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Statins reduced physical activity among older men
Statin use is associated with a moderate decrease in physical activity among older men, according to recent findings.
Researchers evaluated 5,994 men aged at least 65 years enrolled in the multicenter, prospective Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) cohort study. The present study included cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of men who underwent a baseline examination as part of the MrOS trial between March 2000 and April 2002. The patients were seen for additional follow-up clinic visits at a mean of 4.6 years and 6.9 years after baseline, through 2009. For each visit, participants were asked to bring all medications they had taken within the past month.
At each clinic visit, participants completed self-administered questionnaires pertaining to demographics, self-perceived health and physician-diagnosed conditions. Participants also responded to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire, which assessed workplace, household and leisure activity for 1 week. During the third clinic visit, participants were fitted with an accelerometer that monitored physiological data, represented as metabolic equivalents (METS), every minute for 1 week. Researchers estimated patients’ activity levels and the amount of time they spent sedentary per day (≤1.5 METS), as well as the duration of moderate (≤3 METS) and vigorous physical activity (≥6 METS).
For cross-sectional analysis (n=4,137), patients were classified as statin users (n=989) or nonusers (n=3,148). In the longitudinal analysis (n=3,039), patients were categorized as prevalent users (those using statins at baseline and throughout the study, n=727), new users (statin use commenced during the study period, n=845) and nonusers (n=1,467; 48%).
The cross-sectional analysis revealed that statin users were more likely to report a previous MI or stroke, hypertension, diabetes, lower total cholesterol and a lower self-perception of health. After adjustment for confounders, the difference in PASE baseline scores was estimated at –5.8 points among users compared with nonusers.
In the longitudinal analysis, the researchers observed an overall decline in physical activity among study participants during approximately 7 years of follow-up. Among nonusers, PASE score decreased by a mean of 2.5 points per year, whereas prevalent users exhibited a mean score decrease of 2.8 points per year. Among new statin users, PASE score declined at a faster rate compared with nonusers, with a difference of 0.9 points between groups per year. However, the observed decline in PASE score among the three groups was not statistically significant.
Among 3,071 men who wore the accelerometer at least 90% of the time, 1,542 participants were statin users. Researchers noted that users expended an estimated mean of 0.03 fewer daily METS than nonusers and participated in 5.4 fewer minutes of moderate activity and 0.6 fewer minutes of vigorous physical activity per day. Statin users also reported 7.6 more minutes of daily sedentary time than nonusers.
“While similar effects have been reported in older adults in short-term studies, this study shows that although physical activity levels remain lower in prevalent statin users than in nonusers, they do not continue to decline more rapidly than in nonusers over time,” the researchers wrote. They added that the observed discrepancies between users and nonusers could be attributable to a number of factors, including muscle pain caused by statins, exercise-induced myopathy or muscle fatigue, and that the clinical significance of their findings warrants additional study.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.