Abdominal weakness and obesity indicate functional decline in men

A study conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) suggests that health professionals can detect functional impairment in an elderly patient early (decreased ability to perform daily tasks independently) by monitoring their performance on simple tasks, such as sitting and getting up from a chair, or Stand steadily, or walk a short distance. as per search, a statement In the American Journal of Clinical NutritionThis indicator is mainly valid for men who are obese and have weak muscles.

The study was conducted during PHD degree at Robe – Roberte De Oliveira Maximo In the Postgraduate Program in Physiotherapy at UFSCar, with support from FAPESP and guidance from Prof. Thiago da Silva Alexandre. Researchers from University College London, UK, participated in it.

The group analyzed data on 3,875 elderly English people who were followed for eight years. The volunteers’ physical performance was evaluated by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)a set of tests known to health professionals that includes a combination of sitting and getting up from a chair, static balance, and walking a distance of 2.4 metres.

“Improved physical functioning is the first indicator of functional impairment in the elderly and is considered a preclinical transition stage to disability. That is, it appears before difficulties in daily activities, such as using transportation, shopping, taking care of the house, clothing, preparing meals, bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom and eating” , says Alexander. “Hence, its early detection could prevent impairment in activities of daily living for this population.”

As the researcher explains, functional physical performance is an objective assessment that includes the performance of a specific task that is evaluated by predetermined criteria (grades, number of repetitions or activity time). Its weakness is considered the sixth vital sign in the assessment of the elderly.

in previous workThe group demonstrated that slow walking can be considered, in isolation, as an indicator of an increased risk of loss of ability to perform daily activities.

“The worst SPPB performance appears to be something earlier than the slower walking speed,” say researchers from UFSCar.

Different types of obesity

According to the new study, only a certain group of elderly men showed greater impairment in physical performance during the follow-up period: those who had a combination of abdominal obesity and muscle weakness, a condition known as dynabinia. This phenotype is common among the elderly and is recognized in the scientific community as ‘diabene celiac obesity’.

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“With age, men and women experience a loss of muscle strength accompanied by an accumulation of belly fat. However, the situation is worse for males,” explains Maximo. “Men lose more muscle strength than women throughout their lives and already have a tendency to accumulate belly fat even before the aging process. Belly fat is more metabolically active and causes chronic low-grade inflammation, which has negative repercussions on muscle function.”

The situation is different when general obesity is assessed by body mass index (BMI) rather than abdominal obesity. In this case, general obesity combined with dynabinia was not associated with a worse trajectory of physical performance in both men and women. This indicates that BMI assessment for obesity does not capture the changes in body fat distribution that occur with age.

The study presents another important finding: Neither abdominal obesity nor dynabinia alone was associated with poor physical performance in older adults over time. Thus, taking into account isolated evaluation of these two conditions may underestimate a real future problem of decreased physical performance in the elderly.

In Alexander’s assessment, one of the main messages of the research is that identification and management of the abdominal obesity phenotype is essential to avoid the first signs of functional decline in elderly men.

Although dynamic abdominal obesity is a condition associated with aging, it is modifiable. But when it is neglected, it has important repercussions on the career situation, especially in men,” says the professor.

The course of action, according to the 2020 WHO guidelines, is for older adults aged 65 or over to include a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. They should get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity throughout the week. As part of their weekly physical activity, older adults should also do strength training that includes all major muscle groups three or more days a week.

This text was originally published by FAPESP . Agency. Read the the original here.