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Purpose: Incident delirium is a frequent complication among hospitalized older people with COVID-19, associated with increased length of hospital stay, higher morbidity and mortality rates. Although delirium is preventable with early detection, systematic assessment methods and predictive models are not universally defined, thus delirium is often underrated. In this study, we tested the role of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), a prognostic tool based on Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, to predict the risk of incident delirium., Methods: Hospitalized older patients (≥ 65 years) with COVID-19 infection were enrolled (n = 502) from ten centers across Europe. At hospital admission, the MPI was administered to all the patients and two already validated delirium prediction models were computed (AWOL delirium risk-stratification score and Martinez model). Delirium occurrence during hospitalization was ascertained using the 4A's Test (4AT). Accuracy of the MPI and the other delirium predictive models was assessed through logistic regression models and the area under the curve (AUC)., Results: We analyzed 293 patients without delirium at hospital admission. Of them 33 (11.3%) developed delirium during hospitalization. Higher MPI score at admission (higher multidimensional frailty) was associated with higher risk of incident delirium also adjusting for the other delirium predictive models and COVID-19 severity (OR = 12.72, 95% CI = 2.11-76.86 for MPI-2 vs MPI-1, and OR = 33.44, 95% CI = 4.55-146.61 for MPI-3 vs MPI-1). The MPI showed good accuracy in predicting incident delirium (AUC = 0.71) also superior to AWOL tool, (AUC = 0.63) and Martinez model (AUC = 0.61) (p < 0.0001 for both comparisons)., Conclusions: The MPI is a sensitive tool for early identification of older patients with incident delirium., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: Sarcopenia and obesity are 2 global concerns associated with adverse health outcomes in older people. Evidence on the population-based prevalence of the combination of sarcopenia with obesity (sarcopenic obesity [SO]) and its association with mortality are still limited., Objective: To investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and SO and their association with all-cause mortality., Design, Setting, and Participants: This large-scale, population-based cohort study assessed participants from the Rotterdam Study from March 1, 2009, to June 1, 2014. Associations of sarcopenia and SO with all-cause mortality were studied using Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox proportional hazards regression, and accelerated failure time models fitted for sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). Data analysis was performed from January 1 to April 1, 2023., Exposures: The prevalence of sarcopenia and SO, measured based on handgrip strength and body composition (BC) (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) as recommended by current consensus criteria, with probable sarcopenia defined as having low handgrip strength and confirmed sarcopenia and SO defined as altered BC (high fat percentage and/or low appendicular skeletal muscle index) in addition to low handgrip strength., Main Outcome and Measure: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, collected using linked mortality data from general practitioners and the central municipal records, until October 2022., Results: In the total population of 5888 participants (mean [SD] age, 69.5 [9.1] years; mean [SD] BMI, 27.5 [4.3]; 3343 [56.8%] female), 653 (11.1%; 95% CI, 10.3%-11.9%) had probable sarcopenia and 127 (2.2%; 95% CI, 1.8%-2.6%) had confirmed sarcopenia. Sarcopenic obesity with 1 altered component of BC was present in 295 participants (5.0%; 95% CI, 4.4%-5.6%) and with 2 altered components in 44 participants (0.8%; 95% CI, 0.6%-1.0%). An increased risk of all-cause mortality was observed in participants with probable sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.14-1.47) and confirmed sarcopenia (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.53-2.43). Participants with SO plus 1 altered component of BC (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.60-2.33]) or 2 altered components of BC (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.97-4.11) had a higher risk of mortality than those without SO. Similar results for SO were obtained for participants with a BMI of 27 or greater., Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, sarcopenia and SO were found to be prevalent phenotypes in older people and were associated with all-cause mortality. Additional alterations of BC amplified this risk independently of age, sex, and BMI. The use of low muscle strength as a first step of both diagnoses may allow for early identification of individuals at risk for premature mortality.

Age-related sarcopenia, resulting from a gradual loss in skeletal muscle mass and strength, is pivotal to the increased prevalence of functional limitation among the older adult community. The purpose of this meta-analysis of individual patient data is to investigate the difference in health-related quality of life between sarcopenic individuals and those without the condition using the Sarcopenia Quality of Life (SarQoL) questionnaire. A protocol was published on PROSPERO. Multiple databases and the grey literature were searched until March 2023 for studies reporting quality of life assessed with the SarQoL for patients with and without sarcopenia. Two researchers conducted the systematic review independently. A two-stage meta-analysis was performed. First, crude (mean difference) and adjusted (beta coefficient) effect sizes were calculated within each database; then, a random effect meta-analysis was applied to pool them. Heterogeneity was measured using the Q-test and I 2 value. Subgroup analyses were performed to investigate the source of potential heterogeneity. The strength of evidence of this association was assessed using GRADE. From the 413 studies identified, 32 were eventually included, of which 10 were unpublished data studies. Sarcopenic participants displayed significantly reduced health-related quality of life compared with non-sarcopenic individuals (mean difference = -12.32; 95 % CI = [-15.27; -9.37]). The model revealed significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses revealed a substantial impact of regions, clinical settings, and diagnostic criteria on the difference in health-related quality of life between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic individuals. The level of evidence was moderate. This meta-analysis of individual patient data suggested that sarcopenia is associated with lower health-related quality of life measured with SarQoL., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest B.C., B.O., and R.J.Y. are shareholders of the SarQoL sprl. However, they never received any financial compensation for this role. The other authors declare they have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Literature regarding anticoagulants in older people affected by atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited to retrospective studies, poorly considering the importance of multidimensional frailty. The main objective of this study is to evaluate in hospitalised older persons with AF the benefit/risk ratio of the anticoagulant treatments, considering the severity of frailty, determined by the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI)., Methods: In this European, multicentre, prospective study, older hospitalised patients (≥65 years) with non-valvular AF were followed-up for 12 months. Anticoagulants' use at discharge ascertained using medical records. MPI was calculated using tools derived from comprehensive geriatric assessment, classifying participants in robust, pre-frail or frail. Mortality (primary outcome); vascular events, including ischemic heart disease or ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke or gastrointestinal bleedings (secondary outcomes)., Results: 2,022 participants (mean age 82.9 years; females 56.6%) were included. Compared with people not taking anticoagulants (n = 823), people using vitamin K antagonists (n = 450) showed a decreased risk of mortality (hazard ratio, HR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.59-0.93), more pronounced in patients using direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (n = 749) (HR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.37-0.57). Only people taking DOACs reported a significantly lower risk of vascular events (HR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.31-0.97). The efficacy of DOACs was present independently from frailty status. The risk of gastrointestinal bleedings and hemorrhagic stroke did not differ based on the anticoagulant treatments and by MPI values., Conclusions: Anticoagulant treatment, particularly with DOACs, was associated with reduced mortality in older people, without increasing the risk of hemorrhagic events, overall suggesting the importance of treating with anticoagulants older people with AF., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.)

