Mean Arterial Pressure and Risk of Falls Resulting in Hospital Presentation in Older Adults

Abstract Utilising data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly trial participants aged 70-years, we estimated MAP and variation in MAP defined as within-individual SD of MAP from baseline and first 2 annual visits. Falls were confined to those involving presentation to a hospital. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for associations with falls. Amongst 16,703 participants (1,540 falls), MAP was not associated with falls irrespective of antihypertensive medication status (all: HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.99-1.01, not on antihypertensive: HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99, 1.02, on antihypertensive: HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.02). Amongst 14,818 participants who remained in the study up to year 2 without falls, 1 unit escalation in MAP variability increased the risk (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.03). Compared with those in the lowest tercile of variability, those in the middle or highest tercile of variability experienced an increased risk of falling (middle: HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.06-1.65; highest: HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.01-1.55). When stratified for antihypertensive medication status, those receiving diuretics (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00-1.39) or beta-blockers (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.08-1.73) were at increased risk compared to those receiving renin-angiotensin-system acting agents. All results persisted after adjustment for multiple covariates. The association of diuretics and beta-blockers with falls remained significant even after excluding those with history of heart failure. Older community-dwelling adults with high variability in MAP are at increases risk of falls, particularly amongst those receiving beta-blockers or diuretics.

Download Full-text

Persistent Disability Six Months after Initial Disability Less Likely in Older Women

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 880-881

Author(s):

Raj Shah ◽

Katherine Webb ◽

Joanne Ryan ◽

Rory Wolfe ◽

Michael Ernst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Women ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

The Elderly ◽

The United States ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Adl Disability ◽

Using Data ◽

Persistent Disability

Abstract Many community-dwelling older adults develop activity of daily living (ADL) disability and subsequently regain function. Using data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) clinical trial, we examined the relationship of gender, incident disability, and persistent disability 6 months after the incident disability. Walking, bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, and eating were assessed as ADLs, at bi-annual interviews. ADL disability was defined as requiring help with or inability to do or severe difficulty with ≥1 ADL; persistent disability was an ADL loss at 6 months after a first (incident) ADL disability. Discrete time, multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was utilized to estimate associations with developing incident ADL disability described as cause-specific hazard ratios, with death as a competing outcome. For persons with incident ADL disability, odds of developing persistent disability at 6 months as compared to recovery was determined using multivariable logistic regression. These analyses included 18,414 (51.6% women) ASPREE participants in the United States and Australia aged 70+ years (65+ years if U.S. ethnic minority) without ADL disability at trial entry. During a median follow-up of 4.7 years, 1,485 participants (63.2% women) developed an incident ADL disability, and, of those, 272 (57.0% women) met criteria for persistent disability at 6 months. Women had an increased risk (HR=1.17, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.32) of developing incident ADL disability; however, women were less likely to have persistent disability versus recovery 6 months later (OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.49 to 0.89). Why persistent disability development is lower in older women needs further exploration.

Download Full-text

Impact of anemia on hospitalization and mortality in older adults

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2005-10-4308 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 107 (10) ◽

pp. 3841-3846 ◽

Cited By ~ 193

Author(s):

Bruce F. Culleton ◽

Braden J. Manns ◽

Jianguo Zhang ◽

Marcello Tonelli ◽

Scott Klarenbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Normal Kidney ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Although anemia is common in older adults, its prognostic significance is uncertain. A total of 17 030 community-dwelling subjects 66 years and older were identified between July 1 and December 31, 2001, and followed until December 31, 2004. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to determine the associations between anemia (defined as hemoglobin < 110 g/L) and hemoglobin and all-cause mortality, all-cause hospitalization, and cardiovascular-specific hospitalization. Overall, there were 1983 deaths and 7278 first hospitalizations. In patients with normal kidney function, adjusting for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, and comorbidity, anemia was associated with an increased risk for death (hazard ratio [HR], 4.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.55-5.12), first all-cause hospitalization (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.88-2.48), and first cardiovascular-specific hospitalization (HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.99-3.12). An inverse J-shaped relationship between hemoglobin and all-cause mortality was observed; the lowest risk for mortality occurred at hemoglobin values between 130 to 150 g/L for women and 140 to 170 g/L for men. Anemia is associated with an increased risk for hospitalization and death in community-dwelling older adults. Consideration should be given to redefine “normal” hemoglobin values in the elderly. Clinical trials are also necessary to determine whether anemia correction improves quality or quantity of life in this population.

