Poor lower extremity function was associated with pre-diabetes and diabetes in older chinese people.

To determine whether a relationship exists between performance-based physical assessments and pre-diabetes/diabetes in an older Chinese population.Our study population comprised 976 subjects (mean ± SD age: 67.6±6.0 years; 44.5% men) from the Hangu area of Tianjin, China. Diabetes was defined by self-reporting of a physician's diagnosis, or a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL; and pre-diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose level ≥100 mg/dL and <126 mg/dL.When all other variables were adjusted for, men needing longer to finish a Timed Up and Go Test and a decreased usual walking speed had higher odds of pre-diabetes (P for trend = 0.007 and 0.008, respectively) and diabetes (P for trend = 0.012 and 0.014, respectively). However, women needing longer to finish the test and a decreased usual walking speed had a higher odds of diabetes (P for trend = 0.020 and 0.034, respectively) but not of pre-diabetes. There was no apparent association between grip strength and pre-diabetes/diabetes in both sexes.In this study, poor lower extremity function was associated with pre-diabetes/diabetes in older people

Body mass index is associated with physical performance in suburb-dwelling older chinese: a cross-sectional study.

Physical performance is reported to have various beneficial effects on human health, especially in older individuals. Although such effects are associated with body mass index (BMI), the relationship between BMI and physical performance has not been clarified.We conducted a cross-sectional study of 966 suburb-dwelling Tianjin individuals aged ≥ 60 years (average age 67.5±6.02, men 435, women 531). Mobility, balance, and muscle strength were assessed by walking speed, timed up-and-go test (TUGT), and grip strength, respectively. The subjects were categorized into three groups based on BMI (kg/m2) as follows: normal weight, 18.5 ≤ BMI ≤ 23.9; overweight, 24.0 ≤ BMI ≤ 27.9; and obese, BMI ≥ 28.0.After adjusting for all other variables, relative grip strength decreased when BMI increased in both men and women (P for trend <0.001 and <0.001, respectively). BMI may be negatively associated with TUGT performance in the women only. There was no apparent association between walking speed and BMI in either sex, but after adjusting for age, walking speed was faster when BMI increased in women (P for trend= 0.0162).This study suggests that in older individuals, higher BMI is associated with poor muscle strength in both sexes

Subject characteristics according to categories of BMI.

<p>1 BMI, body mass index; IPAQ, International Physical Activity Questionnaire; TC, total cholesterol; TG, total triglycerides; GLU, fasting blood glucose.</p><p>2 Obtained by using ANOVA for continuous variables and chi-square for variables of proportion.</p><p>3 Mean; 95% CI in parentheses (all such values).</p><p>4 * p < 0.05 versus Normal weight; † p < 0.05 versus Over weight.</p><p>Subject characteristics according to categories of BMI.</p

Adjusted the relationship between BMI and physical performance.

<p>¹ Obtained by using ANCOVA;</p><p>² Adjusted for age;</p><p>³ Additionally adjusted for educational level, profession; diabetes, hypertension, hyperuricemia, stroke, coronary heart disease, arthritis and cancer, history of smoking and drinking habits; International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).</p><p>⁴ Mean; 95% CI in parentheses (all such values).</p><p>⁵ *p < 0.05 versus Normal weight;</p><p>†p < 0.05 versus Over weight.</p><p>Adjusted the relationship between BMI and physical performance.</p