OLIVEIRA, L. B.; PEIXOTO, M. I.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/0712094552286669; http://lattes.cnpq.br/5305853234484095; OLIVEIRA, Lucian Batista de.; PEIXOTO, Marcelo Italiano.
Resumo:
Introduction: The demographic transition that has been happening in the last
decades resulted on a notable growth of the elder population. Functional limitations
appear as a determining factor of health and quality of life, of which one that highlights
is sarcopenia, which mensuration is possible by using different methods, as image
exames and anthropometric measures. Structural and methabolic changes on the
skeletal musculature of elders contribute on the development of insulin resistance and
diabetes mellitus (DM), that is also common on this stage of life. Therefore, studies
that seek to associate sarcopenia and ocurrence of fractures on diabetic elder patients
are of great value. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia on diabetic
elder patients, verifying the association between this muscular condition and the
historic of fractures, as well as the correlation between those conditions and
anthropometric parameters, history of falls, gliycemic control, lifestyle habits, and other
conditions. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional and analytic study, that was
performed at the Unit of Endocrinology and Metabology of University Hospital Alcides
Carneiro, involving elderly patients (≥ 60 years) with DM. There were excluded patients
with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. The predictor criterion of sarcopenia that was
adopted was a calf circunference (CC) of < 33 cm for women and < 34 cm for men.
Results: The valid sample was 44 patients, with a mean age of 69.6 years (± 5,23).
The prevalence of sarcopenia was 20.4%. There was statistically significance on the
correlation between sarcopenia and history of fractures, whether they happened on
any kind of event (p = 0.033) or on low energy traumas (p = 0.022). There was no
disparity between the groups with and without sarcopenia regarding the history of falls
on the last 12 months (p = 0.589). There was association between the use of
psycotropics and the ocurrence of falls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Althought CC is not,
by itself, a well stabilished method for the diagnosis of sarcopenia, the muscle loss
indicated by this measure, is associated to the history of fractures on diabetic elders.
So this measurement, accessile and easily applicable, can promote interventions
aiming at the improvement elders’ quality of life.