Aging Clinical and Experimental Research· 2026Q1
Reducing concerns about falling in older adults: evaluation of a multi-component intervention and the role of stress and inflammation markers - long-term effects of the FEARFALL randomized controlled trial
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A 4-month multi-component intervention (exercise + cognitive-behavioral training) did not show long-term superiority over a sham control in reducing concerns about falling (CaF) in 160 older adults (≥ 70 years), with similar improvements observed in both groups at 8-month follow-up.
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Key points
- A 4-month multi-component intervention (exercise + cognitive-behavioral training) was tested against a sham control in 160 older adults (≥ 70 years).
- No significant long-term superiority of the intervention over the sham control was found in reducing concerns about falling (CaF).
- CaF improved similarly in both intervention and sham control groups at 8-month follow-up.
- Changes in stress markers (cortisol, α-amylase) and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α) were comparable between groups.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Background Concerns about falling (CaF) are common in older adults and associated with reduced activity and poorer health. This study investigated, for the first time, the long-term effects of a multi-component intervention targeting CaF on psychological, functional, biophysiological, and anthropometric outcomes. Methods 160 community-dwelling older adults (≥ 70 years) were randomly assigned to a 4-month intervention featuring exercise and cognitive-behavioral training or to a sham control group. CaF and related psychological outcomes were assessed using validated questionnaires. Salivary cortisol and α-amylase, physical function, activity, body composition and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP]-, interleukin-6 [IL-6], interleukin-10 [IL-10], interleukin-1β [IL-1β] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]) were analyzed at baseline, post-intervention, and 8-month follow-up. Results All estimates represent T0–T2 estimated marginal mean differences. There was no intervention effect or long-term superiority between the groups. Significant time effects were observed for CaF and physiological biomarkers for stress axis activity and inflammatory markers. Functional outcomes changed only marginally. Conclusion CaF improved similarly in both groups. Changes in basal stress system activity and inflammatory cytokines were highly comparable between groups. Contrary to our hypothesis, the intervention did not confer additional benefits over the sham control intervention in reducing CaF. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00029171. Registered 22 July 2022, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00029171 .
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 2026 · DOI ↗
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