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(CNN) – Lose the ability to move and exercise activities of daily living can lead to a loss of independence and even be fatal, so researchers focus on preventing conditions that can lead to disability.
Being physically active can help prevent disability in people who have or are at risk for joint problems. According to a new study, adults with lower extremity joint symptoms, such as pain, body aches or stiffness, who experience at least an hour of moderate to vigorous activity Exercising every week is more likely to not be disabled after four years than those who do not reach this goal.
The study, published Monday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, focused on participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a large multisite study of knee osteoarthritis, which presented an increased risk of disability due to symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. lower limbs, from 2008 to 2014.
Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints, the place where the bones meet in the body, and can lead to disability. Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs with aging and excessive use of joints.
"People who begin to experience occasional pain, stiffness, and weakness can suffer from early osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis that affects more than 30 million Americans," he said. Cindy McDaniel, Senior Vice President of Consumer Health at the Arthritis Foundation.
As the cartilage, the tissue that covers the bone between the joints, wears out gradually, the bones can rub against each other and cause pain. For this reason, osteoarthritis is sometimes called degenerative joint disease or "wear" arthritis, McDaniel explained.
Dorothy D. Dunlop, lead author of the study and professor of Rheumatology and Preventive Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine in Northwestern, said the researchers "focused on adults suffering from pain, stiffness or stiffness" . [hip, knee, ankle, foot] joints because they present a high risk of developing a disability. "
Although these patients, aged 49 to 83, had joint problems in the lower limbs, they were considered to be incapacitated at the beginning of the study, defined as having a gait or gait speed of at least 1 meter per foot. second and not reporting any loss. limitations of their activities of daily living, such as dressing or walking around a room.
To measure their activity levels, patients were followed with accelerometers.
"After monitoring physical activity, participants were interviewed every two years, over four years," said Dunlop. The results showed that people who did at least 56 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week were 86% less likely to have reduced mobility compared to those who exercised less.
"One hour a week of intense activity is simple to remember and at the same time allows for predicting maintenance of core capabilities almost as effectively as optimal thresholds," said Dunlop.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend to people with arthritis 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise a week. These guidelines help define expectations, but they are not always followed. According to the CDC's National Health Interview Survey, nearly half of American adults do less exercise than is recommended.
Previous research has shown that physical activity prevents disability, but it is the first systematic study of the minimum time required to maintain the ability to live independently.
"The identification of an evidence-based physical activity goal that supports these basic abilities can motivate inactive older people to start their path to health benefits through a lifestyle." physically active, "said Dunlop. "If future work shows that a moderate activity relationship of one hour per week is favorably badociated with other health outcomes, this threshold could constitute an intermediate goal in terms of Physical activity. "
The authors of the study recognize certain limitations: since they examined symptomatic lower extremity articular affections in adults, as opposed to general joint affections, the results are less generalizable. In addition, accelerometers have not been able to record activities in the water and may underestimate cycling activities.
There is a growing need for disability prevention. "The prevalence and impact of osteoarthritis has increased," said McDaniel, "the focus is also focused on improving diagnostic techniques, options for treatment and results for patients. "
One of the ways to improve outcomes for patients is to encourage an active lifestyle, essential to maintaining independence. The key is to stay as active as possible, said Dunlop.
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