Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
09:37
Substantiating Appropriate Motion Capture Techniques for the Assessment of Nordic Walking Gait and Posture in Older Adults
Published on: May 12, 2016
Mediterranean diet and mobility decline in older persons
Yuri Milaneschi1, Stefania Bandinelli, Anna Maria Corsi
1Longitudinal Studies Section, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21225, USA.
Experimental Gerontology
|November 30, 2010
Summary
Adhering to a Mediterranean diet significantly preserves mobility in older adults over nine years. This dietary pattern supports better physical function and reduces the risk of mobility disability in aging populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Mobility decline is a significant concern for aging populations, impacting independence and quality of life.
- Dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and mobility over a 9-year period in older adults.
- To assess the impact of the Mediterranean diet on lower extremity function and the development of mobility disability.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, population-based study (InCHIANTI Study) in Tuscany, Italy, including 935 adults aged 65+.
- Mediterranean diet adherence assessed using the Mediterranean diet score (MDS).
- Lower extremity function measured by the short physical performance battery (SPPB) at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 9-year follow-ups.
Main Results:
- Higher Mediterranean diet adherence correlated with better baseline lower body performance.
- Participants with higher adherence showed significantly less decline in SPPB scores over 9 years.
- Higher adherence was associated with a reduced risk of developing new mobility disability (HR=0.71, p=0.04).
Conclusions:
- High adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet is linked to preserved mobility and slower functional decline in community-dwelling older persons.
- This finding highlights the public health relevance of promoting the Mediterranean diet for healthy aging and mobility maintenance.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...