03/2022 journal articles
COULD THERE BE FRAILTY IN THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LESIONS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
M. Canevelli, G. Bruno, M. Valletta, M. Cesari
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)248-249
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CITATION:
M. Canevelli ; G. Bruno ; M. Valletta ; M. Cesari ; (2022): Could there Be Frailty in the Discrepancy between Lesions and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.43
SEX DIFFERENCES IN FRAILTY INCIDENCE IN GREEK COMMUNITYDWELLING OLDER PEOPLE: THE HELIAD STUDY
N. Geronikola, I. Zalonis, E. Ntanasi, S. Charisis, M.H. Kosmidis, C.A. Anastasiou, E. Dardiotis, G. Hadjigeorgiou, M. Megalou, G. Velonakis, E. Karavasilis, A.N. Gargalionis, K. Patas, A. Piperidi, S. Chatzipanagiotou, P. Sakka, G. Paraskevas, M. Yannakoulia, N. Scarmeas
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)250-255
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Previous frailty studies found higher prevalence of frailty in female than in male participants. This was mainly attributed to the fact that compared to men, women show increased longevity. Recent studies have reported that the observed difference between sexes applies irrespectively of the age of older people.
Objectives: To provide data on sex differences in incident frailty by applying both phenotypic and multi-domain frailty measures in the same population of Greek community-dwelling older people.
Design: Longitudinal study.
Setting: Data were drawn from the Hellenic longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD), a population-based, multidisciplinary study designed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia in the Greek population.
Participants: 1104 participants aged 65 year and above were included in this longitudinal study. This incidence cohort was re-evaluated after a mean follow-up period of 3.04±0.90 years.
Measurements: Frailty was operationalized using 5 different definitions in the same population: the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) definition, the FRAIL Scale, the Frailty Index (FI), the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Groningen Frailty Index (GFI). Frailty incidence was calculated a) for the whole sample, b) separately for men and women and c) after both age and sex stratification.
Results: Age and sex stratification revealed that irrespective of age and frailty measurement, women showed higher incidence rates of frailty than men. Specifically, frailty seems to be a condition concerning women >65 years old, but when it comes to men, it is more frequent in those aged more than 75 years old. Finally, in relation to overall frailty incidence and comparing our results to previous studies, we detected a lower frailty incidence in the Greek population.
Conclusions: Differences between the two sexes indicate that when exploring the factors that are related to frailty, studies should provide data disaggregated for men and women.
CITATION:
N. Geronikola ; I. Zalonis ; E. Ntanasi ; S. Charisis ; M.H. Kosmidis ; C.A. Anastasiou ; E. Dardiotis ; G. Hadjigeorgiou ; M. Megalou ; G. Velonakis ; E. Karavasilis ; A.N. Gargalionis ; K. Patas ; A. Piperidi ; S. Chatzipanagiotou ; P. Sakka ; G. Paraskevas ; M. Yannakoulia ; N. Scarmeas ; (2022): Sex Differences in Frailty Incidence in Greek Community-Dwelling Older People: The HELIAD Study. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.39
PROTEIN INTAKE AND THE RISK OF PRE-FRAILTY AND FRAILTY IN NORWEGIAN OLDER ADULTS. THE TROMS STUDY 1994–2016
D.M. Konglevoll, A. Hjartåker, L.A. Hopstock, B.H. Strand, M. Thoresen, L.F. Andersen, M.H. Carlsen
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)256-266
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Protein intake is suggested as an important dietary factor in the prevention of frailty, however, the influence of lifelong intake remains unclear.
Objectives: The present study investigated the relationship between daily protein intake and patterns of protein intake over 21 years and the risk of pre-frailty/frailty.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: The population-based Tromsø Study in Tromsø municipality, Norway.
Participants: In total, 1,906 women and 1,820 men aged >45 years in 1994 who participated in both Tromsø4 (1994–95) and Tromsø7 (2015–16).
