No abstract

In the present study, the ingestion of 500 ml orange juice and of one bread roll with butter by elderly subjects did not affect the results of the parameters of body composition determined by BIA or DXA. Thus, these exams could be performed without the rigor of fasting, often poorly tolerated by the elderly.

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to evaluate the multisegmental static postural balance of active eutrophic and obese elderly women using a three-dimensional system under different sensory conditions.METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 31 elderly women (16 eutrophic and 15 obese) aged 65 to 75 years. The following anthropometric measurements were obtained: weight, height, waist and hip circumference, and handgrip strength. The physical activity level was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Body composition was measured using the deuterium oxide dilution technique. The Polhemus® Patriot (three-dimensional) equipment was used to measure the parameters of postural balance along the anteroposterior and laterolateral axes. The data acquisition involved one trial of 60 s to test the limit of stability and four trials of 90 s each under the following conditions: (1) eyes open, stable surface; (2) eyes closed, stable surface; (3) eyes open, unstable surface; and (4) eyes closed, unstable surface.RESULTS:For the limit of stability, significant differences were observed in the maximum anteroposterior and laterolateral displacement (p<0.01) and in the parameter maximum anteroposterior displacement in the eyes closed stable surface condition (p<0.01) and maximum anteroposterior and laterolateral displacement in the eyes open unstable surface (p<0.01 and p = 0.03) and eyes closed unstable surface (p<0.01 and p<0.01) conditions. CONCLUSIONS:Obese elderly women exhibited a lower stability limit (lower sway area) compared with eutrophic women, leaving them more vulnerable to falls.

| Background: Changes arising from the aging process, particularly changes in body composition, contribute to the functional decline of the elderly. Objective: To compare the body composition and muscle strength, mobility and quality in active elderly women according to the distance walked during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Method: The study included 77 active elderly women aged 65 to 80 years, who were divided into tertiles (A, B and C) according to the distance covered in the 6MWT. We performed anthropometric and clinical evaluations. Body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured with a portable dynamometer (Saehan), and knee extension strength (KES) was measured with the one repetition maximum test (1-RM). Functional mobility was assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and body balance was assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Muscle quality was defined by the ratio between muscle strength (kgf) and muscle mass (kg). Results: The group that walked the shortest distance in the 6MWT had a higher BMI (A=30.8±7.0, B=27.2±4.2 and C=25.9±3.5 kg/m 2 ), greater amount of fat mass (A=31.3±10.7, B=25.9±6.7 and C=23.81±6.46 kg) lower HGS (A=21.8±5.1, B=22.1±3.5 and C=25.5±5.1 kgf), lower knee extension strength (A=30.6±10.9, B=40.4±12.5 and C=47.2±10.1 kgf), lower arm muscle quality (A=10.1±3.7, B=11.6±2 and C=12.7±2.2 kg) and lower leg muscle quality (A=1.78±1, B=2.84±0.98 and C=3.31±0.77 kg). There was no significant difference between muscle mass (p=0.25) and lean mass (p=0.26). Conclusion: Body fat has a negative influence on functional performance, even among active elderly women.Keywords: body composition; muscle strength; six-minute walk test; muscle quality; elderly subjects; physical therapy. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLEVilaça KHC, Alves NMC, Carneiro JAO, Ferriolli E, Lima NKC, Moriguti JC. Body composition, muscle strength and quality of active elderly women according to the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test. Braz J Phys Ther. 2013 May-June; 17(3):289-296. http://dx

O crescente uso de smartphones, aliado ao envelhecimento populacional, fez surgirem no mercado diversos aplicativos voltados para o público idoso. Diante dessa realidade, o objetivo do estudo aqui apresentado foi descrever os aplicativos direcionados à saúde e ao cuidado de idosos. Realizou-se uma busca de aplicativos em smartphones com sistema operacional Android e iOS. Os descritores utilizados na busca foram: 'idoso', 'saúde do idoso', 'envelhecimento', 'elderly' e 'salud de los ancianos'. Foram encontrados 25 aplicativos que abrangem três temas: saúde dos idosos, cuidado de idosos e informações sobre a saúde e o cuidado de idosos. Os aplicativos objetivam a prática de exercício físico, a prevenção ou detecção de quedas, a estimulação cognitiva, a busca de profissionais ou serviços, o auxílio ao cuidado de idosos e a divulgação de informações sobre saúde e sobre doenças e tratamentos. Esses recursos podem trazer grande contribuição à saúde e ao aperfeiçoamento do cuidado ao idoso, sendo um instrumento de monitoramento, informação e promoção de hábitos saudáveis.