Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between body composition, nutritional status and physical ability in elderly outpatients.
Method:. In this cross-sectional study, demographic data and medical history were collected from patients aged ≥60 years followed in the Geriatric Outpatient Clinic from October 2010 to February 2014. Body composition was examined using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical performance was assessed by gait speed (GS), Timed Up & Go Test (TUG), Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT). The nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and serum albumin level.
Results: Mean age (± SD) of 76 patients (64.47% men) was 71.93 ± 8.88 yrs. The most common diseases were: hypertension (89.47%), coronary heart disease (81.58%) and chronic heart failure (68.4%). In multiple regression analyses, the factors significantly affecting GS were: age (B = –0.017, p ≤0.0001), good nutritional status (B = 0.038, p <0.01) and percent of lower extremity fat (B = –0.009, p <0.05). Longer TUG time was associated with poorer nutritional status (B = –0.031, p <0.01), older age (B = 0.01, p <0.01) and a higher number of comorbidities (B = 0.034, p <0.05). 6MWT was influenced negatively by age (B = –3.805, p <0.01) and percent of lower extremity fat (B = –2.474, p <0.05).
Conclusions: Age and nutritional status remain a strong determinant of physical fitness deterioration. Different measures of physical performance are influenced by different elements of body composition — no single element of body composition was found determining the deterioration of all assessed parameters of physical fitness.
Identifying the relationship between body composition, nutritional status and physical performance can help elucidate the causes of disability and target preventive measures.

I n t r o d u c t i o n: Co-occurrence of physical and cognitive dysfunctions contribute to functional decline and a gradual loss of independence.

O b j e c t i v e s: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between global cognitive impairment and physical mobility in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Ma t e r i a l a n d Me t h o d s: A total of 800 older adults were recruited (653 with normal cognitive functioning and 147 participants with MCI). Motor performance was measured with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Cognitive functions were evaluated using Mini- Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III).

R e s u l t s: ACE-III scores were associated with the TUG test performance in older adults (with and without MCI), but not with 6MWT results. The overall score in ACE-III and its subscales, i.e. a) memory and fluency in the MCI group and in the total group, and b) fluency in the control group, were associated with TUG aft er adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, medication use, depressive symptoms, hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes. In the case of the 6MWT test results, only the ACE-III fluency subscale scores and not the overall ACE-III score were associated with them.

C o n c l u s i o n s: Global cognitive function, verbal fluency and memory were independently associated with the TUG. ACE-III, being a more extensive testing tool than MMSE, made it possible to show the relationship between global cognition and motor skills.