Objectives: Diabetes duration is an underappreciated risk factor in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) management that can increase the risk of complications and potentially decrease the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions. However, it is unclear whether T2DM duration impacts the efficacy of an elastic band resistance training intervention for older adults living with comorbid T2DM and frailty. In this analysis we aimed to investigate and better understand the impact of a 16-week elastic band resistance training and diabetes education intervention on physical functioning, glycemia, and frailty in older adults of different T2DM durations.
Methods: This secondary analysis of the Band-Frail Study includes 130 adults (≥65 years) living with T2DM and pre-frailty/frailty who completed 16 weeks of elastic band resistance training and diabetes education. Participants were categorized as 1) short-duration T2DM (<10 years) and 2) long-duration T2DM (>10 years). Outcome measures included physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery), glycemia (glycated hemoglobin [A1C]), and frailty (Fried Frailty Scale).
Results: Participants in both the short- and long-duration T2DM groups improved in physical functioning and frailty status postintervention (p<0.05). The long-duration group improved A1C significantly more than the short-duration group (p=0.03).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that older adults, irrespective of T2DM duration, improve physical functioning and frailty status after 16 weeks of elastic band resistance training and diabetes education, and that longer duration T2DM is associated with greater improvements in A1C.
Keywords: A1C; community intervention; diabetes duration; durée du diabète; entraînement en résistance; fragilité; frailty; programme communautaire; resistance training.
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