Allostatic load and physical performance in older adults: Findings from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between Allostatic Load (AL) and physical performance scores in older adults from four cities in North and South America. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data from 1101 volunteers from three countries (Canada, Brazil, and Colombia) from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) were used to evaluate the association between AL index and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores. Three multiple linear regression models adjusted by age, Socioeconomic Status (SES), chronic conditions, depression symptoms, and Leganés Cognitive Test (LCT) were developed to estimate the independent association between SPPB and AL. Mediation analysis with 2012 LA data and covariates was performed to access the total, direct, and indirect effects of mediation on SPPB scores from 2016. RESULTS: AL and SPPB were inversely associated, with older adults with high allostatic load scoring lower on SPPB (ß: -0.234, Std: 0.033, p-value: <0.001).  Indirect effects were evidenced between age, SES and chronic conditions with AL and SPPB scores. Chronic conditions also had a total effect on SPPB scores and were also mediated by AL. However, indirect effects of depressive symptoms and LCT on SPPB scores mediated by AL were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study support that increased AL index determines worse physical performance states after full adjustments. AL has a mediator role between the number of chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, cognitive status and physical performance. Socioeconomic status also influenced physical scores mediated by the AL index.

Relationship between phase angle and physical performance measures in community-dwelling older adults.

INTRODUCTION: The phase angle (PhA) is a measure of great clinical relevance provided through the Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA). PhA is related to health status. Physical performance measures are also similarly associated to the health status of older individuals, however, studies which asses the relationship between these two measures are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationship between PhA and physical performance measures in community-dwelling older adults in a Brazilian sample. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study in which 200 community-dwelling older adults up to 65 years of age of both genders were recruited. Physical performance was evaluated by walking speed and handgrip strength, and the PhA was derived from BIA. Linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between PhA and physical performance measures. Two models were built: the first model was adjusted by handgrip and walking speed; and the second model additionally included the number of chronic diseases, gender, age and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: A total of 200 subjects were evaluated through BIA. Men showed a mean age of 72.13 ± 3.42 years and women 71.94 ± 3.35 years. Mean PhA among men was 5.99 ± 0.67, while the mean obtained for women was 5.43 ± 0.70. Linear regression showed that handgrip strength (ß: 0.036; p-value < 0.001; ß: 0.024; p-value: 0.005) and walking speed (ß: 0.495; p-value: 0.044; ß: 0.619, p-value: 0.009) were correlated with the PhA in both models. CONCLUSION: The results of our study revealed that PhA is a good marker of physical performance for the Brazilian community-dwelling older adults studied.