Download Full-text

The Joint Effects of Loneliness and Depression on Mortality: Does Gender Matter?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1034 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 323-323

Author(s):

Ted Kheng Siang Ng ◽

Abhijit Visaria ◽

Angelique W M Chan ◽

Kheng Siang Ted Ng

Keyword(s):

Los Angeles ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Joint Effect ◽

Epidemiologic Studies ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Loneliness and depression are both associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among older adults. However, the evidence on the joint effect of loneliness and depression is scarce. Furthermore, previous research has rarely examined the modifying effects of gender. We investigated these questions using the Panel on Health and Aging of Singaporean Elderly, a nationally-representative cohort study of community-dwelling older Singaporean adults aged 60 and above, conducted in 2009 with two follow-up waves in 2011 and 2015 (N=4536). We operationalized six groups based on three categories of loneliness measured using the 3-item University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale: always lonely, sometimes lonely, and never lonely; Two categories of depressive symptom scores were measured using the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) scale: depressed and not depressed. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to estimate the mortality risks for each group, with an extensive set of covariates. Due to significant differences in the prevalence of loneliness and depression in different genders, we conducted gender-stratified analyses. Compared to being not depressed and never lonely, women who were depressed and sometimes lonely and who were not depressed but always lonely had a higher mortality risk. Men who were not depressed but sometimes lonely had a higher mortality risk. We conclude that loneliness appears to be the predominant construct in conferring excess mortality risk. Health policies and interventions addressing the factors common and unique to each gender may improve psychological well-being at older ages, thereby extending the lifespan.

Download Full-text

Diet Inflammatory Index and Dementia Incidence: A Population-Based Study

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000012973 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012973

Author(s):

Sokratis Charisis ◽

Eva Ntanasi ◽

Mary Yannakoulia ◽

Costas A Anastasiou ◽

Mary H Kosmidis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Clinical Criteria ◽

Inflammatory Index ◽

Incident Dementia ◽

Dementia Incidence ◽

Increased Risk

Background and objectives:Aging is characterized by a functional shift of the immune system towards a proinflammatory phenotype. This derangement has been associated with cognitive decline and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia. Diet can modulate systemic inflammation; thus, it may be a valuable tool to counteract the associated risks for cognitive impairment and dementia. The present study aimed to explore the associations between the inflammatory potential of diet, assessed using an easily applicable, population-based, biomarker-validated diet inflammatory index (DII), and the risk for dementia in community-dwelling older adults.Methods:Individuals from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD) were included in the present cohort study. Participants were recruited through random population sampling, and were followed for a mean of 3.05 (SD=0.85) years. Dementia diagnosis was based on standard clinical criteria. Those with baseline dementia and/or missing cognitive follow-up data were excluded from the analyses. The inflammatory potential of diet was assessed through a DII score which considers literature-derived associations of 45 food parameters with levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the blood; higher values indicated a more pro-inflammatory diet. Consumption frequencies were derived from a detailed food frequency questionnaire, and were standardized to representative dietary intake normative data from 11 different countries. Analysis of dementia incidence as a function of baseline DII scores was performed by Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Analyses included 1059 individuals (mean age=73.1 years; 40.3% males; mean education=8.2 years), 62 of whom developed incident dementia. Each additional unit of DII was associated with a 21% increase in the risk for dementia incidence [HR=1.21 (1.03 – 1.42); p=0.023]. Compared to participants in the lowest DII tertile, participants in the highest one (maximal pro-inflammatory diet potential) were 3 [(1.2 – 7.3); p=0.014] times more likely to develop incident dementia. The test for trend was also significant, indicating a potential dose-response relationship (p=0.014).Conclusions:In the present study, higher DII scores (indicating greater pro-inflammatory diet potential) were associated with an increased risk for incident dementia. These findings might avail the development of primary dementia preventive strategies through tailored and precise dietary interventions.

Download Full-text

Abstract 16476: Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability is Associated With Incident Frailty: The Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT)

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.16476 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Laure Rouch ◽

Philipe de Souto Barreto ◽

Olivier Hanon ◽

Jacques Amar ◽

Yves Rolland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Standard Deviation ◽

Blood Pressure Variability ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Antihypertensive Drugs ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Clinical Predictors ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Preventive Trial

