All the articles indicated some relation between diabetes mellitus and tendon alterations in human beings, but due to methodological drawbacks, this association could not be sustained.

Introduction: An important consequence of the aging of people with DM2 is physical disability, particularly the loss of mobility. Objective: To determine sociodemographic, clinical-functional, and psycho-cognitive factors related to the reduction in hand grip strength (HGS) in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and to verify the relationship between HGS and fragility. Method: This is an observational cross-sectional study with 156 elderly individuals aged 60 years and over, both male and female, diagnosed with DM2. The participants were assessed according to sociodemographic, clinical-functional, psycho-cognitive, and functional mobility data. HGS was evaluated using a manual dynamometer. The tests performed were: Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square. The level of significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05). Results: A significant relationship was observed between HGS and each of the following: sex (p < 0.001), age range (p = 0.04), marital status (p = 0.004), physical activity (p = 0.06), number of conditions diagnosed (p = 0.002), use of insulin therapy (p = 0.03), complaint of pain in lower limb power (p < 0.001), falls in the last year (p = 0.004), fear of falling (p = 0.003), Mini-Mental State Examination (p = 0.01), Geriatric Depression Scale (p = 0.008), fragility phenotype (p < 0.001). Conclusion: HGS was reduced in elderly women with DM2, those who did not have a marital life had five or more diseases diagnosed with insulin therapy, did not engage in regular physical activity, complained of lower limb pain, had a history of two or more falls in the last year, had a fear of falling, had a cognitive deficit, had depressive symptoms, and were fragile.

The aim of this study was to investigated factors associated with the functional impairment of older adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and identify the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and functional factors in this population. This is an observational analytical, and cross-sectional study, which evaluated 159 individuals of both genders, aged 60 years or older. The WHODAS (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule) total score was analyzed in relation to other variables of the study, using the following statistical tests: Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn’s post hoc, Spearman correlation, and simple linear regression analysis. Significance level was set at 5% (p<0.05). In total, 12 linear regression models were generated and the latter was selected for elaborating the prediction equation and its possible interpretations. Functional impairment was associated with sociodemographic, clinical, and functional factors. Sedentary lifestyle, overweight, cognitive deficit, decreased mobility, and falls were the factors that predicted the restriction of functional performance in older adults with type 2 DM. This study assessed the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and functional factors concerning the functional impairment of older adults with type 2 DM, reaffirming that this disease causes negative impacts in a global way and that the association among these factors leads to a decrease in functionality and worsening of life quality in this population. The findings of this study point out the importance of preventive programs in order to promote behavioral changes that can reduce the impact of type 2 DM complications.