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Objectives This study aims to examine the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and cognitive function in later life within nationally representative samples of older adults in the United States and England, investigate whether these effects are mediated by later-life SEP, and determine whether social mobility from childhood to adulthood affects cognitive function and decline. Method Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA), we examined the relationships between measures of SEP, cognitive performance and decline using individual growth curve models. Results High childhood SEP was associated with higher cognitive performance at baseline in both cohorts and did not affect the rate of decline. This benefit dissipated after adjusting for education and adult wealth in the United States. Respondents with low childhood SEP, above median education, and high adult SEP had better cognitive performance at baseline than respondents with a similar childhood background and less upward mobility in both countries. Discussion These findings emphasize the impact of childhood SEP on cognitive trajectories among older adults. Upward mobility may partially compensate for disadvantage early in life but does not protect against cognitive decline.

Objective Electronic health records (EHRs) have become a common data source for clinical risk prediction, offering large sample sizes and frequently sampled metrics. There may be notable differences between hospital-based EHR and traditional cohort samples: EHR data often are not population-representative random samples, even for particular diseases, as they tend to be sicker with higher healthcare utilization, while cohort studies often sample healthier subjects who typically are more likely to participate. We investigate heterogeneities between EHR- and cohort-based inferences including incidence rates, risk factor identifications/quantifications, and absolute risks. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cohort study of older patients with type 2 diabetes using EHR from New York University Langone Health ambulatory care (NYULH-EHR, years 2009–2017) and from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS, 1995–2014) to study subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. We used the same eligibility criteria, outcome definitions, and demographic covariates/biomarkers in both datasets. We compared subsequent CVD incidence rates, hazard ratios (HRs) of risk factors, and discrimination/calibration performances of CVD risk scores. Results The estimated subsequent total CVD incidence rate was 37.5 and 90.6 per 1000 person-years since T2DM onset in HRS and NYULH-EHR respectively. HR estimates were comparable between the datasets for most demographic covariates/biomarkers. Common CVD risk scores underestimated observed total CVD risks in NYULH-EHR. Discussion and conclusion EHR-estimated HRs of demographic and major clinical risk factors for CVD were mostly consistent with the estimates from a national cohort, despite high incidences and absolute risks of total CVD outcome in the EHR samples.

Background Using billing data generated through health care delivery to identify individuals with dementia has become important in research. To inform tradeoffs between approaches, we tested the validity of different Medicare claims-based algorithms. Methods We included 5 784 Medicare-enrolled, Health and Retirement Study participants aged older than 65 years in 2012 clinically assessed for cognitive status over multiple waves and determined performance characteristics of different claims-based algorithms. Results Positive predictive value (PPV) of claims ranged from 53.8% to 70.3% and was highest using a revised algorithm and 1 year of observation. The tradeoff of greater PPV was lower sensitivity; sensitivity could be maximized using 3 years of observation. All algorithms had low sensitivity (31.3%–56.8%) and high specificity (92.3%–98.0%). Algorithm test performance varied by participant characteristics, including age and race. Conclusion Revised algorithms for dementia diagnosis using Medicare administrative data have reasonable accuracy for research purposes, but investigators should be cognizant of the tradeoffs in accuracy among the approaches they consider.

Background: The US Health Retirement Study (HRS) is an ongoing population-representative cohort of US adults ages >50 with rich data on health during aging. Self-reported cancer diagnoses have been collected since 1998, but they have not been validated. We compared self-reported cancer diagnoses in HRS interviews against diagnostic claims from linked Medicare records. Methods: Using HRS–Medicare linked data, we examined the validity of first incident cancer diagnoses self-reported in biennial interviews from 2000 to 2016 against ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic claim records as the gold standard. Data were from 8,242 HRS participants ages ≥65 with 90% continuous enrollment in fee-for-service Medicare. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and κ for first incident invasive cancer diagnoses (all cancers combined, and each of bladder, breast, colorectal/anal, uterine, kidney, lung, and prostate cancers) cumulatively over the follow-up and at each biennial study interview. Results: Overall, self-reports of first incident cancer diagnoses from 2000 to 2016 had 73.2% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity against Medicare claims (κ = 0.73). For specific cancer types, sensitivities ranged from 44.7% (kidney) to 75.0% (breast), and specificities ranged from 99.2% (prostate) and 99.9% (bladder, uterine, and kidney). Results were similar in sensitivity analyses restricted to individuals with 100% continuous fee-for-service Medicare enrollment and when restricted to individuals with at least 24 months of Medicare enrollment. Conclusions: Self-reported cancer diagnoses in the HRS have reasonable validity for use in population-based research that is maximized with linkage to Medicare. Impact: These findings inform the use of the HRS for population-based cancer and aging research.

Background and Purpose: Differences in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment by cognitive status are unclear, but some studies have found patients with preexisting dementia get less treatment. We compared AIS care by preexisting cognitive status. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of prospectively obtained data on 836 adults ≥45 with AIS from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project from 2008 to 2013. We compared receipt of a composite quality measure representing the percentage of 7 treatments/procedures received (ordinal scale; values, Results: Among patients with AIS, 42% had normal cognition (47% women; median age [interquartile range], 65 [56–76]), 32% had MCI (54% women; median age, 70 [60–78]), 26% had dementia (56% women; median age, 78 [64–85]). After AIS, 44% of patients with preexisting dementia and 55% of patients with preexisting MCI or normal cognition received defect-free care. Compared with cognitively normal patients, patients with preexisting MCI had similar cumulative odds (unadjusted cumulative odds ratio =0.99, P =0.92), and patients with preexisting dementia had 36% lower cumulative odds of receiving the composite quality measure (unadjusted cumulative odds ratio [OR]=0.64, P =0.005). However, the dementia-quality association became nonsignificant after adjusting for patient factors, namely sex, comorbidity, and body mass index (adjusted cumulative OR [acOR]=0.79, P =0.19). Independent of patient factors, preexisting MCI was negatively associated with receipt of IV tPA (intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator; acOR=0.36, P =0.04), rehabilitation assessment (acOR=0.28, P =0.016), and echocardiogram (acOR=0.48, P P =0.04) and echocardiogram (acOR=0.42, P Conclusions: Patients with preexisting MCI and dementia, compared with cognitively normal patients, may receive less frequently some treatments and procedures, but not the composite quality measure, after AIS.

BackgroundThe relationship between subjective social position (SSP) and cognitive ageing unclear, especially in low-income settings. We aimed to investigate the relationship between SSP and cognitive function over time among older adults in rural South Africa.MethodsData were from 3771 adults aged ≥40 in the population-representative ‘Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa’ from 2014/2015 (baseline) to 2018/2019 (follow-up). SSP was assessed at baseline with the 10-rung MacArthur Network social position ladder. Outcomes were composite orientation and episodic memory scores at baseline and follow-up (range: 0–24). Mortality- and attrition-weighted linear regression estimated the associations between baseline SSP with cognitive scores at each of the baseline and follow-up. Models were adjusted for age, age2, sex, country of birth, father’s occupation, education, employment, household assets, literacy, marital status and health-related covariates.ResultsSSP responses ranged from 0 (bottom ladder rung/lowest social position) to 10 (top ladder rung/highest social position), with a mean of 6.6 (SD: 2.3). SSP was positively associated with baseline cognitive score (adjusted β=0.198 points per ladder rung increase; 95% CI 0.145 to 0.253) and follow-up cognitive score (adjusted β=0.078 points per ladder rung increase; 95% CI 0.021 to 0.136).ConclusionIndependent of objective socioeconomic position measures, SSP is associated with orientation and episodic memory scores over two time points approximately 3 years apart among older rural South Africans. Future research is needed to establish the causality of the observed relationships, whether they persist over longer follow-up periods and their consistency in other populations.