Purpose: Because of the common and increasing use of antipsychotics in older adults, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on the causes of antipsychotic-related risk of falls in older adults. We also aim to provide information on the use of antipsychotics in dementia, delirium and insomnia, their adverse effects and an overview of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic mechanisms associated with antipsychotic use and falls. Finally, we aim to provide information to clinicians for weighing the benefits and harms of (de)prescribing., Methods: A literature search was executed in CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus in March 2022 to identify studies focusing on fall-related adverse effects of the antipsychotic use in older adults. We focused on the antipsychotic use for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, insomnia, and delirium., Results: Antipsychotics increase the risk of falls through anticholinergic, orthostatic and extrapyramidal effects, sedation, and adverse effects on cardio- and cerebrovascular system. Practical resources and algorithms are available that guide and assist clinicians in deprescribing antipsychotics without current indication., Conclusions: Deprescribing of antipsychotics should be considered and encouraged in older people at risk of falling, especially when prescribed for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, delirium or insomnia. If antipsychotics are still needed, we recommend that the benefits and harms of antipsychotic use should be reassessed within two to four weeks of prescription. If the use of antipsychotic causes more harm than benefit, the deprescribing process should be started., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

While eHealth can help improve outcomes for older patients receiving geriatric rehabilitation, the implementation and integration of eHealth is often complex and time-consuming. To use eHealth effectively in geriatric rehabilitation, it is essential to understand the experiences and needs of healthcare professionals. In this international multicentre cross-sectional study, we used a web-based survey to explore the use, benefits, feasibility and usability of eHealth in geriatric rehabilitation settings, together with the needs of working healthcare professionals. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative findings. The survey was completed by 513 healthcare professionals from 16 countries. Over half had experience with eHealth, although very few (52 of 263 = 20%) integrated eHealth into daily practice. Important barriers to the use or implementation of eHealth included insufficient resources, lack of an organization-wide implementation strategy and lack of knowledge. Professionals felt that eHealth is more complex for patients than for themselves, and also expressed a need for reliable information concerning available eHealth interventions and their applications. While eHealth has clear benefits, important barriers hinder successful implementation and integration into healthcare. Tailored implementation strategies and reliable information on effective eHealth applications are needed to overcome these barriers.

Background: Data regarding the importance of multidimensional frailty to guide clinical decision making for remdesivir use in older patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are largely unexplored., Objective: The aim of this research was to evaluate if the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), a multidimensional frailty tool based on the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), may help physicians in identifying older hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19 who might benefit from the use of remdesivir., Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective study of older adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in 10 European hospitals, followed-up for 90 days after hospital discharge. A standardized CGA was performed at hospital admission and the MPI was calculated, with a final score ranging between 0 (lowest mortality risk) and 1 (highest mortality risk). We assessed survival with Cox regression, and the impact of remdesivir on mortality (overall and in hospital) with propensity score analysis, stratified by MPI = 0.50., Results: Among 496 older adults hospitalized for COVID-19 (mean age 80 years, female 59.9%), 140 (28.2% of patients) were treated with remdesivir. During the 90 days of follow-up, 175 deaths were reported, 115 in hospital. Remdesivir treatment significantly reduced the risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval CI 0.35-0.83 in the propensity score analysis) in the sample as whole. Stratifying the population, based on MPI score, the effect was observed only in less frail participants (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22-0.96 in propensity score analysis), but not in frailer subjects. In-hospital mortality was not influenced by remdesivir use., Conclusions: MPI could help to identify less frail older adults hospitalized for COVID-19 who could benefit more from remdesivir treatment in terms of long-term survival., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a dramatic trigger that has challenged the intrinsic capacity of older adults and of society. Due to the consequences for the older population worldwide, the Special Interest Group on Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) took the initiative of collecting evidence on the usefulness of the CGA-based multidimensional approach to older people during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A narrative review of the most relevant articles published between January 2020 and November 2022 that focused on the multidimensional assessment of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: Current evidence supports the critical role of the multidimensional approach to identify older adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher risk of longer hospitalization, functional decline, and short-term mortality. This approach appears to also be pivotal for the adequate stratification and management of the post-COVID condition as well as for the adoption of preventive measures (e.g., vaccinations, healthy lifestyle) among non-infected individuals., Conclusion: Collecting information on multiple health domains (e.g., functional, cognitive, nutritional, social status, mobility, comorbidities, and polypharmacy) provides a better understanding of the intrinsic capacities and resilience of older adults affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The EuGMS SIG on CGA endorses the adoption of the multidimensional approach to guide the clinical management of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Literature suggests that different risks of mortality could influence physicians in prescribing or not anticoagulants in older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) can be considered a tool for the detection of multidimensional frailty. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether prescription patterns of oral anticoagulants exist, based on MPI values., Methods: Older hospitalised patients (age ≥ 65 years) with non-valvular AF were included across 24 European centres. MPI was calculated using validated and standardised tools derived from a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Other functional and clinical information were collected to calculate indexes specific for haemorrhagic and thromboembolic risk in AF., Results: Altogether, 2,012 participants affected by AF (mean age was 83.2 ± 7.5, range: 65-104 years), with a higher presence of women (57.0%), were included. Overall, 440 took vitamin K antagonists VKAs (22.0%), 667 (33.4%) direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), whilst 44.6% did not take any anticoagulant treatment. Prescription of anticoagulants was associated with MPI values, with people taking anticoagulants having lower mean MPI values. Anticoagulant therapy was not used in 53.1% of the group with the highest risk of mortality, compared with 32.3% of those in the group with the lowest mortality risk. People with higher scores in MPI were less frequently treated with anticoagulant therapy, after adjusting for several potential confounders., Conclusions: The EURopean study of Older Subjects with Atrial Fibrillation (EUROSAF) suggested that almost half of the older persons with AF do not receive anticoagulants and that MPI is an important determinant in prescribing or not anticoagulants. Trial Registration : https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02973984KEY POINTSAtrial fibrillation is a common condition in older people. The data regarding the use of anticoagulants is mainly derived from randomised controlled trials that do not include a sufficient number of older frail people.Our study suggests that a consistent part of older people affected by atrial fibrillation was not treated with anticoagulants, in particular, older frail patients; however, it is unclear if this choice is supported or not by evidence.The prognostic evaluation through the multidimensional prognostic index could be useful information for the choice in the prescription of anticoagulants in older people affected by atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Data on prognostic tools for indicating mechanical ventilation in older people with COVID-19 are still limited. The aim of this research was to evaluate if the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), based on the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), may help physicians in identifying older hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19 who might benefit from mechanical ventilation., Design: Longitudinal, multicenter study., Settings and Participants: 502 older people hospitalized for COVID-19 in 10 European hospitals., Methods: MPI was calculated using 8 different domains typical of the CGA. A propensity score, Cox's regression analysis was used for assessing the impact of mechanical ventilation on rehospitalization/mortality for 90 days' follow-up, stratified by MPI = 0.50. The accuracy of MPI in predicting negative outcomes (ie, rehospitalization/mortality) was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC), and the discrimination with several indexes like the Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) and the Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI)., Results: Among 502 older people hospitalized for COVID-19 (mean age: 80 years), 152 were treated with mechanical ventilation. In the propensity score analysis, during the 90-day follow-up period, there were 44 rehospitalizations and 95 deaths. Mechanical ventilation in patients with MPI values ≥ 0.50, indicating frailer participants, was associated with a higher risk of rehospitalization/mortality (hazard ratio 1.56, 95% CI 1.09-2.23), whereas in participants with MPI values < 0.50 this association was not significant. The accuracy of the model including age, sex, respiratory parameters, and MPI was good (AUC = 0.783) as confirmed by an NRI of 0.2756 (P < .001) and an IDI of 0.1858 (P < .001), suggesting a good discrimination of the model in predicting negative outcomes., Conclusions and Implications: MPI could be useful for better individualizing older people hospitalized by COVID-19 who could benefit from mechanical ventilation., (Copyright © 2022 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Fall-Risk Increasing Drugs (FRIDs) are an important and modifiable fall-risk factor. A Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) could support doctors in optimal FRIDs deprescribing. Understanding barriers and facilitators is important for a successful implementation of any CDSS. We conducted a European survey to assess barriers and facilitators to CDSS use and explored differences in their perceptions., Methods: We examined and compared the relative importance and the occurrence of regional differences of a literature-based list of barriers and facilitators for CDSS usage among physicians treating older fallers from 11 European countries., Results: We surveyed 581 physicians (mean age 44.9 years, 64.5% female, 71.3% geriatricians). The main barriers were technical issues (66%) and indicating a reason before overriding an alert (58%). The main facilitators were a CDSS that is beneficial for patient care (68%) and easy-to-use (64%). We identified regional differences, e.g., expense and legal issues were barriers for significantly more Eastern-European physicians compared to other regions, while training was selected less often as a facilitator by West-European physicians. Some physicians believed that due to the medical complexity of their patients, their own clinical judgement is better than advice from the CDSS., Conclusion: When designing a CDSS for Geriatric Medicine, the patient's medical complexity must be addressed whilst maintaining the doctor's decision-making autonomy. For a successful CDSS implementation in Europe, regional differences in barrier perception should be overcome. Equipping a CDSS with prediction models has the potential to provide individualized recommendations for deprescribing FRIDs in older falls patients., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Geriatric Medicine Society.)

