AUTHOR=Virtuoso Júnior Jair S. , Roza Liliane B. , Tribess Sheilla , Meneguci Joilson , Mendes Edmar L. , Pegorari Maycon S. , Dias Flávia A. , dos Santos Tavares Darlene M. , Sasaki Jeffer E. 

TITLE=Time Spent Sitting Is Associated with Changes in Biomarkers of Frailty in Hospitalized Older Adults: A Cross Sectional Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00505

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2017.00505

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Sedentary behavior has gained prominence in the literature as a risk factor for health and mortality independent of physical activity level; however, little is known about the relationship of sedentary behavior with frailty in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate if time spent sitting can be used as a discriminator of frailty in older hospitalized persons.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> The study included 162 hospitalized inpatients aged ≥60 years. Blood samples were taken for analyzing leukocyte counts and serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP). Participants also answered a questionnaire about time spent sitting. Frailty was determined from a combination of CRP concentration and leukocyte count. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to analyse the predictive power and cut-points for time spent sitting and the presence of frailty.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The areas under the ROC curves indicated that time spent sitting was an independent indicator of frailty (area under curve &gt;0.6). The cut-off points for time spent sitting as an indicator of frailty were &gt;257 min/day for men and &gt;330 min/day for women.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Time spent sitting is associated with biomarkers of frailty in persons aged ≥60 years, indicating a need for interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior in this age group.</p>