Physical function and exercise in older patients with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions

The increase of life expectancy together with the decline of birth rates implies a global aging of populations living in industrialized countries. Since advanced age is associated with an exponential consumption of health care resources, this phenomenon is likely to pose a substantial threat to the stability of public health systems. Prevention of physical disability represents a major public health priority. Since disability is considered an irreversible condition, every effort should be made to prevent the onset of the disabling cascade and/or delay the physical function decline. The need for strategies against disability has led researchers to look for the most relevant risk factors potentially determining or accelerating the disabling cascade. In this context, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions have been indicated as playing prominent roles in the determination of frailty. Moreover, the high prevalence of these conditions among older persons makes them particularly amenable to targeting for preventive interventions. The aim of the present review is to show the impact of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions on physical function. Moreover, we will discuss the relationship of these conditions with the disabling process, and the importance of their assessment in the design of preventive interventions against disability in older persons.