The purpose of this Position Stand is to provide an overview of issues critical to understanding the importance of exercise and physical activity in older adult populations. The Position Stand is divided into three sections: Section 1 briefly reviews the structural and functional changes that characterize normal human aging, Section 2 considers the extent to which exercise and physical activity can influence the aging process, and Section 3 summarizes the benefits of both long-term exercise and physical activity and shorter-duration exercise programs on health and functional capacity. Although no amount of physical activity can stop the biological aging process, there is evidence that regular exercise can minimize the physiological effects of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and increase active life expectancy by limiting the development and progression of chronic disease and disabling conditions. There is also emerging evidence for significant psychological and cognitive benefits accruing from regular exercise participation by older adults. Ideally, exercise prescription for older adults should include aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening exercises, and flexibility exercises. The evidence reviewed in this Position Stand is generally consistent with prior American College of Sports Medicine statements on the types and amounts of physical activity recommended for older adults as well as the recently published 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. All older adults should engage in regular physical activity and avoid an inactive lifestyle.

Exercise and physical activity for older adults

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(12)60735-1.pdf

Correlates of physical activity: why are some people physically active and others not?

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics A Textbook of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics for Physicians and Medical Students. By Prof. Louis Goodman and Prof. Alfred Gilman. Pp. xiii + 1383. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941.) 50s. net.

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

Linda Nici, Claudio Donner, Emiel Wouters, Richard Zuwallack, Nicolino Ambrosino, Jean Bourbeau, Mauro Carone, Bartolome Celli, Marielle Engelen, Bonnie Fahy, Chris Garvey, Roger Goldstein, Rik Gosselink, Suzanne Lareau, Neil MacIntyre, Francois Maltais, Mike Morgan, Denis O’Donnell, Christian Prefault, Jane Reardon, Carolyn Rochester, Annemie Schols, Sally Singh, and Thierry Troosters, on behalf of the ATS/ERS Pulmonary Rehabilitation Writing Committee

/pdf/american-thoracic-society-european-respiratory-society-fshcxcru7i.pdf

American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Statement on Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Reports linking long-term use of bisphosphonates (BPs) with atypical fractures of the femur led the leadership of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) to appoint a task force to address key questions related to this problem. A multidisciplinary expert group reviewed pertinent published reports concerning atypical femur fractures, as well as preclinical studies that could provide insight into their pathogenesis. A case definition was developed so that subsequent studies report on the same condition. The task force defined major and minor features of complete and incomplete atypical femoral fractures and recommends that all major features, including their location in the subtrochanteric region and femoral shaft, transverse or short oblique orientation, minimal or no associated trauma, a medial spike when the fracture is complete, and absence of comminution, be present to designate a femoral fracture as atypical. Minor features include their association with cortical thickening, a periosteal reaction of the lateral cortex, prodromal pain, bilaterality, delayed healing, comorbid conditions, and concomitant drug exposures, including BPs, other antiresorptive agents, glucocorticoids, and proton pump inhibitors. Preclinical data evaluating the effects of BPs on collagen cross-linking and maturation, accumulation of microdamage and advanced glycation end products, mineralization, remodeling, vascularity, and angiogenesis lend biologic plausibility to a potential association with long-term BP use. Based on published and unpublished data and the widespread use of BPs, the incidence of atypical femoral fractures associated with BP therapy for osteoporosis appears to be very low, particularly compared with the number of vertebral, hip, and other fractures that are prevented by BPs. Moreover, a causal association between BPs and atypical fractures has not been established. However, recent observations suggest that the risk rises with increasing duration of exposure, and there is concern that lack of awareness and underreporting may mask the true incidence of the problem. Given the relative rarity of atypical femoral fractures, the task force recommends that specific diagnostic and procedural codes be created and that an international registry be established to facilitate studies of the clinical and genetic risk factors and optimal surgical and medical management of these fractures. Physicians and patients should be made aware of the possibility of atypical femoral fractures and of the potential for bilaterality through a change in labeling of BPs. Research directions should include development of animal models, increased surveillance, and additional epidemiologic and clinical data to establish the true incidence of and risk factors for this condition and to inform orthopedic and medical management. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jbmr.416

Atypical subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures: Report of a task force of the american society for bone and mineral Research

Results: Most of the study group were women (54%). Some injuries occurred with a significantly higher frequency in one sex. Being less than 34 years old was reported as a risk factor across the sexes for patellofemoral pain syndrome, and in men for iliotibial band friction syndrome, patellar tendinopathy, and tibial stress syndrome. Being active for less than 8.5 years was positively associated with injury in both sexes for tibial stress syndrome; and women with a body mass index less than 21 kg/m 2 were at a significantly higher risk for tibial stress fractures and spinal injuries. Patellofemoral pain syndrome was the most common injury, followed by iliotibial band friction syndrome, plantar fasciitis, meniscal injuries of the knee, and tibial stress syndrome. Conclusions: Although various risk factors were shown to be positively associated with a risk for, or protection from, specific injuries, future research should include a non-injured control group and a more precise measure of weekly running distance and running experience to validate these results.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/36/2/95.full.pdf

