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Objective: Frailty has been extensively studied in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and kidney transplant (KT) patients. The identification of frailty is useful to predict adverse outcomes among ESKD and KT patients. The recent concept of intrinsic capacity (IC) appears as a good and easy-to-understand tool to screen for and monitor frailty in older adults with ESKD. This study aims to assess the relationships between frailty and IC in older adults with ESKD awaiting KT. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting and participants: 236 patients from a day-care geriatric unit undergoing pre-KT geriatric assessment between 2017 and 2022 were included in the main sample, and 151 patients in an independent multicentric replication sample. Measurements: Frailty was evaluated using the physical frailty phenotype (PFP) and IC measures using the World Health Organization’s screening (step 1) and diagnostic (step 2) tools for five IC domains (vitality, locomotion, audition, cognition, psychology). Multivariate regressions were run to assess relationships between PFP and IC domains, adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities. Analyses were replicated using another independent multicenter cohort including 151 patients with ESKD to confirm the results. Results: Impairments in the locomotion, psychology, and vitality IC domains according to WHO screening tools were associated with frailty (odds ratio 9.62 [95% CI 4.09−24.99], 3.19 [95% CI 1.11–8.88], and 3.11 [95% CI 1.32–7.29], respectively). When IC were measured linearly with z-scores, all IC domains except hearing were inversely associated with frailty. In the replication cohort, results were overall similar, with a greater association between psychology domain and frailty. Conclusion: This study highlights the relationship between frailty and IC in ESKD patients. We assume that IC may be assessed and monitored in ESKD patients, to predict and prevent future frailty, and post-KT adverse outcomes.

Background: Sarcopenia has a significant medical and economic impact. Serum fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) has recently been described as promoting muscle mass and strength, and could be an interesting marker for early diagnosis of sarcopenia and prevention of its consequences. Ultrasound is a robust non-invasive technique used to measure muscle parameters, which cannot be evaluated by usual body composition measures, but are known to be associated with muscle function. In this cross-sectional cohort study, we aimed to determine whether FGF19 levels were correlated with functional muscle tests and muscle ultrasound parameters. Methods: Patients over 70 years old with a mobility disability risk were recruited from the cohort of the “well on your feet” mobility loss prevention program. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older Patients 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria. We have performed functional battery tests, muscle ultrasound measures and bioimpedance spectroscopy. FGF19 levels were measured by the ELISA method. Results: Out of 52 patients involved (34 women, mean age 81.3 years), 30 patients were sarcopenic (15 patients with probable sarcopenia and 15 with certain sarcopenia). Sarcopenic patients were older (mean 82.8 versus 79.6 years, P = 0.033), with higher frailty Fried score (P = 0.006), lower IADL score (P = 0.008), had lower daily protein intakes (P = 0.023) and were less performant to muscle functional tests than non-sarcopenic patients. Serum FGF19 levels were negatively correlated with the SPPB score (rs = 0.28; P = 0.045). FGF19 levels were correlated positively with the pennation angle (rs = 0.31; P = 0.024), but negatively with muscle fiber length (rs = −0.44; P = 0.001). We found no association between FGF19 and muscle thickness (P = 0.243). Conclusion: We highlighted in older patients significant correlations between FGF19 levels, pennation angle and muscle fiber length, suggesting that FGF19 could provide an enabling environment for the development of large muscle fibers, as previously suggested in histological studies in mice. However, high FGF-19 levels were unexpectedly associated with a low SPPB score. Further studies are needed to validate and further elucidate these exploratory findings.

Increasing disability-free life expectancy is a crucial issue to optimize active ageing and to reduce the burden of evitable medical costs. One of the main challenges is to develop pragmatic and personalized prevention strategies in order to prevent frailty, counteract adverse outcomes such as falls and mobility disability, and to improve quality of life. Strong evidence reports the effectiveness of exercise interventions to improve various physical parameters and muscle function that are cornerstones of frailty. Other findings also suggest that the interactions between nutrition and physical exercise with or without health behavior promotion prevent the development of frailty. Multimodal programs, including structured exercise, adequate dietary intervention and health behavior promotion, appear increasingly consensual. However, in order for implementation in real-life settings, some pitfalls need to be addressed. In this perspective, structuring and tailoring feasible, acceptable and sustainable interventions to optimize exercise training responses are essential conditions to warrant short, medium and long-term individual benefits. The different components of exercise programs appear to be fairly consensual and effective. However, specific composition of the programs proposed (frequency, intensity, type, time, volume and progressiveness) have to be tailored to individual characteristics and objectives in order to improve exercise responses. The intervention approaches, behavioral strategies and indications for these programs also need to be refined and framed. The main objective of this work is to guide the actions of healthcare professionals and enable them to widely and effectively implement multimodal programs including exercise, nutrition and behavioral strategies in real-life settings.

