Cosimo Roberto Russo

High-Frequency Vibration Training Increases Muscle Power in Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVE To test whether training on a high-frequency (28Hz) vibrating platform improves muscle power and bone characteristics in postmenopausal women. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up. SETTING Outpatient clinic in a general hospital in Italy. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-nine postmenopausal women (intervention group, n=14; matched controls, n=15). INTERVENTION Participants stood on a ground-based oscillating platform for three 2-minute sessions for a total of 6 minutes per training session, twice weekly for 6 months. The controls did not receive any training. Both groups were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Muscle power, calculated from ground reaction forces produced by landing after jumping as high as possible on a forceplate, cortical bone density, and biomarkers of bone turnover. RESULTS Over 6 months, muscle power improved by about 5% in women who received the intervention, and it remained unchanged in controls (P=.004). Muscle force remained stable in both the intervention and control groups. No significant changes were observed in bone characteristics. CONCLUSION Reflex muscular contractions induced by vibration training improve muscle power in postmenopausal women.

Changes in anthropometric measures in men and women across the life-span: findings from the InCHIANTI study.

Summary¶¶Objectives: To describe the age distribution of anthropometric parameters in a population-based sample of older persons.¶Methods: Cross-sectional survey of a population-based sample of persons over a wide age-range living in the Chianti area, Italy, between 1998 to 2000. Total cohort: 1 453 men and women, of whom 424 younger than 65 and 1 029 aged 65 years or older. Participation rate: 69.4 % in < 65 yrs and 91.6 % in ≤ 65 yrs. Analytical cohort: anthropometric measures were available for 1 266 subjects.¶Results: Height and weight declined with increasing age in both sexes. In men, Body mass index (BMI) increased with age up to age 45—54 and then it declined. In women, it reached its maximum at age 65—74 and remained higher than in men in each corresponding age group above 65 years of age. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) progressively increased in men up to age 55—64 and then slightly declined. In women WHR steadily increased over the entire age range.¶Conclusions: Height and weight decline with age, regardless to differences in body size attributable to secular trend. In both sexes, important fat redistribution occurs between 45 and 54 years and in older women the increase in WHR mostly reflects a reduction of fat deposits in the hips. This information may be relevant for a correct interpretation of changes in WHR in older persons. However, these findings were obtained in a cross-sectional study and should be verified in a longitudinal perspective.

A role for sarcopenia in late-life osteoporosis

The development of effective methods for assessing bone strength and predicting fracture risk is of paramount importance, in view of the considerable and increasing prevalence of osteoporosis-related fractures throughout the world (1-3). While the aging of the population certainly contributes to this phenomenon, recent findings suggest that age-specific rates of bone fractures are also rising despite the availability of pharmacological treatments that effectively improve bone strength (3). Thus, research into new strategies that may reduce the burden of bone fractures in the population is more urgent than ever. However, understanding the roots of bone fragility is a necessary step in any attempt to identify new methods for early detection and prevention that are more effective than those currently available.

True osteoporosis and frailty-related osteopenia: two different clinical entities.

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Preventive health care for older women: life-style recommendations and new directions.

One of the key paradoxes in gerontology is that, despite a higher longevity, aging women experience worse health and longer disability than men. However, there is growing evidence that changes in life-style, medical interventions and systematic screening for certain diseases may substantially reduce the excess risk of major chronic conditions and disability in aging women, and therefore improve the quality of their late life. The potentials and public health implications of prevention in older women have been recently emphasized, not only by the scientific literature, but also by the media. More and more women are turning to their primary care physicians or other health professionals to seek counselling and help on how to reduce the burden of chronic disease and disability in old age by quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and coping with stress. Hormone replacement therapy also has a central role in this action of prevention. To maximize compliance, women should be provided a few guidelines that are easy to understand, and can be followed without interfering too much with their daily life activities. This article reviews the current literature on prevention in older women to select preventive strategies that are based on robust scientific evidence. This list of guidelines should be considered as a starting point for all those who are in charge of caring for middle-aged and older women.

Understanding the physiological and functional consequences of menopause: The PROSALMEN study

Background and aims: Women live longer and are more often affected by disability and poor health than men. The mechanism underlying this sex-related “mortality-morbidity” paradox is still unclear but it has been suggested that the physiological and functional changes occurring during the menopausal transition play an important role. The aim of PROSALMEN (PROgetto SALute MENopausa: Health in Menopause Project) is to study in great detail how these changes affect the integrity and function of the physiologic subsystems that are relevant to the maintenance of an active and healthy life-style during the aging process. Methods: PROSALMEN is a cross-sectional comparison of age-matched pre- and post-menopausal women. Thirty post-m enopausal women, aged 48–58 years, were enrolled in the study together with 30 age-matched pre-menopausal controls. A number of clinical, biological and functional parameters were collected assessing the integrity and level of function of the physiological subsystems that are important for mobility. Furthermore, we collected information on risk factors, medical conditions and symptoms that frequently develop or become clinically evident after menopause, including the most important elements of the classical post-m enopausal syndrome. Conclusions: This rich dataset will be used to start dissecting the causal pathway leading from menopause to damages in the musculoskeletal system and, in turn, to reduced physical function. The final goal is to understand how and to what extent changes in health behavior and pharmacological treatments in addition to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may counteract these processes.