Hospital bed rest bad for your health unless crucial action taken, study finds
Elderly hospital patients must walk for at least 25 minutes a day to avoid harmful muscle wastage, a study shows.
Scientists reviewing almost 4,000 cases found bed rest while recovering from routine ops can lead to frailty, disability and even death. They also discovered that most older people spent up to 95% of their time in hospital in bed or sitting.
Study co-author Prof Sebastian Chastin said: “Within 24 hours you lose a vast amount of muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness.” He added that 25 minutes a day slow walking was the minimum to counter the impact of bed rest.
The optimal amount was at least 50 minutes. Also successful was 20 minutes’ work with resistance bands and 20 minutes’ aerobic activity. Prof Chastin added: “When you go into hospital the likelihood is that you will recover from the condition you were admitted for. But while you are in there you will actually be making your body worse for many other reasons. Encouraging mobility in hospitals means fewer people making return visits and reduced healthcare costs worldwide.”
Experts say patients should walk around for at least 25 minutes each day (PA)He continued: "These research findings are relevant to every hospital around the world. There is nothing we can do about the fact that as we grow older at some point we are going to have some health problems and end up in hospital for a period of time.
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"But hospitals are organised in such a way that often people are immobilised and asked to stay in bed, and are not encouraged to be active... We pulled together and reviewed all the research carried out on this subject around the world and concluded that as little as 25 minutes of slow walking while in hospital could improve the health of older adults while in hospital and reduce the risk of occurrence of further problems by 5%.
"Optimally 50 minutes per day should be adopted in the regular treatment of older adults in hospital, or a combination of 20 minutes of resistance training and 20 minutes of aerobic activity.”
The study, carried out by scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University and reviewed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at cases from Bristol, Spain, Norway, Belgium and Australia.
Prof Chastin added: "Even just walking around creates problems in the structure of the hospital, but all that time you are spending immobilised means that you are becoming less fit and deconditioned very quickly. We know that if you're not fit, especially if you are an older adult, the likelihood of catching another illness and developing a chronic condition, or even falling, is more likely."
It comes as a separate study, published in the journal BMJ Sup-portive and Palliative Care, found peppermint oil aromatherapy may ease pain after open heart surgery. A group of 32 patients received seven bouts of peppermint aromatherapy over two days while another 32 just had distilled water. The group who received peppermint aromatherapy reported lower pain scores. They also needed fewer pain medications and had better sleep.
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