Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ALLEN SUZANE DE FRANÇA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ALLEN SUZANE DE FRANÇA
DATE: 18/12/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

Exploring the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and physical performance in community-dwelling older adults

KEY WORDS:

Cardiovascular risk factors; Older people; Physical function; Aging

PAGES: 80
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
SUMMARY:

Introduction: The aging process has been associated with a higher prev alence of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which increase the chance of cardiovascular events and affect
the body's functional reserve. Although studies have observed an association between some cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) and poorer physical function outcomes, it is still unclear which factors have the greatest impact on the physical performance of older adults. Furthermore, the literature has shown sex differences in the risk of cardiovascular disease, with worse outcomes for older women compared to men. Such inequalities may reflect
distinct trajectories of cardiovascular aging, capable of impacting the physicalfunction of men and women differently over time. Objectives: 1) To conduct a systematic review to identify which CRFs are associated with measures of physical function in older adults and whether this association varies by sex; 2) To investigate the association between individual and grouped CRFs and difficulty in activities of daily living (ADLs) in a representative sample of the Brazilian older population and to assess whether this association varies according to sex. 3) To verify if CRFs would be able to predict functional changes in middle-aged and older women after 10 years of follow-up. Methods: The first study is a systematic review of the associations between RFs and measures of physical function in older adults, and whether there are differences in the associations between men and women. Observational studies that assessed the association between RFs and handgrip strength and/or gait speed in community-dwelling older adults were included. The review is ongoing, following a previously developed protocol registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews platform. The second study is a cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health Survey (PNS), a population-based study that evaluated 23,815 older Brazilians. Participants with any RF were compared with those without in relation to having difficulty or not in performing ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). Binary logistic regression analyses were used to verify the associations, with adjustments for covariates. Sample weights derived from complex samples were also
considered. The third study will be a longitudinal analysis based on a sample of women aged 40 to 65 years, residing in the municipality of Parnamirim-RN, who participated in the baseline in 2013 and were reassessed in 2023. Sociodemographic data, lifestyle habits, and chronic diseases were collected, in addition to anthropometric measurements and physical performance (handgrip strength, gait speed, sit-to-stand test, and bipedal balance).
Statistical analyses are underway; p<0.05 and 95% confidence intervals will be considered at all stages. Results: Study 1 - The systematic review protocol was submitted to the journal Plos One, and the review is currently in the title and abstract selection phase by two independent reviewers. Study 2 – The CRFs showed a significant association with difficulty performing ADLs in the Brazilian sample. In the analysis by sex, the results remained significant for most CRFs, with the exception of smoking; worse results were observed for older women with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Study 3 – Analyses are ongoing.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3885543 - SAIONARA MARIA AIRES DA CAMARA
Interno - 1460020 - ALVARO CAMPOS CAVALCANTI MACIEL
Externa ao Programa - 3473456 - SABRINA GABRIELLE GOMES FERNANDES MACEDO - UFRN