Measurements: Frailty status in Tromsø7 was measured according to Fried’s phenotype, classifying participants as “robust” (frailty components present: 0), “pre-frail” (1–2) or “frail” (>3). Daily intake of protein was estimated from self-reported habitual dietary intake using food frequency questionnaires and assessed as grams per kilogram bodyweight (g/kg BW) and per megajoule energy intake (g/MJ). The protein–frailty association was assessed via longitudinal and cross-sectional multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Results: The prevalence of pre-frailty and frailty in this study was 27% and 1.0%, respectively. Longitudinal analysis showed that the odds of pre-frailty/frailty decreased by 57% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31;0.58, p<0.001) with the increase in intake of one additional gram of dietary protein per kg BW. The results obtained from cross-sectional analysis were similar. Tracking analysis showed that, compared to a stable high intake of protein in g/kg BW over time, other patterns of protein intake increased the risk of pre-frailty/frailty. No associations were found between intake of protein in g/MJ and pre-frailty/frailty.
Conclusions: Intake of protein in g/kg BW both in mid-life and later in life was inversely associated with pre-frailty/frailty in older adults. This emphasizes the importance of an adequate protein intake to facilitate healthy ageing in Norwegian older adults.
CITATION:
D.M. Konglevoll ; A. Hjartåker ; L.A. Hopstock ; B.H. Strand ; M. Thoresen ; L.F. Andersen ; M.H. Carlsen (2022): Protein Intake and the Risk of Pre-Frailty and Frailty in Norwegian Older Adults. The Tromsø Study 1994–2016. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.16
VALIDATION OF THE HUNGARIAN VERSION OF THE SARQOL QUESTIONNAIRE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE SARC-F SCREENING TOOL
A. Geerinck, M.-B. Demián, C. Beaudart, A.-I. Gasparik
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)267-273
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Following the publication of a culturally adapted version of the original SarQoL® questionnaire in Hungarian language, we aimed to test its psychometric properties and its association with the SARC-F screening instrument.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional validation study recruited elderly people from 2 nursing homes and an endocrinology clinic. All participants were screened for sarcopenia with the SARC-F tool, had their muscle mass measured with bioelectrical impedance analysis, as well as grip strength and gait speed. Sarcopenia was diagnosed with the EWGSOP2 criteria. Participants completed the SarQoL questionnaire, the SF-36, the EQ-5D and the EQ-VAS. Validation consisted of analyzing discriminative power, internal consistency, construct validity and floor- and ceiling effects. A multivariate regression model was used to evaluate the association between QoL, the SARC-F questionnaire, and a number of demographic and clinical variables.
RESULTS: A total of 70 participants, aged 80.00 (68.50 – 82.50) years, were included. Discriminative power between sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic subjects was found for all domains, except domain 7 (Fears) when dividing study population based on the SARC-F score. We also found significantly lower QoL for domains 4 (Functionality) and 5 (Activities of daily living) when splitting participants based on muscle strength (Probable sarcopenia - EWGSOP2 definition). All domains showed a strong or moderate correlation with the total SarQoL score. Conceptually similar domains of other generic QoL questionnaires significantly correlated with the total SarQol score, confirming its convergent validity. Low correlations were found with different domains (divergent validity). No floor or ceiling effects were observed. Using a regression model, the components “strength” and “stair climbing” of the SARC-F questionnaire were significantly associated with the QoL of our patients assessed with the SarQoL instrument.
CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia risk assessed with the Sarc-F instrument was significantly associated with QoL measured with the SarQol questionnaire. High internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity and no floor and ceiling effects characterised the Hungarian language SarQoL® questionnaire. Due to some limitations, further multi-center designed studies are needed to verify the validity of the SarQol questionnaire.
