Impact of Exercise and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy on Physical Function, Cognition and Muscle Mass in Pre-Frail Older Adults in the Primary Care Setting: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives Multicomponent exercise program have shown to improve function and cognition in older adults but studies on pre-frail older adults in the primary care setting are limited. This study aimed i) to evaluate impact of 6 months exercise (Ex) versus complementary effect of 3 months of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) to 6 months of Ex (Ex+CST) on physical function, muscle mass and cognition versus control group at 3, 6 and 12 months ii) inflammatory biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α). Design Cluster randomised control trial. Setting & Intervention Pre-frail older adults ≥ 65 years attending primary care clinic. Two intervention groups i) Ex 6 months ii) CST 3 months with Ex 6 months. Measurements At 0, 3, 6 and 12 months, questionnaires (on demographics, physical function, cognition, and depression) were administered and physical function assessment (gait speed, short physical performance battery (SPPB) test, handgrip strength, five times sit-to-stand (5x-STS)) was conducted. Muscle mass and its surrogates such as phase angle and body cell mass were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis machine. Inflammatory biomarkers were measured at 0 and 3 months. Results Data from 190 participants was analysed at 3 months (111 control, 37 Ex and 41 Ex+CST). At 3 months, significant improvement in cognition was seen only in the Ex+CST group whereas improvements in depression, gait speed, SPPB and 5x-STS were seen in both the Ex and Ex+CST groups. At 6 months, the Ex+CST group improved in cognition and depression whereas improvement in frailty and muscle mass indices were seen in both the interventions groups. At 12 months, both the interventions groups had better perceived health, gait speed and less decline in muscle mass compared with control groups. Both the Ex and Ex+CST had significant association with TNF-α at 3 months (β −2.71 (95% CI −4.80–−0.62); p = 0.012 and β −1.74 (95% CI −3.43–−0.06); p = 0.043 respectively). Conclusion Combined Ex+CST had significant improvement in cognition whereas the intervention groups improved in depression, physical function, muscle mass, frailty, perceived health and TNF-α levels. With growing evidence of the benefits of multicomponent interventions at primary care level, incorporating it into mainstream care with action plans on long-term sustainability and scalability should be a priority for every country.