BACKGROUND: Older patients (65+) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) receive less guideline-concordant care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other conditions than patients with normal cognition (NC). One potential explanation is that patients with MCI want less treatment than patients with NC; however, the treatment preferences of patients with MCI have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with MCI have different treatment preferences than patients with NC. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted at two academic medical centers from February to December 2019 PARTICIPANTS: Dyads of older outpatients with MCI and NC and patient-designated surrogates. MAIN MEASURES: The modified Life-Support Preferences-Predictions Questionnaire score measured patients’ preferences for life-sustaining treatment decisions in six health scenarios including stroke and acute myocardial infarction (range, 0–24 treatments rejected with greater scores indicating lower desire for treatment). KEY RESULTS: The survey response rate was 73.4%. Of 136 recruited dyads, 127 (93.4%) completed the survey (66 MCI and 61 NC). The median number of life-sustaining treatments rejected across health scenarios did not differ significantly between patients with MCI and patients with NC (4.5 vs 6.0; P=0.55). Most patients with MCI (80%) and NC (80%) desired life-sustaining treatments in their current health (P=0.99). After adjusting for patient and surrogate factors, the difference in mean counts of rejected treatments between patients with MCI and patients with NC was not statistically significant (adjusted ratio, 1.08, 95% CI, 0.80–1.44; P=0.63). CONCLUSION: We did not find evidence that patients with MCI want less treatment than patients with NC. These findings suggest that other provider and system factors might contribute to patients with MCI getting less guideline-concordant care. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-06839-w.

OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in rates of elective surgery, postoperative mortality, and readmission by pre-existing cognitive status among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing surgery. BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common among older adults, but the impact of MCI on surgical outcomes is understudied. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals ≥65 who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2015 using data from the nationally-representative Health and Retirement Study linked with Medicare claims. Cognitive status was assessed by the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score and categorized as normal cognition (score: 12–27), MCI (7–11), and dementia (

Objective: Pain, fatigue, and depression commonly co-occur as a symptom cluster in pathological inflammatory states. Psychosocial stressors such as loneliness may lead to similar states through shared mechanisms. We investigated the association of loneliness with pain, fatigue, and depression in older adults. Methods: Using Health and Retirement Study data ( N = 11,766), we measured cross-sectional prevalence of frequent, moderate to severe pain; severe fatigue; depressive symptoms; and co-occurrence of symptoms surpassing threshold levels (i.e., symptom cluster). Logistic regression models evaluated associations with loneliness. Results: Pain, fatigue, and depression were reported in 19.2%, 20.0%, and 15.3% of the total sample, respectively. The symptom cluster was seen in 4.9% overall; prevalence in lonely individuals was significantly increased (11.6% vs. 2.3%, p

Objectives To assess the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension and their relationship to cognitive function in older adults in India. Design Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD), an in-depth national study of late-life cognition and dementia. Setting Geriatric hospitals and respondents' homes across 14 states in India. Participants N = 2,874 individuals aged 60 years and older from LASI-DAD. Measurements Hypertension was identified by self-report of physician diagnosis or measured blood pressure (BP) of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Undiagnosed hypertension was defined as hypertensive BP measurements, but no physician diagnosis. Controlled hypertension was defined as BP lower than 140/90 mmHg among those with a physician diagnosis. Total hypertension included both diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension. A summary cognition score, derived from the sum of 18 cognitive tests administered in the LASI-DAD (range = 0-360) was used to assess cognitive function. Results Total hypertension prevalence was 63.2% (41.5% diagnosed and 21.6% undiagnosed). Among those with hypertension, 34.5% were undiagnosed, 34.2% were diagnosed but uncontrolled, and 31.3% were diagnosed and controlled. Neither diagnosed nor undiagnosed hypertension was related to cognitive function in fully adjusted models. Older age, female sex, less education, being widowed, rural residence, residing in the north or central regions, being in a scheduled caste or tribe, low consumption, being underweight, and history of stroke were all independently associated with worse cognitive test performance. Conclusion Two-thirds of older Indian adults had hypertension, with the majority being undiagnosed or diagnosed but not adequately controlled. Hypertension was not independently associated with cognitive function, whereas sociodemographic factors were independently related to cognitive function. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S29-S35, 2020.

The epidemiology of diabetes (DM) and subsequent development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well-studied. Less is known about the development/course of DM in adults with preexisting CVD. We hypothesized that incidence of DM in these adults varies by age. We analyzed waves 1993-2014 of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative health survey. Our study sample included adults ≥50 years (n=27,650) not having CVD or DM at entry. Age of CVD-onset was defined as age when respondent first reported CVD diagnosis. We classified adults who developed CVD into 3 age of CVD-onset groups (years): 50-59, 60-69, ≥70. For each group, we constructed a propensity-score-matched control group of respondents not having CVD. We compared risk of developing DM for each age of CVD-onset group and its matched control. Of all respondents, 683 developed CVD at 50-59 years, 1,609 at 60-69, and 3,253 at ≥70; 22,105 never developed CVD. Adults diagnosed with CVD at 50-59 years had substantial increased risk of DM: incidence risk ratio (IRR) 1.5 (1.1, 2.0). CVD diagnosis at 60-69 years also had increased risk of DM: IRR 1.2 (1.0, 1.5). CVD diagnosis at ≥70 years had no increased risk of DM: IRR 1.1 (0.9, 1.4). (Figure) Age of CVD diagnosis differentially impacts the risk of subsequent development of DM in middle-age and older adults. The relationship between DM and CVD is complex, with the role of prevalent CVD on DM incidence/course incompletely understood. Disclosure C. Cigolle: None. C. Blaum: None. J. Szymonifka: None. M. Kabeto: None. J. Ha: None. J. Zhong: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (AG054467-01)

ImportanceBlack individuals are more likely than white individuals to develop dementia. Whether higher blood pressure (BP) levels in black individuals explain differences between black and white individuals in dementia risk is uncertain.ObjectiveTo determine whether cumulative BP levels explain racial differences in cognitive decline.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIndividual participant data from 5 cohorts (January 1971 to December 2017) were pooled from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Offspring Study, and Northern Manhattan Study. Outcomes were standardized as t scores (mean [SD], 50 [10]); a 1-point difference represented a 0.1-SD difference in cognition. The median (interquartile range) follow-up was 12.4 (5.9-21.0) years. Analysis began September 2018.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was change in global cognition, and secondary outcomes were change in memory and executive function.ExposuresRace (black vs white).ResultsAmong 34 349 participants, 19 378 individuals who were free of stroke and dementia and had longitudinal BP, cognitive, and covariate data were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) age at first cognitive assessment was 59.8 (10.4) years and ranged from 5 to 95 years. Of 19 378 individuals, 10 724 (55.3%) were female and 15 526 (80.1%) were white. Compared with white individuals, black individuals had significantly faster declines in global cognition (−0.03 points per year faster [95% CI, −0.05 to −0.01]; P = .004) and memory (−0.08 points per year faster [95% CI, −0.11 to −0.06]; P P P P P P = .56) and memory (−0.06 points per year [95% CI, −0.08 to −0.03]; P P Conclusions and RelevanceThese results suggest that black individuals’ higher cumulative BP levels may contribute to racial differences in later-life cognitive decline.

