ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Physical activity may reverse frailty in the elderly, but we encounter barriers to the implementation of exercise programs in this population. Our main aim is to evaluate the effect of a multicomponent physical activity program, versus regular medical practice, on reverting pre-frailty status among the elderly, 12 months post-intervention. METHODS: Randomized parallel group multicenter clinical trial located in primary care setting, among non-dependent and pre-frail patients > 70 years old, including 190 patients (95 intervention, 95 control group). INTERVENTION: Multicomponent physical activity program (MEFAP, for its acronym in Spanish) with twelve 1.5 h-weekly sessions comprised of: 1. Informative session; 2. Exercises for improving aerobic resistance, muscle strength, propioception-balance and flexibility; and 3. Handing out of at-home exercise chart (twice/week). Main variable: pre-frailty according to the Fried phenotype. Secondary variables: sociodemographic, clinical and functional variables; exercise program adherence, patient satisfaction with the program and quality of life. We will perform an intention-to-treat analysis by comparing the retrogression from pre-frailty (1 or 2 Fried criteria) to robust status (0 Fried criteria) by the end of the intervention, 6 months and 12 months post-intervention. The accumulated incidence in each group will be calculated, as well as the relative risk (RR) and the number needed to treat (NNT) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee Hospital la Paz. DISCUSSION: Within the context of regular clinical practice, our results will provide evidence regarding the effects of exercise interventions on frailty among pre-frail older adults, a key population given their significant potential for functional, physical, and mental health improvement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03568084 . Registered 26 June 2018. Date of enrollment of the first participant to the trial: July 2nd 2018.
Subject(s)
Exercise Therapy/methods , Exercise/physiology , Frail Elderly , Frailty/therapy , Muscle Strength/physiology , Primary Health Care/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Combined Modality Therapy/methods , Exercise/psychology , Female , Frail Elderly/psychology , Frailty/psychology , Humans , Male , Patient Satisfaction , Quality of Life/psychology , Research Design , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Among 474 cases of gastric carcinoma studied in gastrectomy specimens from 1990 to 1996, only one (0.21%) showed positivity for vimentin. It was located on a gastric stump and, endoscopically, the tumor was classified as early gastric carcinoma type IIb + IIc. Histologically, tumor cells were extensively round to polygonal and had eosinophilic, or clear cytoplasm; the nuclei were large with conspicuous nucleoli. In some areas, the cytoplasm showed vimentin and(or cytokeratin coexpression by double immunostaining. Our results and the patient's rapid deterioration (death occurred six months after surgery) suggest that this type of tumor, although diagnosed as early carcinoma, behaved like an advanced malignancy.
