Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angelique Herrler, Lisa Valerius, Anna Greta Barbe, Vera Vennedey, Stephanie Stock
Summary: This study investigates how healthcare providers perceive caring for very old people and how they feel healthcare should be designed for this patient group. The results show that caring for patients aged 80 and over is challenging due to their complex health conditions and treatments. Individual care, empathetic interactions, and good collaboration in networks of healthcare providers are considered important for good care in older age. Inadequate reimbursement, limited resources, and time are identified as major barriers to providing good care.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manuel Abbas, Majd Saleh, Dominique Somme, Regine Le Bouquin Jeannes
Summary: The use of telemonitoring solutions via wearable sensors is believed to have a major impact on the prevention and treatment of physical weakening in older adults. This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of data-driven systems to characterize older individuals with impaired physical function, utilizing a fully automated process that extracted time-domain features from 24-hour files of data. Machine learning classifiers were then used to distinguish frail from non-frail subjects, with an accuracy of up to 93.51%. This study highlights the importance of longitudinal research and may serve as a foundation for future monitoring systems.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Marcello Covino, Andrea Russo, Sara Salini, Giuseppe De Matteis, Benedetta Simeoni, Davide Della Polla, Claudio Sandroni, Francesco Landi, Antonio Gasbarrini, Francesco Franceschi
Summary: In a cohort of adults aged >80 years, factors such as clinical severity, comorbidities, cognitive impairment, and frailty overlap to stratify the in-hospital death risk of COVID-19 older patients. Comprehensive evaluation based on these factors is essential for effective prediction of outcomes in older COVID-19 patients.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hee Jung Son, Young-Hoon Jo, Hyung Seob Ahn, Jooyoung You, Chang-Nam Kang
Summary: This study compared the outcomes and complications of lumbar spinal fusion for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis in super-elderly patients (80 years and over) with those in elderly patients (65 years and over, and under 80 years). Results showed no significant differences between the two groups in preoperative and postoperative measures, but the super-elderly group had higher K-ODI scores. Postoperative delirium was more common in the super-elderly group, with SE status identified as a risk factor. Overall, spinal fusion surgery is effective for improving quality of life in super-elderly patients with DLSS, but careful perioperative management is necessary to prevent postoperative delirium.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Linda Katharina Karlsson, Lasse Hjort Jakobsen, Louise Hollensberg, Jesper Ryg, Mette Midttun, Henrik Frederiksen, Andreas Glenthoj, Anette Raskov Kodahl, Joanna Secher-Johnsen, Lene Kongsgaard Nielsen, Nuria Gonzalez Bofill, Fredrikke Christie Knudtzen, Cecilia Margareta Lund
Summary: Older patients with SARS-CoV-2 showed classical symptoms of COVID-19 but also displayed geriatric frailty symptoms such as confusion and walking impairments at hospital admissions. Both in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were very high, with confusion and falls being associated with higher mortality rates. The study emphasizes the need for preventive measures to protect older people from COVID-19 and increased awareness of frailty in patients with COVID-19.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah J. Pickersgill, William T. Msemburi, Laura Cobb, Nicole Ide, Andrew E. Moran, Yanfang Su, Xinpeng Xu, David A. Watkins
Summary: A new modeling study shows that most countries could achieve the 80-80-80 hypertension targets by 2040, promoting increased global equality for cardiovascular diseases with the greatest reductions in mortality seen in low-income countries.
Article
Surgery
Yozo Suzuki, Mitsuyoshi Tei, Masahisa Ohtsuka, Manabu Mikamori, Kenta Furukawa, Mitsunobu Imasato, Rie Oe, Masahiro Tanemura, Takashi Kita, Hiroki Akamatsu
Summary: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of the modified Frailty Index 11 (mFI-11) in evaluating the risk of postoperative complications (POCs) in elderly colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and the effectiveness of perioperative management team (POMT) intervention in improving postoperative status. The results showed that high-risk patients without POMT intervention had a higher prevalence of POCs, longer postoperative stays, and poorer discharge status. On the other hand, high-risk patients with POMT intervention had fewer POCs and better performance of daily activities.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Barry Kweh, Hui Lee, Terence Tan, Tom O'Donohoe, Joseph Mathew, Mark Fitzgerald, Dashiell Gantner, Tony Kambourakis, Kim Tew, Martin Hunn, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Jin Tee
Summary: The study evaluated the predictive value of the modified Frailty Index (mFI) in patients aged 80 years and older undergoing spinal surgery. Results showed that mFI scores of >= 3/11 variables were associated with a higher risk of postoperative morbidity in this patient population. The mFI-associated risk stratification can be a valuable tool for surgical decision making for elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery.
