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Objectives To evaluate the relationship between gait speed, recall memory, and mortality. Design A cohort study (last follow-up December 2009). Setting Tuscany, Italy. Participants Individual data from 1,014 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older with baseline gait speed and recall memory measurements and follow-up for a median time of 9.10 ( IQR 7.1;9.3) years. Participants were a mean ( SD) age of 73.9 (7.3) years, and 55.8% women. Participants walking faster than 0.8 m/s were defined as fast walkers; good recall memory was defined as a score of 2 or 3 in the 3-word delayed recall section of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Measurements All-cause mortality. Results There were 302 deaths and the overall 100 person-year death rate was 3.77 (95% CI: 3.37-4.22). Both low gait speed and poor recall memory were associated with mortality when analysed separately ( HR = 2.47; 95% CI: 1.87-3.27 and HR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.16-1.87, respectively). When we grouped participants according to both recall and gait speed, death rates (100 person-years) progressively increased from those with both good gait speed and memory (2.0; 95% CI: 1.6-2.5), to those with fast walk but poor memory (3.4; 95% CI: 2.8-4.2), to those with slow walk and good memory (8.8; 95% CI: 6.4-12.1), to those with both slow walk and poor memory (13.0; 95% CI: 10.6-16.1). In multivariate analysis, poor memory significantly increases mortality risk among persons with fast gait speed ( HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.04-1.89). Conclusion In older persons, gait speed and recall memory are independent predictors of expected survival. Information on memory function might better stratify mortality risk among persons with fast gait speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To describe the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of older adults with tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy ( TTC). Design Partially retrospective, partially prospective observational study. Setting Eleven Italian referral cardiac centers included in the Tako-tsubo Italian Network. Participants One hundred ninety consecutive individuals with TTC (92.1% female, mean age 66) were divided into three groups according to age (<65, n = 78; 65-74, n = 61; ≥75, n = 51). Measurements Clinical findings and in-hospital outcomes were evaluated in each group. Results Participants aged 65 and older had a greater prevalence of hypertension ( P = .001) and a lower glomerular filtration rate ( P < .001), and those aged 65 to 74 had a greater prevalence of psychiatric disorders ( P = .01), ST-segment elevation on admission ( P = .01) and a cerebrovascular disease ( P = .003) than those younger than 65. Despite similar left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF) on admission ( P = .26), the oldest group had a lower LVEF at discharge ( P = .03). Inotropic agents were used more frequently in older adults ( P = .03). In-hospital composite adverse events (all-cause death, acute heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, stroke, and cardiogenic shock; P = .03) and overall complications ( P = .004) were more common in participants aged 75 and older. Overall in-hospital mortality was low (2.8%) but was more prevalent in participants aged 75 and older (6.3%). On multivariate analysis, age of 75 and older (hazard ratio ( HR) = 2.45, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.28-5.82, P = .04) and LVEF on admission ( HR = 0.874, 95% CI = 0.81-0.95, P < .001) were the only independent predictors of in-hospital adverse events. Conclusion The clinical profile of participants aged 75 and older with TTC was different from that of those younger than 75 with TTC, and they had a higher in-hospital complication rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To assess the safety and long-term results of hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases ( CLM) in older adults. Design Case-control. Setting Single liver and multivisceral transplant center. Participants Individuals with CLM: 32 aged 70 and older (older group) and 32 younger than 70 (younger group) matched in a 1:1 ratio according to sex, primary tumor site, liver metastases at diagnosis, number of metastases, maximum tumor size, infiltration of cut margin, type of hepatic resection, and hepatic resection timing. Measurements Postoperative complications and survival rates. Results There was no significant difference in preoperative clinical findings between the two study groups. The incidence of cumulative postoperative complications was similar in the older (28.1%) and younger (34.4%) groups ( P = .10). One-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 57.6%, 32.9%, and 16.4%, respectively, in the younger group and 67.9%, 29.2%, and 19.5%, respectively, in the older group ( P = .72). One-, 3-, and 5-year participant survival rates were 84.1%, 51.9%, and 33.3%, respectively, in the older group and 93.6%, 63%, and 28%, respectively, in the younger group ( P = .50). Conclusions Resection of colorectal liver metastases in older adults can be performed with low mortality and morbidity and offers a long-time survival advantage to many of these individuals. Based on the results of this case-control study, older adults should be considered for surgical treatment whenever possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented concerning an analysis of the Italian REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana di Medicina Interna Registry (REPOSI) registry to examine the effect of cardiometabolic comorbidity in a cohort analysis of older patients.

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses research which was conducted to investigate whether being aged 80 and above predicted mortality in intracerebral hemorrhage patients who had been admitted to a stroke unit of a hospital.

A letter to the editor is presented which is concerned with research which investigated the precipitating factors in younger and older adults with decompensated chronic heart failure.