Introduction Frailty is characterised by vulnerability to adverse health outcomes and increases with age. Many frailty risk scores have been developed. One important example is the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) which has the potential to be widely used and automatically calculated which will provide accurate assessment of frailty in a time/cost-effective manner. This systematic review, therefore, seeks to describe the HFRS use since its publication in 2018.Methods and analysis The proposed systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We will include published original peer-reviewed articles, preprints, conference proceedings and letters to the editor reporting primary data where there is an English language abstract available from 1 January 2018 to 30 June 2022. Databases to be searched are MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science. Additional studies from, for example, the reference of the included studies will be identified and assessed for potential inclusion. Two independent reviewers will perform and assess the following: (1) eligibility of the included studies, (2) critical appraisal using the Cochrane Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool, and (3) data extraction using a predefined form. Disagreements will be resolved through discussions or by involvement of a third reviewer. It may be possible to undertake a meta-analysis if there are sufficient studies reporting effect measures in homogenous populations and/or settings. Effect sizes will be calculated using meta-analysis methods and expressed as risk ratios or ORs with 95% CIs.Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is required for this systematic review as it will use secondary data only. The results of the systematic review will be submitted for publication in recognised peer-reviewed journals related to frailty and geriatric care and will be widely disseminated through conferences, congresses, seminars, symposia and scientific meetings.

Excessive inflammatory response has been implicated in severe respiratory forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Trace elements such as zinc, selenium, and copper are known to modulate inflammation and immunity. This study aimed to assess the relationships between antioxidant vitamins and mineral trace elements levels as well as COVID-19 severity in older adults hospitalized. In this observational retrospective cohort study, the levels of zinc, selenium, copper, vitamin A, β-carotene, and vitamin E were measured in 94 patients within the first 15 days of hospitalization. The outcomes were in-hospital mortality secondary to COVID-19 or severe COVID-19. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to test whether the levels of vitamins and minerals were independently associated with severity. In this cohort (average age of 78 years), severe forms (46%) were associated with lower zinc (p = 0.012) and β-carotene (p < 0.001) concentrations, and in-hospital mortality (15%) was associated with lower zinc (p = 0.009), selenium (p = 0.014), vitamin A (p = 0.001), and β-carotene (p = 0.002) concentrations. In regression analysis, severe forms remained independently associated with lower zinc (aOR 2.13, p = 0.018) concentrations, and death was associated with lower vitamin A (aOR = 0.165, p = 0.021) concentrations. Low plasma concentrations of zinc and vitamin A were associated with poor prognosis in older people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Abstract Background Reduced mobility is the first sign of functional decline and can lead to dependency in elderly people. Screening for the risk of mobility limitation in this population is an important public health issue to prevent further disabilities. Despite the current lack of guidelines, primary care healthcare providers may have a central role to play in this type of screening. Multi-domain physical exercise interventions in older persons have shown some efficacy/effectiveness on frailty status, yet, to the best of our knowledge, no published study has focused on patients screened in primary care. Method The PRISME-3P study is a national, interventional, multicenter, cluster randomized trial. Patients over 70 years of age will be systematically screened by their general practitioner (GP) on the basis of clinical criteria of mobility limitation. To avoid contamination bias, the unit of randomization will be the GP practice. In the intervention group, patients will consult a geriatrician and a dietician, and will receive a physical training program from a personal trainer who will demonstrate the exercises and provide follow-up coaching. The control group will receive standard care. The primary outcome will be the change in Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores between inclusion and 6-months follow-up. Discussion We expect an improvement of the SPPB between inclusion and 6 months of follow-up. Trial registration This study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02847871, 27 July 2016).

