The Impact of Resistance Training and Diabetes Education on Physical Functioning, Frailty Status, and Glycemia in Older Adults with Short- and Long-Duration Type 2 Diabetes: A Secondary Analysis of the Band-Frail Study.

Background: Diabetes duration is an underappreciated risk factor in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) management that can increase the risk of complications and potentially decrease the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions. However, whether T2DM duration impacts the efficacy of an elastic band resistance training intervention for older adults living with comorbid T2DM and frailty is unclear.

Objective: This analysis aimed to investigate the impact of a 16-week elastic band resistance training and diabetes education intervention on physical functioning, glycemia, and frailty in older adults of different T2DM durations.

Methods: This secondary analysis of the Band-Frail Study includes 130 adults (>65 years) living with T2DM and pre-frailty/frailty who completed 16 weeks of elastic band resistance training and diabetes education. Participants were categorized as 1) short-duration T2DM (<10 years) and 2) long-duration T2DM (>10 years). Outcome measures included physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery), glycemia (A1c), and frailty (Fried's Frailty scale).

Results: Participants in both the short- and long-duration T2DM groups improved in physical functioning and frailty status post-intervention (p <0.05). The long-duration group improved A1c significantly more than the short-duration group (p =0.03).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that older adults, irrespective of T2DM duration, improve physical functioning and frailty status after 16 weeks of elastic band resistance training and diabetes education, and that longer-duration T2DM is associated with greater improvements in A1c.