Introduction: Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) has been associated with greater cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, cognitive impairment, and incident dementia. It may also represent a decline in homeostatic mechanisms in blood pressure (BP) regulation associated with frailty, one of the most problematic expression of population aging. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that visit-to-visit systolic (SBPV), diastolic (DBPV), mean arterial (MAPV) and pulse pressure (PPV) variability are associated with greater incident frailty. Methods: We included 1,394 non-frail community-dwelling participants aged ≥ 70 years from the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT) who underwent repeated clinical examinations over a 5-year follow-up period. SBPV, DBPV, MAPV and PPV were evaluated using standard deviation, coefficient of variation (CV), average real variability, successive variation, variation independent of mean and residual standard deviation. Incident frailty was assessed using the Fried phenotype. Cox proportional hazards models were used for the analyses. Results: Higher SBPV was significantly associated with increased risk of incident frailty (1-sd increase of CV: HR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.02-1.37], p=0.03) after adjustment for demographics, body mass index, stroke, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, antihypertensive drugs, systolic BP, MAPT intervention groups and baseline pre-frail status. Similar results were observed with all indicators of variability. DBPV and MAPV were not associated with incident frailty (p=0.6 and p=0.2, respectively). Interestingly, higher PPV was also associated with a greater risk of developing frailty over time (1-sd increase of CV: HR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.01-1.35], p=0.03). Conclusion: Independently of BP, higher SBPV and PPV are major clinical predictors of incident frailty. Our findings support the concept of BP physiological dysregulation underlying the frail state and suggest that controlling BP instability could be a promising interventional target in preventing frailty.

Download Full-text

Lower TSH and higher free thyroxine predict incidence of prostate but not breast, colorectal or lung cancer

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje-17-0197 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 177 (4) ◽

pp. 297-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Yi X Chan ◽

Matthew W Knuiman ◽

Mark L Divitini ◽

Suzanne J Brown ◽

John Walsh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Lung Cancer ◽

Skin Cancer ◽

Thyroid Hormones ◽

Lower Risk ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Free Thyroxine ◽

Increased Risk

Context Thyroid hormones modulate proliferative, metabolic and angiogenic pathways. However few studies have examined associations of thyroid hormones with cancer risk. Objectives To explore associations of thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) with the incidence of all (non-skin) cancers and specific common cancers. Design and setting A prospective cohort study of a community-dwelling population aged 25–84 years in Western Australia. Main outcome measures Archived sera from 3649 participants in the 1994/1995 Busselton Health Survey were assayed for TSH, FT4 and TPOAb. Cancer outcomes until 30 June 2014 were ascertained using data linkage. Longitudinal analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results During 20-year follow-up, 600 participants were diagnosed with non-skin cancer, including 126, 100, 103 and 41 prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancers respectively. Higher TSH was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer after adjusting for potential confounders, with a 30% lower risk for every 1 mIU/L increase in TSH (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55–0.90, P = 0.005). Similarly, higher FT4 was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (adjusted HR: 1.11 per 1 pmol/L increase, 95% CI: 1.03–1.19, P = 0.009). There were no associations of TSH, FT4 or TPOAb with all non-skin cancer events combined, or with breast, colorectal or lung cancer. Conclusion In a community-dwelling population, lower TSH and higher FT4 were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Further studies are required to assess if thyroid function is a biomarker or risk factor for prostate cancer.

Download Full-text

Socioeconomic Status, Frailty, and All-Cause Mortality in Korean Older Adults: A 3-Year Population-Based Prospective Study

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/1903589 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jinkyung Cho ◽

Inhwan Lee ◽

Soo Hyun Park ◽

Youngyun Jin ◽

Donghyun Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Low Ses ◽

Increased Risk ◽

All Cause Mortality

Background. Little is known regarding the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and frailty on mortality in Korea. Objective. This study investigated the combined impact of low SES and frailty on all-cause mortality in Korean older adults. Methods. Study sample at baseline comprised 7,960 community-dwelling adults (56.8% women) aged 65 years and older. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of low SES and frailty for all-cause mortality. Results. Overall, low SES plus frailty resulted in an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.09–2.23, P=0.015) even after adjustments for all the measured covariates, as compared with high SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1). Among older adults aged 65–75 years, the increased mortality risk of either low SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02–1.84, P=0.038) or high SES plus frailty (HR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.12–3.91, P=0.021) remained significant even after adjustments for all the covariates, as compared with high SES plus nonfrailty (HR = 1). Conclusion. The current findings suggest that either low SES or frailty is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in Korean older adults.

Download Full-text

Management and Prognosis of Heart Failure in Octogenarians: Final Report from the KorAHF Registry

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9020501 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 501 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gyu Chul Oh ◽

Hyun-Jai Cho ◽

Sang Eun Lee ◽

Min-Seok Kim ◽

Jae-Joong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Beta Blockers ◽

Renin Angiotensin System ◽

The Elderly ◽

Final Report ◽

Aldosterone Antagonists ◽

Reduced Ejection Fraction ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Clinical Benefits

