Relação entre atividade física e capacidade funcional com a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca de pessoas idosas da comunidade monitorados via Smartwatch

Abstract

Introduction: Measuring heart rate variability (HRV) and its relationship with physical activity and functional capacity in the elderly is of the utmost importance, as it can provide data on various health variables and indicators, as well as enabling the screening of adverse cardiovascular conditions in this population. Through the use of smartwatch-type wearable technologies, it is possible to non-invasively assess and measure HRV patterns, as well as identify factors related to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In view of this, the study sought to investigate the use of wearable devices to measure HRV indices. Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and functional capacity with HRV in community-dwelling elderly people. Methods: This is an observational, longitudinal study with a descriptive, analytical and quantitative approach. The study was carried out at the Cidade Madura Condominium, the Elderly Living Center and the Open University for the Elderly, in Campina Grande, PB. The sample consisted of 104 elderly people aged ≥ 60 years, using the non-probabilistic convenience sampling method. The participants were assessed and monitored remotely for 7 continuous days using a smartwatch. After this period, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess physical activity levels, as well as sensors embedded in a wearable device, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) to assess functional capacity, and HRV was captured using data from the smartwatch. The data was analyzed using Spearman's correlation, which was used to determine the relationship between the variables studied (HRV, physical activity and functional capacity). Results: The final sample consisted of 104 community-dwelling elderly people, 68.7% of whom were female and the average age was 71.11 ± 6.60 years. There was a higher prevalence of very active individuals, corresponding to 40% of the sample using the IPAQ, and a higher prevalence of active individuals, corresponding to 40.9% of the sample using the algorithm. There was also a higher prevalence of elderly people with moderate capacity; (39.1%). There was no significant correlation between HRV metrics and physical activity and functional capacity variables (p>0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study showed no correlation between the metrics of the time domain of heart rate variability, physical activity and functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly people.