312 Background: Population aging and improving cancer survival rates are resulting in a growing population of older cancer survivors in the United States (US). As a result, there is an increasing need for longitudinal, population-representative data for interdisciplinary cancer research among older adults. The US Health Retirement Study (HRS) is an ongoing population-representative cohort of US adults over age 50 that contains rich interview and biomarker data on health during aging. Interviews have collected self-reported cancer diagnoses since 1998, but these self-reports have not been validated. We compared first incident cancer diagnoses self-reported in HRS interviews against diagnostic claims from linked Medicare records. Methods: We examined the validity of first incident cancer diagnoses self-reported in biennial HRS interviews from 2000 through 2016 against ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic claim records among 8,242 HRS participants aged ≥65 with 90% continuous enrollment in fee-for-service Medicare, using the claim records as the gold standard. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and k for first incident cancer diagnoses (all cancers combined, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, and each of bladder, breast, colorectal/anal, uterine, kidney/renal, lung/bronchus, and prostate cancers) cumulatively over the follow-up, and at each biennial study interview. Results: Self-reports of first incident cancer diagnosis (agnostic of site) between 2000 and 2016 had 73.2% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity against Medicare claims (k = 0.73). For site-specific self-reports, sensitivities ranged from 44.7% (kidney) to 75.0% (breast), and specificities ranged from 99.2% (prostate) to 99.9% (bladder, uterine, and kidney). Results were similar in sensitivity analyses restricting to individuals with 100% continuous fee-for-service Medicare enrollment and when restricting to individuals with at least 24 months of Medicare enrollment. Conclusions: Self-reported cancer diagnoses in the HRS have reasonable validity for population-based research on cancer and aging across cancer types. Apart from breast cancer, cancer site specific analyses will greatly benefit from the improved validity of self-report with Medicare claim linkage.

Key Points Question What is the effect of a multicomponent infection prevention intervention on multidrug-resistant organisms in nursing homes? Findings In this cluster randomized clinical trial of 6 nursing homes, including 245 patients, a multicomponent intervention consisting of enhanced barrier precautions, chlorhexidine bathing, microbial surveillance, and staff engagement statistically significantly reduced the odds of multidrug-resistant organism contamination in patients’ environments. Meaning These findings suggest that multicomponent interventions can be tailored to reduce multidrug-resistant organisms burden and transmission potential in nursing homes., This cluster randomized clinical trial examines the effectiveness of a multicomponent infection prevention intervention for multidrug resistant organisms in nursing homes., Importance Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Preventing MDROs can reduce the risk of subsequent transmission and infection. Objective To determine whether a multicomponent infection prevention intervention can reduce MDRO prevalence in nursing homes (NHs). Design, Setting, and Participants This cluster randomized clinical trial of a multicomponent intervention was conducted in 6 NHs in Michigan from September 2016 to August 2018. Three NHs adopted a multicomponent intervention, while 3 control NHs continued without investigator intervention. Study visits were conducted at baseline; days 7, 14, 21, and 30; and monthly thereafter for up to 6 months or discharge. Visits included clinical data collection and MDRO surveillance culturing of multiple body sites and high-touch surfaces in patient rooms. Any patients who provided informed consent within 14 days of admission to the NH were enrolled in this study. Non-English speakers and patients receiving hospice care were ineligible. Analysis was performed from November 2018 to February 2020. Interventions Intervention NHs adopted a multicomponent intervention that included enhanced barrier precautions, chlorhexidine bathing, MDRO surveillance, environmental cleaning education and feedback, hand hygiene promotion, and health care worker education and feedback. Control nursing homes continued standard care practices. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome, presence of MDROs, was measured longitudinally in the patient and room environment and was evaluated using generalized mixed effect models. The secondary outcome, time to new MDRO acquisition, was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results A total of 6 NHs were included, with 245 patients (mean [SD] age, 72.5 [13.6] years; 134 [54.7%] women) enrolled; 3 NHs with 113 patients (46.1%) were randomized to the intervention group and 3 NHs with 132 patients (53.9%) were randomized to the control group. A total of 132 patients (53.9%) were White, and 235 patients (95.9%) were receiving postacute care. Over 808 study visits, 3654 patient cultures and 5606 environmental cultures were obtained. The intervention reduced the odds of MDRO prevalence in patients’ environment by 43% (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.94), but there was no statistically significant difference on the patient level before or after adjustment (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.29-1.14). There were no significant reductions in time to new acquisition for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (hazard ratio [HR], 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04-1.09), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.46-1.53), or resistant gram-negative bacilli (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.73-1.78). Conclusions and Relevance This cluster randomized clinical trial found that the multicomponent intervention reduced the prevalence of MDROs in the environment of NH patients. Our findings highlight the potential for multicomponent interventions to directly and indirectly reduce MDRO prevalence in NHs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02909946

Background Multimorbidity is an important health outcome but is difficult to quantify. We recently developed a multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) and herein assess its performance in an independent nationally-representative cohort. Methods Health and Retirement Study (HRS) participants completed an interview on physician-diagnosed chronic conditions and physical functioning. We determined the relationship of chronic conditions on physical functioning and validated these weights with the original, independently-derived MWI. We then determined the association between MWI with physical functioning, grip strength, gait speed, basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) limitations, and the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) in adjusted models. Results Among 20,509 adults, associations between chronic conditions and physical functioning varied several-fold. MWI values based on weightings in the HRS and original cohorts correlated strongly (Pearson's r = .92) and had high classification agreement (κ statistic = .80, p < .0001). Participants in the highest versus lowest MWI quartiles had weaker grip strength (-2.91 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.51, -2.30), slower gait speed (-0.29 m/s, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.23), more ADL (0.79, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.87) and IADL (0.49, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.55) limitations, and lower TICS-m (-0.59, 95% CI: -0.77, -0.41) (all p < .001). We observed monotonic graded relationships for all outcomes with increasing MWI quartiles. Conclusion A multimorbidity index weighted to physical functioning performed nearly identically in a nationally-representative cohort as it did in its development cohorts, confirming broad generalizability. MWI was strongly associated with subjective and objective physical and cognitive performance. Thus, MWI serves as a valid patient-centered measure of multimorbidity, an important construct in research and clinical practice.

Electronic health records (EHR) are an increasingly common data source for studying disease risks, having large sample sizes and frequently sampled clinical predictors/outcomes. In contrast to population-based cohorts, EHRs are not population-representative random samples, as subjects tend to be sicker, with higher healthcare utilization. We compared risk predictions of the same outcome (time to incident CVD) in the same population of interest (DM2 patients >50 years) using 2 data sources: waves 1993-2014 of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) and 2009-2017 New Langone Health Epic data. In each dataset, we estimated the incidence rate (IR) of subsequent CVD in DM2 patients and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of CVD risk factors using the Cox-regression model. The HRS sample included 2,739, of whom 423 developed CVD. The NYU-Epic sample included 9,179, of whom 1,264 developed CVD. The estimated subsequent CVD IRs were 28.5 (95% CI: 25.9-31.3) (HRS) and 67.1 (95% CI: 63.5-90.9) (NYU-Epic) per 1,000 person-years since DM2 onset. HR estimates were comparable between the datasets for most demographic covariates/biomarkers (Table). Our findings showed that the EHR sample was enriched with a higher proportion of sicker DM2 patients. Our study supports EHR use in DM2 research: EHR-based HR estimates of CVD risk factors have promise to be population-generalizable despite higher CVD IRs in the EHR samples. Disclosure J. Zhong: None. C. Blaum: None. J. Yu: None. R. Ferris: None. J. Ha: None. Y. Xia: None. M. Kabeto: None. C. Cigolle: None. Funding National Institute on Aging

Although the association between high blood pressure (BP), particularly in midlife, and late-life dementia is known, less is known about variations by race and sex. In a prospective national study of 22 164 blacks and whites ≥45 years without baseline cognitive impairment or stroke from the REGARDS cohort study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), enrolled 2003 to 2007 and followed through September 2015, we measured changes in cognition associated with baseline systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP), as well as pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure, and we tested whether age, race, and sex modified the effects. Outcomes were global cognition (Six-Item Screener; primary outcome), new learning (Word List Learning), verbal memory (Word List Delayed Recall), and executive function (Animal Fluency Test). Median follow-up was 8.1 years. Significantly faster declines in global cognition were associated with higher SBP, lower DBP, and higher PP with increasing age ( P P =0.02) and mean arterial pressure ( P =0.04). Men, compared with women, had faster declines in new learning associated with SBP ( P =0.04). BP was not associated with decline of verbal memory and executive function, after controlling for the effect of age on cognitive trajectories. Significantly faster declines in global cognition over 8 years were associated with higher SBP, lower DBP, and higher PP with increasing age. SBP-related cognitive declines were greater in blacks and men.

