Não existe correlação entre a circunferência da panturrilha e o tug na pessoa idosa em risco de fragilização

Abstract

Introduction: Elderly people at risk of frailty are in a transitional process between active aging and functional disability. They commonly present important sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass, strength and function. This deterioration can be different between men and women, with direct repercussions on functional capacity and the risk of falls. A low-cost alternative used to indirectly identify muscle mass in the elderly has been the measurement of calf circumference (CC). Previous studies have stated that CC can be used as a predictor of sarcopenia. Objective: To analyze whether the measurement of calf circumference can be considered a predictor of the risk of falls when compared to the Time Up Go Test (TUG) in elderly men and women separately who are at risk of frailty. Methodology: 227 medical records of elderly people considered at risk of frailty according to the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index (IVCF-20) were analyzed. Data were collected and transcribed into a digital form by 13 trained researchers. The CC value and the TUG value were recorded in the initial assessment. Data were analyzed using Pearson's test to verify the correlation between CC and TUG in men and women. Student's t test was used to verify whether there was a difference in CC and TUG between men and women. For the analysis, a significance level of 0.05% was considered using the statistical software SPSS V.22 for Windows. Results: There was no correlation between CC and TUG, both in women (ρ= -0.002; p=0.976) and in men (ρ= 0.094; p=0.461). Likewise, no differences were observed in the risk of falling/TUG between genders (t(227) = -0.180 p=0.857). CC also did not differ between genders (t(227) = -0.013 p = 0.989). Conclusion: There was no relationship between CC and TUG. CC should not be used alone to infer or suggest changes in the risk of falling in elderly people at risk of frailty, regardless of gender. New research with primary data needs to be performed to support or refute the findings in this study.