摘要
Background: The functional capacity of elderly patients decreases with age due to a combination of age-related decline in physiologic functions and chronic diseases. A severe decrease leads to an inability to carry out activities of daily living leading to a loss of autonomy and increased dependence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional capacity of the elderly followed at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Methods: We carried out a non-probabilistic consecutive sampling of elderly patients that consulted in Yaoundé Central Hospital during a five-month’ period. Data was taken concerning their chronic conditions, use of medication, and presence of depressive symptoms (evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) questionnaire). The presence of any cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cardiac ultrasonography and electrocardiograms were done to evaluate the cardiac morphology and physiology. Their functional capacity was assessed with the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the six-minute walk test. A self-paced step test was equally done to estimate the maximum oxygen consumption during aerobic exercise. We carried out aunivariate, and then multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with an altered functional status. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software 23.0. The threshold of significance was set at 0.05. Results: 66 participants were included (35 women) with a median age of 70 (IQR: 67 - 75) years. Among them, 39.4% were found to have an altered functional capacity, about 87.8% had at least one chronic condition and 47% had two or more. The most prevalent chronic condition was hypertension (71.2%) followed by heart failure (24.2%) and osteoarthritis (12.1%). Mild depressive symptoms were present in 1.5% of our study population. The factors associated with an altered functional capacity include age ≥ 75 years (OR = 2.9 p heart failure (OR: 3.2, p ), osteoarthritis (OR: 5.1, p ), and poor gait and balance (OR: 3.7, p ). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of altered functional capacity among elderly patients consulting at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Heart failure, osteoarthritis, and an increased risk of falls are associated with an altered functional capacity.
Background: The functional capacity of elderly patients decreases with age due to a combination of age-related decline in physiologic functions and chronic diseases. A severe decrease leads to an inability to carry out activities of daily living leading to a loss of autonomy and increased dependence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional capacity of the elderly followed at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Methods: We carried out a non-probabilistic consecutive sampling of elderly patients that consulted in Yaoundé Central Hospital during a five-month’ period. Data was taken concerning their chronic conditions, use of medication, and presence of depressive symptoms (evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) questionnaire). The presence of any cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Cardiac ultrasonography and electrocardiograms were done to evaluate the cardiac morphology and physiology. Their functional capacity was assessed with the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the six-minute walk test. A self-paced step test was equally done to estimate the maximum oxygen consumption during aerobic exercise. We carried out aunivariate, and then multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with an altered functional status. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software 23.0. The threshold of significance was set at 0.05. Results: 66 participants were included (35 women) with a median age of 70 (IQR: 67 - 75) years. Among them, 39.4% were found to have an altered functional capacity, about 87.8% had at least one chronic condition and 47% had two or more. The most prevalent chronic condition was hypertension (71.2%) followed by heart failure (24.2%) and osteoarthritis (12.1%). Mild depressive symptoms were present in 1.5% of our study population. The factors associated with an altered functional capacity include age ≥ 75 years (OR = 2.9 p heart failure (OR: 3.2, p ), osteoarthritis (OR: 5.1, p ), and poor gait and balance (OR: 3.7, p ). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of altered functional capacity among elderly patients consulting at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Heart failure, osteoarthritis, and an increased risk of falls are associated with an altered functional capacity.
