A INSTABILIDADE POSTURAL NO ENVELHECIMENTO COMO FATOR DE RISCO DE QUEDA EM IDOSOS

Aging is defined as a natural, progressive and irreversible development, something common to all human beings and which can bear the influence of social, economic, psychological and political factors. Postural instability is reported worldwide as a geriatric syndrome but it is also defined as the individual's inability to adjust to an upright posture to preserve and maintain balance, thus the body's sensory information is not understood. Aging causes physical changes and impairs balance control due to motor and sensory deficits. The objective of this work is to point out postural instability in aging as a risk factor for falls in the elderly. The present study is an integrative review of the literature, with data collected from the following databases: U.S. National Library of Medicine (PUBMED) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO). The inclusion criteria were: Studies published from 2018 to 2023 in Portuguese and English, randomized clinical trials, meta-analysis and compatible themes. In the search, 23,781 studies were identified. Of these, after initial exclusion by titles and abstracts, a total of 26 articles were selected according to the eligibility criteria for full reading, and 10 articles were finally included. Considering the results of the analysis of this integrative review, it can be concluded that postural instability is considered a risk factor for falls in elderly people.