The LIFE Study - Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders

Aging Clinical Trial

— LIFE  

Official title:

The LIFE Study - Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01072500
• Other study ID #: IRB201701066-N
• Secondary ID: 3U01AG022376-05A
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: February 2010
• Est. completion date: December 2014

Study information

• Verified date: April 2018
• Source: University of Florida
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Based upon promising results from a pilot study among 424 sedentary older adults who were randomized to a physical activity intervention or a successful aging health education intervention, a Phase 3 multi-center randomized controlled trial is being conducted to compare a moderate-intensity physical activity program to a successful aging health education program in 1,600 sedentary older adults who are followed for an average of 2.7 years.

The primary aim was to assess the long-term effects of the proposed interventions on the primary outcome of major mobility disability, defined as inability to walk 400 m.

Description:

As life expectancy in the United States continues to rise, the maintenance of physical independence among older Americans has emerged as a major clinical and public health priority. Efficient and reliable locomotion, or the ability to move without assistance, is a fundamental feature of human functioning. Older people who lose mobility are less likely to remain in the community, have higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations and experience a poorer quality of life. Several studies have shown that regular physical activity improves physical performance, but definitive evidence showing that mobility disability can be prevented was lacking. A Phase 3 randomized controlled trial was needed to fill this evidence gap.

The LIFE Study was a Phase 3, multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to compare a moderate-intensity physical activity program to a successful aging health education program in 1,600 sedentary older persons who are followed for an average of 2.7 years. The primary outcome was major mobility disability, defined as inability to walk 400 m. Secondary outcomes include cognitive function based on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT); serious fall injuries; persistent mobility disability; the combined outcome of major mobility disability or death; disability in activities of daily living; and cost-effectiveness. Tertiary outcomes include the combined outcome of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, a composite measure of the cognitive assessment battery, physical performance within pre-specified subgroups defined on the basis of race, gender and baseline physical performance, sleep-wake disturbances, dyspnea, ventilatory capacity, cardiopulmonary events, and cardiovascular events.

The physical activity intervention consists primarily of walking at moderate intensity, lower extremity resistance exercises, balance exercises, stretching and behavioral counseling. The successful aging intervention consists of health education seminars regarding health-related matters and upper extremity stretching exercises. This trial provides definitive evidence regarding whether physical activity is effective and practical for preventing major mobility disability. These results will have crucial implications for public health prevention in a rapidly aging society, and will fill an important gap in knowledge for practicing evidence-based geriatric medicine. The study will also yield valuable information concerning the efficacy and effectiveness of physical activity across a broad spectrum of important health outcomes. The study will impact both clinical practice and public health policy, and will, therefore, benefit individuals and society.

The Coordinating Center was at the University of Florida and the Data Management Analysis and Quality Control Center (DMAQC) was at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The 8 field sites participating in the LIFE Study are University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Stanford University, Palo Alto, California; Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 1635
• Est. completion date: December 2014
• Est. primary completion date: December 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 70 Years to 89 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. age 70 to 89 years; (2) summary score <10 on the short physical performance battery (SPPB) (45% are <8);90 (3) sedentary lifestyle; (4) ability to complete the 400 m walk test without an assistive device; and (5) willingness to be randomized to either intervention group.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion Criteria for Factors that May Limit Adherence to Interventions or Affect Conduct of the Trial • Unable or unwilling to give informed consent or accept randomization in either study group • Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder

• Current consumption of more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week

• Plans to relocate to out of the study area within the next 2 years or plans to be out of the study area for more than 6 consecutive weeks in the next year

• Self-reported inability to walk across a small room

• The use of a walker to complete the 400 m walk and/or unable to complete the 400 m walk without sitting down or the help of another person

• Another member of the household is a participant in the Life Study

• Residence too far from the intervention site

• Residence in a nursing home

• Difficulty in communication with study personnel due to speech or hearing problems

• Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MSE) score below the cutoff for education:

African American, 9+ yrs 76, <9 yrs 70; English Speaking Non-African American, 9+ yrs 80, <9 yrs 76; Spanish Speaking, 9+ yrs 80, <9 yrs 70

• Participation in LIFE-Pilot study

• Other medical, psychiatric, or behavioral factors that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator may interfere with study participation or the ability to follow the intervention protocol

Exclusion Criteria for Underlying Diseases Likely to Limit Lifespan and/or Affect the Safety of the Interventions

• Severe arthritis (either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis)

• Cancer requiring treatment in the past three years, except for non-melanoma skin cancers or cancers that have clearly been cured or in the opinion of the investigator carry an excellent prognosis (e.g., Stage 1 cervical cancer)

• Lung disease requiring either regular use of corticosteroid pills or injections or the use of supplemental oxygen

• Development of chest pain or severe shortness of breath on a 400 m self-paced walk test

• Cardiovascular disease (including New York Heart Association Class III or IV congestive heart failure, clinically significant aortic stenosis, history or cardiac arrest, use of a cardiac defibrillator or uncontrolled angina)

• Parkinson's disease or other serious neurological disorder

• Renal disease requiring dialysis

• Other illness of such severity that life expectancy is considered to be less than 12 months

• Conditions not specifically mentioned above may serve as criteria for exclusion at the discretion of the clinical site

Temporary Exclusion Criteria

• Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 200 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 110 mmHg).

• Uncontrolled diabetes with recent weight loss, diabetic coma or frequent insulin reactions.

• Stroke, hip fracture, hip or knee replacement, or spinal surgery in the past 6 months.