Background: High blood pressure (BP), particularly in mid-life, increases the risk for late-life cognitive impairment and dementia (CID). The extent to which Blacks’ and Hispanics’ worse BP control starting in young adulthood contributes to their greater risk of CID compared to Whites is uncertain. Objective: To describe a pooled, multi-ethnic cohort created to determine the associations between BP levels over the life course and CID risk in Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. Methods: We pooled individual-level data from 35,473 adults (22.6% Blacks, 8.1% Hispanics, 67.3% Whites, 2% Other) with baseline age ≥18 and cognitive assessments across 6 longitudinal cohorts in the United States from 1971 to 2016: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC), Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA), Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), Framingham Offspring Study (FOS), Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), and Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS). We harmonized cognitive tests across studies into 3 factors representing global cognitive performance, executive function, and memory using statistically appropriate confirmatory factor analysis. Mean (SD) follow up was 17.1 (10.9) years. Results: The mean (SD) baseline age was 54.3 (16.4) years and 19554 (55.1%) participants were female (Table). There were 3193 (9.0%) first incident strokes (2651 ischemic, 348 hemorrhagic, and 117 other or undetermined type) and 15147 (42.7%) deaths. The Table presents mean BPs at the first and last visits by cohort and the pooled sample. From the initial to the last assessment, mean global cognition decreased over time (p Conclusion: This will be the first comprehensive, large investigation of the association of BP levels from young adulthood to late-life and CID risk in Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites.

Background: It is unclear whether blood pressure is associated with cognitive function after stroke. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of prospectively obtained data of 432 subjects (mean age, 66; 46% female) with stroke (92% ischemic; median NIH stroke score, 3 [IQR, 2-6]) aged 45 or older without dementia from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project in 2011-2013. We examined associations between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and cognitive performance each measured 90 days after stroke. BP measured 3 times using standard protocol and averaged. Cognition was assessed using 4 tests: Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MSE), animal fluency test, Trails A and B. Linear or tobit regression adjusted associations for age, education, and race/ethnicity as well as variables that were significantly associated with both BP and cognition. Results: Systolic BP was not significantly associated with cognitive performance (Model 1) unless diastolic BP was included in the model (Model 3)(Table). Both higher systolic BP and lower diastolic BP each were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance for all 4 tests (Model 3). Diastolic BP remained significantly associated with cognitive performance after adjusting for age, education, and race/ethnicity but systolic BP did not (Model 4). With further adjustment for clinical factors, diastolic BP did not remain independently associated with cognition (Model 5). Lower cognitive performance was significantly associated with older age, less education, Mexican American ethnicity, diabetes, higher stroke severity, more depressive symptoms, and lower BMI. Conclusion: Patients with higher systolic BP and lower diastolic BP are more likely to have worse cognitive performance after stroke but sociodemographic and clinical factors may explain these associations.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)—measurable cognitive impairment that doesn't severely affect daily functioning—is common, affecting 1 in 5 adults 65 or older. Little is known about the quality of stroke care for patients with pre-existing MCI despite evidence in other diseases that these patients may be under-treated. Methods: Prospective study of 708 patients aged ≥65 hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke between 2000 and 2014 from the Health and Retirement Study with linked Medicare and American Hospital Association data. We compared receipt of process measures after acute ischemic stroke between patients with pre-existing MCI (based on modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status [TICS-m] score, 7-11, a valid measure of MCI) and normal cognition (TICS-m score, 12-27). We used Cox regression to estimate the effect of pre-existing MCI on receipt of process measures after adjusting for patient and hospital factors (Table 1). Results: Patients with pre-existing MCI, compared to those with normal cognition, were less likely to receive IV t-PA, carotid revascularization, cardiac monitoring, and rehabilitation assessment, but not carotid imaging (Table 1). Pre-existing MCI was not independently associated with stroke process measures after adjusting for patient and hospital factors such as sex, educational and marriage status, and facility size. Conclusion: Modest differences in use of IV t-PA, carotid revascularization, rehabilitation assessment, cardiac monitoring, and carotid imaging exist in patients with pre-existing MCI and normal cognition after acute ischemic stroke. These differences were largely explained by patients with MCI being more likely to be women, less educated, unmarried, and using smaller hospitals.

Numerous factors affect reaction times to vibrotactile cues. Therefore, it is important to consider the relative magnitudes of these time delays when designing vibrotactile displays for real-time applications. The objectives of this study were to quantify reaction times to typical vibrotactile stimuli parameters through direct comparison within a single experimental setting, and to determine the relative importance of these factors on reaction times. Young (n = 10, 21.9 ± 1.3 yrs) and older adults (n = 13, 69.4 ± 5.0 yrs) performed simple reaction time tasks by responding to vibrotactile stimuli using a thumb trigger while frequency, location, auditory cues, number of tactors in the same location, and tactor type were varied. Participants also performed a secondary task in a subset of the trials. The factors investigated in this study affected reaction times by 20–300 ms (reaction time findings are noted in parentheses) depending on the specific stimuli condition. In general, auditory cues generated by the tactors (130 ms) had relatively large effects. Factors affected young and older adults’ reaction times in a similar manner, but with different magnitudes. These findings can inform the development of vibrotactile displays by enabling designers to directly compare the relative effects of key factors on reaction times.

Background Multimorbidity is associated with greater disability and accelerated declines in physical functioning over time in older adults. However, less is known about its effect on cognitive decline. Methods Participants without dementia from the Health and Retirement Study were interviewed about physician-diagnosed conditions, from which their multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) that weights diseases to physical functioning was computed. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine the predictor MWI with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm, global cognition), 10-word immediate recall and delayed recall, and serial 7s outcomes biennially after adjusting for baseline cognition and covariates. Results Fourteen thousand two hundred sixty-five participants, 60% female, contributed 73,700 observations. Participants had a mean ± SD age 67 ± 9.3 years and MWI 4.4 ± 3.9 at baseline. Each point increase in MWI was associated with declines in global cognition (0.04, 95% CI: 0.03–0.04 TICSm), immediate recall (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 words), delayed recall (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 words), and working memory (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 serial 7s; all p < .001). Multimorbidity was associated with faster declines in global cognition (0.003 points/year faster, 95% CI: 0.002–0.004), immediate recall (0.001 words/year faster, 95% CI: 0.001–0.002), and working memory (0.006 incorrect serial 7s/year faster, 95% CI: 0.004–0.009; all p < .001), but not delayed recall compared with premorbid slopes. Conclusions Multimorbidity using a validated index weighted to physical functioning was associated with acute decline in cognition and accelerated and persistent cognitive decline over 14 years. This study supports an ongoing geriatric syndrome of coexisting physical and cognitive impairment in adults with multimorbidity. Clinicians should monitor and address both domains in older multimorbid adults.