CITATION:
A. Geerinck ; M.-B. Demián ; C. Beaudart ; A.-I. Gasparik ; (2021): Validation of the Hungarian Version of the SarQoL® Questionnaire and Its Association with the SARC-F Screening Tool. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2021.53
THE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE REGARDING SARCOPENIA AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A SCOPING REVIEW
X.M. Yao, B.B. Liu, W.Y. Deng, X.H. Wang
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)274-280
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Sarcopenia is a prevalent and costly disease associated with serious negative health outcomes, and its prevalence will further grow as the percentage of elderly rises. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in the prevention, identification and management of sarcopenia and in promoting the well-being of elders. Awareness and knowledge are the prerequisite and basis for these actions.
Objective: The objective of the review was to summarize available publications to identify the healthcare professionals’ awareness and knowledge about sarcopenia, and to identify knowledge gaps that interventions could address.
Design: The scoping review will be performed based on the Scoping Review guidelines published by JBI in Australia.
Methods: Six electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CNKI were searched systematically. Two researchers independently screened the retrieved articles and extracted the information.
Results: A total of 6 studies were identified, including 5 quantitative studies and 1 qualitative study. These studies mainly were conducted in Australia, Netherlands and Brazil, and none from Asia. The awareness and knowledge of healthcare professionals about sarcopenia varied in different studies. With exception of one study conducted in oncology clinicians, other studies suggested that awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals was incomplete and limited.
Conclusion: The relatively few studies indicated that healthcare professionals had low awareness and limited knowledge of sarcopenia, which could influence and hinder the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in practice. Future researches should develop a rigorously tested and valid sarcopenia knowledge assessment tool and researches conducted in larger samples are needed.
CITATION:
X.M. Yao ; B.B. Liu ; W.Y. Deng ; X.H. Wang ; (2022): The Awareness and Knowledge Regarding Sarcopenia among Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.7
A SIMPLIFIED APPROACH FOR CLASSIFYING PHYSICAL RESILIENCE AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS: THE HEALTH, AGING, AND BODY COMPOSITION STUDY
C. Wu, T.-Z. Lin, J.L. Sanders
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)281-285
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Physical resilience is an emerging concept within the context of aging and geriatric medicine, and we previously developed and validated one such indicator based on the mismatch between persons’ frailty level and multimorbidity burden. We sought to develop a simplified version for classifying physical resilience. We also examined the agreement between the simplified version and the original approach and evaluated its predictive validity.
Methods: Participants were 2,457 older adults from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. We constructed a simplified version for quantifying physical resilience based on the multimorbidity burden and level of frailty (score: 0-10). Participants were grouped by the number of diseases and classified into three groups—adapters, expected agers, and premature frailers—based on the mean and SD of frailty score (less than, within, or above one standard deviation of the mean).
Results: The Cohen’s kappa between the novel resilience classification and the original approach was 0.70, and the percentage of absolute agreement was 85.4%. We observed a steep increase in years of healthy and able life from premature frailers to adapters in the simplified resilience classifications.
Conclusions: We developed a simplified version for quantifying physical resilience in a cohort of initially well-functioning older Black and White adults. The agreement between the simplified version and the original approach is high. Adapters had a longer healthy lifespan than expected agers and premature frailers. This user-friendly indicator could help assess patients’ physical resilience in clinical settings.
CITATION:
C. Wu ; T.-Z. Lin ; J.L. Sanders ; (2022): A Simplified Approach for Classifying Physical Resilience among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.38
FRAILTY AND PERSISTENT PAIN IN ONCOLOGICAL PATIENTS UNDERGOING REHABILITATION
S. Crosignani, L. Orlandini, S. Baruffi, M. Froldi, M. Cesari
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)286-290
Show summaryHide summaryObjectives: Pain is one of the most common symptoms among oncological patients and has a strong negative impact on quality of life. The aim of this study is to assess if frailty and polypharmacy are associated with persistent pain in oncological patients undergoing rehabilitation.
Design: Observational, prospective, longitudinal study.