Background: Healthcare professionals are often reluctant to deprescribe fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). Lack of knowledge and skills form a significant barrier and furthermore, there is no consensus on which medications are considered as FRIDs despite several systematic reviews. To support clinicians in the management of FRIDs and to facilitate the deprescribing process, STOPPFall (Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescriptions in older adults with high fall risk) and a deprescribing tool were developed by a European expert group., Methods: STOPPFall was created by two facilitators based on evidence from recent meta-analyses and national fall prevention guidelines in Europe. Twenty-four panellists chose their level of agreement on a Likert scale with the items in the STOPPFall in three Delphi panel rounds. A threshold of 70% was selected for consensus a priori. The panellists were asked whether some agents are more fall-risk-increasing than others within the same pharmacological class. In an additional questionnaire, panellists were asked in which cases deprescribing of FRIDs should be considered and how it should be performed., Results: The panellists agreed on 14 medication classes to be included in the STOPPFall. They were mostly psychotropic medications. The panellists indicated 18 differences between pharmacological subclasses with regard to fall-risk-increasing properties. Practical deprescribing guidance was developed for STOPPFall medication classes., Conclusion: STOPPFall was created using an expert Delphi consensus process and combined with a practical deprescribing tool designed to optimise medication review. The effectiveness of these tools in falls prevention should be further evaluated in intervention studies., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Explicit screening tools and implicit evaluation methods have been developed to assist healthcare professionals in the management of pharmacotherapy in older adults. As prescribing habits and locally available medications vary considerably between countries, guides tailored to the needs of specific regions may be required. We aimed to report the results of the international Delphi validation study for the Turkish Inappropriate Medication use in the Elderly (TIME) criteria set, which aims to detect inappropriate prescribing in older adults in Eastern Europe., Methods: The study was conducted between June 2019 and March 2020. Delphi rounds were conducted by the TIME international working group, which included 11 internationally recognized experts in geriatric pharmacotherapy as Delphi panelists. They were asked to indicate to what extent they agreed or disagreed with each TIME criterion, taking into account both the available evidence and their own experience. We used a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) and an online software program (SurveyMonkey ® ) to grade the level of agreement. Criteria with a median value of 1 or 2 and a 75th centile value of 1 or 2 were accepted, and criteria with a median value > 2 were rejected. Those with a median value of 1 or 2 but a 75th centile value > 2 were retained, to be assessed in the following round. The initial list of Delphi criteria comprised 153 TIME items., Results: After three Delphi rounds, 134 criteria were accepted and seven criteria were rejected, while 12 criteria did not achieve consensus, and so were not included in the final validated set of TIME criteria., Conclusion: We developed the internationally validated TIME criteria set based on a Delphi process involving international experts. The validation study suggests that the TIME criteria set can be applied in both central and Eastern European settings. Further studies are needed to assess the utility and benefit of the TIME criteria in reducing inappropriate drug use and improving clinical outcomes.

Background: Late-life depression is common among older adults living in nursing homes (NHs). Over the last 30 years there has been an increase in the rates of prescription of antidepressant medications across all ages, with the largest rise reported in older adults. This study aimed to describe the pattern of antidepressant medication use among NH residents from 7 European countries and Israel and to examine patient and facilities characteristics that may account for it., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the SHELTER study, an observational longitudinal cohort study that collected comprehensive resident data using the interRAI Long-Term Care Facility instrument in 7 European Countries and Israel. Descriptive statistics were used to examine sample characteristics. Potential correlates of antidepressant medication use were identified using multiple logistic regression modeling., Results: Among 4023 residents entering the study, 32% had depressive symptoms and nearly half of these individuals used antidepressants. Antidepressant medication use varied by country, with a prevalence in the overall sample of 35.6% (n = 1431). Among antidepressant users, 59.9% were receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). The strongest correlates of antidepressant use included reported diagnosis of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, pain, falls and high level of social engagement. Age over 85 years, living in facilities located in rural areas and a diagnosis of schizophrenia reduced the likelihood of being prescribed with an antidepressant., Conclusions: A large proportion of residents in European long-term care facilities receive antidepressant medications. The decision to prescribe antidepressants to NH residents seems to be influenced by both patient and facility characteristics. Future longitudinal studies should evaluate the efficacy and safety of antidepressant use in NHs thus providing evidence for recommendations for clinical practice.