Background and purpose Older patients with pre-existing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) receive less evidence-based care after acute myocardial infarction, however, whether they receive less care after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is unknown. We compared receipt of guideline-concordant procedures after AIS between older adults with pre-existing MCI and normal cognition. Methods Prospective study of 591 adults ≥65 hospitalized for AIS between 2000 and 2014, and followed through 2015 using data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, Medicare and American Hospital Association. We assessed pre-existing MCI (modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score of 7–11) and normal cognition (score of 12–27). Primary outcome was a composite quality measure representing the number of 4 procedures (carotid imaging, cardiac monitoring, echocardiogram, and rehabilitation assessment) received within 30 days after AIS (ordinal scale with values of 0, 1, 2, 3–4). Results Among survivors of AIS, 26.9% had pre-existing MCI (62.9% were women, with a mean [SD] age of 82.4 [7.7] years), and 73.1% had normal cognition (51.4% were women, with a mean age of 78.4 [7.2] years). Patients with pre-existing MCI, compared to cognitively normal patients, had 39% lower cumulative odds of receiving the composite quality measure (unadjusted cumulative odds ratio, OR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.43–0.87]; P=0.006). However, this association became non-significant after adjusting for patient and hospital factors (adjusted cumulative OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.56–1.24]; P=0.37). Lower cumulative odds of receiving the composite quality measure were associated with older patient age (adjusted cumulative OR per 1-year older age, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95–0.99]; P=0.01) and Southern hospitals (adjusted cumulative OR for South vs North, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.31–0.94]; P=0.03). Conclusions Differences in receipt of guideline-concordant procedures after AIS exist between patients with pre-existing MCI and normal cognition. These differences were largely explained by patient and regional factors associated with receiving less AIS care.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It is unclear whether blood pressure (BP) is associated with cognition after stroke. We examined associations between systolic and diastolic BP (SBP, DBP), pulse pressure (PP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cognition, each measured 90 days after stroke. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of prospectively obtained data of 432 dementia-free subjects ≥45 (median age, 66; 45% female) with stroke (92% ischemic; median NIH stroke score, 3 [IQR, 2-6]) from the population-based Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project in 2011-2013. Primary outcome: Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MSE; range, 0-100). Secondary outcomes: Animal Fluency Test (AFT; range, 0-10) and Trail Making Tests A and B (number of correct items [range, 0-25]/completion time [Trails A: 0-180 seconds; Trails B: 0-300 second]). Linear or tobit regression adjusted associations for age, education, and race/ethnicity as well as variables significantly associated with BP and cognition. RESULTS: Higher SBP, lower DBP, higher PP, and lower MAP each were associated with worse cognitive performance for all 4 tests (all P0.05). Lower cognitive performance was associated with older age, less education, Mexican American ethnicity, diabetes, higher stroke severity, more depressive symptoms, and lower BMI. Among survivors with hypertension, anti-hypertensive medication use 90 days after stroke was significantly associated with higher AFT scores (P=0.02) but not other tests (P>0.15). CONCLUSION: Stroke survivors’ BP levels were not associated with cognitive performance at 90 days independent of sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Evidence suggests that older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) might not receive evidence-based treatments. We explored the impact of patient MCI on physician decision-making and recommendations for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a pilot concurrent mixed-methods study of physicians recruited from one academic center. The mailed survey included a clinical vignette of AIS or AMI where the patient cognitive status was randomized (normal cognition, MCI, or early-stage dementia). The primary outcome was a composite summary measure of the proportion of guideline-concordant treatments recommended. Linear regression compared the primary outcome across patient cognition groups adjusting for physician characteristics. Semi-structured interviews done with 18 physicians (4 cardiologists, 9 neurologists, 5 internists) using a standard guide. Survey response rate was 72% (82/114) (49/61 neurologists; 33/53 cardiologists). As patient cognition worsened, neurologists recommended less guideline-concordant treatments after AIS (Ptrend

Most older adults have multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity) that profoundly affect physical functioning. However, critical gaps remain in its measurement. We previously developed and validated a multimorbidity index that weights self-reported physician-diagnosed diseases by physical functioning. Herein, we linked Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Medicare claims to develop a multimorbidity index of ICD-coded conditions (MWI-ICD) for administrative data. Medicare-eligible HRS participants with outpatient and inpatient claims contributed repeated measures of a modified Short Form (SF)-36 physical functioning scale and ICD-coded conditions between 2000–2012. Mixed effects models adjusted for age were used to obtain regression coefficients for conditions on physical functioning. MWI-ICD was calculated by summing the physical functioning-weighted conditions. We included 71,756 observations from 17,478 participants with mean age 70.98.2 years and 55.930.3 physical functioning units. Diseases varied several-fold in their impact on physical functioning (median 1.8, range 0–9.3). The top prevalent conditions were hypertensive disease (66%), metabolic disorders including hyperlipidemia and overweight/obesity (61%), eye disorders (57%), and connective tissue and joint disorders (55%). Neuroendocrine tumors, acquired hemolytic anemias, multiple sclerosis, and paralysis had the greatest impact on physical functioning. The mean MWI was 13.4 (median 11.7, range 0–43.5) and mean disease count was 6.6 (median 6, range 0–29). Chronic conditions from Medicare claims had wide-ranging associations with physical functioning. MWI had a wider distribution than simple disease count, suggesting that a simple disease count is unlikely to capture the full impact of multimorbidity on physical functioning. A newly-developed MWI-ICD is feasible and readily implemented in administrative data.

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) should receive evidence-based treatments when indicated. Providers and patients may overestimate the risk of dementia in patients with MCI leading to potential under-treatment. However, the association between pre-existing MCI and receipt of evidence-based treatments is uncertain. To compare receipt of treatments for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between older adults with pre-existing MCI and cognitively normal patients. Prospective study using data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, Medicare, and American Hospital Association. Six hundred nine adults aged 65 or older hospitalized for AMI between 2000 and 2011 and followed through 2012 with pre-existing MCI (defined as modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score of 7–11) and normal cognition (score of 12–27). Receipt of cardiac catheterization and coronary revascularization within 30 days and cardiac rehabilitation within 1 year of AMI hospitalization. Among the survivors of AMI, 19.2% had pre-existing MCI (55.6% were women and 44.4% were male, with a mean [SD] age of 82.3 [7.5] years), and 80.8% had normal cognition (45.7% were women and 54.3% were male, with a mean age of 77.1 [7.1] years). Survivors of AMI with pre-existing MCI were significantly less likely than those with normal cognition to receive cardiac catheterization (50% vs 77%; P

Older adults vary in age of onset and duration of diabetes (DM) but are treated similarly. We hypothesized that age of DM-onset has differential impact on distal outcome risk. 0057e analyzed waves 1993-2014 of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative health survey where we can study people before and after DM diagnosis for ∼ 20 years. Our sample included adults >50 years (n=27,975) without DM at entry. Age of DM-onset was defined as age when respondent first reported DM diagnosis. We classified adults who developed DM into 3 groups: 75. For each group, we constructed a propensity-score-matched control group of respondents who never develop DM. We compared risks of outcomes for each onset-age group and control: cardiac disease, stroke, mild disability (1-2 ADL/IADL dependencies), severe disability (>2 ADL/IADL dependencies), death. At 75; 21,994 never developed DM. Adults diagnosed with DM at Age of DM diagnosis differentially impacts key outcome risks in older adults and has more impact than duration. Findings reinforce clinical heterogeneity in DM and the focus to improve DM management in middle aged adults. Disclosure J. Zhong: None. J. Ha: None. C. Blaum: None. M. Kabeto: None. C. Cigolle: None.

