General health of elderly institutionalised and community-dwelling Brazilians

To evaluate the heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose and other important indicators of the general health of an elderly population of São José dos Campos, Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 institutionalised and 150 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years or more. The parameters evaluated were heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose. The elderly also answered a questionnaire about osteoporosis, falls, physical exercising, participation in social events, type of foods ingested, Alzheimer and Parkinson's diseases and medication.

The institutionalised elderly showed an average heart rate of 75.1, while that of the community-dwelling elderly was 76.7. The percentage of systolic hypertension in the institutionalised and community-dwelling groups was 36% and 30% respectively, while diastolic hypertension showed a percentage of 40% and 57%, and diabetes was 32% and 30%. Among the institutionalised and community-dwelling groups, 13.3% and 21.3% respectively, reported osteoporosis, 31.3% and 42.7% falls, 7.3% and 24% exercised regularly, 4% and 69.3% participated regularly in social events, 58.7% and 51.3% reported eating solid foods, and 13.3% and 2%, respectively, suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Parkinson's disease was reported by 2% in both groups. The institutionalised elderly reported taking an average of 3.2 medications, while among community-dwelling elderly this number was 1.8.

The entire sample presented a high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and osteoporosis. No significant differences were found in the systemic health of the elderly institutionalised and community-dwelling groups. However, the latter group reported more frequent falls, participation in social events and exercised regularly.