Physical fitness as a vital sign: why are we not using it in clinical practice?
Opinion - e235594 - Published 2024, Dec 15
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33233/rbfex.v23i3.5594Keywords:
muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, public healthAbstract
Physical inactivity can be considered a disease of the 21st century. Among several physical parameters, strength and cardiorespiratory fitness stand out as they are strongly associated with mortality and chronic diseases. Thus, we propose that physical fitness can be used as a vital sign and that strength and cardiorespiratory fitness can be applied to assess health in practice. This can be accomplished using muscular strength cutoff points for the elderly, such as <32 kg for men and <21 for women, using a manual dynamometer, and <40% of body weight in isometric knee extension. Likewise, several maximal and submaximal tests, such as a 12-minute running test or step test, can be used as a low-cost alternative for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness. Therefore, the assessment of physical fitness parameters can be a promising and low-cost screening tool to identify participants at risk of disability, chronic non-communicable diseases and survival prognosis.
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