Effect of a Multicomponent Therapeutic Exercise Program in Primary Care on Frailty and Sarcopenia in Older Adults

Launched by FUNDACIO D'INVESTIGACIO EN ATENCIO PRIMARIA JORDI GOL I GURINA · Aug 13, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at whether a special exercise program can help older adults who are starting to show signs of frailty (which means they feel weaker and less able to do daily activities) and sarcopenia (a condition where muscles get smaller and weaker with age). The program includes different types of exercises like strength training, balance, walking, and stretching, designed to improve muscle health and overall physical function. The goal is to see if this 12-week exercise plan, done partly at a health center and partly at home, can reduce frailty and improve strength, balance, and quality of life for people aged 65 and older.

If you are 65 or older, able to walk on your own (with or without a walking aid), and have mild to moderate frailty, you might be eligible to join this study. You should also be mentally able to follow instructions and be medically stable. The program involves attending eight supervised exercise sessions at the clinic and doing four additional sessions at home, with support through illustrated guides and phone check-ins. The study will measure changes in your strength, walking ability, muscle size, and overall frailty before and after the program. If successful, this type of exercise could become a helpful routine offered through primary care to keep older adults stronger and more independent.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults aged 65 years or older, receiving care from primary care physiotherapists at participating health centers.
• • Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score between 4 and 6 (indicating vulnerable, mild, or moderate frailty).
• • Ability to walk independently, with or without assistive devices (excluding habitual wheelchair use).
• • Clinically stable, defined as the absence of acute events or clinical decompensation in the previous 4 weeks.
• • Sufficient cognitive ability to understand and follow basic instructions, or the availability of an actively involved caregiver (MMSE ≥ 20 or equivalent).
• • Signed informed consent from the participant or their legal representative.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Diagnosis of severe frailty or advanced dependence (CFS ≥ 7).
• • Severe neurological or musculoskeletal disorders that limit safe exercise participation (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke with major sequelae, disabling arthropathies).
• • Uncontrolled cardiac, respiratory, or other medical conditions that contraindicate physical activity.
• • Moderate to severe cognitive impairment, defined by MMSE \< 20 or a clinical diagnosis of dementia with significant functional limitations.
• • Simultaneous participation in other structured physical intervention programs.