Setting and Participants: Data are from oncological patients admitted to the Oncological Rehabilitation Unit. Methods: Presence of pain, its intensity and characteristics were evaluated at the admission and after 7 days. A Frailty Index (FI) was computed from Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) data.
Results: Among the 45 consecutively recruited patients (mean age 72 years, woman 44%), pain was present in 20 (44%) patients at the admission and 9 (20%) after 7 days of stay. Forty-one patients (92%) were taking more than 5 drugs at the admission (mean 9 drugs). The FI was normally distributed and descriptive statistics define our population as frail (mean 0.44; range 0.23-0.64). The FI was significantly associated with the presence of pain (OR 2.66; 95%CI 1.13-6.27, p=0.03) and its intensity after 7 days from the admission (β 4.24 95% CI 1.28 – 7.19, p=0.006), even after adjustment for potential confounders.
Conclusions and Implications: Investigating frailty in cancer patients to implement multidisciplinary strategies could play an important role in improving persistent pain.
CITATION:
S. Crosignani ; L. Orlandini ; S. Baruffi ; M. Froldi ; M. Cesari (2022): Frailty and Persistent Pain in Oncological Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation . The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.26
GRIP STRENGTH, GAIT SPEED AND PLASMA MARKERS OF NEURODEGENERATION IN ASYMPTOMATIC MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS
M.E. Jacob, A. O’Donnell, J. Samra, M.M. Gonzales, C. Satizabal, M.P. Pase, J.M. Murabito, A. Beiser, S. Seshadri
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)291-298
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Pragmatic biomarkers of preclinical dementia would allow for easy and large-scale screening of risk in populations. Physical function measures like grip strength and gait speed are potential predictive biomarkers but their relationship with plasma markers of Alzheimer’s Disease and neurodegeneration have not been elucidated.
Objectives: To examine association between physical function measures and plasma markers of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and neurodegeneration.
Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
Setting: Community-based cohort in the city of Framingham, Massachusetts.
Participants: 2336 participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort with an average age of 61.
Measurements: Plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 were measured in 1998-2001 (Exam-7) and plasma total tau measured 5 years later (Exam-8). Grip strength, fast walk speed and chair stand speed were measured at both exams. Quantification of Aβ isoforms in plasma was performed using INNO-BIA assays and plasma total-tau was measured using Quanterix Simoa HD-1 assay. Confounder-adjusted linear regression models examined associations between physical function and plasma markers,
Results: Grip strength at Exam-7 was associated with plasma Aβ40 (β -0.006, p-value 0.032) at Exam-7 and plasma total-tau (β -0.010, p-value 0.001) at Exam-8. Grip strength and fast walk speed at Exam-8 were associated with plasma total-tau at Exam-8 (GS: β -0.009, p 0.0005; FWS: β -0.226, p-value <0.0001). Chair stand speed was not associated with plasma markers; Aβ42 was not associated with function.
Conclusion: Grip strength and fast walk speed are associated with plasma markers of neurodegeneration in dementia-free middle aged and older individuals. Both these measures could be used as potential screening tools for identifying individuals at a higher risk for AD and related dementias alongside other validated markers.
