Combining anemia Y muscular weakness in the seniors increases the risk of death especially in women, according to a study advanced by researchers from the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) and University College London, released this Monday in Brazil.
Older males with these conditions have a 65% risk of dying within ten years, a percentage that is almost doubled for older women (117%).
The study in collaboration with the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP) and published in the latest issue of the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, analyzed a database of 5,310 seniors British who were accompanied permanently for ten years.
According to research, the anemia alone already increases the risk of dying by 58% in the case of older men, while, for women, the muscular weakness is the highest risk factor, increasing the probability of death by 68%.
“For women, the two conditions combined double the risk of death “, assured Mariane Marques Luiz, doctoral student of the Postgraduate Program in Physiotherapy at UFSCar and author of the study quoted in a statement from FAPESP.
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For him study were considered general mortality data and the risk was higher for patients with both conditions, regardless of factors such as age, cigarette consumption, marital status, level of physical activity, memory performance, difficulty in instrumental activities and presence heart disease, lung disease or cancer.
“This means that regardless of any of these issues, when you get older, having anemia and dynapenia (muscular weakness) becomes an important risk factor,” said the expert.
Of the 5,310 people analyzed in the study 84% did not have anemia neither muscular weakness and only 10.7% had dynapenia, 3.8% anemia and 1.5% lived with both conditions.
During the ten years of follow-up, 984 participants died, of whom 63.7% had no condition, 22.8% had dynapenia, 7.5% anemia and 6% had dynapenia and anemia coexistent.
Previous studies have shown that the anemia it is a predisposing factor for the loss of muscle strength because it is more difficult for an anemic person for oxygen to reach the muscle tissue.
This condition, known as hypoxia, affects all the organs and tissues of the anemic organism.