Physical Fitness Changes In 80-year Old Japanese Adults With No-Medication Use Over 10 Years: 2758 Board #278 June 2 11

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare 10-year longitudinal changes in physical fitness (from age 70 to age 80 years) between older Japanese adults who did and did not take medications over the ten years period. METHODS: Six hundred men (n=306) and women (n=294), 70 years of age at baseline, residing in Niigata City, Japan, participated in this study. Baseline and follow-up physical fitness tests included hand-grip strength, isometric knee extensor strength, leg extensor power, stepping rate, and one-leg standing time with eyes open, and had medical examinations by physicians. Only the individuals who completed the physical fitness test at age of 80 years were grouped into no-medication or medication groups over the past decade, and divided into three groups: Group A: no medication over the 10 years period, Group B: medication at 80yr, no medication at 70yr, Group C: medication over the 10 years period. Their physical fitness at ages 70 and 80 years were compared using Paired t-test and Chi Square test. RESULTS: 59% of baseline data (n=354) were compared with 10 years follow-up data. Among these subjects, the rate of no medication use at 70 years old was 35.8%, which declined to 15.3% by 80 years of age. The most common chronic disease requiring medication was high blood pressure of these 80 year old men and women (n=122). The numbers of participants in each group were: A-56, B-104, and C-194. When compared the means of test results among these 3 groups at age 70 and 80 years, there were significant differences (p<0.05) in hand-grip strength (A: 33.0kg, B: 30.2kg, C: 28.8kg) and knee extensor strength (A: 1.19kg/kg, B: 1.05kg/kg, C: 0.97 kg/kg). There were also significant decline over the ten years period in grip strength (A: -5.818kg B:-4.045kg C:-4.788kg), total protein (A: -0.135 g/dl, B: -0.112 g/dl, C: -0.223g/dl), and total cholesterol (A: -0.056mg/dl, B:-9.257mg/dl, C: -12.09mg/dl). Limitation of this study was significant decline of completion rate of the tests (leg extensor power, knew extensor strength) in participants in Groups B and C. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that the older adults with no medications over the ten years period had higher physical fitness level than medication groups. The findings of this study may provide interesting insight regarding the physical fitness in the elderly population.