Association between functional mobility, muscle strength and cognitive performance in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2238-2704rpf.2026.e6519Keywords:
Diabetes Mellitus, Muscle Strength, Mobility Limitation, CognitionAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Elderly individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) exhibit greater frailty and reduced functional capacity due to sarcopenia, in addition to senescence encompassing cognitive deficits in this population. OBJECTIVE: To correlate functional mobility with physical performance and cognitive capacity in elderly men with T2DM. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 62 elderly men (65–79 years old) with T2DM, residents of São Paulo and its metropolitan region, who were participants in a project on protein supplementation and resistance training (CAAE 39202214.8.0000.0065). All participants provided written informed consent. Mobility, handgrip strength, functional capacity, and cognitive function were assessed. RESULTS: The sample showed a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (66.1%), falling (22.6%), and higher education level (66.1%). In elderly men with T2DM (n = 62), significant correlations were observed in functional mobility. Dual-task mobility correlated with the language domain (p = 0.014; r = −0.346). Handgrip strength of the non-dominant hand correlated with mobility (p = 0.017; r = 0.335). Functional capacity and cognitive function presented a strong correlation with mobility under dual-task conditions (p = 0.003; r = −0.422). CONCLUSION: In elderly men with T2DM, functional mobility demonstrated significant associations with the cognitive component of language and with functional capacity. Additionally, non-dominant handgrip strength showed a positive correlation with simple functional mobility. Longitudinal studies and randomized clinical trials are required to establish causal relationships and to investigate the observed associations with greater robustness.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gabrielle Bizerra Moreira , Heloisa Barata de Sena , Marcelo Lacerda Bezerra, Adriana Machado-Lima , Angélica Castilho Alonso , Guilherme Carlos Brech, Julia Maria D'Andréa Greve
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
