Lora Giangregorio

• PhD
• Professor at University of Waterloo

Résumé Contexte Au Canada, plus de 2 millions de personnes vivent avec l’ostéoporose, une maladie qui accroît le risque de fracture, ce qui fait augmenter la morbidité et la mortalité, et entraîne une perte de qualité de vie et d’autonomie. La présente actualisation des lignes directrices vise à accompagner les professionnelles et professionnels d...

Background: In Canada, more than 2 million people live with osteoporosis, a disease that increases the risk for fractures, which result in excess mortality and morbidity, decreased quality of life and loss of autonomy. This guideline update is intended to assist Canadian health care professionals in the delivery of care to optimize skeletal health...

Purpose: To understand experiences and perceptions on non-pharmacological treatment of vertebral fractures and virtual-care from the perspective of care professionals' (HCPs). Design and setting: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 HCPs within Canada (7 F, 6 M, aged 46 ± 12 years) and performed a thematic and content analysis from a...

The objective of this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of individuals with chronic health conditions who had an adverse event (AE) as a result of resistance training (RT). We conducted web conference or telephone-based one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 12 participants with chronic health conditions who had an AE as a r...

Background This study investigated relative contributions of ankle flexor torque, muscle size, and density on balance and falls. Methods Men and women ≥50 years of age completed a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scan of the mid‐leg to quantify muscle density (MD) and cross‐sectional area; Biodex dynamometry to evaluate maximal isometri...

Objective To understand perceptions on rehabilitation after vertebral fracture, non-pharmacological strategies, and virtual care from the perspective of individuals living with vertebral fractures. Design and setting We conducted semi-structured interviews online and performed a thematic and content analysis from a post-positivism perspective. Pa...

The prevalence of self-reported and DXA-confirmed osteoporosis was 7.8% (males 2.2%; females 12.7%), and 3.6% (males 1.2%; females 5.9%), respectively. We found that most community-dwelling older adults at high fracture risk are not taking osteoporosis medication, particularly males. There is a major opportunity for improved primary fracture preven...

Mentoring relationships in academia are traditionally constructed as hierarchies, where a supervisor mentors a trainee, or an advisory committee guides a trainee. We propose that all collaborations are mutual mentorship opportunities, where all people involved learn from each other while working towards a common goal. Moreover, researchers and trai...

Hypothesis: Greater peak torque and higher myotendinous density at the ankle are associated with a more plate-like architecture at the distal tibia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, women and men ≥ 50 years old with no metal implants, reconstructive surgery, muscular dystrophies, or tendinopathies in any leg were recruited by convenience....

Nutrition risk is linked to hospitalization, frailty, depression, and death. Loneliness during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have heightened nutrition risk. We sought to determine prevalence of high nutrition risk and whether loneliness, mental health, and assistance with meal preparation/delivery were associated with risk in...

The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the evidence on exercise for fall, fracture and sarcopenia prevention, including evidence that aligns with the specificity and progressive overload principles used in exercise physiology, implementation strategies and future research priorities. We also provide a brief discussion of the influence of pr...

Cognition, frailty, and falls have been examined independently as potential correlates of fracture risk, but not simultaneously. Our objective was to explore the association between cognition, frailty, and falls and self‐reported incident fractures to determine if these factors show significant independent associations or interactions. We included...

Exercise and nutrition interventions are often recommended for frailty; however, effective strategies are required for real-world implementation. Our primary aim was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of telephone and virtual delivery of MoveStrong, an 8-week exercise and nutrition program with a 4-week follow-up for older pre-frail and fr...

Background Models, theories, and frameworks (MTFs) provide the foundation for a cumulative science of implementation, reflecting a shared, evolving understanding of various facets of implementation. One under-represented aspect in implementation MTFs is how intersecting social factors and systems of power and oppression can shape implementation. Th...