Background & Aims: The literature regarding enteral nutrition and mortality in older frail people is limited and still conflicting. Moreover, the potential role of comprehensive geriatric assessment is poorly explored. We therefore aimed to investigate whether the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), an established tool that assesses measures of frailty and predicts mortality, may help physicians in identifying patients in whom ETF (enteral tube feeding) is effective in terms of reduced mortality., Methods: Observational, longitudinal, multicenter study with one year of follow-up. Data regarding ETF were recorded through medical records. A standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment was used to calculate the MPI. Participants were divided in low (MPI-1), moderate (MPI-2) or severe (MPI-3) risk of mortality. Data regarding mortality were recorded through administrative information., Results: 1064 patients were included, with 79 (13 in MPI 1-2 and 66 in MPI-3 class) receiving ETF. In multivariable analysis, patients receiving ETF experienced a higher risk of death (odds ratio, OR = 2.00; 95% confidence intervals, CI: 1.19-3.38). However, after stratifying for their MPI at admission, mortality was higher in MPI-3 class patients (OR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.09-3.76), but not in MPI 1-2 class patients (OR = 1.51; 95%CI: 0.44-5.25). The use of propensity score confirmed these findings., Conclusions: ETF is associated with a higher risk of death. However, this is limited to more frail patients, suggesting the importance of the MPI in the prognostic evaluation of ETF., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The association between frailty, mortality and sex is complex, but a limited literature is available on this topic, particularly for older hospitalized patients. Therefore, the objective of our study was to prospectively evaluate sex differences in frailty, assessed by the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) and mortality, institutionalization, and re-hospitalization in an international cohort of older people admitted to hospital., Study Design: We used data from nine public hospitals in Europe and Australia, to evaluate sex differences in mortality, frailty and the risk of institutionalization and re-hospitalization, during one year of follow-up., Main Outcome Measures: People aged 65 years or more admitted to hospital for an acute medical condition or for a relapse of a chronic disease were included. A standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment, which evaluated functional, nutritional, and cognitive status, risk of pressure sores, comorbidities, medications and co-habitation status, was used to calculate the MPI to measure frailty in all hospitalized older people. Data regarding mortality, institutionalization and re-hospitalization were also recorded for one year., Results: Altogether, 1140 hospitalized patients (mean age = 84.2 years; 694 women = 60.9%) were included. The one-year mortality rate was 33.2%. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, MPI score, centre and diagnosis at baseline, although women had higher MPI scores than men, the latter had higher in-hospital (odds ratio, OR = 2.26; 95% confidence intervals, CI = 1.27-4.01) and one-year post-discharge mortality (OR = 2.04; 95%CI = 1.50-2.79). Furthermore, men were less frequently institutionalized in a care home than female patients (OR = 0.55; 95%CI: 0.34-0.91), but they were also more frequently re-hospitalized (OR = 1.42; 95%CI: 1.06-1.91) during the year after hospital discharge., Conclusion: Older hospitalized men were less frail, but experienced higher in-hospital and one-year mortality than women. Women were admitted more frequently to nursing homes and experienced a lower risk of re-hospitalization. These findings suggest important differences between the sexes and extends the 'male-female health-survival paradox' to acutely ill patient groups., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) is useful as a prognostic tool in hospitalized older patients, but our knowledge is derived from retrospective studies. We therefore aimed to evaluate in a multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study whether the MPI at hospital admission is useful to identify groups with different mortality risk and whether MPI at discharge may predict institutionalization, rehospitalization, and use of home care services during 12 months., Methods: This longitudinal study, carried out between February 2015 and August 2017, included nine public hospitals in Europe and Australia. A standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment including information on functional, nutritional, cognitive status, risk of pressure sores, comorbidities, medications, and cohabitation status was used to calculate the MPI and to categorize participants in low, moderate, and severe risk of mortality. Data regarding mortality, institutionalization, rehospitalization, and use of home care services were recorded through administrative information., Results: Altogether, 1,140 hospitalized patients (mean age 84.1 years, women = 60.8%) were included. In the multivariable analysis, compared to patients with low risk group at admission, patients in moderate (odds ratio [OR] = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.79-6.17; p < .001) and severe risk (OR = 10.72, 95% CI: 5.70-20.18, p < .0001) groups were at higher risk of overall mortality. Among the 984 older patients with follow-up data available, those in the severe-risk group experienced a higher risk of overall mortality, institutionalization, rehospitalization, and access to home care services., Conclusions: In this cohort of hospitalized older adults, higher MPI values are associated with higher mortality and other negative outcomes. Multidimensional assessment of older people admitted to hospital may facilitate appropriate clinical and postdischarge management., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Type 2 diabetes, a highly prevalent chronic disease, is associated with increasing frailty and functional decline in older people. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention on functional performance in frail and pre-frail participants aged ≥70 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus., Methods: The MID-Frail study was a cluster-randomized multicenter clinical trial conducted in 74 trial sites across seven European countries. The trial recruited 964 participants who were aged >70 years [mean age in intervention group, 78.4 (SD 5.6) years, 49.2% male and 77.6 (SD 5.29) years, 52.4% male in usual care group], with type diabetes mellitus and determined to be frail or pre-frail using Fried's frailty phenotype. Participants were allocated by trial site to follow either usual care (UCG) or intervention procedures (IG). Intervention group participants received a multimodal intervention composed of (i) an individualized and progressive resistance exercise programme for 16 weeks; (ii) a structured diabetes and nutritional educational programme over seven sessions; and (iii) Investigator-linked training to ensure optimal diabetes care. Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores were used to assess change in functional performance at 12 months between the groups. An analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the intervention was undertaken using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Secondary outcomes included mortality, hospitalization, institutionalization, quality of life, burden on caregivers, the frequency and severity of hypoglycaemia episodes, and the cost-effectiveness of the intervention., Results: After 12 months, IG participants had mean SPPB scores 0.85 points higher than those in the UCG (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.26, P < 0.0001). Dropouts were higher in frail participants and in the intervention group, but significant differences in SPPB between treatment groups remained consistent after sensitivity analysis. Estimates suggest a mean saving following intervention of 428.02 EUR (2016) per patient per year, with ICER analysis indicating a consistent benefit of the described health care intervention over usual care. No statistically significant differences between groups were detected in any of the other secondary outcomes., Conclusions: We have demonstrated that a 12 month structured multimodal intervention programme across several clinical settings in different European countries leads to a clinically relevant and cost-effective improvement in the functional status of older frail and pre-frail participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus., (© 2019 The Authors Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Background: the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS-GMS) recommendations for training in Geriatric Medicine were published in 1993. The practice of Geriatric Medicine has developed considerably since then and it has therefore become necessary to update these recommendations., Methods: under the auspices of the UEMS-GMS, the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) and the European Academy of Medicine of Ageing (EAMA), a group of experts, representing all member states of the respective bodies developed a new framework for education and training of specialists in Geriatric Medicine using a modified Delphi technique. Thirty-two expert panel members from 30 different countries participated in the process comprising three Delphi rounds for consensus. The process was led by five facilitators., Results: the final recommendations include four different domains: 'General Considerations' on the structure and aim of the syllabus as well as quality indicators for training (6 sub-items), 'Knowledge in patient care' (36 sub-items), 'Additional Skills and Attitude required for a Geriatrician' (9 sub-items) and a domain on 'Assessment of postgraduate education: which items are important for the transnational comparison process' (1 item)., Conclusion: the current publication describes the development of the new recommendations endorsed by UEMS-GMS, EuGMS and EAMA as minimum training requirements to become a geriatrician at specialist level in EU member states., (© The Author(s) (2019). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.)

Purpose: To investigate: (1) the cross-sectional association between polypharmacy, hyperpolypharmacy and presence of prefrailty or frailty; (2) the risk of incident prefrailty or frailty in persons with polypharmacy, and vice versa., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/1998 to 5/2/2018. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I 2 statistic and publication bias with Egger's and Begg's tests., Results: Thirty-seven studies were included. The pooled proportion of polypharmacy in persons with prefrailty and frailty was 47% (95% CI 33-61) and 59% (95% CI 42-76), respectively. Increased odds ratio of polypharmacy were seen for prefrail (pooled OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.32-1.79) and frail persons (pooled OR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.81-3.79). Hyperpolypharmacy was also increased in prefrail (OR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.41-2.70) and frail (OR = 6.57; 95% CI 9.57-10.48) persons compared to robust persons. Only seven longitudinal studies reported data on the risk of either incident prefrailty or frailty in persons with baseline polypharmacy. A significant higher odds of developing prefrailty was found in robust persons with polypharmacy (pooled OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.12-1.51). We found no papers investigating polypharmacy incidence in persons with prefrailty/frailty., Conclusions: Polypharmacy is common in prefrail and frail persons, and these individuals are also more likely to be on extreme drug regimens, i.e. hyperpolypharmacy, than robust older persons. More research is needed to investigate the causal relationship between polypharmacy and frailty syndromes, thereby identifying ways to jointly reduce drug burden and prefrailty/frailty in these individuals., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42018104756.

