Indicators of sarcopenia and their relation to intrinsic and extrinsic factors relating to falls among active elderly women

Abstract Introduction: Musculoskeletal aging can impair functional performance increasing the risk of falls. Objective: To analyze the correlation between sarcopenia and the intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in falls among community-dwelling elderly women. Method: A cross-sectional study evaluated the number of falls of 85 active community-dwelling elderly women in the previous year and then divided them into two groups: non-fallers (n=61) and fallers (n=24). The sarcopenia indicators assessed were gait speed (GS, 10m); handgrip strength (HS); calf circumference; appendicular muscle mass index (DXA). Intrinsic factors: Mental State Examination (MSE); visual acuity; depression (GDS-30); hip , knee (Lequesne) and ankle/foot (FAOS) pain/function; vestibular function (Fukuda test); functional mobility and risk of falls (TUG); power (sitting and standing five times); gait (treadmill); fear of falling (FES-I-Brazil). Extrinsic factors: risk/security features in homes. The independent t test was applied for comparisons between groups and the Pearson and Spearman tests were used for correlations (p