CITATION:
M.E. Jacob ; A. O’Donnell ; J. Samra ; M.M. Gonzales ; C. Satizabal ; M.P. Pase ; J.M. Murabito ; A. Beiser ; S. Seshadri (2022): Grip Strength, Gait Speed and Plasma Markers of Neurodegeneration in Asymptomatic Middle-aged and Older Adults. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.17
RESILIENCE IN A GREEK SAMPLE OF INFORMAL DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS: FAMILISM AS A CULTURE-SPECIFIC FACTOR
A. Kalaitzaki, S. Koukouli, S. Panagiotakis, C. Tziraki
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)299-301
Show summaryHide summaryThe aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and the factors associated with resilience among a sample of 118 Greek informal caregivers (78.8% females, mean age=58.9, SD=11.6) of people with dementia. Face-to-face interviews assessed caregivers’ socio-demographics, resilience, quality of life, burden, familism, and perception of services and their proxy assessments of the cognitive functioning, functional activity, and behavioral problems of people with dementia. Moderate levels of resilience were reported by 58.6% of the caregivers. Dementia-related knowledge and higher levels of familism were associated with higher levels of resilience, whereas higher frequency of dealing with behavioral problems was associated with lower resilience. Effective interventions to strengthen Greek dementia caregivers’ resilience should be culture-specific, targeting both behavioral problems and caregivers’ intrapersonal facilitators (i.e, dementia-related knowledge) and interpersonal interactions (i.e., familism). Healthcare professionals may have a key role in building caregivers’ resilience and contribute to implications for policy and practice.
CITATION:
A. Kalaitzaki ; S. Koukouli ; S. Panagiotakis ; C. Tziraki ; (2022): Resilience in a Greek Sample of Informal Dementia Caregivers: Familism as a Culture-Specific Factor. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.31
PREVALENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF INTRINSIC CAPACITY AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH HEALTH OUTCOMES IN OLDER PEOPLE: THE JOCKEY CLUB COMMUNITY EHEALTH CARE PROJECT IN HONG KONG
R. Yu, G. Leung, J. Leung, C. Cheng, S. Kong, L.Y. Tam, J. Woo
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)302-308
Show summaryHide summaryObjective: To determine the prevalence and distribution of intrinsic capacity (IC) impairments and examine their associations with health outcomes.
Methods: Community-dwelling people aged 60 years and older were interviewed at baseline and followed up for one to three years. IC domains including cognitive, locomotor, vitality, sensory (vision, hearing), and psychological capacities were assessed at baseline. Incident polypharmacy, incontinence, poor/fair self-rated health, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) difficulty were ascertained at each follow-up.
Findings: 10,007 participants were interviewed at baseline. Overall mean age was 75.7±7.9 years. At baseline, 85.3% had impairments in one or more IC domains, where cognitive capacity was the domain that was most frequently affected (71.3%). The prevalence of impairments in one or more domains increased with age (p<0.001) and was higher among women than men (p<0.001). Among the 1,601 participants who were interviewed at each follow-up, those with impairments in three or more domains had the greatest risk for the incidence of polypharmacy (adjusted OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.1-4.2), incontinence (adjusted OR 3.0, 95%CI 1.8-5.0), poor/fair self-rated health (adjusted OR 3.7, 95%CI 1.9-7.2), and IADL difficulty (adjusted OR 3.3, 95%CI 1.8-6.1) compared with those without IC impairments.
Conclusion: IC impairments are highly prevalent and those with IC impairments had increased risks of polypharmacy, incontinence, poor/fair self-rated health, and IADL difficulty. The findings could potentially lead to a refinement and the adoption of IC as a screening measure which could be served as a target of intervention in the care for older people.
CITATION:
R. Yu ; G. Leung ; J. Leung ; C. Cheng ; S. Kong ; L.Y. Tam ; J. Woo (2022): Prevalence and Distribution of Intrinsic Capacity and Its Associations with Health Outcomes in Older People: The Jockey Club Community eHealth Care Project in Hong Kong. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.19
DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE QUANTITY AND QUALITY BY HIV SEROSTATUS AND SEX
K.M. Erlandson, S. Langan, J.E. Lake, J. Sun, A. Sharma, S. Adrian, A. Scherzinger, F. Palella, L. Kingsley, S.J. Gange, P.C. Tien, M.T. Yin, T.T. Brown
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)309-317
Show summaryHide summaryObjective: People with HIV (PWH) experience greater declines in both muscle function and muscle mass with aging. Whether changes in muscle quality and quantity with aging differ between men and women with HIV and the implications on muscle function are not established.
