Changes in postural balance associated with a woman's aging process

Author: Guilherme Carlos Brech1, Tatiana Godoy Bobbio2, Kelem de Negreiros Cabral3, Patrícia Mota Coutinho4, Leila Regina de Castro4, Luis Mochizuki3, Jose Maria Soares-Junior5, Edmund Chada Baracat5, Luiz Eugênio Garcez Leme3, Julia Maria D'Andréa Greve3, Angélica Castilho Alonso6
Affiliation:
1 Graduate Program in Aging Sciences, Universidade São Judas Tadeu (USJT), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Laboratory Study of Movement, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas (IOT-HC) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: guibrech@gmail.com.
2 Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil; University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami Campus, United States of America.
3 Laboratory Study of Movement, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas (IOT-HC) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
4 Graduate Program in Aging Sciences, Universidade São Judas Tadeu (USJT), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
5 Disciplina de Ginecologia, Departamento de Obstetrícia e Ginecologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
6 Graduate Program in Aging Sciences, Universidade São Judas Tadeu (USJT), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Laboratory Study of Movement, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas (IOT-HC) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Conference/Journal: Clinics (Sao Paulo)
Date published: 2022 May 10
Other: Volume ID: 77 , Pages: 100041 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100041. , Word Count: 216


Context:
Aging causes a progressive worsening in postural balance, affecting functional independence and increasing the risk of falls.

Objective:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of aging on the static balance in women from 50-years to 89-years of age.

Design:
This was a cross-sectional study, with 400 irregularly active women were evaluated and grouped by age: Group 6th decade (age 50 to 59) ‒ 58 participants; Group 7th decade (age 60 to 69) ‒ 214 participants; Group 8th decade (age 70 to 79) ‒ 92 participants; Group 9th decade (age 80 to 89) ‒ 36 participants. Postural balance was evaluated using a portable force platform in a standard standing position, with Eyes Open (EO) and Eyes Closed (EC).

Results:
In the two measurement conditions, the elderly women in Group 9th decade presented mediolateral displacement and range, and mean velocity greater than the women's values in Groups 6th and 7th decade. In the EO e EC situation, the displacement was higher in the elderly Group 9th decade compared to younger groups. Group 8th has a mean velocity greater than Group 6th decade in the EO situation.

Conclusions:
Posturography showed a decline in postural balance with advancing age, suggesting that the 9th decade of life is a borderline age to this detriment due to an increase in postural instability.

Keywords: Accidental falls; Aging; Postural balance; Stabilometric parameters.

PMID: 35567828 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100041

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