Which factors are associated with sarcopenia and frailty in elderly persons residing in the community?

Abstract Objective: to broaden knowledge about the factors associated with sarcopenia and frailty in elderly persons residing in the community. Method: an integrative systematic review based on the PRISMA recommendations was carried out, using articles published from 2012 to March 2017 in the PubMED, SciELO, Virtual Health Library, CINAHL and Springer electronic databases with the following descriptors: frail elderly, sarcopenia and etiology and their synonyms. The articles identified by the initial search strategy were independently assessed by two researchers, according to the eligibility criteria, and the articles selected were evaluated for methodological quality. Results: the results of this survey show that frailty may be associated with sarcopenia, low serum vitamin D levels, anemia, subclinical hyperthyroidism in men, while the greatest evolution in women was for osteoporosis. An association between sarcopenia and advanced age was also observed, with worsening quality of life, physical-functional capacity, nutritional status and comorbidities, as well as an increased risk of death in sarcopenic elderly persons. Conclusion: this systematic review showed that low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with frailty and factors that predispose this condition. It is therefore important to monitor the serum levels of this vitamin in the elderly population, and it is suggested that new studies are carried out related to supplements of this vitamin in frail elderly persons. Resumo Objetivo: aprofundar os conhecimentos sobre os fatores associados à sarcopenia e à fragilidade em idosos residentes na comunidade. Método: trata-se de uma revisão sistemática integrativa realizada a partir das recomendações do PRISMA, de artigos publicados no período de 2012 a março de 2017 nas bases eletrônicas PubMED, SciELO, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, CINAHL e Springer com os seguintes descritores frail elderly (idoso fragilizado), sarcopenia (sarcopenia) e etiology (etiologia) e seus respectivos sinônimos. Os artigos identificados pela estratégia de busca inicial foram avaliados independentemente por dois pesquisadores, conforme os critérios de elegibilidade e os artigos selecionados foram avaliados quanto à qualidade metodológica. Resultados: os resultados desta pesquisa evidenciam que a fragilidade pode estar associada à sarcopenia, ao baixo nível sérico de vitamina D, à anemia, ao hipertireoidismo subclínico em homens e a maior evolução para osteoporose em mulheres. Ta