The effect of resistance training on functional capacity and quality of life in individuals with high and low number of metabolic risk factors

OBJECTIVE—There are limited data on the effects of resistance training on the capacity to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and quality of life (QoL) for individuals with a high number of metabolic risk factors (HiMF). In this study, we examined the effect of resistance training on the capacity to perform ADLs and QoL in individuals with HiMF and compared any benefits with individuals with a low number of metabolic risk factors (LoMF).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Fifty-five untrained individuals, aged 50.8 ± 6.5 years, were randomized to four groups: HiMF training (HiMFT), HiMF control, LoMF training (LoMFT), and LoMF control. At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training, participants underwent anthropometric measurements and assessments of aerobic power (Vo2peak), muscle strength, capacity to perform ADLs, and a self-perceived QoL questionnaire. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine the effect of training over time among groups.

RESULTS—Training increased lean body mass in both HiMFT (P = 0.03) and LoMFT (P = 0.03) groups. Total fat content and Vo2peak improved in the LoMFT group only. Muscle strength improved in both training groups (P < 0.01). Time to complete ADLs was reduced by 8.8% in the LoMFT group (P < 0.01) and 9.7% in the HiMF group (P < 0.01). Only the HiMFT group reported improvement in QoL.

CONCLUSIONS— Resistance training improved muscle strength and the capacity to perform ADLs in individuals with HiMF and LoMF. Resistance training improved QoL for the HiMF group, and this result was independent of changes in body fat content or aerobic power. Longer training regimens may be needed to improve QoL in individuals with LoMF.

Functional capacity and quality of life in middle-age men and women with high and low number of metabolic risk factors

It is not clear if men and women with high numbers of risk factors (HiMF) for metabolic syndrome (MetS) have impaired capacities to perform activities of daily living (ADL's) and lower quality of life (QoL) in the absence of symptomatic heart disease. Our results indicate that in women there is a correlation between the number of risk factors and the capacity to perform ADL's and QoL. This was not evident for men. These findings may partly explain why women tend to consult healthcare practitioners earlier in the disease process than men.

Health-related quality of life and functioning in bipolar disorder : the impact of pharmacotherapy

Bipolar disorder has a major deleterious impact on many aspects of a patient's functioning and health-related quality of life. Although the formal measurement of these deficits has been neglected until recently, many well-designed trials now include an assessment of functioning and health-related quality of life using one or more rating scales. This review describes recent developments in the measurement of functioning and health-related quality of life in bipolar disorder, and discusses the evidence that medications that improve symptoms in bipolar disorder also offer clinically relevant benefits in functioning and health-related quality of life. Direct comparisons of the benefits of medications including atypical antipsychotics are problematic due to differences in trial populations, study durations and rating scales. Data from quetiapine trials indicate that this medication offers prompt and sustained improvement of functioning in patients with mania and enhancement of health-related quality of life in patients with bipolar depression, to accompany the significant improvements in mood episodes.

Not all roads lead to Rome - a review of quality of life measurement in diabetes

Aims Quality of life (QoL) is recognized widely as an important health outcome in diabetes, where the burden of selfmanagement places great demands on the individual. However, the concept of QoL remains ambiguous and poorly defined. The aim of our review is to clarify the measurement of QoL in terms of conceptualization, terminology and psychometric properties, to review the instruments that have been used most frequently to assess QoL in diabetes research and make recommendations for how to select measures appropriately.

Methods A systematic literature search was conducted to identify the ten measures most frequently used to assess QoL in diabetes research (including clinical trials) from 1995 to March 2008.

Results Six thousand and eight-five abstracts were identified and screened for instrument names. Of the ten instruments most frequently used to assess ‘QoL’, only three actually do so [i.e. the generic World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) and the diabetes-specific Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) and Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL)]. Seven instruments more accurately measure health status [Short-Form 36 (SF-36), EuroQoL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D)], treatment satisfaction [Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ)] and psychological well-being [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Well-Being Questionnaire (W-BQ), Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID)].

Conclusions No single measure can suit every purpose or application but, when measures are selected inappropriately and data misinterpreted, any conclusions drawn are fundamentally flawed. If we value QoL as a therapeutic goal, we must ensure that the instruments we use are both valid and reliable. QoL assessment has the proven potential to identify ways in which treatments can be tailored to reduce the burden of diabetes. With careful consideration, appropriate measures can be selected and truly robust assessments undertaken successfully.