Exercise Cuts Hospitalization Risk in Older Adults

TOPLINE:

Sustained participation in a community-based structured exercise program is linked to a reduced risk for all-cause hospitalization among older adults, but the benefits varied by gender, according to a new study.

METHODOLOGY:

• This retrospective cohort study evaluated 718 older adults (mean age, 69.5 years; women, 76.5%) who participated in a structured, individualized exercise training program at a privately owned community gym.
• Participants engaged in guided sessions of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training monitored by exercise physiologists, with quarterly assessments.
• Of the included participants, 411 (57.2%) continued in the program for at least 3 months.
• Baseline and quarterly assessments of physical performance included vital signs, strength (bicep curl or grip strength), mobility (sit to stand), balance (one leg balance), and aerobic capacity.
• The risk for all-cause hospitalization was compared between older adults who participated in the program and those who did not.

TAKEAWAY:

• The risk for all-cause hospitalization was 46% (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.54; P = .01) lower in older adults who participated in the exercise program than those who did not.
• Rates of all-cause hospitalization rates were significantly lower in women who participated in the exercise program than those who did not (P = .02).
• However, no significant association was found between participation in the exercise program and the risk for all-cause hospitalization in men (P = .49).
• No significant difference was observed in emergency department visits or cardiovascular hospitalization between participants and nonparticipants.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings extend the literature that supports the association of exercise with reduced hospitalizations,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Donald S. Wright, MD, MHS, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. It was published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

The retrospective nature of the study prevents the establishment of causality between exercise and use of healthcare. Participants who did not continue participating in the exercise program may have exercised independently, potentially narrowing the observed differences between the groups. These participants may not be fully representative of the broader population because all of them self-referred to a gym in the same geographic region.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding was disclosed for this study. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.