Background: The objective was to identify predictors of societal costs covering formal and informal care utilization by older home care clients in 11 European countries., Methods: Societal costs of 1907 older clients receiving home care for 12 months from the Aged in Home care (AdHoc) study were estimated using the InterRAI Minimum Data Set for Home Care's (MDS-HC) resource use items. Predictors (medical, functional, and psychosocial domains) of societal costs were identified by performing univariate and multivariate generalized linear model analyses., Results: Mean societal costs per participant were €36 442, ranging from €14 865 in Denmark to €78 836 in the United Kingdom. In the final multivariate model, country, being married, activities of daily living (ADL) dependency, cognitive impairment, limitations of going out, oral conditions, number of medications, arthritis, and cerebro vascular accident (CVA) were significantly associated with societal costs., Conclusions: Of the predictors, ADL dependency and limitations of going out may be modifiable. Developing interventions targeted at improving these conditions may create opportunities to curtail societal costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests:The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: The ongoing "Sarcopenia and Physical fRailty IN older people: multi-componenT Treatment strategies (SPRINTT)" randomized controlled trial (RCT) is testing the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention in the prevention of mobility disability in older adults with physical frailty & sarcopenia (PF&S). Here, we describe the procedures followed for PF&S case finding and screening of candidate participants for the SPRINTT RCT. We also illustrate the main demographic and clinical characteristics of eligible screenees., Methods: The identification of PF&S was based on the co-occurrence of three defining elements: (1) reduced physical performance (defined as a score on the Short Physical Performance Battery between 3 and 9); (2) low muscle mass according to the criteria released by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; and (3) absence of mobility disability (defined as ability to complete the 400-m walk test in 15 min). SPRINTT was advertised through a variety of means. Site-specific case finding strategies were developed to accommodate the variability across centers in catchment area characteristics and access to the target population. A quick "participant profiling" questionnaire was devised to facilitate PF&S case finding., Results: During approximately 22 months, 12,358 prescreening interviews were completed in 17 SPRINTT sites resulting in 6710 clinic screening visits. Eventually, 1566 candidates were found to be eligible for participating in the SPRINTT RCT. Eligible screenees showed substantial physical function impairment and comorbidity burden. In most centers, project advertisement through mass media was the most rewarding case finding strategy., Conclusion: PF&S case finding in the community is a challenging, but feasible task. Although largely autonomous in daily life activities, older adults with PF&S suffer from significant functional impairment and comorbidity. This subset of the older population is therefore at high risk for disability and other negative health-related events. Key strategies to consider for successfully intercepting at-risk older adults should focus on mass communication methods., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Drugs may interact with geriatric syndromes by playing a role in the continuation, recurrence or worsening of these conditions. Aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of interactions between drugs and three common geriatric syndromes (delirium, falls and urinary incontinence) among older adults in nursing home and home care in Europe., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional multicenter study among 4023 nursing home residents participating in the Services and Health for Elderly in Long-TERm care (Shelter) project and 1469 home care patients participating in the Identifying best practices for care-dependent elderly by Benchmarking Costs and outcomes of community care (IBenC) project. Exposure to interactions between drugs and geriatric syndromes was assessed by 2015 Beers criteria., Results: 790/4023 (19.6%) residents in the Shelter Project and 179/1469 (12.2%) home care patients in the IBenC Project presented with one or more drug interactions with geriatric syndromes. In the Shelter project, 288/373 (77.2%) residents experiencing a fall, 429/659 (65.1%) presenting with delirium and 180/2765 (6.5%) with urinary incontinence were on one or more interacting drugs. In the IBenC project, 78/172 (45.3%) participants experiencing a fall, 80/182 (44.0%) presenting with delirium and 36/504 (7.1%) with urinary incontinence were on one or more interacting drugs., Conclusion: Drug-geriatric syndromes interactions are common in long-term care patients. Future studies and interventions aimed at improving pharmacological prescription in the long-term care setting should assess not only drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, but also interactions involving geriatric syndromes.

Background: Informing residents in long term care facilities (LTCFs) about their prognosis can help them prepare for the end of life. This study aimed to examine which proportion of European LTCF residents, close to death, are accurately prognosticated and consequently informed about their prognosis; and to examine factors related to accurate prognostication and discussion of prognosis., Methods: A subsample of SHELTER study data was used, consisting of: 500 residents from 5 European countries, who died within 6 months after their last assessment, and had a valid answer on the item 'End stage disease, 6 or fewer months to live'. This item was used to indicate whether an accurate prognosis was established and discussed with residents. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine factors related to establishment and discussion of accurate prognosis., Results: 86.4% of residents close to death did not receive an accurate prognosis. Residents with cancer; fatigue; dehydration; and normal mode of nutritional intake were more likely to have an accurate prognosis established and discussed. Accurate prognostication and prognosis discussion was less likely for residents who: had a diagnosis under 'other'; initiated interactions; and residents from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands., Conclusions: The great majority of residents close to death did not receive an accurate prognosis. Prognostication tools might help clinicians to increase their prognostic accuracy and communication training might help to discuss prognosis with residents., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: This paper describes an integrated series of functional, clinical, and discharge post-acute care (PAC) quality indicators (QIs) and an examination of the distribution of the QIs in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) across the US. The indicators use items available in interRAI based assessments including the MDS 3.0 and are designed for use in in-patient post-acute environments that use the assessments., Methods: Data Source: MDS 3.0 computerized assessments mandated for all patients admitted to US skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in 2012. In total, 2,380,213 patients were admitted to SNFs for post-acute care. Definition of the QI numerator, denominator and covariate structures were based on MDS assessment items. A regression strategy modeling the "discharge to the community" PAC QI as the dependent variable was used to identify how to bring together a subset of seven candidate PAC QIs for inclusion in a summary scale. Finally, the distributional property of the summary scale (the PAC QI Summary Scale) across all facilities was explored., Results: The risk-adjusted PAC QIs include indicators of improved status, including measures of early, middle, and late-loss functional performance, as well as measures of walking and changed clinical status and an overall summary functional scale. Many but not all patients demonstrated improvement from baseline to follow-up. However, there was substantial inter-state variation in the summary QI scores across the SNFs., Conclusions: The set of PAC QIs consist of five functional, two discharge and eight clinical measures, and one summary scale. All QIs can be derived from multiple interRAI assessment tools, including the MDS 2.0, interRAI-LTCF, MDS 3.0, and the interRAI-PAC-Rehab. These measures are appropriate for wide distribution in and out of the United States, allowing comparison and discussion of practices associated with better outcomes.

