Resilience May Improve Health of Older Adults with T2DM

THURSDAY, Oct. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Psychological resilience is associated with better physical function and quality of life among older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

KayLoni L. Olson, Ph.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues evaluated associations of psychological resilience with factors associated with aging in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The analysis included 3,199 adults (about 72.2 years of age).

The researchers found that greater psychological resilience was significantly associated with lower body mass index, fewer hospitalizations, better physical functioning (i.e., lower self-reported disability, better physical quality of life, faster gait speed, greater grip strength, lower likelihood of frailty), fewer depressive symptoms, and greater mental quality of life. The relationship between number of hospitalizations in the past year and self-reported disability and grip strength was moderated by psychological resilience.

“Exploring the clinical benefits of resilience is consistent with efforts to shift the narrative on aging beyond ‘loss and decline’ to highlight opportunities to facilitate healthy aging,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and weight loss industries.

Abstract/Full Text