Treatment of heart failure (HF) in the elderly face many difficulties due to lack of robust evidence. We analyzed the outcome of HF in octogenarians using a nationwide HF registry. Among 5625 patients from the Korean Acute Heart Failure (KorAHF) registry, prognosis of octogenarian HF and the association of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) with mortality and readmissions were analyzed. Octogenarian patients (1185, 22.4%) showed a higher mortality, and males were especially at increased risk (HR (hazard ratio) 1.19, 95% CI 1.01–1.40). A J-curve association between blood pressure (BP) and mortality was observed regardless of age, but the nadir value was lower in octogenarians (123.8 vs. 127.9 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP); 67.1 vs. 73.9 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP), p < 0.001). Use of GDMT in octogenarian patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (EF) were inadequate (74.3%, 47.1%, and 46.1% in octogenarians vs. 78.4%, 59.8%, and 55.2% in non-elderly for renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, beta-blockers, and aldosterone antagonists, respectively; all p < 0.05). However, those on medications had a significant reduction in 6 month mortality. For octogenarians with HF and preserved EF, angiotensin receptor blocker use reduced hospitalizations for HF in men (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04–0.87), but not in women (p-interaction = 0.037). HF in octogenarians were found to have different characteristics compared with the non-elderly. However, adequate use of GDMT was still associated with improved survival, and more attention should be given to prescribing medications with clinical benefits.

Download Full-text

Olfaction and risk of dementia in a biracial cohort of older adults

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000003558 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 88 (5) ◽

pp. 456-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Kristine Yaffe ◽

Daniel Freimer ◽

Honglei Chen ◽

Keiko Asao ◽

Andrea Rosso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

The Body ◽

Black And White ◽

The Poor ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Health Aging

Objective:Prior studies indicate that olfactory function may be an early marker for cognitive impairment, but the body of evidence has been largely restricted to white populations.Methods:We studied 2,428 community-dwelling black and white older adults (baseline age 70–79 years) without dementia enrolled in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. Olfaction was measured as odor identification (OI) with the 12-item Cross Cultural Smell Identification Test in year 3. We defined incident dementia over 12 years on the basis of hospitalization records, prescription for dementia medication, or 1.5-SD decline in race-stratified global cognition score. We assessed dementia risk associated with OI score (by tertile) using Cox proportional hazards models. All analyses were stratified by race.Results:Poorer OI in older adults without dementia was associated with increased risk of dementia. After adjustment for demographics, medical comorbidities, and lifestyle characteristics, white participants in the poor or moderate OI tertile had greater risk of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45–4.54; and HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.33–2.54, respectively) compared to those in the good tertile of function. Among blacks, worse OI was associated with an increased risk of dementia, but the magnitude of the effect was weaker (p for interaction = 0.04) for the poor OI tertile (adjusted HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.44–2.84) and for the moderate tertile (adjusted HR 1.42, 95% CI 0.97–2.10). There was no interaction between OI and APOE ε4 and risk of dementia.Conclusions:While the magnitude of the association was stronger in whites, we found that poor OI was associated with increased risk of dementia among both black and white older adults.

Download Full-text

Abstract 14235: Aortic Volume and Dimensions by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Predict Incident Cardiovascular Events

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.14235 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Ulf Neisius ◽

Philimon N Gona ◽

Carol Salton ◽

Noriko Oyama-Manabe ◽

Michael L Chuang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Abdominal Aorta ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Maximum Diameter ◽

Black Blood ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Thoracoabdominal Aorta ◽

Increased Risk

Introduction: Pathophysiology of the aorta negatively impacts cardiovascular health. Hypothesis: Assessment of aortic anatomy facilitates population-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification. Methods: Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort participants without prevalent CVD (n=1576, 64±9 years, 44% men) underwent 1.5T ECG-gated axial T2W black-blood CMR of the thoracoabdominal aorta (2002-2006). The diameters of the descending thoracic and proximal and distal abdominal aorta (infrarenal and aortic bifurcation) were measured ( Figure A ). Additionally, the maximum diameter and the total intravascular volume of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta were calculated. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, diabetes mellitus, smoking, as well as treatment for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were undertaken to evaluate the association of aortic anatomy with incident CVD ( Figure ). Results: During follow-up (median 9.5 years, range 0 - 12.2 yrs), 163 incident CVD events occurred, of which 66 were major events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and CVD death). In multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models, each SD unit greater descending thoracic and maximum aortic diameter, as well as natural logarithmic transformed total aortic volume were associated with a >20% increased risk for incident CVD (per SD Unit hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.42, P=0.019; HR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04-1.43, P=0.014; HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10-1.39, P<0.001, respectively; Figure B ). Abdominal aortic diameters were not associated with CVD. Conclusions: In this middle-aged community-dwelling Caucasian adult cohort followed over 10 years, greater thoracoabdominal aortic dimensions and volume, predicted incident CVD. Future investigations may determine the implications of aortic size modification on CVD outcomes.

Download Full-text