Objectives: interRAI launched this study to introduce a set of standardized self-report measures through which residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) could describe their quality of life and services. This article reports on the international development effort, describing measures relative to privacy, food, security, comfort, autonomy, respect, staff responsiveness, relationships with staff, friendships, and activities. First, we evaluated these items individually and then combined them in summary scales. Second, we examined how the summary scales related to whether the residents did or did not say that the LTCFs in which they lived felt like home., Design: Cross-sectional self-report surveys by residents of LTCFs regarding their quality of life and services., Setting/participants: Resident self-report data came from 16,017 individuals who resided in 355 LTCFs. Of this total, 7113 were from the Flanders region of Belgium, 5143 residents were from Canada, and 3358 residents were from the eastern and mid-western United States. Smaller data sets were collected from facilities in Australia (20), the Czech Republic (72), Estonia (103), Poland (118), and South Africa (87)., Measurements: The interRAI Self-Report Quality of Life Survey for LTCFs was used to assess residents' quality of life and services. It includes 49 items. Each area of inquiry (eg, autonomy) is represented by multiple items; the item sets have been designed to elicit resident responses that could range from highly positive to highly negative. Each item has a 5-item response set that ranges from "never" to "always.", Results: Typically, we scored individual items scored based on the 2 most positive categories: "sometimes" and "always." When these 2 categories were aggregated, among the more positive items were: being alone when wished (83%); decide what clothes to wear (85%); get needed services (87%); and treated with dignity by staff (88%). Areas with a less positive response included: staff knows resident's life story (30%); resident has enjoyable things to do on weekends (32%); resident has people to do things with (33%); and resident has friendly conversation with staff (45%). We identified 5 reliable scales; these scales were positively associated with the resident statement that the LTCF felt like home. Finally, international score standards were established for the items and scales., Conclusions: This study establishes a set of standardized, self-report items and scales with which to assess the quality of life and services for residents in LTCFs. The study also demonstrates that these scales are significantly related to resident perception of the home-like quality of the facilities., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The care processes directed towards institutionalized older people needs to be tailored on goals and priorities that are relevant for this specific population. The aim of the present study was (a) to describe the distribution of selected health determinants in a sample of institutionalized older adults, and (b) to investigate the impact on survival of such measures., Design: Multicentre longitudinal cohort-study., Setting: 57 nursing homes (NH) in 7EU countries (Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands) and 1 non-EU country (Israel)., Participants: 3036 NH residents participating in the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study., Measurements: We described the distribution of 8 health determinants (smoking habit, alcohol use, body mass index [BMI], physical activity, social participation, family visits, vaccination, and preventive visits) and their impact on 1-year mortality., Results: During the one-year follow up, 611 (20%) participants died. Overweight (HR 0.79; 95% C.I. 0.64-0.97) and obesity (HR 0.64; 95% C.I. 0.48-0.87) resulted associated with lower mortality then normal weight. Similarly, physical activity (HR 0.67; 95% C.I. 0.54-0.83), social activities (HR 0.63; 95% C.I. 0.51-0.78), influenza vaccination (HR 0.66; 95% C.I. 0.55-0.80) and pneumococcal vaccination (HR 0.76 95% C.I. 0.63-0.93) were associated with lower mortality. Conversely, underweight (HR 1.28; 95% C.I. 1.03-1.60) and frequent family visits (HR 1.75; 95% C.I. 1.27-2.42) were associated with higher mortality., Conclusions: Health determinants in older NH residents depart from those usually accounted for in younger and fitter populations. Ad hoc studies are warranted in order to describe other relevant aspects of health in frail older adults, with special attention on those institutionalized, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care and life., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines have been proved to be effective and safe in preventing and controlling infection among elderly, reducing morbidity and mortality. However, some evidences raised health concerns related to these vaccinations. This study aims to identify prevalence and outcomes related to influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations in a large European population of frail old people living in nursing homes (NHs)., Methods: We conducted a survival analysis of NH residents participating to the Services and Health for Elderly in Long-TERm project, a prospective cohort study collecting information on residents admitted to 57 NH in eight countries (Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Israel). Clinical and demographical data were collected using the international resident assessement instrument for long-term care facilities. Incident mortality was recorded during 1-year follow-up. A shared-frailty Cox regression model was used to assess the impact of vaccination status on mortality., Results: Mean age of 3510 participants was 84.6 years (SD = 7.7). In total, 81.7 and 27.0% received influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, respectively. Overall, 727 (20.7%) residents died during the follow-up period. After adjusting for potential confounders, which included age, sex, number of diseases, depression, cognitive and functional status, influenza (HR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.66-0.97) and the combination of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination (HR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.57-0.91), but not pneumococcal vaccination alone (HR = 0.52; 95% CI 0.25-1.06), were associated with a statistically significant reduction in mortality in respect of no vaccinations., Conclusion: In a population of older adult living in NH influenza and the combination of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination were associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality respect to no vaccination., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)

The sustainability of health and social care systems is threatened by a growing population of older persons with heterogeneous needs related to multimorbidity, frailty, and increased risk of functional impairment. Since disability is difficult to reverse in old age and is extremely burdensome for individuals and society, novel strategies should be devised to preserve adequate levels of function and independence in late life. The development of mobility disability, an early event in the disablement process, precedes and predicts more severe forms of inability. Its prevention is, therefore, critical to impede the transition to overt disability. For this reason, the Sarcopenia and Physical fRailty IN older people: multi-componenT Treatment strategies (SPRINTT) project is conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test a multicomponent intervention (MCI) specifically designed to prevent mobility disability in high-risk older persons. SPRINTT is a phase III, multicenter RCT aimed at comparing the efficacy of a MCI, based on long-term structured physical activity, nutritional counseling/dietary intervention, and an information and communication technology intervention, versus a healthy aging lifestyle education program designed to prevent mobility disability in 1500 older persons with physical frailty and sarcopenia who will be followed for up to 36 months. The primary outcome of the SPRINTT trial is mobility disability, operationalized as the inability to walk for 400 m within 15 min, without sitting, help of another person, or the use of a walker. Secondary outcomes include changes in muscle mass and strength, persistent mobility disability, falls and injurious falls, disability in activities of daily living, nutritional status, cognition, mood, the use of healthcare resources, cost-effectiveness analysis, quality of life, and mortality rate. SPRINTT results are expected to promote significant advancements in the management of frail older persons at high risk of disability from both clinical and regulatory perspectives. The findings are also projected to pave the way for major investments in the field of disability prevention in old age.