Summary: Background: The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) has been widely but inconsistently applied in published studies, particularly in how diagnostic information recorded in previous hospital admissions is used in its construction. We aimed to assess how many previous admissions should be considered when constructing the HFRS and the influence of frailty risk on long length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and 30-day readmission. Methods: This is a retrospective observational cohort study of patients aged 75 years or older who had at least one emergency admission to any of 49 hospital sites in the Yorkshire and Humber region of England, UK. We constructed multiple versions of the HFRS for each patient, each form incorporating diagnostic data from progressively more previous admissions in its construction within a 1-year or 2-year window. We assessed the ability of each form of the HFRS to predict long length of stay (>10 days), in-hospital death, and 30-day readmission. Findings: Between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2017, 282 091 patients had 675 155 hospital admissions. Regression analyses assessing the different constructions of HFRS showed that the form constructed with diagnostic information recorded in the current and previous two admissions within the preceding 2 years performed best for predicting all three outcomes. Under this construction, 263 432 (39·0%) of 674 615 patient admissions were classified as having low frailty risk, for whom 33 333 (12·7%) had a long length of stay, 10 145 (3·9%) died in hospital, and 45 226 (17·2%) were readmitted within 30 days. By contrast with those patients with low frailty risk, for those with intermediate frailty risk, the probability was 2·5-times higher (95% CI 2·4 to 2·6) for long length of stay, 2·17-times higher (2·1 to 2·2) for in-hospital death, and 0·7% higher (0·5 to 1) for readmission. For patients with high frailty risk, the probability was 4·3-times higher (4·2 to 4·5) for long length of stay, 2·48-times higher (2·4 to 2·6) for in-hospital death, and −1% (−1·2 to −0·5) lower for readmission than those with low frailty risk. The intermediate and high frailty risk categories were more important predictors of long length of stay than any of the other rich set of control variables included in our analysis. These categories also proved to be important predictors of in-hospital mortality, with only the Charlson Comorbidity Index offering greater predictive power. Interpretation: We recommend constructing the HFRS with diagnostic information from the current admission and from the previous two admissions in the preceding 2 years. This HFRS form was a powerful predictor of long length of stay and in-hospital mortality, but less so of emergency readmissions. Funding: National Institute of Health Research.

Studies involving the associations between vitamin D supplementation taken before the onset of COVID-19 infection and the clinical outcomes are still scarce and this issue remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the relationships between vitamin D (VitD) status and supplementation and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity in older adults (average age of 78 years) hospitalized for COVID-19. We conducted an observational retrospective cohort study with 228 older hospitalized patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcomes were in-hospital mortality secondary to COVID-19 or critically severe COVID-19. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to test whether pre-hospital VitD supplementation was independently associated with severity. In this study, 46% of patients developed a severe form and the overall in-hospital mortality was 15%. Sixty-six (29%) patients received a VitD supplement during the 3 months preceding the infection onset. Additionally, a VitD supplement was associated with fewer severe COVID-19 forms (OR = 0.426, p = 0.0135) and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (OR = 0.341, p = 0.0076). As expected, age > 70 years, male gender and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 were independent risk factors for severe forms of COVID-19. No relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and the severity of the COVID-19 was identified. VitD supplementation taken during the 3 months preceding the infection onset may have a protective effect on the development of severe COVID-19 forms in older adults. Randomized controlled trials and large-scale cohort studies are necessary to strengthen this observation.

Almost two in three patients who are aged 75 years and older and scheduled for surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) are undernourished. Despite evidence that perioperative nutritional management can improve patients outcomes, international guidelines are still insufficiently applied in current practice. In this stepped-wedge cluster-randomized study of five surgical hospitals, we included 147 patients aged 70 years or older with scheduled abdominal surgery for CRC between October 2013 and December 2016. In the intervention condition, an outreach team comprising a geriatrician and a dietician visited patients and staff in surgical wards to assist with the correct application of guidelines. Evaluation, diagnosis, and prescription (according to nutritional status) were considered appropriate and strictly consistent with guidelines in 39.2% of patients in the intervention group compared to only 1.4% in the control group (p = 0.0002). Prescription of oral nutritional supplements during the perioperative period was significantly improved (41.9% vs. 4.1%; p < 0.0001). However, there were no benefits of the intervention on surgical complications or adverse events. A possible benefit of hospital stay reduction will need to be confirmed in further studies. This study highlights the importance of the implementation of quality improvement interventions into current practice for the perioperative nutritional management of older patients with CRC.

There is an increasing impetus for the use of digital city models and sensor network data to understand the current demand for utility resources and inform future infrastructure service planning across a range of spatial scales. Achieving this requires the ability to represent a city as a complex system of connected and interdependent components in which the topology of the electricity, water, gas, and heat demand-supply networks are modelled in an integrated manner. However, integrated modelling of these networks is hampered by the disparity between the predominant data formats and modelling processes used in the Geospatial Information Science (GIS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) domains. This paper presents a software systems approach to scale-free, multi-format, integrated modelling of evolving cross-domain utility infrastructure network topologies, and the analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of their resource flows. The system uses a graph database to integrate the topology of utility network components represented in the CityGML UtilityNetwork Application Domain Extension (ADE), Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) real-time streaming messages. A message broker is used to disseminate the changing state of the integrated topology and the dynamic resource flows derived from the streaming data. The capability of the developed system is demonstrated via a case study in which internal building and local electricity distribution feeder networks are integrated, and a real-time building management sensor data stream is used to simulate and visualise the spatiotemporal dynamics of electricity flows using a dynamic web-based visualisation.