Obese elderly women exhibit low postural stability: a novel three-dimensional evaluation system

Abstract

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.

A influência da composição corporal na força de homens idosos brasileiros

“…Realizar com facilidade, sem auxílio de terceiros gestos motores, como segurar um copo de água, subir um lance de escadas, sentar-se, entre outros, sem que haja o risco de quedas, demonstra autonomia para realizar tarefas do dia a dia, fato este que acresce uma melhor qualidade de vida 20,26 . [28][29][30] . Alta prevalência de excesso de gordura corporal é um fator alarmante, pois está diretamente relacionada a uma má condição de saúde como alterações do perfil lipídico, o aumento da pressão arterial e a hiperinsulinemia, além dos fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas, como o diabetes tipo 2 e as doenças cardiovasculares, entre outras 15,31 .…”

Body Mass Index and Functional Mobility Outcome Following Early Rehabilitation After a Total Knee Replacement: A Retrospective Study in Taiwan

“…These findings indicate that a high BMI is associated with reduced postural control and balance after a TKR. Because being overweight or obese is a risk factor for poor postural stability (56)(57)(58), and because changes in body weight influence balance control (59,60), it is reasonable to expect that overweight and obese patients perform more poorly in the FRT and SLS test compared with patients with a normal BMI, because such tasks are highly dependent on postural stability and balance control. Previous studies have shown that the performance of postural stabilitydependent mobility tasks improves after balance-based post-TKR rehabilitation (24,38), which is consistent with the significant improvements in the FRT and SLS test results for all of the BMI groups at the 2-month and 6-month post-TKR followup assessments in the current study.…”

Postural Control and Functional Strength in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus With and Without Peripheral Neuropathy

“…10,11 By means of signals obtained from the sensors, deviations in the x (anterior-posterior [AP]), y (medial-lateral [ML]), and z (vertical) planes can be measured. [10][11][12][13][14] The Polhemus device precisely measures all trunk movements through its transmitter coil, which emits an electromagnetic field that is detected by the sensor. The device was calibrated before each evaluation by placing the transmitter coil on a hard level surface, shifting it forward 2cm, and assessing the accuracy of the system in measuring the displacement.…”