Design: In coordinated substudies of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and Women’s Interagency HIV Study, participants completed physical function and falls assessments; total trunk/thigh density, inversely related to fatty infiltration, and area were quantified from computed tomography (CT) scans.
Methods: Generalized linear models were used to explore variables affecting density/area, and associations between area/density and physical function and falls.
Results: CT scans were available on 387 men (198 PWH) and 184 women (118 PWH). HIV serostatus was associated with greater lateralis, paraspinal, and hamstring area, but lower psoas area and density. Older age and female sex were associated with smaller trunk muscle area and lower density. Both lower muscle area and muscle density were associated with several measures of impaired physical function. The odds of falling were lower with greater hamstring density, but not associated with other measurers of muscle area or density.
Conclusions: In summary, older adults with HIV appear to have smaller and less dense (fattier) psoas, a key component in truncal stability and hip flexion that could have implications on physical function. The longitudinal associations of muscle area and density with physical function require careful investigation, with a particular focus on characteristics and interventions that can preserve muscle area, density, and function over time.
CITATION:
K.M. Erlandson ; S. Langan ; J.E. Lake ; J. Sun ; A. Sharma ; S. Adrian ; A. Scherzinger ; F. Palella ; L. Kingsley ; S.J. Gange ; P.C. Tien ; M.T. Yin ; T.T. Brown (2022): Differences in Muscle Quantity and Quality by HIV Serostatus and Sex. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (JPAD). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2022.11
SOCIAL VULNERABILITY PREDICTS FRAILTY: TOWARDS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN FRAGILITY AND FRAILTY?
H. Amieva, C. Ouvrard-Brouillou, J.-F. Dartigues, K. Pérès, M. Tabue Teguo, A. Avila-Funes
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)318-323
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: All definitions of frailty converge in two aspects: the notion of loss or decline and the ability to predict negative health outcomes. Numerous factors were reported to be associated with frailty among which biological, psychological, economic and social factors. Whether the latter contribute at the same level is a relevant question, as social vulnerability does not refer to an ongoing process of decline leading a person to become frail but rather to a relativity stable state making the person fragile. Thus, social vulnerability should increase the risk of frailty.
Objectives: This study aims at assessing whether social vulnerability increases the risk of incident frailty.
Methods: 1531 participants aged 65 or older from the PAQUID cohort study were included. Cox regression models tested the association between social vulnerability index (SVI, based on 28 social items) and frailty index (FI, based on 25 health-related items) over the 27 years of follow-up.
Results: Adjusted for age and sex, higher SVI was associated with increased risk of incident frailty (HR=3.85, 95% CI=1.87–7.94, p<.001). After additional control for IADL disability and comorbidities, higher SVI was associated with increased risk of frailty (HR=3.40, 95% CI=1.63–7.07, p<.05). The association remained significant after controlling for MMSE (HR=2.34, 95% CI=1.08–5.07, p<.05).
Discussion: Poor social status is a risk factor of frailty. From a conceptual point of view, our results claim for a distinction between the concepts of frailty and fragility, the first one being the consequence of an ongoing decline, the other one related to a relatively stable condition of fragility, mainly explained by unfavorable social conditions.
CITATION:
H. Amieva ; C. Ouvrard-Brouillou ; J.-F. Dartigues ; K. Pérès ; M. Tabue Teguo ; A. Avila-Funes (2022): Social Vulnerability Predicts Frailty: Towards a Distinction between Fragility and Frailty?. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.24
POOR ORAL HEALTH IS A FACTOR THAT ATTENUATES THE EFFECT OF REHABILITATION IN OLDER MALE PATIENTS WITH FRACTURES
T. Ogawa, M. Koike, M. Nakahama, S. Kato
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)324-328
Show summaryHide summaryBackground: Poor oral health can lead to poor general health. We hypothesized that poor oral health might be a factor that attenuates the effect of rehabilitation in older patients with fractures.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oral health in elderly patients with fractures and improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) through rehabilitation. In addition, we assessed factors associated with ADL improvement among older patients with fractures.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital among 178 men aged ≥65 years who underwent fracture rehabilitation. Patients were divided into two groups based on the oral health assessment tool (OHAT) score on admission (≥4 and <4). Analysis of comparison between the two groups and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed, with respect to functional independence measure (FIM) gain during rehabilitation.
