Is V̇O2max an Appropriate Fitness Indicator for Older Adults?

1998 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea T. White ◽  
C. Steven Fehlauer ◽  
Rita Hanover ◽  
Stephen C. Johnson ◽  
Robert E. Dustman

Older individuals arc more likely than younger adults to exhibit symptoms of exercise intolerance at high work rates. The risks of maximal exercise in older adults increase proportionally as the number of health difficulties increase. In this study, the effects of health status, age, and gender on older adults’ ability to attain V̇O2max are examined. Sedentary volunteers (60 women, 45 men), mean age 67 ± 5 years (range 57-78 years), participated in graded maximal exercise tests on a combined arm and leg cycle ergometer. Subjects were classified into three groups based on test termination reason: attainment of V̇O2max (MAX), symptom-limited (SX), or EKG-limited (EKG). Sixty percent of men and 40% of women were classified as MAX, while 48% of women and 27% of men were characterized as SX. Thirteen percent of men and 12% of women had EKG-limited exercise tests. Those in the EKG group reported significantly more diagnoses than subjects in the MAX group (2.7 vs. 1.4. p < .05). The number of medications reported and age of the subjects did not differ across test termination categories.

Author(s):  
Ian D. Graham ◽  
Paul M. Baker

ABSTRACTSeveral writers have suggested that there is an inverted U-curve of status or prestige across the lifespan in Western society. The old and the young are apparently accorded less status than persons in midlife, and women are seen as having less status than men.In this study of 198 older individuals (mean age 67), the same inverted U-curve was found, but gender differences were very small. Much less extreme status ratings were given by this older sample than by the earlier samples of young adults. Also, status ratings were again mostly unaffected by respondents' characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, or social class. Older adults, therefore, seem to accept the broad cultural views of age stratification, but are slightly more egalitarian than the young.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110268
Author(s):  
Vaitsa Giannouli ◽  
Juliana Yordanova ◽  
Vasil Kolev

Research on aesthetic descriptors of art in different languages is scarce. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the conceptual structure of aesthetic experiences of three forms of art (music, visual arts and literature) in the Greek language, which has not been explored so far. It was further aimed to study if biological and cognitive factors such as age and gender might produce differences in art appreciation. A total of 467 younger and older individuals from Greece were asked to generate verbal descriptors (adjectives) in free word-listing conditions in order to collect terms reflecting the aesthetics-related semantic field of art. The capacity of verbal memory was controlled by using a battery of neuropsychological tests. Analysis of generated adjectives’ frequency and salience revealed that ‘beautiful’ was the most prominent descriptor that was selected with a distinctive primacy for all three forms of arts. The primacy of ‘beautiful’ was significantly more pronounced for visual arts relative to music and literature. Although the aging-related decline of verbal capacity was similar for males and females, the primacy of ‘beautiful’ depended on age and gender by being more emphasized for young females than males, and for old males than females. Analysis of secondary descriptors and pairs of adjectives revealed that affective and hedonic experiences are essentially fixed in the semantic field of art reflection. It is concluded that although the concept of the aesthetics seems to be diversified and rich, a clear primacy of beauty is found for the Greek cultural environment and across different forms of art. The results also highlight the presence of complex influences of biological and cognitive factors on aesthetic art experiences.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rikki M Tanner ◽  
Daichi Shimbo ◽  
Samantha Seals ◽  
Gbenga Ogedegbe ◽  
Paul Muntner

