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Aims: This study investigated the usefulness of frailty for predicting adverse events in patients with vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) during hospitalization using data obtained from the Japanese health insurance system. Methods: This retrospective cohort study of patients with VCFs aged ≥65 years was conducted using a nationwide database in Japan. We examined the relationships between frailty risk, classified using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), in‐hospital mortality, and complications such as pressure ulcers and pneumonia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between the HFRS and the outcomes of patients with VCFs. Results: In this study, the data of 30 980 in‐patients with VCFs were analyzed. Of these patients, 76.8%, 21.3%, and 1.9% had low, intermediate, and high risks of frailty, respectively. The higher the risk of frailty, the higher the rate of in‐hospital mortality and the occurrence of all complications (P < 0.001 for trend). An intermediate risk of frailty was independently associated with in‐hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.421; P < 0.001), whereas a high risk of frailty did not show statistical significance (OR, 1.385; P = 0.150). Each frailty risk was independently associated with the occurrence of all complications during hospitalization. Conclusions: The HFRS, which can assess the risk of frailty based on routinely collected medical records, was predictive of adverse events in older patients with VCFs based on a nationwide database in Japan. Future studies need to assess approaches to preventing adverse events in frail VCF patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 233–239. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To determine the influence of the Kuchi-kara Taberu (KT) index on rehabilitation outcomes during hospitalized convalescent rehabilitation. Design A historical controlled study. Setting and Participants A rehabilitation hospital. Participants Patients who were admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward from June 2014 to May 2017. Measures Patients' background characteristics included age, sex, nutritional status, activities of daily living (ADL) assessed using the Functional Impedance Measure (FIM), dysphagia assessed using the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and reasons for rehabilitation. The following values before (control group) and after initiation of the KT index intervention period (intervention group) were compared: gain of FIM, length of stay, accumulated rehabilitation time, discharge destination, gain of FOIS, gain of body weight (BW), and nutritional intake (energy and protein). Results Mean age was 76.4 ± 12.3 years (n = 233). There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of the patients at admission between the control and intervention groups, except for reason of rehabilitation. The intervention group demonstrated statistically higher values for the total (P =.004) and motor FIM gain (P =.003), total (P =.018) and motor FIM efficiency (P =.016), and FOIS gain (P <.001), compared with values in the control group. The proportion of patients returning home was statistically more frequent in the intervention group compared with that in the control group (73.4% vs 85.5%, odds ratio 2.135, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.108-4.113, P =.022). Multivariate analyses indicated that intervention using the KT index was a significant independent factor for increased FIM gain (β coefficient = 0.163, 95% CI 1.379-8.329, P =.006) and returning home (adjusted odds ratio 2.570, 95% CI 1.154-5.724, P =.021). Conclusions/Implications A rehabilitation program using the KT index may lead to improvement of inpatient outcomes in post-acute care. Further prospective research is warranted to confirm the efficacy of this program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Older adults often present with several comorbidities, including sarcopenia. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associations with other comorbidities in hospitalized older adults are unknown. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia, and its associations with other comorbidities in hospitalized older adults. Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 619 patients admitted to a geriatric hospital. The prevalence of comorbidities in the presence and absence of sarcopenia, nutritional status (according to body mass index and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form), and activities of daily living (according to the Barthel Index) were assessed. Sarcopenia was defined as skeletal muscle loss evaluated by both bioelectrical impedance and handgrip strength analyses. Results: Of the 619 participants (mean age 83.0 ± 8.2 years), 417 (67.4%) and 87 (14.1%) had definitive and possible sarcopenia, respectively. The prevalence rates of cognitive impairment and stroke were significantly higher in patients with definitive sarcopenia and those with possible sarcopenia than in those without sarcopenia (cognitive impairment 54.4%, 70.1% and 20.9%, respectively, P < 0.001; stroke 31.2%, 48.3% and 19.1%, respectively, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive impairment was independently associated with sarcopenia after adjusting for age, sex, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form score, Barthel Index and primary disease (adjusted odds ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.06–3.71; P = 0.032). Conclusions: Sarcopenia might be highly prevalent among hospitalized older adults. Furthermore, cognitive impairment might be an independent explanatory variable of sarcopenia. Therefore, further studies on sarcopenia in patients with cognitive impairment are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the association between loss of muscle mass and aspiration pneumonia ( AP). Design Prospective observational cohort. Setting Acute geriatric hospital. Participants Individuals admitted to the hospital for AP (N = 151; mean age 85.9; 49.7% male). Measurements Appendicular skeletal muscle index ( ASMI; appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared) was used to evaluate muscle mass. Data on age, sex, body mass index, Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form score, Barthel Index score, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, and pneumonia severity (Japanese version of the CURB-65 (C (confusion), U (blood urea nitrogen ≥20 mg/ dL), R (respiratory rate ≥30 breaths/min), B (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≤60 mmHg), 65 (aged ≥65) severity score (A- DROP)) were obtained. Outcomes included 30- and 90-day mortality. Results Mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe AP were observed in 1.3%, 70.2%, 25.8%, and 2.6% of participants, respectively. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, participants in the lowest ASMI quartile for each sex were more likely to die than those in the other quartiles (log-lank test P = .005). Multivariate logistic analyses showed that ASMI and A- DROP were independent predictors of 90-day mortality; only A- DROP was a significant predictor of 30-day mortality ( P < .001). Cox regression analysis also showed that the first ASMI quartile was independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio = 2.19; 95% confidence interval = 1.06-4.52; P = .03). Conclusion Low muscle mass is a potential predictor of long-term mortality in individuals with AP. Prospectively preventing muscle mass deterioration may be beneficial for recovery from AP in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Association between frailty risk and adverse events in patients with hip fractures. • Patients at frailty risk had a higher incidence of adverse events. • Patients at frailty risk had a poor functional outcomes. Background: Frailty may predict adverse events in patients with hip fractures. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and adverse events in patients with hip fractures after surgery using information from Japanese health insurance. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with hip fractures aged ≥ 65 years using a nationwide database in Japan. We examined the relationship of the frailty risk, which was defined using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), with in-hospital mortality, complications such as delirium and pneumonia, and functional outcomes. We used descriptive analysis, logistic regression, and linear regression analysis to estimate the association between the HFRS and outcomes in patients with hip fracture. Results: We analysed data from 36,192 patients with hip fractures after surgery (mean age: 83.6 ± 6.7 years, female: 79.5%). The proportions of low, intermediate, and high risk of frailty were 68.4%, 28.1%, and 3.5%, respectively. The frailty risk was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (intermediate risk: odds ratio [OR] 1.385, P < 0.001; high risk: OR 1.572; P < 0.001) and the occurrence of complications. Furthermore, each frailty risk was negatively associated with the Barthel Index score at discharge (intermediate risk: coefficient –11.919, P < 0.001; high risk: coefficient –18.044; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The HFRS could predict adverse events, including in-hospital mortality, in Japanese older patients with hip fractures. This finding supports the validity of using the HFRS in clinical practice for patients with hip fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to clarify the association between texture-modified diets and poor appetite in older adults, as it is not fully understood. Cross-sectional study. We included 208 inpatients who were aged ≥65 years (mean age 78.9 ± 7.6 years, 57.7% female) and admitted to a rehabilitation unit with stroke, musculoskeletal disease, or hospital-associated deconditioning covered by the Japanese insurance system, between January 2019 and January 2020. Participants were divided into 2 groups according to their food texture level: International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) levels 3 to 5 for the texture-modified diet group and levels 6 and 7 for the normal diet group. Appetite was assessed using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire for the Japanese elderly, and a score ≤14 was defined as poor appetite. The relationship between IDDSI levels and poor appetite was analyzed using the Cochrane-Armitage trend test. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the consumption of texture-modified diets and poor appetite. Statistical significance was set at P <.05. The numbers of participants on modified diets according to the IDDSI framework were as follows: 4, 11, 41, 76, and 76 in levels 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively. In total, 152 and 56 patients were classified into the regular diet group and texture-modified diet group, respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of poor appetite was observed with the consumption of texture-modified diets (P <.001 for trend). Logistic regression analysis showed that poor appetite was independently associated with the consumption of texture-modified diets (odds ratio 3.443, P =.011). These findings indicate that the consumption of texture-modified diets is associated with poor appetite. Further studies are required to verify whether a multimodal approach involving improvement in the appearance, taste, flavor, and nutrients of the food can improve poor appetite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Osteosarcopenia was independently associated with cognitive frailty. • Osteosarcopenia had a higher odds ratio than each alone in association with cognitive frailty. • Decreased executive functions and orientation were associated with osteosarcopenia. Osteosarcopenia and cognitive frailty are both risk factors for falls and fractures. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between osteosarcopenia and cognitive frailty. This was a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Frailty Registry Study with outpatients aged ≥65 years who visited a frailty clinic at a geriatric hospital. Osteoporosis was defined as a bone mineral density < 70% of the young adult mean. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Cognitive frailty was defined as the coexistence of physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment. Physical frailty was evaluated according to Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study criteria, whereas mild cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥ 24 points and a score ≤ 25 points on the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between osteosarcopenia and cognitive frailty. The data of 432 patients were analysed. The prevalence of osteosarcopenia and cognitive frailty was 10.2% and 20.8%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that osteosarcopenia was independently associated with cognitive frailty with a higher odds ratio than osteoporosis or sarcopenia alone. Lost points in visuospatial abilities/executive functions and orientation were significantly associated with osteosarcopenia. Combination of osteoporosis and sarcopenia is more likely to be associated with physical and cognitive decline than osteoporosis and sarcopenia alone. The mechanism by which osteosarcopenia is associated with decreased visuospatial abilities/executive functions and orientation needs to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]