Background The field of knowledge translation (KT) has been criticized for neglecting contextual and social considerations that influence health equity. Intersectionality, a concept introduced by Black feminist scholars, emphasizes how human experience is shaped by combinations of social factors (e.g., ethnicity, gender) embedded in systemic power...

Background This 8-week pilot stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial evaluated the MoveStrong program for teaching adults who have frailty/pre-frailty about balance and functional strength training and sufficient protein intake to prevent falls and improve mobility. Methods We recruited individuals aged 60 years and over, with a FRAIL scale scor...

The objectives of our study were to understand researchers' current practices and perspectives on adverse event (AE) reporting in clinical trials of resistance training (RT) and to identify barriers and facilitators of AE reporting. We conducted web conference or telephone-based one-on-one semistructured interviews with 14 researchers who have publ...

This systematic review examined the effect of Pilates on health-related outcomes in individuals with increased fracture risk to inform the 2021 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Osteoporosis and Fracture Prevention in Canada. Seven electronic databases were searched to December 2020. Studies of Pilates in men and postmenopausal women a...

We summarized the effects of yoga on health-related outcomes and adverse events in men and postmenopausal women ≥50 years-old at increased risk of fracture, to inform the updated Osteoporosis Canada clinical practice guidelines. Six databases were searched for observational studies, randomized controlled trials and case series. Certainty of evidenc...

Intersectionality is a widely adopted theoretical orientation in the field of women and gender studies. Intersectionality comes from the work of black feminist scholars and activists. Intersectionality argues identities such as gender, race, sexuality, and other markers of difference intersect and reflect large social structures of oppression and p...

We reviewed exercise trials in men and women ≥ 45 years with hyperkyphosis at the baseline and performed meta-analyses for kyphosis and health-related outcomes.PurposeTo determine the effects of exercise interventions on kyphosis angle, back extensor muscle strength or endurance, physical functioning, quality of life, pain, falls, and adverse event...

Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment (ASA24) is an economical method of estimating dietary intake as nutrient analysis is automated, but its use in older adults is limited. The purpose of this work was to guide dietitians and future researchers on how to use the ASA24 with older adults, considering potential barriers encountered a...

Background Older adults in long-term care (LTC) homes experience high rates of fractures, which are detrimental to their quality of life. The purpose of this study is to identify and make recommendations on strategies to implementing an evidence-based Fracture Risk Clinical Assessment Protocol (CAP) in LTC. Methods Following the Behaviour Change W...

Background The long-term care setting poses unique challenges and opportunities for effective knowledge translation. The objectives of this review are to (1) synthesize barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based guidelines in long-term care, as defined as a home where residents require 24-h nursing care, and 50% of the population is o...

Background: Older adults in long-term care (LTC) homes experience high rates of fractures, which are detrimental to their quality of life. The purpose of this study is to identify and make recommendations on knowledge translation interventions to implementing an evidence-based Fracture Risk Clinical Assessment Protocol (CAP) in LTC. Methods: Follow...

Background: Older adults in long-term care (LTC) homes experience high rates of fractures, which are detrimental to their quality of life. The purpose of this study is to identify and make recommendations on knowledge translation interventions to implementing an evidence-based Fracture Risk Clinical Assessment Protocol (CAP) in LTC. Methods: Follow...

Exercise and other physical therapy interventions can be used to address therapeutic goals that may be important to people with osteoporosis or osteoporotic fractures, such as posture, pain, fear of movement, body mechanics during activities of leisure and daily living, and sarcopenia and related changes in physical function and mobility. This book...

Objective Osteoporosis clinical practice guidelines recommend exercise to prevent fractures, but the efficacy of exercise depends on the exercise types, the population studied, or the outcomes of interest. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effects of progressive resistance training (PRT) on health-related outcomes in people at...

Physical activity questionnaires exist, but effective implementation in primary care remains an issue. We sought to develop a physical activity screen (PAS) for electronic medical record (EMR) integration by 1) identifying healthcare professionals’ (HCPs), patients’ and stakeholders’ barriers to and preferences for physical activity counselling in...

