Prevalência de fatores de risco cardiovascular em idosos não institucionalizados

The reduction in grip strength is associated with a decrease in the distance covered in the 6MWT in elderly people residing in a long-stay institution

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between handgrip strength (HGS), anthropometric parameters, perception of fatigue, and the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test (6MWD) in elderly people living in a long-stay institution (ILPI). Methods: Elderly people (n = 17; 77 ± 7 years) of both sexes, living in an LTCF in Espírito Santo, Brazil, participated in the study. Volunteers were evaluated using the 6-min walk test (6MWT), HGS, and Chalder's Fatigue Scale (EFC). Results: The means of the 6MWD (276 ± 81.6 m) and HGS (19.4 ± 10.5 Kg/f) of the elderly were below the predicted values. The 6MWD showed a moderate positive correlation with HGS (right r = 0.6; p = 0.008; left r = 0.5; p = 0.03) and with apex expansion (r = 0.5; p = 0.03), as well as a negative correlation with the body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.6; p = 0.01). Conclusion: In the environment of an ILPI, where there is a high prevalence of functional limitations and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the elderly, comprehensive health care is a complex challenge. Thus, knowledge of these associations can highlight the importance of ensuring strategies to mitigate muscle weakness and immobility.

Depressive symptoms and associated factors in residents living in long-term care facilities from the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte

OBJECTIVE: To identify the presence of depressive symptoms and its association with self-rated health among older adults living in Long-term Care Facilities. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study in which institutionalized older adults were screened by using the Mental State Mini Exam. Standard questionnaires were used to collect the following data: 1) sociodemographic variables, 2) depressive symptoms, and 3) self-rated health. The descriptive statistical analysis by measures of central tendency and dispersion was performed to characterize the sample. The multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to associate the variables. In all tests, the alpha value of 0.05 was considered. RESULTS: A total of 127 older adults living in 47 long-term care facilities were evaluated. Among those who presented depressive symptoms, 32.3% were classified as having mild symptoms and 13.4% had severe symptoms. Regarding self-rated health, 46.5% considered it poor/very poor. In the analysis of the association between mild and severe depressive symptoms and self-rated health, statistical significance (p = 0.004 and p = 0.001, respectively) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that more attention should be directed to institutionalized older adults who have symptoms of depression and to their impacts on the negative self-rated health.

Pacemaker implications in the functional capacity and quality of life of cardiopathic patients

Abstract Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are among the main causes of death, and in recent years there has been an increase in pacemaker implants (PM), which is intended not only to increase survival, but also to improve quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the quality of life, cardiorespiratory fitness and level of physical activity of patients before and after permanent PM implant in a large hospital in the north of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Method: The study comprised 19 patients submitted to PM surgery who had their electronic health record and quality of life (AQUAREL) evaluated as well as their cardiorespiratory fitness and the limit of daily physical activity (VSAQ), peripheral muscle strength (PMS), respiratory muscle strength (manovacuometry), their degree of dyspnea (modified PMS) and the hemodynamic parameters, all of which were assessed in the preoperative period and after 30 days. Results: A mean age of 71.79 years was observed and in 63.1% of the cases Total Atrioventricular Block was the pathology, while 89.5% of the participants presented systemic arterial hypertension and 31.6% also presented Diabetes Melittus. Statistically significant improvement was observed in all the values under evaluation, namely: dyspnea (p = 0.0001), peripheral muscle strength (p = 0.0001) and respiratory muscle strength (PIMAX p = 0.0001 and PEMAX p = 0.0001), Quality of Life (p = 0.0001) and Cardiorespiratory Fitness and level of physical activity p=0.0001). Conclusion: Improvement was verified in all parameters analyzed, thus suggesting that the PM positively influences the quality of life and the functionality of the patients.

Nutritional status of elderly assisted in primary care and their relationship with social determinants of health

ABSTRACT Objective To review the influence of social determinants of health in the nutritional status of the elderly assisted in a primary care Unit in a Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, community. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with an analytical approach. The universe was composed of 129 elderly attending a family health unit in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The data were collected according to a protocol. The effect of the association of independent variables with the body mass index was estimated using hierarchical logistic regression models, simple and multiple multinomial. The significance level was set at 5%. Results There was a higher percentage of elderly people with excess weight (52.34%) in the assessment of body mass index. On analysis of the Mini nutritional assessment, the risk of malnutrition was 38.76%. On analysis of the calf circumference 13.39% of the elderly were malnourished. In the final model, the criteria for maintaining the elderly patients were the following: excess weight, marital status, hypertension, osteoarthritis and sewer destination. Elderly widowers had a higher chance (OR=5.17) of having excess weight and not to have sewage network serving their home and be hypertense (OR=2.71 e 2.83). The fact that the elderly have osteoarthritis also indicated a greater chance (OR=3.76) that they present excess weight. Conclusion Among the social determinants of health, the nutritional status of the elderly was associated with marital status, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and basic sanitation. The social setting of the elderly is associated with their nutritional status.