Objective: Among elderly individuals with dementia, the use of antipsychotics has been associated with serious adverse events including ischemic stroke and death. Multiple medications can interact with antipsychotics and increase the risk of such adverse events. The purpose of this retrospective, longitudinal cohort study was to estimate the prevalence of potential antipsychotic drug interactions and their effect on increasing the risk of death among cognitively impaired elderly individuals treated with antipsychotics., Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study in 59 nursing homes of 7 European Union countries and Israel. The study was conducted during the years 2009 to 2011. Participants were cognitively impaired individuals aged 65 years or older residing in the participating nursing homes and being treated with antipsychotics (N = 604). Risk of death associated with potential antipsychotic drug interactions was the main outcome. The inter-Resident Assessment Instrument for Long Term Care Facilities (interRAI LTCF) was used to assess participants. Follow-up time was 12 months., Results: The prevalence of potential antipsychotic drug interactions was 46.0%. Antipsychotic drug interactions were associated with higher mortality (incidence rate of 0.26 per person-year in the antipsychotic drug-interaction group versus 0.17 per person year in the no antipsychotic drug-interaction group). After adjusting for potential confounders, risk of death was higher in the group of residents with potential antipsychotic drug interactions relative to those unexposed to such interactions (hazard ratio = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.15-2.54)., Conclusions: Part of the observed excess risk of death associated with the use of antipsychotic medications in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment may be attributable to antipsychotic drug interactions. Antipsychotics should be used with extreme caution especially among those individuals receiving concomitant cardiovascular or psychotropic medications., (© Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Clinical decision-making for statin treatment in older patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is under debate, particularly in community-dwelling frail patients at high risk of death. In this retrospective observational study on 2,597 community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 years with a previous hospitalization for CAD, we estimated mortality risk assessed with the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), based on the Standardized Multidimensional Assessment Schedule for Adults and Aged Persons (SVaMA), used to determine accessibility to homecare services/nursing home admission in 2005 to 2013 in the Padua Health District, Veneto, Italy. Participants were categorized as having mild (MPI-SVaMA-1), moderate (MPI-SVaMA-2), and high (MPI-SVaMA-3) baseline mortality risk, and propensity score-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 3-year mortality rate were calculated according to statin treatment in these subgroups. Greater MPI-SVaMA scores were associated with lower rates of statin treatment and higher 3-year mortality rate (MPI-SVaMA-1 = 23.4%; MPI-SVaMA-2 = 39.1%; MPI-SVaMA-3 = 76.2%). After adjusting for propensity score quintiles, statin treatment was associated with lower 3-year mortality risk irrespective of MPI-SVaMA group (HRs [95% confidence intervals] 0.45 [0.37 to 0.55], 0.44 [0.36 to 0.53], and 0.28 [0.21 to 0.39] in MPI-SVaMA-1, -2, and -3 groups, respectively [interaction test p = 0.202]). Subgroup analyses showed that statin treatment was also beneficial irrespective of age (HRs [95% confidence intervals] 0.38 [0.27 to 0.53], 0.45 [0.38 to 0.54], and 0.44 [0.37 to 0.54] in 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and ≥85 year age groups, respectively [interaction test p = 0.597]). In conclusion, in community-dwelling frail older patients with CAD, statin treatment was significantly associated with reduced 3-year mortality rate irrespective of age and multidimensional impairment, although the frailest patients were less likely to be treated with statins., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To identify and prioritize potential topics to be addressed in the development of European multidisciplinary guidelines on the management of chronic kidney disease stage 3b-5 in older patients., Methods: We composed a list of 47 potential guideline topics by reviewing the literature, consulting online 461 nephrologists and 107 geriatricians, and obtaining expert input. A multidisciplinary panel of twelve experts then prioritized the topics during a face-to-face consensus meeting, following a nominal group technique structure with two voting rounds. Topics were rated on a 9-point scale ranging from 1 ('not at all important') to 9 ('critically important')., Results: The highest rating (median; range) was assigned to 'Screening and referral' (8.5; 2.0). Eight topics shared the second highest rating with a median priority score of 8.0 (2.0) and included 'Starting dialysis or not' and 'Accurate assessment of renal function.' 'Targets for and treatment of diabetes' received the lowest rating with (3.0; 6.0)., Conclusions: This joint initiative of the European Renal Association-European Dialysis Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS) prioritized the development of guidance on interdisciplinary referral of older patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3b-5. Future guidance will therefore focus on identifying prognostic scores to predict death and progression to end-stage renal disease, as well as accurate tests for assessment of renal function in older kidney patients. This will contribute to more informed treatment decision making in this growing patient population.

Background: Concurrent vision and hearing impairment, known as dual sensory impairment (DSI), is associated with increased mortality. We aimed to examine individual and joint associations of DSI and involvement in activities with mortality in a large European nursing home study., Methods: In total, 2,851 nursing home residents in 59 facilities in eight countries were followed for 1 year in the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm Care study. Vision and hearing impairment and average time of involvement in activities were assessed by trained research staff using the interRAI Long Term Care Facilities. Association between DSI and 1-year all-cause mortality was examined using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, facility, diagnoses of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, self-rated health, end-stage disease, and functional and cognitive status. The modifying effect of involvement in activities on the association was investigated by the additive hazard model., Results: DSI, defined as moderate to severe impairment in both senses, was independently associated with a 35% increased risk of 1-year mortality compared with non-DSI. Residents with DSI who were involved in activities did not have higher mortality, while residents with DSI who were not involved in activities had 51% higher mortality than non-DSI residents who were involved in activities, equivalent to approximately 209 additional deaths per 1,000 person-years (p = .012) due to the interaction between DSI and no involvement in activities., Conclusions: DSI is associated with increased mortality at nursing homes when combined with no involvement in activities., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: To examine whether nursing home residents with concurrent vision and hearing impairment, dual sensory impairment (DSI), have a greater cognitive decline over time than do those without sensory impairment and whether social engagement modifies this association., Methods: Based on the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm Care study, 1,989 nursing home residents who were assessed using the interRAI LTCF at 6-month intervals over 1 year were included. Multivariate linear regression models with time-variant exposure variables of sensory impairment and social engagement using generalized estimating equations were performed to predict cognitive function measured by the Cognitive Performance Scale (range 0-6)., Results: Residents with DSI had a greater cognitive decline [changes in Cognitive Performance Scale over 1 year = 1.12 (95% confidence interval = 0.81:1.42)] compared to those with either vision or hearing impairment [0.67 (0.53:0.64)] and those without sensory impairment [0.56 (0.48:0.64)]. A lower level of social engagement was also associated with a greater cognitive decline. The combined exposure variable of sensory impairment and social engagement revealed the greatest cognitive decline for socially disengaged residents with DSI [1.87 (1.24:2.51)] and the potential effect modification of social engagement on the association between DSI and cognitive decline; DSI was not associated with a greater cognitive decline among socially engaged residents, while it was associated among socially disengaged residents, Discussion: Cognitive function declines faster in nursing home residents with DSI only when residents were not socially engaged. Therefore, residents with DSI might cognitively benefit from interventions to improve involvement in social life at nursing homes., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Evaluating the quality of care provided to older individuals is a key step to ensure that needs are being met and to target interventions to improve care. To this aim, interRAI's second-generation home care quality indicators (HCQIs) were developed in 2013. This study assesses the quality of home care services in six European countries using these HCQIs as well as the two derived summary scales., Methods: Data for this study were derived from the Aged in Home Care (AdHOC) study - a cohort study that examined different models of community care in European countries. The current study selected a sub-sample of the AdHOC cohort from six countries whose follow-up data were complete (Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands). Data were collected from the interRAI Home Care instrument (RAI-HC) between 2000 and 2002. The 23 HCQIs of interest were determined according to previously established methodology, including risk adjustment. Two summary measures, the Clinical Balance Scale and Independence Quality Scale were also determined using established methodology., Results: A total of 1,354 individuals from the AdHOC study were included in these analyses. Of the 23 HCQIs that were measured, the highest proportion of individuals experienced declines in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) (48.4 %). Of the clinical quality indicators, mood decline was the most prevalent (30.0 %), while no flu vaccination and being alone and distressed were the most prevalent procedural and social quality indicators, respectively (33.4 and 12.8 %). Scores on the two summary scales varied by country, but were concentrated around the median mark., Conclusions: The interRAI HCQIs can be used to determine the quality of home care services in Europe and identify areas for improvement. Our results suggest functional declines may prove the most beneficial targets for interventions.

Objectives: To investigate if dual sensory impairment (DSI) in the form of a combined visual and hearing impairment is associated with the onset of behavioral symptoms in nursing homes., Methods: A total of 1524 nursing home residents without behavioral symptoms at baseline followed for 12 months in 59 nursing homes from the Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and The Netherlands. The interRAI instrument for long-term care facilities was assessed by trained staff at baseline and 12 months later., Results: Altogether, 11% of residents had a new onset of behavioral symptoms (wandering, verbal abuse, physical abuse, socially inappropriate behavior, public disrobing, and resisting care) at 12-month follow-up. In multivariate analyses adjusted for potential confounders, DSI residents had significantly higher incidence of new behavioral symptoms at 12-month follow-up, irrespective of the severity of vision and hearing impairments [odds ratio (OR) = 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3:3.4 for mild DSI, OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.6:4.0 for moderate DSI, and OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2:3.7 for severe DSI] compared with residents without sensory impairment. Among the different types of symptoms, only abusive behaviors were less likely to be associated with DSI., Conclusions: This study provides evidence that DSI could play a significant role in the development of behavioral symptoms in nursing home residents. More attention should be paid to DSI even when each of vision and hearing function is only minimally impaired., (Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Advanced age is a relevant risk factor for the heart failure (HF). The development of new pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches has determined an improvement in survival of patients with HF, leading to the selection of an older and frailer population with HF. The clinical approach to such a complex population should require clear indications to assist physicians during their daily practice, but there is a huge lack of evidence regarding the treatment of HF in the oldest among the elderly patient population. In addition, the co-occurrence of specific conditions that are extremely prevalent in older individuals with HF, such as cognitive impairment, comorbidities, and polypharmacy, can further complicate the clinical man agement of this condition. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach with the goal of recognizing and treating conditions associated with HF may be necessary to improve the quality of care and to reduce expenditures. Several studies have assessed the effect of a comprehensive geriatric assessment and management on quality of care in HF patients, demonstrating a substantial improvement in patient outcomes and administration of the appropriate drug treatment.

Objectives: To assess insomnia and its correlates as part of the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study, funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union., Design: Cross-cultural investigation., Setting: Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in eight European countries (Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Italy) and one non-European country (Israel)., Participants: Elderly residents (N = 4,156) of 57 LTCFs., Measurements: Information on insomnia, age, sex, activities of daily living (ADLs), cognitive status, depression, major stressful life events, physical activity, fatigue, pain, and sleep medication use was extracted from the International Resident Assessment Instrument (interRAI)LTCF instrument. Rates of insomnia and its correlates were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with insomnia, controlling for demographic variables., Results: The prevalence of insomnia was 24% (range 13-30%), with significant differences between countries (P < .001). More insomnia complaints were reported in older than younger residents (P < .001). Higher rates of insomnia were associated with hypnosedatives and depression in all countries (P < .001) and with stressful life events, fatigue, and pain in most countries (P < .001). No associations were found between insomnia and ADLs, physical activity, or cognitive status. Age, depression, stressful life events, fatigue, pain and hypnosedatives were independent significant predictors of insomnia, controlling for all other variables and for country., Conclusion: Hypnosedatives and depression were strong predictors of insomnia beyond cultural differences. Overall, psychosocial variables were more strongly related to insomnia than functional and mental capacities., (© 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.)

Background: Visual and hearing impairments are known to be related to functional disability, cognitive impairment, and depression in community-dwelling older people. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of sensory impairment in nursing home residents, and whether sensory impairment is related to other common clinical problems in nursing homes, mediated by functional disability, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms., Methods: Cross-sectional data of 4007 nursing home residents in 59 facilities in 8 countries from the SHELTER study were analyzed. Visual and hearing impairments were assessed by trained staff using the interRAI instrument for Long-Term Care Facilities. Generalized linear mixed models adjusted for functional disability, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms were used to analyze associations of sensory impairments with prevalence of clinical problems, including behavioral symptoms, incontinence, fatigue, falls, problems with balance, sleep, nutrition, and communication., Results: Of the participants, 32% had vision or hearing impairment (single impairment) and another 32% had both vision and hearing impairments (dual impairment). Residents with single impairment had significantly higher rates of communication problems, fatigue, balance problems, and sleep problems, as compared with residents without any sensory impairment. Those with dual impairment had significantly higher rates of all clinical problems assessed in this study as compared with those without sensory impairment. For each clinical problem, the magnitude of the odds ratio for specific clinical problems was higher for dual impairment than for single impairment., Conclusion: Visual and hearing impairments are associated with higher rates of common clinical problems among nursing home residents, independent of functional disability, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms., (Copyright © 2014 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To update the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) 2005 recommendations on geriatric assessment (GA) in older patients with cancer., Methods: SIOG composed a panel with expertise in geriatric oncology to develop consensus statements after literature review of key evidence on the following topics: rationale for performing GA; findings from a GA performed in geriatric oncology patients; ability of GA to predict oncology treatment–related complications; association between GA findings and overall survival (OS); impact of GA findings on oncology treatment decisions; composition of a GA, including domains and tools; and methods for implementing GA in clinical care., Results: GA can be valuable in oncology practice for following reasons: detection of impairment not identified in routine history or physical examination, ability to predict severe treatment-related toxicity, ability to predict OS in a variety of tumors and treatment settings, and ability to influence treatment choice and intensity. The panel recommended that the following domains be evaluated in a GA: functional status, comorbidity, cognition, mental health status, fatigue, social status and support, nutrition, and presence of geriatric syndromes. Although several combinations of tools and various models are available for implementation of GA in oncology practice, the expert panel could not endorse one over another., Conclusion: There is mounting data regarding the utility of GA in oncology practice; however, additional research is needed to continue to strengthen the evidence base.

Background: Severe hyperkalemia is a life threatening condition that can cause fatal rhythm disturbance and terminal heart arrest. The most common cause of hyperkalemia in older patients is that of iatrogenic medication-related etiology due to associated polymorbidity, polypharmacy and reduced reserve metabolic capacity. The aim of this paper is to increase awareness in the clinicians of the risk of hyperkalemia in elderly patients treated by potassium sparing drugs., Methods and Results: We present two case reports of hyperkalemia ≥ 9.0 mmol/L induced by potassium sparing medications with cardiac arrhythmias and severe ECG changes including atrial asystole, disturbance of intraventricular conduction and morphological changes such as tenting T waves and deformed wide QRS complexes. The most frequent causes of hyperkalemia in elderly patients are discussed and electrocardiogram changes and arrhythmias in hyperkalemia are analyzed, as well as their treatment and prevention., Conclusion: Potassium sparing drug therapy in older persons requires more frequent monitoring especially when drugs or their doses are changed, or during concomitant acute illness.