The purpose of this overview of systematic reviews was to determine the relationship between different types and patterns of sedentary behaviour and selected health outcomes in adults and older adults. Five electronic databases were last searched in May, 2019, with a 10-year search limit. Included reviews met the a priori population (community-dwel...

The objective of this overview of systematic reviews was to determine the benefits and harms of resistance training (RT) on health outcomes in adults aged 18 years or older, compared with not participating in RT. Four electronic databases were searched in February 2019 for systematic reviews published in the past 10 years. Eligibility criteria were...

This overview of systematic reviews examined the effect of balance and functional strength training on health outcomes in adults aged 18 years or older, to inform the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines. Four electronic databases were searched for systematic reviews published between January 2009 and May 2019. Eligibility criteria were determined...

The objective of this overview of systematic reviews was to examine the associations between sleep duration and health outcomes in adults. Four electronic databases were searched in December 2018 for systematic reviews published in the previous 10 years. Included reviews met the a priori determined population (community-dwelling adults aged 18 year...

The objective of this systematic review was to examine the associations between sleep timing (e.g., bedtime/wake-up time, midpoint of sleep), sleep consistency/regularity (e.g., intra-individual variability in sleep duration, social jetlag, catch-up sleep), and health outcomes in adults aged 18 years and older. Four electronic databases were search...

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to identify factors that predict 1-year incident hip and major osteoporotic non-hip fractures (ie, wrist, spine, pelvis, humerus) for home care recipients while accounting for the competing risk of death. Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with linked population data. Setting and participa...

Objectives: To develop a fracture risk Clinical Assessment Protocol (CAP) based on long-term care (LTC) fracture prevention recommendations and an embedded fracture risk assessment tool. Design: A modified Delphi consensus approach including 2 survey rounds and a face-to-face meeting was implemented to reach consensus on matching of LTC fracture...

The Ontario Osteoporosis Strategy for long-term care (LTC) aims to support fracture risk-reduction. LTC specific recommendations for fracture prevention were developed in 2015. This article describes the use of the Knowledge-to Action framework to guide the development and application of research evidence on fracture prevention in older adults. Kno...

Background: Fractures have dire consequences including pain, immobility, and death. People receiving home care are at higher risk for fractures than the general population. Yet, current fracture risk assessment tools require additional testing and assume a 10-year survival rate, when many die within one year. Our objectives were to develop and val...

Background: Exercise is recommended for individuals with vertebral fractures, but few studies have investigated the effect of exercise on outcomes of importance for this population. Post-intervention effects of exercise are even less studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate habitual walking speed and other health-related outcomes after...

Case-Finding for Complex Chronic Conditions in Seniors 75+ (C5-75) is a systematic approach to identify frailty using gait speed and hand-grip strength and to screen for co-morbid conditions. We identified the C5-75 features offering the highest yield for identifying frailty and to streamline the screening program. Analyses included 1,948 C5-75 ass...

The original version of this article, published on 10 January 2020, contained a mistake. An author's name was misspelled.

Exercise is recommended for people with osteoporosis, but the effect for people who have suffered vertebral fracture is uncertain. This study shows that a multicomponent exercise-program based on recommendations for people with osteoporosis improved muscle strength, balance, and fear of falling in older women with osteoporosis and vertebral fractur...

Background: Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures represent a major health burden worldwide, and the prevalence of osteoporosis is expected to increase as the world's population ages. Suffering from vertebral fracture has a substantial impact on the individual's health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical function and pain. Complex health chal...

Background: Many interventions designed to meet physical activity guideline recommendations focus on a single component (e.g., walking), to the detriment of other elements of a healthy lifestyle, such as reducing prolonged sitting and doing balance and strength exercises (i.e., bundled multiple behaviors). Adopting these multiple health behaviors...

Vertebral augmentation is among the current standards of care to reduce pain in patients with vertebral fractures (VF), yet a lack of consensus regarding efficacy and safety of percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty raises questions on what basis clinicians should choose one therapy over another. Given the lack of consensus in the field, the A...

