Obese elderly women exhibit low postural stability: a novel three-dimensional evaluation system

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the multisegmental static postural balance of active eutrophic and obese elderly women using a three-dimensional system under different sensory conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 31 elderly women (16 eutrophic and 15 obese) aged 65 to 75 years. The following anthropometric measurements were obtained: weight, height, waist and hip circumference, and handgrip strength. The physical activity level was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Body composition was measured using the deuterium oxide dilution technique. The Polhemus® Patriot (three-dimensional) equipment was used to measure the parameters of postural balance along the anteroposterior and laterolateral axes. The data acquisition involved one trial of 60 s to test the limit of stability and four trials of 90 s each under the following conditions: (1) eyes open, stable surface; (2) eyes closed, stable surface; (3) eyes open, unstable surface; and (4) eyes closed, unstable surface. RESULTS: For the limit of stability, significant differences were observed in the maximum anteroposterior and laterolateral displacement (p<0.01) and in the parameter maximum anteroposterior displacement in the eyes closed stable surface condition (p<0.01) and maximum anteroposterior and laterolateral displacement in the eyes open unstable surface (p<0.01 and p = 0.03) and eyes closed unstable surface (p<0.01 and p<0.01) conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Obese elderly women exhibited a lower stability limit (lower sway area) compared with eutrophic women, leaving them more vulnerable to falls.

Estudo da funçäo de mistura do alimento no estômago avaliado por técnica biomagnética / Study of food mixture function in stomach evaluated by biomagnetic technique

Traçadores magnéticos podem ser monitorados dentro de órgãos humanos para fornecer informações não apenas quanto à quantidade e localização, mas também informações funcionais. Traçadores magnéticos foram monitorados no interior do estômago com a finalidade de estudar o grau de desordem e randomização destas partículas após serem previamente magnetizadas. Estes resultados fornecem informações sobre o tempo de mistura do alimento no estômago e apresenta uma nova alternativa da medida da atividade de contração gástrica

Abstract - Magnetic tracer can be monitored within human organs, giving information not only related to their quantity and location. but also functions informations. Magnetic tracer was monitored within of stomach to study their degree of order and randomization. Results supply informations about the mixing time of the food in the stomach and present a new alternative measure of the gastric adivity contraction