10 Jan 45 Minutes of Exercise Per Week Maintains Function in Adults With Arthritis

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Dorothy Dunlop

Dorothy D. Dunlop Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Institute for Public Health and Medicine
Center for Healthcare Studies
Chicago, IL 60611 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

• We know is being active is good for health.
• Good evidence supports the current federal guidelines of doing 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week to prevent serious conditions such as heart disease
• But only 1 in 10 older US adults with arthritis in their lower limb joints (e.g., knees) meet federal physical activity guidelines
• Inadequate physical activity is a major public health concern because It can lead to poor function, which threatens a person’s ability to live independently.

These issues motivated our study to investigate the minimum time commitment needed to improve function (or sustain high function) for adults with lower joint osteoarthritis.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

• 45 minutes of moderate physical activity per week was the minimum threshold to improve or sustain high future function in adults with lower limb joint symptoms for osteoarthritis.
• We evaluated more than 1600 participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative. People who met this 45 minute/week threshold were 80% more likely to improve or sustain high function over two years than those who did not.
• The threshold held for both men and women.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? 

• This evidence-based 45 minutes/week moderate physical activity threshold provides an intermediate goal towards the federal guideline.
• Even a little activity is better than none.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

• Evaluate if meeting this 45 minutes/week moderate physical activity threshold extends to other health outcomes (e.g., mental health) or extends to adults with other chronic conditions
• Evaluate if it matters if this threshold is done in one session or is spread over the week

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

• The bottom line is to stay active as possible.
• Spending time in moderate activity is beneficial to maintain good function

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Physical activity minimum threshold predicting improved function in adults with lower limb symptoms

Dorothy D. Dunlop PhD^, Jing Song MS¹,Jungwha Lee PhD¹, Abigail L. Gilbert MD¹,Pamela A. Semanik PhD APN², Linda Ehrlich-Jones PhD APN³, Christine A. Pellegrini PhD¹, Daniel Pinto PhD¹,Barbara Ainsworth PhD⁴ and Rowland W. Chang MD MPH¹

DOI: 10.1002/acr.23181
2016, American College of Rheumatology

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on January 10, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD