Feelings of fatigue predict early death in older adults

Date:
January 24, 2022
Source:
University of Pittsburgh
Summary:
How fatigued certain activities make an older person feel
can predict the likelihood death is less than three years
away. Researchers show that perceived physical fatigability is an
indicator of earlier mortality.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
How fatigued certain activities make an older person feel can predict the likelihood death is less than three years away, according to research
published today in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciencesby
University of Pittsburgh epidemiologists. It is the first study to
establish perceived physical fatigability as an indicator of earlier
mortality.


========================================================================== Older people who scored the highest in terms of how tired or exhausted
they would feel after activities were more than twice as likely to die in
the following 2.7 years compared to their counterparts who scored lower.

Fatigability was assessed for a range of activities using the novel
Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale.

"This is the time of year when people make -- and break -- New Year's resolutions to get more physical activity," said lead author Nancy
W. Glynn, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology
at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health. "I hope our findings
provide some encouragement to stick with exercise goals. Previous
research indicates that getting more physical activity can reduce
a person's fatigability. Our study is the first to link more severe
physical fatigability to an earlier death. Conversely, lower scores
indicate greater energy and more longevity." Glynn and her colleagues administered the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale to 2,906 participants
aged 60 or older in the Long Life Family Study, an international study
that follows family members across two generations.

Participants ranked from 0 to 5 how tired they thought or imagined that
certain activities -- such as a leisurely 30-minute walk, light housework
or heavy gardening -- would make them.

Follow-up for this work concluded at the end of 2019, to avoid any
increased mortality impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave the team
an average of 2.7 years of data on each participant. After accounting
for a variety of factors that influence mortality, such as depression, pre-existing or underlying terminal illness, age and gender, the team
found that participants who scored 25 points or higher on the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale were 2.3 times more likely to die in the 2.7 years
after completing the scale, compared to their counterparts who scored
below 25.

"There has been research showing that people who increase their physical activity can decrease their fatigability score," said Glynn, a physical activity epidemiologist. "And one of the best ways to increase physical activity -- which simply means moving more -- is by setting manageable
goals and starting a routine, like a regular walk or scheduled exercise." Beyond tying high fatigability to an earlier death, Glynn said the
study demonstrates the value of the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale,
which she and colleagues created in 2014. It has since been translated
into 11 languages.

"While the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale has been widely adopted in
research as a reliable, sensitive way to measure fatigability, it is underutilized in hospital settings and clinical trials," Glynn said. "My ultimate goal is to develop a physical activity intervention targeting
a reduction in fatigability as a means to stem the downward spiral of
impaired physical function common with the aging process. By reducing fatigability, one can change how they feel, potentially motivating them
to do more." Additional authors on this research are Theresa Gmelin,
M.S.W., M.P.H., Yujia (Susanna) Qiao, Sc.M., Robert M. Boudreau, Ph.D.,
Kaare Christensen, M.D., and Anne B. Newman, M.D., all of Pitt; Sharon
Renner, Ph.D., of Columbus State University; Mary F. Feitosa, Ph.D.,
of Washington University in St. Louis; Stephanie Cosentino, Ph.D., of
Columbia University, and Stacy L. Andersen, Ph.D., of Boston University.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health's
National Institute on Aging grants U01 AG023712, U01 AG023744, U01
AG023746, U01 AG023749, U01 AG023755, P01 AG08761, U19 AG063893, T32
AG000181 and K01 AG0057798.

special promotion Explore the latest scientific research on sleep and
dreams in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Pittsburgh. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Nancy W Glynn, Theresa Gmelin, Sharon W Renner, Yujia (Susanna)
Qiao,
Robert M Boudreau, Mary F Feitosa, Mary K Wojczynski,
Stephanie Cosentino, Stacy L Andersen, Kaare Christensen, Anne
B Newman. Perceived Physical Fatigability Predicts All-Cause
Mortality in Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A,
2021; DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab374 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220124084616.htm

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