Effectiveness of the Vivifrail exercise program among frail older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Main Article Content
Abstract
A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 72 patients aged 60 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus and frailty syndrome. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (n = 36), which received the Vivifrail multicomponent exercise program in addition to usual care, or the control group (n = 36), which received usual care alone. Assessments were performed at baseline (D0), 3 months (D90), and 6 months (D180). Outcome measures included Timed Up and Go (TUG) test performance and Fall Risk Index-21 (FRI-21) scores. A total of 66 participants completed the 6-month follow-up. At baseline, demographic, diabetes-related, and geriatric characteristics were comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05). After 6 months, mean TUG time in the intervention group decreased 3.8 seconds from 15.6 ± 5.9 seconds to 11.8 ± 2.9 seconds, whereas it increased 1.1 seconds from 15.3 ± 5.5 seconds to 16.4 ± 6.4 seconds in the control group. Similarly, FRI-21 scores in the intervention group decreased 4.1 points from 11.4 ± 3.3 points to 7.3 ± 3.0 points, while scores in the control group showed no significant change. Improvements in functional mobility (assessed by the TUG) and fall risk (assessed by the FRI-21) were significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group at both 3 and 6 months of follow-up (p < 0.05). The Vivifrail program significantly improves functional mobility and reduces fall risk among frail older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This intervention may represent an effective non-pharmacological strategy for improving physical function and preventing falls in this high-risk population.
Article Details
Keywords
Vivifrail, typ 2 diabetes mellitus, frailty, Timed Up and Go, fall risk, older adults
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