Association between Sarcopenia, Falls, and Cognitive Impairment in Older People: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Abstract

With the aging process, elderly people present changes in their bodies that can lead them to suffer several geriatric syndromes. The present study aimed to analyze and synthesize the literature produced concerning the association of sarcopenia with falls in elderly people with cognitive impairment. This is a systematic review study on etiology and risk, conducted according to the JBI methodology using the Medline (Pubmed), Cinahl, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The gray literature search was conducted in the CAPES Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Google Scholar, Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), EBSCO Open Dissertations, DART-e, and ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication. The identification of the association between the variables was extracted from the articles themselves (Odds Ratio and the 95% Confidence Intervals). Four articles published between 2012 and 2021 were included in this review. A prevalence of falls was identified, ranging from 14.2% to 23.1%, of cognitive impairment ranging from 24.1% to 60.8%, and of sarcopenia ranging from 6.1 to 26.6%. The meta-analysis found that elderly people with cognitive impairment who suffer falls are at a 1.88 times greater risk of presenting sarcopenia (p = 0.01). There is evidence of an association between the variables, but it is necessary to conduct follow-up studies to support this association as well as other factors that may influence the senescence and senility process.