Background Multimorbidity is common among older adults and strongly associated with physical functioning decline and increased mortality. However, the full spectrum of direct and indirect effects of multimorbidity on physical functioning and survival has not been quantified. We aimed to determine the longitudinal relationship of multimorbidity on physical functioning and quantify the impact of multimorbidity and multimorbidity-attributed changes in physical functioning on mortality risk. Methods The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative population-based prospective cohort of adults aged 51 or older. In 2000, participants were interviewed about physician-diagnosed chronic conditions, from which their multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) was computed. Between 2000 and 2011, participants reported their current physical functioning using a modified Short Form-36. With MWI as a time-varying exposure, we jointly modeled its associations with physical functioning and survival. Results The final sample included 74,037 observations from 18,174 participants. At baseline, participants had a weighted mean MWI of 4.6 ± 4.2 (range 0–36.8). During follow-up, physical functioning declined: −1.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.77, −1.67, p < .001) HRS physical functioning units per point MWI in adjusted models. Over follow-up, 6,362 (34%) participants died. Mortality risk increased 8% (hazard ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.07–1.08, p < .001) per point MWI in adjusted models. Across all population subgroups, MWI was associated with greater physical functioning decline and mortality risk. Conclusions Multimorbidity and its associated decline in physical functioning were significantly associated with increased mortality. These associations can be predicted with an easily interpreted and applied multimorbidity index that can better identify and target adults at increased risk for disability and death.

Background Sensory augmentation has been shown to improve postural stability during real-time balance applications. Limited long-term controlled studies have examined retention of balance improvements in healthy older adults after training with sensory augmentation has ceased. This pilot study aimed to assess the efficacy of long-term balance training with and without sensory augmentation among community-dwelling healthy older adults. Methods Twelve participants (four males, eight females; 75.6 ± 4.9 yrs) were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 6) or control group (n = 6). Participants trained in their homes for eight weeks, completing three 45-min exercise sessions per week using smart phone balance trainers that provided written, graphic, and video guidance, and monitored trunk sway. During each session, participants performed six repetitions of six exercises selected from five categories (static standing, compliant surface standing, weight shifting, modified center of gravity, and gait). The experimental group received vibrotactile sensory augmentation for four of the six repetitions per exercise via the smart phone balance trainers, while the control group performed exercises without sensory augmentation. The smart phone balance trainers sent exercise performance data to a physical therapist, who recommended exercises on a weekly basis. Balance performance was assessed using a battery of clinical balance tests (Activity Balance Confidence Scale, Sensory Organization Test, Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test, Five Times Sit to Stand Test, Four Square Step Test, Functional Reach Test, Gait Speed Test, Timed Up and Go, and Timed Up and Go with Cognitive Task) before training, after four weeks of training, and after eight weeks of training. Results Participants in the experimental group were able to use vibrotactile sensory augmentation independently in their homes. After training, the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in Sensory Organization Test and Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores than the control group. Significant improvement was also observed for Five Times Sit to Stand Test duration within the experimental group, but not in the control group. No significant improvements between the two groups were observed in the remaining clinical outcome measures. Conclusion The findings of this study support the use of sensory augmentation devices by community-dwelling healthy older adults as balance rehabilitation tools, and indicate feasibility of telerehabilitation therapy with reduced input from clinicians.

Introduction This is a nationally representative study of rural−urban disparities in the prevalence of probable dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND). Methods Data on non-institutionalized U.S. adults from the 2000 (n=16,386) and 2010 (n=16,311) cross-sections of the Health and Retirement Study were linked to respective Census assessments of the urban composition of residential census tracts. Relative risk ratios (RRR) for rural−urban differentials in dementia and CIND respective to normal cognitive status were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Analyses were conducted in 2016. Results Unadjusted prevalence of dementia and CIND in rural and urban tracts converged so that rural disadvantages in the relative risk of dementia (RRR=1.42, 95% CI=1.10, 1.83) and CIND (RRR=1.35, 95% CI=1.13, 1.61) in 2000 no longer reached statistical significance in 2010. Adjustment for the strong protective role of educational attainment reduced rural disadvantages in 2000 to statistical nonsignificance, whereas adjustment for race/ethnicity resulted in a statistically significant increase in RRRs in 2010. Full adjustment for sociodemographic and health factors revealed persisting rural disadvantages for dementia and CIND in both periods with RRR in 2010 for dementia of 1.79 (95% CI=1.31, 2.43) and for CIND of 1.38 (95% CI=1.14, 1.68). Conclusions Larger gains in rural adults’ cognitive functioning between 2000 and 2010 that are linked with increased educational attainment demonstrate long-term public health benefits of investment in secondary education. Persistent disadvantages in cognitive functioning among rural adults compared with sociodemographically similar urban peers highlight the importance of public health planning for more rapidly aging rural communities.

Propensity score analysis (PSA) is a common method for estimating treatment effects, but researchers dealing with data from survey designs are generally not properly accounting for the sampling weights in their analyses. Moreover, recommendations given in the few existing methodological articles on this subject are susceptible to bias. We show in this article through derivation, simulation, and a real data example that using sampling weights in the propensity score estimation stage and the outcome model stage results in an estimator that is robust to a variety of conditions that lead to bias for estimators currently recommended in the statistical literature. We highly recommend researchers use the more robust approach described here. This article provides much needed rigorous statistical guidance for researchers working with survey designs involving sampling weights and using PSAs.

Objectives To measure the association between spousal depression, general health, fatigue and sleep, and future care recipient healthcare expenditures and emergency department (ED) use. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Health and Retirement Study. Participants Home-dwelling spousal dyads in which one individual (care recipient) was aged 65 and older and had one or more activity of daily living or instrumental activity of daily living disabilities and was enrolled in Medicare Part B (N = 3,101). Exposure Caregiver sleep (Jenkins Sleep Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-8 Scale), and self-reported general health measures. Measurements Primary outcome was care recipient Medicare expenditures. Secondary outcome was care recipient ED use. Follow-up was 6 months. Results Caregiver depressive symptoms score and six of 17 caregiver well-being measures were prospectively associated with higher care recipient expenditures after minimal adjustment (P < .05). Higher care recipient expenditures remained significantly associated with caregiver fatigue (cost increase, $1,937, 95% confidence interval (CI) = $770–3,105) and caregiver sadness (cost increase, $1,323, 95% CI = $228–2,419) after full adjustment. Four of 17 caregiver well-being measures, including severe fatigue, were significantly associated with care recipient ED use after minimal adjustment (P < .05). Greater odds of care recipient ED use remained significantly associated with caregiver fatigue (odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.01–1.52) and caregiver fair to poor health (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04–1.45) after full adjustment. Caregiver total sleep score was not associated with care recipient outcomes. Conclusion Poor caregiver well-being, particularly severe fatigue, is independently and prospectively associated with higher care recipient Medicare expenditures and ED use.

Background: We aimed to quantify the impact of multimorbidity, using a validated multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) that weights chronic conditions by the Short Form-36 physical functioning, on future functional decline measured by activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).

