Table 1.
Characteristics of elderly institutionalized Australian women compared with a reference group of healthy young Australian women
| Variable | Elderly women (n = 63) | Young women (n = 62) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (yrs) | 86.4 ± 5.5** | 28.8 ± 6.0 |
| Medical conditionsa | 1.5 ± 1.0 | n/a |
| Height (m) | 1.53 ± 0.07** | 1.65 ± 0.07 |
| Weight (kg) | 62.1 ± 11.1 | 61.5 ± 11.2 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.7 ± 4.5** | 22.5 ± 3.4 |
| Total fat (kg) | 23.2 ± 8.4* | 17.9 ± 8.5 |
| Leg LTM (kg) | 11.1 ± 1.8** | 13.3 ± 2.1 |
| ASM (kg) | 14.4 ± 2.1** | 17.3 ± 2.8 |
| LTM (kg) | 35.7 ± 4.3** | 40.3 ± 5.3 |
| SMM | 15.5 ± 2.4** | 20.0 ± 3.2 |
| ASM/ht2 | 6.20 ± 0.87 | 6.31 ± 0.73 |
| SMI% | 25.31 ± 3.51** | 32.91 ± 4.56 |
| Ankle dorsiflexor strength (N/kg) | 1.59 ± 0.48 | n/a |
| Knee extensor strength (N/kg) | 1.46 ± 0.46 | n/a |
| Hip abductor strength (N/kg) | 1.45 ± 0.44 | n/a |
| Walking speed (m/second) | 0.67 ± 0.2 | n/a |
| Timed up and go (seconds) | 17.5 ± 5.9 | n/a |
Notes: Data are mean ± SD.
*
P < 0.01;
**
P < 0.001.
a
Medical conditions confined to those listed in Methods.
Abbreviations: ASM, appendicular skeletal muscle mass; BMI, body mass index; ht2, height squared; LTM, lean soft-tissue mass; SMM, skeletal muscle mass; n/a, not applicable; SMI%, skeletal muscle mass index (%).