In the US, antihypertensive medication treatment decisions are primarily based on blood pressure (BP) measurements obtained in the clinic setting. The optimal systolic BP (SBP) goal for adults ≥60 years is controversial and a large difference between clinic and out-of-clinic daytime BP, a white-coat effect, may be present in older individuals. We estimated the white-coat effect and calculated the percentage of untreated and treated adults <60 and ≥60 years with elevated clinic BP (defined as SBP/diastolic BP [DBP] ≥140/90 mmHg), but non-elevated out-of-clinic daytime BP (“daytime BP”, defined as SBP/DBP <135/85 mmHg) among 257 African-American participants in the Jackson Heart Study with at least 10 daytime ambulatory BP measurements. For the overall population, the white-coat effect for SBP was 12.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.2-15.1) in older adults and 8.4 mmHg (95% CI: 5.7-11.1) in younger adults (p=0.06). After multivariable (MV) adjustment, this difference was 1.3 mmHg. Among those without diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD), the white coat effect for SBP was 15.2 mmHg (95% CI: 10.1-20.2) and 8.6 mmHg (95% CI: 5.0-12.3) for older and younger adults, respectively (p=0.04). After MV adjustment, this difference was 5.9 mmHg. Also, SBP ≥150 mmHg versus <150 mm Hg was associated with a larger white-coat effect in the overall population after MV adjustment. Among those without CKD or diabetes, older age and SBP ≥150 mmHg were associated with a larger white-coat effect after MV adjustment. Among younger and older participants with elevated clinic BP, the prevalence of non-elevated daytime BP was 34% (95% CI: 26%-44%) and 32% (95% CI: 24%-40%), respectively (p=0.64), in the overall population and 35% (95% CI: 24%-48%) and 43% (95% CI: 31%-56%), respectively, for those without CKD or diabetes (p=0.37). In conclusion, a large white-coat effect was present among older adults. These data suggest a role for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in preventing potential over-treatment for hypertension among older adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 467
Author(s):  
Ivana Simonova ◽  
Petra Poulova ◽  
Pavel Prazak ◽  
Blanka Klimova

1996 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
An A. Chen ◽  
Glen P. Kenny ◽  
Chad E. Johnston ◽  
Gordon G. Giesbrecht

An underwater cycle ergometer was designed consisting of an aluminum cycle frame in water connected with a 1:1 gear ratio to a mechanically braked standard cycle ergometer supported above the water. Three progressive maximal exercise tests were performed (n = 10): (a) the underwater ergometer in water (UEW), (b) underwater ergometer in air (UEA), and (c) a standard cycle ergometer in air (SEA). At submaximal power outputs, oxygen consumption [Formula: see text] and heart rate (HR) were generally lower in the SEA condition (p <.05), indicating that exercise in the upright position was more efficient. Exercise in water (UEW) resulted in lower total exercise duration, maximal HR, and maximal Tes than in air conditions. The upright position (SEA) resulted in greater total exercise duration and maximal power output than the semirecumbent positions. Because of positional differences between the standard and underwater ergometers, air-water comparisons should be made by using the underwater ergometer in water and on land. Key words: core temperature, esophageal temperature, skin temperature, exercise, resistance, work, power output, heat balance, heat loss, heat production, thermoregulation


2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
SANG-SIK MOON ◽  
SANG-MI PARK ◽  
SUNG-IL CHO

SummaryThis study investigated gender difference in the effects of social support, including emotional support and instrumental support (such as help when sick and financial assistance), and social activities on perceived health of middle-aged and older adults in South Korea. Data were acquired from 3771 men and 4954 women aged 40 years and older who participated in the 2005 cross-sectional survey of the Seoul Citizens Health and Social Indicators Survey. Using multiple regression analysis, both age- and gender-specific differences related to social support and engagement in social activities and self-rated poor health were examined. Poor emotional support from close friends, relatives or someone with whom one could talk about worries was strongly associated with poor self-rated health in men, with the greatest effect in older men. Lack of engagement in social activities was associated with self-rated poor health in older adults, especially in older men. Poor instrumental support was associated with perceived poor health only in middle-aged women. As a health improvement strategy for men aged 65 years and older especially, emotional support should be considered. Measures should be considered for encouraging social activities by older adults, particularly older men.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pearl Ghaemmaghami ◽  
Mathias Allemand ◽  
Mike Martin

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