Objective: We aimed to explore factors associated with clinical evaluations for cognitive impairment among older residents of the United States. Methods: Two hundred ninety-seven of 845 subjects in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS), a nationally representative community-based cohort study, met criteria for dementia after a detailed in-person study examination. Informants for these subjects reported whether or not they had ever received a clinical cognitive evaluation outside of the context of ADAMS. Among subjects with dementia, we evaluated demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors associated with an informant-reported clinical cognitive evaluation using bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of the 297 participants with dementia in ADAMS, 55.2% (representing about 1.8 million elderly Americans in 2002) reported no history of a clinical cognitive evaluation by a physician. In a multivariable logistic regression model (n = 297) controlling for demographics, physical function measures, and dementia severity, marital status (odds ratio for currently married: 2.63 [95% confidence interval: 1.10–6.35]) was the only significant independent predictor of receiving a clinical cognitive evaluation among subjects with study-confirmed dementia. Conclusions: Many elderly individuals with dementia do not receive clinical cognitive evaluations. The likelihood of receiving a clinical cognitive evaluation in elderly individuals with dementia associates with certain patient-specific factors, particularly severity of cognitive impairment and current marital status.

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and serious morbidity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), many of whom will not progress to dementia. It is unclear whether patients with pre-existing MCI (without dementia) get evidence-based treatments for CVD less often than patients without MCI. We compared treatment for acute ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between MCI patients and cognitively normal patients in a nationally representative sample. Methods: Prospective study of patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized with ischemic stroke (n=517) or AMI (n=509) from the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare data from 2000-2011. We compared receipt of CVD process measures (Table) within 12 months of the stroke or AMI hospitalization from Medicare claims between subjects with pre-existing MCI (modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status [TICS-m] score, 7-11, a valid measure of MCI) and those with normal cognition (TICS-m score, 12-27), and used logistic regression to adjust associations for age, sex, race, education, number of preexisting functional limitations, and comorbidity. Results: Compared with cognitively normal patients, patients with pre-existing MCI were significantly less likely to receive all 3 AMI process measures, and they got stroke process measures less frequently but results were not statistically significant (Table). MCI patients were less likely than cognitively normal patients to receive any post-MI revascularization (adjusted odds ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.33-0.88), but not the other CVD process measures, after adjustment (Table). Conclusion: Older MCI patients less frequently got process measures for AMI and ischemic stroke compared with cognitively normal patients. Patient factors explain some but not all of this reduced use. We need to better understand decision making for CVD treatment in older MCI patients and reasons for treatment differences.

Purpose Much variation in individual-level cognitive function in late life remains unexplained, with little exploration of area-level/contextual factors to date. Income inequality is a contextual factor that may plausibly influence cognitive function. Methods In a nationally-representative cohort of older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined state- and metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level income inequality as predictors of individual-level cognitive function measured by the 27-point Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) scale. We modeled latency periods of 8–20 years, and controlled for state-/metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level and individual-level factors. Results Higher MSA-level income inequality predicted lower cognitive function 16–18 years later. Using a 16-year lag, living in a MSA in the highest income inequality quartile predicted a 0.9-point lower TICS-m score (β = -0.86; 95% CI = -1.41, -0.31), roughly equivalent to the magnitude associated with five years of aging. We observed no associations for state-level income inequality. The findings were robust to sensitivity analyses using propensity score methods. Conclusions Among older Americans, MSA-level income inequality appears to influence cognitive function nearly two decades later. Policies reducing income inequality levels within cities may help address the growing burden of declining cognitive function among older populations within the United States.

Depression negatively affects health and well being among older adults, but there have been no nationally representative comparisons of depression prevalence among older adults in England and the United States.The authors sought to compare depressive symptoms among older adults in these countries and identify sociodemographic and clinical correlates of depression in these countries.The authors assessed depressive symptoms in non-Hispanic whites aged 65 years and older in 2002 in two nationally representative, population-based studies: the U.S. Health and Retirement Study and English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.A total of 8,295 Health and Retirement Study respondents and 5,208 English Longitudinal Study of Ageing respondents.The authors measured depressive symptoms using the eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The authors determined whether depressive symptom differences between the United States and England were associated with sociodemographic characteristics, chronic health conditions, and health behaviors.Significant depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥4) were more prevalent in English than U.S. adults (17.6% versus 14.6%, adjusted Wald test F([1, 1593]) = 11.4, p0.001). Adjusted rates of depressive symptoms in England were 19% higher compared with the United States (odds ratio: 1.19, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.40). U.S. adults had higher levels of education, and net worth, but lower levels of activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living impairments, tobacco use, and cognitive impairment, which may have contributed to relatively lower levels of depressive symptoms in the United States.Older adults in the United States had lower rates of depressive symptoms than their English counterparts despite having more chronic health conditions. Future cross-national studies should identify how depression treatment influences outcomes in these populations.

Objectives: This study sought to (1) identify barriers to spousal support for chronic illness self-care among community-dwelling older adults; and (2) describe the potential availability of self-care support from adult children living outside of the household. Methods: Nationally representative US sample of chronically ill adults aged 51+ were interviewed as part of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,862). Both participants and their spouses (when available) reported information about their health and functioning. Participants also reported information about their contact with adult children and the quality of those relationships. Results: More than one-third (38%) of chronically ill older adults in the US are unmarried; and when spouses are available, the majority of them have multiple chronic diseases and functional limitations. However, the vast majority of chronically ill older adults (93%, representing roughly 60 million Americans) have adult children, with half having children living over 10 miles away. Most respondents with children (78%) reported at least weekly telephone contact and that these relationships were positive. Roughly 19 million older chronically ill Americans have adult children living at a distance but none nearby; these children are in frequent telephone contact and respondents (including those with multiple chronic diseases) report that the relationships are positive. Discussion: As the gap between available health services for disease management and the need among community-dwelling patients continues to grow, adult children—including those living at a distance—represent an important resource for improving self-care support for people with chronic diseases.

DEMENTIA is characterized by significant declines in cognitive and physical functioning and is a leading cause of disability in later life. Despite the importance of functional status to the diagnosis of dementia, there is currently limited information on differences in functional limitations across subgroups of patients that differ in their dementia etiology. An improved understanding of functional profiles for older adults with dementia could play a role in the effective design of community-based programs that address the growing epidemic of this disease. High-quality, community-based, and institutional services are increasingly needed for patients with dementia to lessen its impact on individuals, families, and the health care system. More specific information on the likely functional needs of dementia patients could also be helpful to clinicians, in particular primary care physicians, in accurately predicting which patients will be able to live independently and safely. There are some clinical features that distinguish Alzheimer’s disease from vascular dementia (VaD), and these differences may translate into differences in function. However, current evidence is mixed regarding how different dementia diagnoses affect activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). In one study, hospital utilization was higher for those with VaD compared with those with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) (1). Another study found no differences using the Disability Assessment for Dementia when comparing individuals with VaD and AD (2). A third study documented a higher prevalence of autonomic instability in patients with VaD comparable to Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia, suggesting that individuals with VaD may be at greater risk for falls as well as gait abnormalities relative to those with AD (3). Difficulties performing ADLs and IADLs among patients with VaD are often due to the neurological sequelae of a stroke. Depending on the location of the infarct/hemorrhage, a patient may have motor, language, visual, and/or postural functions affected. The risk of cognitive impairment after stroke increases with increasing age, stroke severity, and stroke recurrences among other risk factors (4). Furthermore, VaD patients likely have greater functional impairment due to the added impact of comorbid illnesses, such as heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and complications of type 2 diabetes (2). In addition, executive function deficits are predictive of functional decline in patients with VaD (5–7). Although cognitive changes are dependent on the location of the ischemic event, deficits in executive function are common in patients with vascular cognitive impairment (8,9). In contrast, AD patients experience a progressive decline in their ability to independently perform ADL and IADLs as cognition deteriorates. IADLs are typically affected at earlier stages with worsening of memory and the development of behavioral disturbances, followed by a progressive decline in ADLs as executive function becomes more affected at later stages of the dementia (10–12). Thus, the psychometric differences that exist between VaD and AD patients may also explain differences in functional limitations. We hypothesized that a unique functional profile exists for individuals with VaD compared with those with AD. To test this hypothesis, we examined data from a nationally representative cohort of participants in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) to determine the nature and severity of functional impairment among older adults with dementia due to different etiologies.

The diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia must reflect an increasingly diverse and aging United States population. This study compared direct testing and informant reports of cognition with clinical diagnoses of cognitive impairment and dementia between African Americans and whites.Participants in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study completed in-person dementia evaluations, and were assigned clinical diagnoses (by a consensus panel of dementia experts) of normal; cognitive impairment, not demented (CIND); and dementia. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) total score and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) were used to assess cognitive performance and reported cognitive decline.A higher CERAD total score was associated with lower odds of CIND and dementia, at comparable ratios between African Americans and whites. Higher IQCODE scores were associated with increased odds of dementia in both African Americans and whites. Higher IQCODE scores were associated with increased odds of CIND among whites, but not among African Americans.Cultural differences may influence informant reports of prevalent CIND and dementia. Our findings also highlight the need for more comparative research to establish the cultural validity of measures used to diagnose these conditions.

Nursing home care has become an essential component of chronic care delivery to older adults; 43% of older adults will use nursing home care at some point in their lives.1 Nursing home care is the most expensive type of long-term care (LTC) service and accounts for approximately 70% of total LTC expenditures.2 The Congressional Budget Office projects that expenditures for nursing home services will grow rapidly in the next 10 years.3 These growing expenditures will create further financial pressures on individuals, families, and public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. The goal of this study was to better understand the effect of LTC insurance on nursing home use in a nationally representative sample of older Americans. A longitudinal analysis of nursing home use over an 8-year time period was performed in individuals aged 50 and older who did and did not have LTC insurance. The lack of an increase in nursing home utilization among LTC insurance policyholders compared to nonpolicyholders may suggest that expansion of LTC insurance ownership would not increase the total costs for long-term care. It was hypothesized that LTC insurance policyholders would use nursing homes more than those who did not possess an LTC insurance policy primarily because of the principles of moral hazard and adverse selection. Moral hazard refers to the observation that insured individuals are more likely to increase utilization or spending because of the lower user price for covered LTC services. LTC insurance policyholders may be more likely to use nursing home care if they have insurance coverage for such a service. Moreover, economists have observed that individuals who have a private knowledge that they are at high risk for an insurable event tend to buy insurance more than low-risk individuals.4 In the LTC insurance market, this adverse selection would lead to a higher rate of LTC insurance purchase by those more likely to enter a nursing home. The goal of the analysis was to determine whether owning an LTC insurance policy was associated with greater likelihood of using nursing home services.

OBJECTIVES: To examine concerns that vulnerable populations, such as depressed or cognitively impaired beneficiaries would have challenges accessing Part D coverage. DESIGN: Logistic regression analysis was used to assess whether elderly Medicare beneficiaries with depression or cognitive impairment differentially planned to and actually signed up for Part D. SETTING: 2004 and 2006 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used, including a subsample that completed the Prescription Drug Study (PDS) in 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand five hundred ninety-three HRS respondents and 3,567 PDS respondents. MEASUREMENTS: The outcome variables of interest were planned and actual enrollment in Part D. The independent variables were depression and cognitive impairment status. The analyses were adjusted using clinical and demographic predictors including age, sex, race or ethnicity, educational attainment, net worth, marital status, health status, number of health conditions being treated with prescription medications, and presence of a caregiver. RESULTS: Although having depression or cognitive impairment was associated with a higher likelihood of planning to and actually signing up for Part D in unadjusted analyses, in adjusted analyses, having depression or cognitive impairment was not significantly associated with whether Medicare beneficiaries planned to enroll in or actually enrolled in Part D. CONCLUSION: Vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries with depression or cognitive impairment were able to access Part Dbenefits to the same extent asnonvulnerable beneficiaries. More research is needed to determine how well Part D meets the needs of these populations. J Am Geriatr Soc 57:1433–1440, 2009.

Traditional investigations of caregiving link it to increased caregiver morbidity and mortality, but do not disentangle the effects of providing care from those of being continuously exposed to an ailing loved one with serious health problems. We explored this possible confound in a national, longitudinal survey of elderly married individuals ( N = 3,376). Results showed that spending at least 14 hr per week providing care to a spouse predicted decreased mortality for the caregiver, independently of behavioral and cognitive limitations of the care recipient (spouse), and of other demographic and health variables. These findings suggest that it may be premature to conclude that health risks for caregivers are due to providing active help. Indeed, under some circumstances, caregivers may actually benefit from providing care.

Background Recent medical, demographic, and social trends might have had an important impact on the cognitive health of older adults. To assess the impact of these multiple trends, we compared the prevalence and 2-year mortality of cognitive impairment (CI) consistent with dementia in the United States in 1993 to 1995 and 2002 to 2004. Methods We used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative population-based longitudinal survey of U.S. adults. Individuals aged 70 years or older from the 1993 (N = 7,406) and 2002 (N = 7,104) waves of the HRS were included. CI was determined by using a 35-point cognitive scale for self-respondents and assessments of memory and judgment for respondents represented by a proxy. Mortality was ascertained with HRS data verified by the National Death Index. Results In 1993, 12.2% of those aged 70 or older had CI compared with 8.7% in 2002 (P < .001). CI was associated with a significantly higher risk of 2-year mortality in both years. The risk of death for those with moderate/severe CI was greater in 2002 compared with 1993 (unadjusted hazard ratio, 4.12 in 2002 vs 3.36 in 1993; P = .08; age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio, 3.11 in 2002 vs 2.53 in 1993; P = .09). Education was protective against CI, but among those with CI, more education was associated with higher 2-year mortality. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesis of a compression of cognitive morbidity between 1993 and 2004, with fewer older Americans reaching a threshold of significant CI and a more rapid decline to death among those who did. Societal investment in building and maintaining cognitive reserve through formal education in childhood and continued cognitive stimulation during work and leisure in adulthood might help limit the burden of dementia among the growing number of older adults worldwide.

Although congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common condition, the extent of disability and caregiving needs for those with CHF are unclear. We sought to determine: (1) prevalence of physical disability and geriatric conditions, (2) whether CHF is independently associated with disability, (3) rates of nursing home admission, and (4) formal and informal in-home care received in the older CHF population.We used cross-sectional data from the 2000 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. We compared outcomes among three categories of older adults: (1) no coronary heart disease (CHD), (2) CHD, without CHF, and (3) CHF. Compared to those without CHF, respondents reporting CHF were more likely to be disabled (P0.001) and to have geriatric conditions (P0.001). Respondents reporting CHF were more likely to have been admitted to a nursing home (P0.05). CHF respondents were more functionally impaired than respondents without CHF.The adjusted average weekly informal care hours for respondents reporting CHF was higher than for those reporting CHD but without CHF and those reporting no CHD (6.7 vs 4.1 vs 5.1, respectively; P0.05). Average weekly formal caregiving hours also differed among the three groups (1.3 CHF vs 0.9 CHD without CHF vs 0.7 no CHD; P0.05).CHF imposes a significant burden on patients, families, and the long-term care system. Older adults with CHF have higher rates of disability, geriatric conditions, and nursing home admission.