• Serious conduction disorder (e.g., 3rd degree heart block), uncontrolled arrhythmia, or new Q waves or ST-segment depressions (>3 mm) on ECG.

• Myocardial infarction, major heart surgery (i.e., valve replacement or bypass surgery), stroke, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus in the past 6 months.

• Undergoing physical therapy or cardiopulmonary rehabilitation

• Currently enrolled in another randomized trial involving lifestyle or pharmaceutical interventions

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aging
• Risk of Disability
• Sedentary Lifestyle

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Physical Activity
The physical activity intervention consists primarily of walking at moderate intensity, lower extremity resistance exercises, balance exercises, stretching and behavioral counseling.
• Successful Aging
The successful aging intervention consists of health education seminars regarding health-related matters and upper extremity stretching exercises.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Pennington Biodmedical Research	Baton Rouge	Louisiana
United States	Tufts University	Boston	Massachusetts
United States	Northwestern University	Chicago	Illinois
United States	University of Florida	Gainesville	Florida
United States	Yale University	New Haven	Connecticut
United States	Stanford University	Palo Alto	California
United States	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania
United States	Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center	Winston-Salem	North Carolina

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Florida	National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (7)

Espeland MA, Katula JA, Rushing J, Kramer AF, Jennings JM, Sink KM, Nadkarni NK, Reid KF, Castro CM, Church T, Kerwin DR, Williamson JD, Marottoli RA, Rushing S, Marsiske M, Rapp SR; LIFE Study Group. Performance of a computer-based assessment of cognitiv — View Citation

Fielding RA, Rejeski WJ, Blair S, Church T, Espeland MA, Gill TM, Guralnik JM, Hsu FC, Katula J, King AC, Kritchevsky SB, McDermott MM, Miller ME, Nayfield S, Newman AB, Williamson JD, Bonds D, Romashkan S, Hadley E, Pahor M; LIFE Research Group. The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study: design and methods. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011 Nov;66(11):1226-37. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glr123. Epub 2011 Aug 8. — View Citation

LIFE Study Investigators, Pahor M, Blair SN, Espeland M, Fielding R, Gill TM, Guralnik JM, Hadley EC, King AC, Kritchevsky SB, Maraldi C, Miller ME, Newman AB, Rejeski WJ, Romashkan S, Studenski S. Effects of a physical activity intervention on measures of physical performance: Results of the lifestyle interventions and independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006 Nov;61(11):1157-65. Erratum in: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Mar;62(3):337. — View Citation

Marsh AP, Lovato LC, Glynn NW, Kennedy K, Castro C, Domanchuk K, McDavitt E, Rodate R, Marsiske M, McGloin J, Groessl EJ, Pahor M, Guralnik JM; LIFE Study Research Group. Lifestyle interventions and independence for elders study: recruitment and baseline — View Citation

McDermott MM, Applegate WB, Bonds DE, Buford TW, Church T, Espeland MA, Gill TM, Guralnik JM, Haskell W, Lovato LC, Pahor M, Pepine CJ, Reid KF, Newman A. Ankle brachial index values, leg symptoms, and functional performance among community-dwelling older — View Citation

Rejeski WJ, Axtell R, Fielding R, Katula J, King AC, Manini TM, Marsh AP, Pahor M, Rego A, Tudor-Locke C, Newman M, Walkup MP, Miller ME; LIFE Study Investigator Group. Promoting physical activity for elders with compromised function: the lifestyle interv — View Citation

Rejeski WJ, Marsh AP, Anton S, Chen SH, Church T, Gill TM, Guralnik JM, Glynn NW, King AC, Rushing J, Ip EH; LIFE Research Group. The MAT-sf: clinical relevance and validity. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Dec;68(12):1567-74. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glt0 — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Major Mobility Disability, Defined as Incapacity to Walk 400 Meters	The primary outcome of major mobility disability was defined as the inability to complete a 400-m walk test within 15 minutes without sitting and without the help of another person or walker. Use of a cane was acceptable. Participants were asked to walk 400 m at their usual pace, without overexerting, on a 20 meter course for 10 laps (40 meters/lap). Participants were allowed to stop for up to 1 minute for fatigue or related symptoms. When major mobility disability could not be objectively measured because of the inability of the participant to come to the clinic and absence of a suitable walking course at the participant's home, institution, or hospital, an alternative adjudication of the outcome was based on objective inability to walk 4 meters in less than 10 seconds, or self-, proxy-, or medical record-reported inability to walk across a room. If participants met these alternative criteria, they would not be able to complete the 400 meter walk within 15 minutes.	Median 2.7 years/Average 2.6 years
Secondary	Persistent Mobility Disability (Assessed Every 6 Months)	The assessment of major mobility disability (the inability to complete a 400-m walk test within 15 minutes without sitting and without the help of another person or walker. Use of a cane was acceptable. Participants were asked to walk 400m at their usual pace, without overexerting, on a 20 meter course for 10 laps (40 meters/lap). Participants were allowed to stop for up to 1 minute for fatigue or related symptoms. When MMD could not be objectively measured because of the inability of the participant to come to the clinic and absence of a suitable walking course at the participant's home, institution, or hospital, an alternative adjudication of the outcome was based on objective inability to walk 4 meters in less than 10 seconds, or self-, proxy-, or medical record-reported inability to walk across a room. If participants met these alternative criteria, they would not be able to complete the 400 m walk within 15 minutes.) at two consecutive time points or MMD followed by death.	Median 2.7 years/Average 2.6 years

External Links

•   The LIFE Study website