Results: FIM gain was significantly lower in the group with OHAT score ≥4 (26.2±17.5) than that in group with OHAT score <4 (31.1±16.1, p=0.044). There were also significant differences between the two groups in body mass index values, Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) scores, and fracture types. OHAT score on admission was significantly associated with FIM gain during hospitalization (coefficient: 6.350, 95% confidence interval: 1.043-11.658, p=0.019). FIM on admission, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and period of rehabilitation were significantly associated with FIM gain.
Conclusions: We demonstrated that the group with poor oral health had lesser ADL improvement than the group with good oral health. In addition, oral health and period of rehabilitation were independent factors that significantly affected ADL improvements. Older patients with poor oral health should be encouraged to undergo further rehabilitation, and to not refrain from exercise because of old age and fractures.
CITATION:
T. Ogawa ; M. Koike ; M. Nakahama ; S. Kato ; (2021): Poor Oral Health Is a Factor that Attenuates the Effect of Rehabilitation in Older Male Patients with Fractures. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2021.54
ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS DUE TO OPIOID USE IN OLDEST-OLD PATIENTS VISITING THE EMERGENCY UNIT OF THE GENEVA GERIATRIC HOSPITAL
K. Ing Lorenzini, L. Wainstein, F. Curtin, V. Trombert, D. Zekry, G. Gold, V. Piguet, J. Desmeules
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)329-334
Show summaryHide summaryOpioid use has much increased in several countries during the last two decades, accompanied by a rise in associated morbidity and mortality, especially in the United States. Data on a possible opioid crisis are scarcer in Europe. We performed a study aiming to assess the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADR) related to opioids in patients presenting to the emergency unit (EU) of a geriatric tertiary Swiss University Hospital. This particular setting is intended for patients aged 75 and older. Our retrospective, monocentric survey of opioid use and related ADR was conducted over two months in 2018. The main and secondary outcomes were the frequency of EU visits considered due to an opioid ADR and insufficient pain relief, respectively. Current opioid use was identified in 20.3% (n=99) of the 487 included EU visits (mean age 86). An ADR was the suspected cause of the EU visit in 22 opioid users, mainly fall-related injury and gastrointestinal disorders. All these patients had at least one comorbid condition. In 19/22 cases (86%) of ADR, a drug-drug interaction might have been involved. In 12 opioid users (12%), insufficient pain relief was suspected as the cause of the EU visit. In conclusion, one-third of opioid users visiting a geriatric EU consulted for a problem related to its use mainly adverse drug-related reaction (22%) followed by insufficient pain relief (12%).
CITATION:
K. Ing Lorenzini ; L. Wainstein ; F. Curtin ; V. Trombert ; D. Zekry ; G. Gold ; V. Piguet ; J. Desmeules (2022): Adverse Drug Reactions Due to Opioid Use in Oldest-Old Patients Visiting the Emergency Unit of the Geneva Geriatric Hospital. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.35
COVID-19 AND THE IMPACT ON CAREGIVERS
L. Orlandini
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)335-336
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CITATION:
L. Orlandini ; (2022): covid-19 and the Impact on Caregivers. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.41
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: SHOULD THE 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND TEST BE CONSIDERED A MUSCLE FUNCTION ASSESSMENT?
R. McGrath
J Frailty Aging 2022;11(3)337-338
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CITATION:
R. McGrath ; (2021): Should the 30-Second Chair Stand Test Be Considered a Muscle Function Assessment?. The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2021.41