Banca de DEFESA: ALLEN SUZANE DE FRANÇA

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ALLEN SUZANE DE FRANÇA
DATE: 28/09/2026
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: Remoto
TITLE:

EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

KEY WORDS:

Cardiovascular risk factors; Older people; Physical function; Aging

PAGES: 168
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
SUMMARY:

Introduction: Aging has been associated with a higher prevalence of chronic conditions, many of which increase the risk of cardiovascular events and may compromise physical function. However, it remains unclear which cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) have the greatest impact on functional ability in older adults and how sex differences in cardiovascular risk affect physical function over time. Objective: To evaluate the relationship of individual and clustered CRFs with physical function and performance in activities of daily living (ADLs) among community-dwelling older adults, identifying sex-specific differences and their predictive value over long-term follow-up. Methods: Three studies were conducted. The first study was a systematic review of the association between CRFs and measures of physical function in older adults and whether these associations differed between men and women. Observational studies evaluating the association between CRFs and handgrip strength and/or gait speed in community-dwelling older adults were included. The review followed a previously developed protocol registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. The second study was a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS), including 23,815 Brazilian older adults. Associations between individual and clustered CRFs and difficulty performing ADLs were examined. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to assess these associations, with adjustment for covariates. Sampling weights derived from the complex survey design were also taken into account. The third study was a longitudinal analysis with a 10-year follow-up of middle-aged and older women living in the municipality of Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, who were assessed in 2013 and 2023. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and chronic diseases were assessed, along with anthropometric and physical performance measures (handgrip strength, gait speed, chair stand test, and bipodal balance). Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results: Study 1: Six studies were included in the systematic review. The findings demonstrated a consistent association between higher cardiovascular risk or a greater burden of CRFs and slower gait speed. Study 2: Hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia were significantly associated with difficulty performing ADLs in the Brazilian sample. An increasing number of CRFs was associated with higher odds of difficulty performing ADLs. In the sex-stratified analysis, older women with diabetes had worse outcomes than those without the disease, an association that was not observed among older men. Study 3: After 10 years, gait speed decreased by an average of 0.06 m/s (p<0.001), and handgrip strength decreased by an average of 3.85 kgf (p<0.001). The mean SPPB score decreased by approximately 0.97 points (p<0.001), and the median time to complete the chair stand test increased from 10.02 to 12.12 seconds (p<0.001). The associations of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, considered individually, with decline in gait speed remained statistically significant in the adjusted model. When combined, each additional CRF increased the odds of decline in gait speed (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.33–2.54). Obesity was associated with decline in SPPB performance even after adjustment. Hypercholesterolemia was associated with decline in chair stand performance (OR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.02–3.25). Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that individual and clustered CRFs are associated with poorer physical function and ADL outcomes, with sex-specific differences. Furthermore, the presence and accumulation of CRFs predicted decline in physical function over 10 years, reinforcing the impact of cardiovascular risk on functional ability during aging. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and broaden the understanding of this relationship.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - 1460020 - ALVARO CAMPOS CAVALCANTI MACIEL
Externa à Instituição - ANA TEREZA DO NASCIMENTO SALES FIGUEIREDO FERNANDES - UEPB
Externa à Instituição - JULIANA MARTINS PINTO - UnB
Interna - 2786809 - MARIA THEREZA ALBUQUERQUE BARBOSA CABRAL MICUSSI
Presidente - 3885543 - SAIONARA MARIA AIRES DA CAMARA