Researcher Profile: Dr. Olga Theou

What is your current research project?

Dr. Olga Theou

I am currently conducting multiple epidemiological and clinical studies in relation to frailty, aging, and physical activity. For example, we’re pilot testing a scale we recently developed that assesses how fit or frail someone is using pictures. We will soon start a clinical trial to examine whether reducing time spent in bed while in hospital will improve the health and recovery of hospitalized older adults.

How did you become interested in your research topic?

Growing up with my grandmother in our house (which is common in Greek culture) is what sparked my interest in aging. Following that, I was lucky to do my MSc at California State University Fullerton where the Center for Successful Aging was housed. There I was not only involved with research on aging but also with exercise training programs for older people across levels of frailty – from extremely fit to severely frail. After that it was clear to me what my research focus would be.

What has been unexpected about your findings so far?

Frailty is reversible even in later stages. Our current health state is the best predictor of our future health state. People on average double their health problems every 15 years but avoiding this decline is possible. Lifestyle changes can assist with preventing decline especially exercise and reducing sedentary time. Our bodies are designed to be upright, however, we spend most of our adult life sitting in a chair or a couch. Reducing sedentary time can have an impact even on the health of apparently healthy people who exercise.

What’s innovative about your research?

Our team has a very interdisciplinary approach to frailty: from understanding the mechanisms of frailty with colleagues in physics, to examining the impact of frailty in the community using large population databases with colleagues in epidemiology, to doing interventional studies on hospitalized patients with the geriatric medicine team.

One word that best describes how you work: Late.

What technology can’t you live without?

Airplanes – allowing me to travel for work but also visit family and friends in Greece.

How do you envision your research benefiting the “public at large” ?

In addition to my research program my plan is to develop evidence-based community programs which will follow an interdisciplinary approach on healthy aging.

Nova Scotia is aging. Unless “we” take this seriously our community will suffer. By “we” I mean the researchers, the health care system, the policy makers, and all the individuals that make up the community. We have long passed our deadline to deal with this!