NCT01065636

Brief Summary

Obesity causes frailty in obese older adults by exacerbating the age-related decline in physical function. However, appropriate management of obesity in older adults is controversial. Weight loss without exercise could worsen frailty by accelerating the usual age-related decline in muscle and bone mass that leads to sarcopenia and osteopenia, respectively. Because of the important problem of frailty in obese older adults, it is important to determine the most efficacious approach in reducing, or even reversing frailty in this population. The primary objective of this proposal is to evaluate which distinct type of physical exercise (resistance, aerobic, or combined resistance + aerobic) is most efficacious in preventing the weight-loss-induced reduction in muscle and bone mass and reversing frailty in obese older adults.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
160

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable obesity

Timeline
Completed

Started Feb 2010

Longer than P75 for not_applicable obesity

Geographic Reach
1 country

2 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

February 1, 2010

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 8, 2010

Completed
1 day until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 9, 2010

Completed
5.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 1, 2016

Completed
3 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2018

Completed
Last Updated

January 22, 2020

Status Verified

January 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

5.9 years

First QC Date

February 8, 2010

Last Update Submit

January 17, 2020

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in Physical Function

    The Physical Performance Test includes seven standardized tasks (walking 15.2 m \[50 ft\], putting on and removing a coat, picking up a penny, standing up from a chair, lifting a book, climbing one flight of stairs, and performing a progressive Romberg test) plus two additional tasks (going up and down four flights of stairs and making a 360-degree turn). The score for each task ranges from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating better physical performance; a perfect score would be 36.

    6 Months

Secondary Outcomes (37)

  • Change in lean mass

    6 months

  • Change in fat mass

    6 months

  • Change in muscle strength

    6 months

  • Change in gait speed

    6 months

  • Change in areal bone mineral density

    6 months

  • +32 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (4)

Diet + Resistance Exercise Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly behavioral/diet-induced weight loss plus supervised resistance exercise training three times a week

Behavioral: Diet + Resistance Training

Diet + Aerobic Exercise Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly behavioral/diet-induced weight loss plus supervised aerobic exercise training three times a week

Behavioral: Diet + Aerobic Training

Diet + Combined Aerobic/Resistance Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Weekly behavioral/diet-induced weight loss plus combined supervised resistance exercise training and aerobic exercise training three times a week

Behavioral: Diet + Resistance/Aerobic Exercise

Control Group (No Diet/No Exercise)

NO INTERVENTION

No diet No exercise training

Interventions

Behavioral Therapy through a lifestyle modification program, Diet therapy once weekly through a dietician prescribed diet for 26 weeks, and resistance exercise training 3-days/week for 24 weeks.

Diet + Resistance Exercise Training

Behavioral Therapy through a lifestyle modification program, Diet therapy once weekly through a dietician prescribed diet for 26 weeks, and aerobic exercise training 3-days/week for 24 weeks

Diet + Aerobic Exercise Training

Behavioral Therapy through a lifestyle modification program, Diet therapy once weekly through a dietician prescribed diet for 26 weeks, and combined resistance/aerobic exercise training 3-days/week for 24 weeks

Diet + Combined Aerobic/Resistance Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

Age65 Years - 85 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsOlder Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • years old
  • Obese men and women (BMI \> or equal to 30 kg/m2)
  • Stable weight (±2 kg) during the last 6 mos.
  • Must be sedentary (regular exercise \<1 h/wk or \<2 x/wk for the last 6 mos.)
  • Be judged, during the initial screening, to be well motivated and reliable

You may not qualify if:

  • Any major chronic diseases
  • Any condition or unstable diseases that would interfere with exercise or dietary restriction, in which exercise or dietary restriction are contraindicated, or that would interfere with interpretation of results that include but are not limited to:
  • Cardiopulmonary disease (e.g., recent MI, unstable angina, stroke etc.)
  • Severe orthopedic/musculoskeletal or neuromuscular impairments that would contraindicate participation in exercise
  • Visual or hearing impairments that interfere with following directions
  • Diagnosis of dementia
  • History of malignancy during the past 5 yr
  • Recent use of bone acting drugs (e.g. use of estrogen, or androgen containing compound, raloxifene, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone during the past year or biphosphonates during the last two years)
  • Individuals on insulin or with a fasting blood glucose of \> 140mg/dl, and/or a 2 hour post-glucose of \>250 mg/dl
  • BMD t-scores of \<-2.3 of the lumbar spine and proximal femur
  • serum creatinine \>2.0 mg/dl
  • No commitments, life situations or conditions that would interfere with their participation in the study

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (2)

New Mexico VA Medical Center and University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87108, United States

Location

Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

  • Colleluori G, Viola V, Bathina S, Armamento-Villareal R, Qualls C, Giordano A, Villareal DT. Effect of aerobic or resistance exercise, or both on insulin secretion, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and insulin-like growth factor-1 in dieting older adults with obesity. Clin Nutr. 2025 Aug;51:50-62. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2025.05.016. Epub 2025 May 28.

  • Armamento-Villareal R, Aguirre L, Waters DL, Napoli N, Qualls C, Villareal DT. Effect of Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Metabolism in Obese Older Adults While Dieting: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2020 Mar;35(3):430-439. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3905. Epub 2019 Dec 4.

  • Colleluori G, Aguirre L, Phadnis U, Fowler K, Armamento-Villareal R, Sun Z, Brunetti L, Hyoung Park J, Kaipparettu BA, Putluri N, Auetumrongsawat V, Yarasheski K, Qualls C, Villareal DT. Aerobic Plus Resistance Exercise in Obese Older Adults Improves Muscle Protein Synthesis and Preserves Myocellular Quality Despite Weight Loss. Cell Metab. 2019 Aug 6;30(2):261-273.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.06.008. Epub 2019 Jul 3.

  • Villareal DT, Aguirre L, Gurney AB, Waters DL, Sinacore DR, Colombo E, Armamento-Villareal R, Qualls C. Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 18;376(20):1943-1955. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1616338.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Interventions

DietResistance TrainingExercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

OverweightOvernutritionNutrition DisordersNutritional and Metabolic DiseasesBody WeightSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaDiet, Food, and NutritionPhysiological PhenomenaExercise TherapyRehabilitationAftercareContinuity of Patient CarePatient CareTherapeuticsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesPhysical Conditioning, HumanMotor ActivityMovementMusculoskeletal Physiological PhenomenaMusculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

  • Dennis T Villareal, MD FACP FACE

    Baylor College of Medicine

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Professor of Medicine

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 8, 2010

First Posted

February 9, 2010

Study Start

February 1, 2010

Primary Completion

January 1, 2016

Study Completion

December 31, 2018

Last Updated

January 22, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-01

Locations