Avaliação de marcadores inflamatórios, da modulação do sistema nervoso autonômico e de suas associações na fragilidade de idosos

Abstract

Background: sarcopenia, chronic inflammation status and impairment of cardiac autonomic modulation are often described in frailty elderly. However, the role of inflammation and decreased autonomic modulation in loss of muscle mass associated with aging need to be enlightened. Aim: we aimed to identify, in community-dwelling frailty and robust elderly, correlations among autonomic changes, serum levels of biochemical markers of inflammation and decreased muscle strength and performance. Results: 98 volunteers aged 60 or older was assessed by clinical evaluation, laboratory tests and analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) in the supine and standing positions. The natural logarithm of the HRV index Low Frequency (LF) was inversely related with the biochemical marker of inflammation fibrinogen in frail elderly (p=0.049), but not in robust. There was no association between heart rate variability indices and biochemical markers of inflammation interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein high sensitivity. Gait speed was negatively correlated with fibrinogen in frail elderly (p=0.033), but not in elderly robust. In all elderly, gait speed correlated negatively with fibrinogen (p=0.017), IL-6 (p=0.038) and high-sensitivity CRP (p=0.010). Conclusion: our results suggest that inflammation-related sarcopenia can be at least partially influenced by decreased autonomic modulation in the elderly.