Background Frail older adults living in long term care (LTC) homes have a high fracture risk, which can result in reduced quality of life, pain and death. The Fracture Risk Scale (FRS) was designed for fracture risk assessment in LTC, to optimize targeting of services in those at highest risk. This study aims to examine the construct validity and d...

This chapter summarizes the evidence with regard to the role of exercise for the prevention and management of osteoporosis, falls, and fractures. It focuses on the role of exercise in middle‐aged and older adults, it is important to acknowledge that the growing years represent a critical period during which exercise can enhance the mass, structure,...

Objectives To describe the proportion of residents receiving rehabilitation in long‐term care (LTC) homes, and scores on activities of daily living (ADL) and falls quality indicators (QIs) before and after change from fee‐for‐service to an episode of care model; and to evaluate the effect of the change on the QIs. Data Sources Secondary data were...

Background: It is well known that older adults are high users of the health care system. Older adults with chronic conditions receive care from multiple providers, across multiple settings, and this care is often unorganized and confusing. In 2005, Ontario established a model of inter-professional primary care (family health teams) with the aim of...

With the aging population, escalating demand for seniors’ care and limited specialist resources, new care delivery models are needed to improve capacity for primary health care for older adults. This paper describes the “C5-75” (Case-finding for Complex Chronic Conditions in Seniors 75+) program, an innovative care model aimed at identifying frailt...

In 2015, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) position statement regarding peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) did not recommend routine use of pQCT, in clinical settings until consistency in image acquisition and analysis protocols are reached, normative studies conducted, and treatment thresholds identified. T...

Background: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are common, and are associated with reduced functioning and health related quality of life. The primary aims of this randomized controlled trial are to examine the immediate and long-term effects of a 12-weeks supervised group exercise programme on habitual walking speed in older women with osteoporosis...

Introduction: Physical activity recommendations exist for individuals with osteoporosis; however, to change behavior, we must address barriers and facilitators to their implementation. The purposes of this project are (1) to identify barriers to and facilitators of uptake of disease-specific physical activity recommendations (2) to use the finding...

RÉSUMÉ Les résidents en soins de longue durée (SLD) ont souvent besoin de soins en réadaptation pour maintenir ou améliorer leur état physique fonctionnel. L’objectif de cet examen de portée était de décrire l’envergure des publications concernant la réadaptation physique en SLD jusqu’à ce jour, avec une emphase sur les types d’interventions en réa...

Increased visceral adiposity places individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. The purpose of this study was to identify if people with chronic SCI who participate in any moderate- to vigorous-intensity leisure time physical activity (LTPA) have lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area compared w...

Objectives To develop and validate our Fracture Risk Scale (FRS) over a 1-year time period, using the long-term care (LTC) Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 (RAI-MDS 2.0). Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting LTC homes in Ontario, Canada. Participants Older adults who were admitted to LTC and received a RAI-MDS...

Purpose: We used patients input and behaviour change theory to design a video series on the Too Fit To Fracture physical activity recommendations. The aim of this work is to describe series development and report on uptake. Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with older adults across Ontario, with purposeful sampling by gender and u...

Study design: Cross-sectional Objectives: To determine and report agreement in fracture risk stratification of adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) using 1) Canadian Association of Radiologists and Osteoporosis Canada (CAROC) and Canadian Fracture Risk Assessment (FRAX) tools with and without areal bone mineral density (aBMD); and, 2) using SCI-spe...

A wide variety of accelerometer systems, with differing sensor characteristics, are used to detect impact loading during physical activities. The study examined the effects of system characteristics on measured peak impact loading during a variety of activities by comparing outputs from three separate accelerometer systems, and by assessing the inf...

The objective of this study was to compare the test-retest precision error for peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)-derived marrow density and marrow area segmentation at the tibia using 3 software packages. A secondary analysis of pQCT data in young adults (n?=?18, mean???standard deviation 25.4???3.2?yr), older adults (n?=?47, 71.8?...