A retrospective case-control analysis of 2002 running injuries

We analyzed cases of 320 athletes with bone scan-positive stress fractures (M = 145, F = 175) seen over 3.5 years and assessed the results of conservative management. The most common bone injured was the tibia (49.1%), followed by the tarsals (25.3%), metatarsals (8.8%), femur (7.2%), fibula (6.6%), pelvis (1.6%), sesamoids (0.9%), and spine (0.6%). Stress fractures were bilateral in 16.6% of cases. A significant age difference among the sites was found, with femoral and tarsal stress fractures occurring in the oldest, and fibular and tibial stress fractures in the youngest. Running was the most common sport at the time of injury but there was no significant difference in weekly running mileage and affected sites. A history of trauma was significantly more common in the tarsal bones. The average time to diagnosis was 13.4 weeks (range, 1 to 78) and the average time to recovery was 12.8 weeks (range, 2 to 96). Tarsal stress fractures took the longest time to diagnose and recover. Varus alignment was found frequently, but there was no significant difference among the fracture sites, and varus alignment did not affect time to diagnosis or recovery. Radiographs were taken in 43.4% of cases at the time of presentation but were abnormal in only 9.8%. A group of bone scan-positive stress fractures of the tibia, fibula, and metatarsals (N = 206) was compared to a group of clinically diagnosed stress fractures of the same bone groups (N = 180), and no significant differences were found. Patterns of stress fractures in athletes are different from those found in military recruits. Using bone scan for diagnosis indicates that tarsal stress fractures are much more common than previously realized. Time to diagnosis and recovery is site-dependent. Technetium99 bone scan is the single most useful diagnostic aid. Conservative treatment of stress fractures in athletes is satisfactory in the majority of cases.

Stress fractures in athletes. A study of 320 cases

Background—There is no disease specific, reliable, and valid clinical measure of Achilles tendinopathy. Objective—To develop and test a questionnaire based instrument that would serve as an index of severity of Achilles tendinopathy. Methods—Item generation, item reduction, item scaling, and pretesting were used to develop a questionnaire to assess the severity of Achilles tendinopathy. The final version consisted of eight questions that measured the domains of pain, function in daily living, and sporting activity. Results range from 0 to 100, where 100 represents the perfect score. Its validity and reliability were then tested in a population of non-surgical patients with Achilles tendinopathy (n = 45), presurgical patients with Achilles tendinopathy (n = 14), and two normal control populations (total n = 87). Results—The VISA-A questionnaire had good test-retest (r = 0.93), intrarater (three tests, r = 0.90), and interrater (r = 0.90) reliability as well as good stability when compared one week apart (r = 0.81). The mean (95% confidence interval) VISA-A score in the non-surgical patients was 64 (59‐69), in presurgical patients 44 (28‐60), and in control subjects it exceeded 96 (94‐99). Thus the VISA-A score was higher in non-surgical than presurgical patients (p = 0.02) and higher in control subjects than in both patient populations (p<0.001). Conclusions—The VISA-A questionnaire is reliable and displayed construct validity when means were compared in patients with a range of severity of Achilles tendinopathy and control subjects. The continuous numerical result of the VISA-A questionnaire has the potential to provide utility in both the clinical setting and research. The test is not designed to be diagnostic. Further studies are needed to determine whether the VISA-A score predicts prognosis. (Br J Sports Med 2001;35:335‐341)

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/35/5/335.full.pdf

The VISA-A questionnaire: a valid and reliable index of the clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy

In brief: This retrospective survey of the clinical records of 1,650 patients seen from 1978 to 1980 identified 1,819 injuries. Almost 60% of the patients were men, but women under age 30 had the greatest risk of overuse running injuries. The knee was the most commonly injured site, and patellofemoral pain syndrome was the most common injury. Most patients had moderate to severe degrees of varus alignment and subsequent overpronation. Because certain injuries were more frequent in one sex or the other, the authors say future studies should differentiate injuries by sex.

A Survey of Overuse Running Injuries

One hundred nine runners were treated conservatively without immobilization for overuse injury to the Achilles tendon. Treatment strategies were directed toward rehabilitation of the gastrocnemius/soleus muscle-tendon unit, control of inflammation and pain, and control of biomechanical parameters. One fair, 12 good, and 73 excellent results were reported, with a mean recovery time of 5 weeks. Followup was incomplete in 23 cases. The three most prevalent etiological factors were overtraining (82 cases), functional overpronation (61 cases), and gastrocnemius/soleus insufficiency (41 cases). The authors speculate that runners are susceptible to Achilles tendinitis with peritendinitis due to microtrauma produced by the eccentric loading of fatigued muscle, excess pronation producing whipping action of the Achilles tendon, and/or vascular blanching of the Achilles tendon produced by conflicting internal and external rotatory forces imparted to the tibia by simultaneous pronation and knee extension. Virtually all cases of Achilles tendon injury appear to result from structural or dynamic disturbances in normal lower leg mechanics and require active treatment regimens which attempt to establish normal function to prevent recurrence.

Jack E. Taunton

Papers

A retrospective case-control analysis of 2002 running injuries

Stress fractures in athletes. A study of 320 cases

The VISA-A questionnaire: a valid and reliable index of the clinical severity of Achilles tendinopathy

A Survey of Overuse Running Injuries

Achilles tendinitis and peritendinitis: Etiology and treatment