IntroductionThe Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disability (HA-ID) study is a prospective multicentre cohort study in the Netherlands that started in 2008, including 1050 older adults (aged ≥50) with intellectual disabilities (ID). The study is designed to learn more about the health and health risks of this group as they age. Compared with the amount of research in the general population, epidemiological research into the health of older adults with ID is still in its infancy. Longitudinal data about the health of this vulnerable and relatively unhealthy group are needed so that policy and care can be prioritised and for guiding clinical decision making about screening, prevention and treatment to improve healthy ageing.Methods and analysisThis article presents a summary of the previous findings of the HA-ID study and describes the design of the 10-year follow-up in which a wide range of health data will be collected within five research themes: (1) cardiovascular disease; (2) physical activity, fitness and musculoskeletal disorders; (3) psychological problems and psychiatric disorders; (4) nutrition and nutritional state; and (5) frailty.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for the 10-year follow-up measurements of the HA-ID study has been obtained from the Medical Ethics Review Committee of the Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam (MEC-2019-0562).Trial registration numberThis cohort study is registered in the Dutch Trial Register (NTR number NL8564) and has been conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Capabilities of children with CP improve modestly over time in outpatient rehabilitation. Children with more severe CP reach maximum mobility and self-care levels at an earlier age. After this maintaining capabilities is more realistic than improvement. Important prognostic factors are GMFCS level and intellectual impairment. Routine monitoring can aid goal setting and expectation management in communication with families.
Background Reduced physical fitness is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor in the general population. However, generalising these results to older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) may be inappropriate given their pre-existing low physical fitness levels and high prevalence of comorbidities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the difference in physical fitness between older adults with ID with and without CVD. Method Baseline data of a cohort of older adults with borderline to profound ID (HA-ID study) were used (n = 684; 61.6 ± 8.2 years; 51.3% male). CVD status (coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke) was obtained from medical files. Cardiorespiratory fitness (10-m incremental shuttle walking test), comfortable and fast gait speed (over 5 m distance) and grip strength (hand dynamometer) were measured. Multivariable linear regression models were used to investigate the association between these physical fitness components and the presence of CVD, adjusted for participant characteristics.
ResultsOf the 684 participants 78 (11.4%) had CVD. Participants with CVD scored lower on cardiorespiratory fitness (À81.4 m, P = 0.002), comfortable gait speed (À0.3 km/h, P = 0.04) and fast gait speed (À1.1 km/h, P = 0.04). No significant differences were found for grip strength (À0.2 kg, P = 0.89). Conclusions Older adults with CVD had significantly lower physical fitness levels than those without CVD, except for grip strength. Longitudinal research is needed to investigate causality.
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