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Objective We investigated the utility of the phase angle as a screening tool for sarcopenia. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study that included 169 active community-dwelling elderly women. The phase angle was determined using tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance, and sarcopenia was diagnosed based on skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance using bioelectrical impedance analysis, a handheld dynamometer, and the gait speed test, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to investigate the role of the phase angle as a predictor of sarcopenia. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia was 12.4%. The median phase angle was 5.30°; elderly women with sarcopenia had lower phase angles than those without sarcopenia (p=0.006). The phase angle cutoff for the detection of sarcopenia was ?5.15°, with an area under the curve of 0.685, sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 60.8%, and accuracy 63.31%. Elderly women with a low phase angle show a high risk of presenting with reduced muscle mass. Conclusions The phase angle was shown to be a useful screening tool in elderly women with sarcopenia.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of frailty and its association with cognitive state and functional capacity in Brazilians institutionalized older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional study, conducted with institutionalized older adults from two Brazilian cities. Cognitive status, functional capacity and frailty were evaluated through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), KATZ index, and frailty phenotype, respectively, besides anthropometry and physical activity. Results: This study included 73 older adults with a mean age of 78.6 ±10.44 years. 63% were female, 47.9% were the very old (> 80 years) and 32.1% were underweight. The prevalence of frailty was 57.5%. It was observed that the older adults with frailty mostly had functional dependence (68.3%; p<0.01); cognitive deficit (69.0%; p<0.01); and were inactive (97.3%; p=0.01). There was an association of frailty with cognitive status (PR=1.90; CI: 1.17 - 3.06) and functional capacity (PR=2.97; CI: 1.18 - 3.11). Conclusion: The results showed high prevalence of frailty among institutionalized older adults and its association with functional incapacity and cognitive decline.