Introduction: There is increasing need to understand patient-centred outcomes in osteoporosis (OP) clinical research and management. This multi-method paper provides insight on the effect of OP on patients' physical function and everyday activity. Methods: Data were collected from three sources: (1) targeted literature review on OP and physical...

Introduction: Uptake of physical activity (PA) guidelines would improve health and reduce mortality in older adults. However, physicians face barriers in guideline implementation, particularly when faced with needing to tailor recommendations in the presence of chronic disease. We performed a behavioral analysis of physician barriers to PA guideli...

RÉSUMÉ Cette étude prospective d’observation rend compte des circonstances qui ont conduit à des chutes des résidents dans des établissements de soins de longue durée (SLD) et les caractéristiques des résidents qui ont subi des fractures suite à une chute. Le personnel a enregistré l’emplacement de la chute, le moment de la journée, l’activité dans...

A fracture occurs when the applied load is greater than the bone can withstand. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of osteoporosis include recommendations for exercise; one of the few therapies where the proposed anti-fracture mechanisms that include effects on both bone strength and applied loads, where applied loads can come in the f...

RÉSUMÉ Il y a eu peu d’études qui se concentrent sur les chutes chez les clients qui reçoivent des soins à domicile (SD) avec des conditions neurologiques. Cette étude a identifié les facteurs qui accroissent le risque de chutes chez les clients SD sans histoire récente de telles chutes, et a exploré si les profils de risque variaient parmi les per...

Objectives: To describe (1) the frequency and utility of clinically relevant spinal cord injury (SCI)-specific and general population thresholds for obesity and sarcopenic obesity; and (2) the fat and lean soft tissue distributions based on the neurologic level of injury and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale. Design: Cross-...

Background: Wearable activity trackers are promising as interventions that offer guidance and support for increasing physical activity and health-focused tracking. Most adults do not meet their recommended daily activity guidelines, and wearable fitness trackers are increasingly cited as having great potential to improve the physical activity leve...

Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) can be used to examine bone strength outcomes and muscle size and fatty infiltration. Our research team and others have used it to examine bone loss after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the high prevalence of restricted lower extremity range of motion, spasticity, edema, excessive muscle atroph...

Background: Exercise such as yoga may have health benefits for older adults with osteoporosis, but without attention to safe movement yoga can also increase the risk for injury. Objective: The current article provides suggestions for how to adapt yoga to the needs of older adults with osteoporosis. Suggestions: A general guidelines for exercise...

Background: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior increase the risk of chronic illness and death. The newest generation of "wearable" activity trackers offers potential as a multifaceted intervention to help people become more active. Objective: To examine the usability and usefulness of wearable activity trackers for older adults living wi...

Declines in function and quality of life, and an increased risk of cardiovascular events, falls, and fractures occur with aging and may be amenable to exercise intervention. Primary care is an ideal setting for identifying older adults in need of exercise intervention. However, a cost-effective, generalizable model of chronic disease management usi...

Background: Understanding the related fates of muscle density and bone quality after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is an important initial step in determining endocrine-metabolic risk. Objective: To examine the associations between muscle density and indices of bone quality at the distal lower extremity of adults with chronic SCI. Methods:...

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of physical activity interventions for preventing or managing osteoporosis in men aged 19 years and older.

A growing number of medically complex older adults reside in long-term care (LTC) and often require physical rehabilitation (PR). While PR is effective at maintaining or improving a patient's physical function, the breadth of PR interventions evaluated in LTC, which outcomes or quality indicators (QI) can be used to evaluate PR, and what tools or m...

Few studies have systematically examined whether knowledge translation (KT) strategies can be successfully implemented within the long-term care (LTC) setting. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a multifaceted, interdisciplinary KT intervention for improving the prescribing of vitamin D, calcium and osteoporosis medications over 12-mon...