In community-dwelling older people at increased risk of falling, a 6-month music-based multitask exercise program improved gait under dual-task condition, improved balance, and reduced both the rate of falls and the risk of falling. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01107288.

Summary This 3-year longitudinal study among older adults showed that declining muscle mass, strength, power, and physical performance are independent contributing factors to increased fear of falling, while declines of muscle mass and physical performance contribute to deterioration of quality of life. Our findings reinforce the importance of preserving muscle health with advancing age. Introduction The age-associated loss of skeletal muscle quantity and function are critical determinants of independent physical functioning in later life. Longitudinal studies investigating how decrements in muscle components of sarcopenia impact fear of falling (FoF) and quality of life (QoL) in older adults are lacking. Methods Twenty-six healthy older subjects (age, 74.1±3.7; Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score ≥10) and 22 mobility-limited older subjects (age, 77.2±4.4; SPPB score ≥9) underwent evaluations of lower extremity muscle size and composition by computed tomography, strength and power, and physical performance at baseline and after 3-year follow-up. The Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Short Form-36 questionnaire (SF-36) were also administered at both timepoints to assess FoF and QoL, respectively. Results At 3-year follow-up, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) (p<0.013) and power decreased (p<0.001), while intermuscular fat infiltration increased (p<0.001). These decrements were accompanied with a longer time to complete 400 m by 22±46 s (p<0.002). Using linear mixed-effects regression models, declines of muscle CSA, strength and power, and SPPB score were associated with increased FES score (p<0.05 for each model). Reduced physical component summary score of SF-36 over follow-up was independently associated with decreased SPPB score (p<0.020), muscle CSA (p<0.046), and increased 400 m walk time (p<0.003). Conclusions In older adults with and without mobility limitations, declining muscle mass, strength, power, and physical performance contribute independently to increase FoF, while declines of muscle mass and physical performance contribute to deterioration of QoL. These findings provide further rationale for developing interventions to improve aging muscle health.

Hip fracture is associated with a higher mortality rate in men than in women. However, mean age of men and women with hip fracture differs markedly. Thus, some of the differences in the clinical pattern and outcome between genders could be related to different ages. To avoid the influence of age on gender-specific outcome, we analyzed prefracture conditions and hip fracture outcome in a cohort of men and of age-matched women. Risk factors for low bone mass were recorded in 106 men (mean age +/- SD, 80.3 +/- 9.3 years) and 264 age-matched women (mean age 81.4 +/- 8.0) with hip fracture. We compared mortality rate, survival, years of potential life lost and modification of housing conditions. These outcomes were prospectively assessed during an average 3.6 years follow-up (up to 7 years). Men with hip fracture differed from age-matched hip-fractured women by a higher alcohol and tobacco consumption, a greater frequency of living in couple, and by less prevalent fractures. Mortality rate after hip fracture was significantly higher in men (RR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.34-2.24). Since mortality is higher in the general male population, we compared reduction in life expectancy taking into account the gender-specific mortality rate. The excess mortality in each age-group of hip-fractured patients, which was measured during the whole follow-up period, and is an estimate of death attributable to fracture, did not differ between genders. Reduction in life expectancy due to hip fracture was similar in both genders (5.9 +/- 4.5 and 5.8 +/- 4.8 years, in men and women, respectively; NS), but the proportion of the years of life lost was higher in men (70 +/- 33%) than in women (59 +/- 42%, p < 0.01). It was concluded that for the same age, mortality rate after hip fracture was higher in men than in women. Although the reduction in life expectancy was similar in both genders, the proportion of the years of life lost was higher in men, suggesting a worse impact of hip fracture on survival in men, even after consideration of the higher mortality rate in the general male population.