care program (RNT). Main measures: At baseline, and end of hospitalization treatment, the functional ability was assessed wit…
Ways to become old: Role of lifestyle in modulation of the hallmarks of aging
2021
Abstract Lifestyle represents one of the most relevant aspects in aging research since it is an important modifiable factor that affects aging process. A healthy lifestyle can limit the damage caused by environmental influences that face us each day. As gerontology says, there are two ways to become old, without success (unsuccessful aging), manifested by people that develop one or more age-related diseases, and with success (successful aging), defined as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability, which enables well-being in older age. Among the lifestyle factors that may influence successful aging and longevity, physical activity and healthy dietary habits have a gre…
How Can We Integrate Life Course Vaccination into the New WHO Definition of “Healthy Ageing”?
2019
The first global report on health and ageing published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 introduced a new and innovative concept, namely, the idea that healthy ageing encompasses more than just the absence of disease. The report considered healthy ageing to be a more holistic process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. There are two major components to this concept, namely, personal and environmental determinants of ageing. Personal determinants of ageing correspond to our intrinsic capacity, including our genetic inheritance, personal characteristics, health-related behaviours, and risk factors. Living our daily lives in g…
Maximal isometric muscle strength and functional ability in daily activities among 75-year-old men and women
2007
The purpose of this study was to analyze whether functional ability in daily activities among 75-year-old men and women is predicted by physical activity, isometric muscle strength and simple function tests. In this representative sample of a general population of 405 75-year-olds, isometric muscle strength and functional ability in daily activities were closely related (odds ratio of disability 1.2–2.1), stressing the importance of strength in the truncus, proximal and distal muscle groups for daily activities. There were strong correlations between physical activity, isometric muscle strength as well as simple function tests and ability to manage daily activities. Those with even light ph…