GLOBAL SPINE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Marie Cavillon Decaestecker, Laurie Ferret, Kevin Decaestecker, Sophie Gautier, Stephane Verdun, Esse Sylvestre Tsogli
Summary: The study found that about 40% of DOAC prescriptions in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients aged 80 years and above have inappropriate dose levels, mainly involving apixaban and rivaroxaban. Concomitant treatment with an antidepressant is associated with underdosing, while initial management in a neurology department is associated with appropriate dosing.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Aina Capdevila-Reniu, Martina Pellice, Sergio Prieto-Gonzalez, Helena Ventosa, Andrea Ladino, Jose Naval, Olga Rodriguez-Nunez, Jose Cesar Milisenda, Pedro Juan Moreno-Lozano, Alex Soriano, Xavier Bosch, Alfonso Lopez-Soto
Summary: An observational study investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of octogenarians with COVID-19. Most patients presented with fever, dyspnea, and cough, with the majority having moderate illness severity according to WHO criteria. Laboratory analysis showed increased inflammatory parameters and abnormal lymphocyte counts. Treatment commonly included corticosteroids and biological therapies, but mortality rate remained high.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Suey S. Y. Yeung, J. H. Y. Chan, R. S. M. Chan, A. Sham, S. C. Ho, J. Woo
Summary: This study investigated the associations between malnutrition and adverse outcomes in Chinese older adults and found that malnutrition was associated with frailty and mortality in community-dwelling older adults but not in institutionalized older adults. Further studies are needed to draw more definitive conclusions on the use of GLIM criteria in institutional settings.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION HEALTH & AGING
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
John Mach, Gizem Gemikonakli, Caitlin Logan, Brent Vander Wyk, Heather Allore, Swathi Ekambareshwar, Alice E. Kane, Susan E. Howlett, Rafael de Cabo, David G. Le Couteur, Sarah N. Hilmer
Summary: The use of multiple medications and a high Drug Burden Index are linked with impaired physical function in older adults, but deprescribing may offer potential benefits. A preclinical study on mice found that chronic polypharmacy and a high DBI score can increase frailty and decrease function in old age, with drug withdrawal in old age able to reverse these outcomes. It was not the number of medications but the type and dose that caused adverse geriatric outcomes.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Elisabeth Reiser, Nina Poetsch, Veronika Seebacher, Alexander Reinthaller, Friedrich Wimazal, Edith Fleischmann, Michael Krainer, Reinhart Horvat, Stephan Polterauer, Christoph Grimm
Summary: Most patients with gynecological malignancy aged 80 years and older were able to receive standard therapy, regardless of age and frailty. However, frailty was common in this population and was associated with shorter progression-free and overall survival rates.
ARCHIVES OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Marjaana Tiainen, Nicolas Martinez-Majander, Pekka Virtanen, Silja Ra, Daniel Strbian
Summary: This study investigated the outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in ischemic stroke patients aged > 80 years, with a focus on frailty as a contributing factor. The results showed that frailty significantly increased the likelihood of very poor outcome and death after EVT-treated stroke.
JOURNAL OF STROKE & CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Nicola Pugliese, Alessia Giorgini, Daniela Maggi, Antonio Capogreco, Clara Dibenedetto, Federica Lubrano Lobianco, Arianna Dal Buono, Sara Monico, Rossella Meli, Pier Maria Battezzati, Ana Lleo, Adriano De Santis, Massimo Zuin, Alessio Aghemo
Summary: This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of DAA-based regimens in patients aged 80 years or older. The results showed that DAA treatment in this age group is both effective and safe, with a significant proportion of patients achieving HCV-RNA undetectability at 12 weeks of treatment. Careful evaluation of drug-drug interactions is necessary before initiating therapy.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Leila Shafiee Hanjani, Ruth E. Hubbard, Christopher R. Freeman, Leonard C. Gray, Ian A. Scott, Nancye M. Peel
Summary: The study found that potentially inappropriate polypharmacy is common in RACF residents, with cognitively intact residents receiving significantly more medications than those with cognitive impairment. While the proportions of residents receiving inappropriate medications were not significantly different across the groups, there is a need to optimize prescribing in RACF residents, with particular attention to medications with anti-cholinergic effects.
INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2021)
Editorial Material
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Ruth E. Hubbard, Andrea B. Maier, Sarah N. Hilmer, Vasi Naganathan, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Kenneth Rockwood
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Sarita Y. Lo, Meggie Zhang, Ruth E. Hubbard, Danijela Gnjidic, Mitchell R. Redston, Sarah N. Hilmer
Summary: This study developed and validated a multi-domain frailty index (FI) using routine hospital data. The FI showed high linear correlation with FI-ExMeds after excluding medication-related items, indicating the validity of the index for studies of frailty and polypharmacy.
AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING
(2021)
Article
Nursing
Nancye M. Peel, Yvonne C. Hornby-Turner, Sonya R. Osborne, Amanda Henderson, Ruth E. Hubbard, Leonard C. Gray
Summary: The study evaluated the implementation of the interRAI AC assessment system in a public hospital and found it improved the integrity and compliance of nurse assessments, aiding in care management. Despite challenges in system-wide change, the efficiency of the nursing assessment system significantly increased compared to usual practice.
WORLDVIEWS ON EVIDENCE-BASED NURSING
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Alison M. Mudge, Adrienne Young, Prue McRae, Frederick Graham, Elizabeth Whiting, Ruth E. Hubbard
Summary: The study identified key elements of age friendly hospitals, which include recognizing and valuing older patients and their families in care, having skilled and compassionate staff working in effective teams, and ensuring that care models and environments support older people across the system.
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Shannon J. King, Kate A. Raine, Nancye M. Peel, Ruth E. Hubbard
Summary: This study summarises frailty measures and outcomes in trials involving frail older inpatients. The results showed a high heterogeneity of interventions and outcomes reported, posing limitations to the generalisability of findings. Utilising validated tools to measure frailty and establishing a standard set of health outcomes relevant to older people would enhance consistent reporting and evaluation in future studies.
AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ian A. Scott, Ruth E. Hubbard, Carmel Crock, Thomas Campbell, Michael Perera
Summary: Healthcare systems worldwide are dealing with challenges such as misdiagnosis and inefficient practices, requiring clinicians to have critical thinking skills and effective care techniques. Educational methods for developing these skills should be integrated throughout clinician training and professional development.
INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
James J. O'Leary, Natasha Reid, Ruth E. Hubbard, Nancye M. Peel
Summary: The presence of advance health directives (AHD) among older inpatients is associated with sociodemographic factors and frailty levels. The prevalence of AHD has increased over the past decade among inpatients but remains relatively low.
INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Timothy P. Siejka, Velandai K. Srikanth, Ruth E. Hubbard, Chris Moran, Richard Beare, Amanda G. Wood, Taya A. Collyer, Siddhanth Gujjari, Thanh G. Phan, Michele L. Callisaya
Summary: This study examined the effect of frailty on cognitive decline and found that frailty is associated with early cognitive dysfunction. Measuring frailty may help identify the risk of cognitive decline.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Benignus Logan, Dev Jegatheesan, Andrea Viecelli, Elaine Pascoe, Ruth Hubbard
Summary: A scoping review found that goal attainment scaling (GAS) has been widely used as an outcome measure in various healthcare settings and trial environments. However, there are inadequacies and inconsistencies in how GAS has been applied and implemented, highlighting the need for a interdisciplinary practical guide to improve the reliability and comparability of trial results.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Julie D. Henry, Sarah P. Coundouris, Jessica Mead, Brielle Thompson, Ruth E. Hubbard, Sarah A. Grainger
Summary: This study examines the relationship between social cognitive difficulties and social frailty, as well as the correlation between social frailty and psychological well-being. The findings show that social cognitive difficulties and social behavior can predict increased social frailty, with social behavior being the only significant predictor. Furthermore, social frailty is also associated with various aspects of psychological well-being, with significant effects on demoralization, resilience, and life satisfaction even after adjusting for covariates.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Kenji Fujita, Sarita Y. Y. Lo, Ruth E. Hubbard, Danijela Gnjidic, Sarah N. Hilmer
Summary: This study compared two frailty assessment tools (eFI-AH and HFRS) in terms of their characteristics and predictive ability for hospitalized patients. The results showed that both tools were associated with adverse outcomes and had comparable ability to predict prolonged hospitalization. However, they did not consistently identify the same frail inpatients.
AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Jonathan Kao, Natasha Reid, Ruth E. Hubbard, Ryan Homes, Leila Shafiee Hanjani, Ella Pearson, Benignus Logan, Shannon King, Sarah Fox, Emily H. Gordon
Summary: The study found a wide range of variability in the approach to frailty measurement in solid-organ transplant candidates. It is suggested that a validated frailty measurement tool be incorporated internationally to facilitate comparisons between patient sub-groups and transplant services, ultimately aiming to improve patient care.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Olivia P. P. Demichelis, Sarah A. A. Grainger, Ruth E. E. Hubbard, Julie D. D. Henry
Summary: Social frailty, defined as an inability to meet basic social needs, is considered a threat to both physical and mental health. This study examined whether emotion regulation mediates the relationship between social frailty and important well-being outcomes (stress, anxiety, and depression). The results showed that higher social frailty predicted increased stress, anxiety, and depression, and these relationships were partially mediated by emotion regulation capacity. These findings suggest that emotion regulation abilities may serve as a protective factor against the negative consequences of social frailty.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
E. H. Gordon, N. M. Peel, R. E. Hubbard, N. Reid
Summary: This study aimed to measure frailty in younger adult inpatients and compare it with middle-aged and older adult inpatients. The results showed a high prevalence of frailty among younger patients and that frailty was associated with longer length of stay.
QJM-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Lum Kastrati, Dion Groothof, Hugo G. Quezada-Pinedo, Hamidreza Raeisi-Dehkordi, Lia Bally, Martin H. De Borst, Stephan J. L. Bakker, Pedro-Marques Vidal, Michele F. Eisenga, Taulant Muka
Summary: The study aimed to examine the association between iron biomarkers and menopausal status and assess whether these biomarkers can help differentiate menopausal status beyond age. The results showed that iron biomarkers were significantly associated with menopausal status in both cohorts and modestly improved a model with age alone for differentiating menopause status.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Osvaldo P. Almeida, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Frank Sanfilippo, David B. Preen, Amy Page
Summary: The use of antineoplastic medications has been found to be associated with a decreased risk of dementia, which may contribute to the development of novel approaches for dementia prevention.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Bamini Gopinath, Diana Tang, George Burlutsky, Paul Mitchell
Summary: This study used a cohort of community-dwelling adults to establish the 10-year incidence and predictors of dizziness/vertigo, and its impacts on health-related quality of life. The results showed that age and presence of migraine were significant predictors of incident dizziness/vertigo, and dizziness/vertigo was associated with a significant decrease in quality of life.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yuto Kiuchi, Kota Tsutsumimoto, Takehiko Doi, Satoshi Kurita, Kazuhei Nishimoto, Hyuma Makizako, Hiroyuki Shimada
Summary: This study found that high dietary diversity is associated with a lower risk of incident disability among sarcopenic Japanese older adults.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
C. . Tamer Erel, Ipek Betul Ozcivit Erkan, Neslihan Gokmen Inan, Kubra Hamzaoglu Canbolat, Sena Alkan, Dildar Konukoglu, Yalim Dikmen
Summary: This study aimed to compare the clinical course and outcomes of Covid-19 between premenopausal and postmenopausal women, and investigate the factors that influence disease severity. The results showed that premenopausal women had a more favorable prognosis, and age, postmenopausal status, and serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were important predictors of the severity of Covid-19 in women.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Kazuhei Nishimoto, Kota Tsutsumimoto, Takehiko Doi, Satoshi Kurita, Yuto Kiuchi, Hiroyuki Shimada
Summary: The combination of urinary incontinence and low life-space activity/mobility is associated with an increased risk of incident disability among older adults, while having urinary incontinence but high life-space activity/mobility is not associated with an increased risk of incident disability.
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Nikolaos Evangelinakis, Eleni V. Geladari, Charalampia V. Geladari, Adamantia Kontogeorgi, Georgios-Konstantinos Papaioannou, Melpomeni Peppa, Sophia Kalantaridou
Summary: Premature ovarian insufficiency and ovarian aging are complex conditions that affect women's reproductive health and overall well-being. This review explores the influence of environmental factors, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals and lifestyle choices, on the development and progression of these conditions. Understanding the impact of environmental factors is important for public and clinical health contexts.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Adela Castello, Miguel Rodriguez-Barranco, Virginia Lope, Marcela Guevara, Sandra Colorado-Yohar, Ane Dorronsoro, Jose Ramon Quiros, Carlota Castro-Espin, Carmen Sayon-Orea, Carmen Santiuste, Pilar Amiano, Cristina Lasheras, Maria-Jose Sanchez, Marina Pollan
Summary: The study found that the intake of foods such as high-fat dairy products, red and processed meats, refined grains, sweets, caloric drinks, convenience food and sauces might be associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.