Association Between Brain β-Amyloid and Frailty in Older Adults

Abstract Background We sought to determine whether cortical and regional β-amyloid (Aβ) were cross-sectionally and prospectively associated with change in frailty status in older adults. Methods We used data from 269 community-dwelling participants from the Multidomain Alzheimer’s Preventive Trial (MAPT) who were assessed for brain Aβ using positron-emission tomography scan. Regional and cortical-to-cerebellar standardized uptake value ratios were obtained. Frailty was assessed by a frailty index composed of 19 items not directly linked to cognition and Alzheimer’s disease. Results A significant and positive cross-sectional and prospective relationship was found for Aβ in the anterior putamen (cross-sectional: β = 0.11 [0.02–0.20], p = .02; prospective: β = 0.11 [0.03–0.19], p = .007), posterior putamen (cross-sectional: β = 0.12 [0.009–0.23], p = .03; prospective: β = 0.11 [0.02–0.21], p = .02), and precuneus regions (cross-sectional: β = 0.07 [0.01–0.12], p = .01; prospective: β = 0.07 [0.01–0.12], p = .01) with increasing frailty. Conclusions This study has found new information regarding cross-sectional and prospective positive associations between region-specific brain Aβ deposits and worsening frailty. The potential mechanisms involved require further investigation.

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Is there an association between ageist attitudes and frailty?

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-019-1357-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Douglas Salguero ◽

Juliana Ferri-Guerra ◽

Nadeem Y. Mohammed ◽

Dhanya Baskaran ◽

Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Frailty Status

Abstract Background Frailty is defined as a state of vulnerability to stressors that is associated with higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare utilization in older adults. Ageism is “a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old.” Explicit biases involve deliberate or conscious controls, while implicit bias involve unconscious processes. Multiple studies show that self-directed ageism is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether explicit ageist attitudes are associated with frailty in Veterans. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of Veterans 50 years and older who completed the Kogan’s Attitudes towards Older People Scale (KAOP) scale to assess explicit ageist attitudes and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to evaluate implicit ageist attitudes from July 2014 through April 2015. We constructed a frailty index (FI) of 44 variables (demographics, comorbidities, number of medications, laboratory tests, and activities of daily living) that was retrospectively applied to the time of completion of the KAOP and IAT. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by multinomial logistic regression models with frailty status (robust, prefrail and frail) as the outcome variable, and with KAOP and IAT scores as the independent variables. Age, race, ethnicity, median household income and comorbidities were considered as covariates. Results Patients were 89.76% male, 48.03% White, 87.93% non-Hispanic and the mean age was 60.51 (SD = 7.16) years. The proportion of robust, pre-frail and frail patients was 11.02% (n = 42), 59.58% (n = 227) and 29.40% (n = 112) respectively. The KAOP was completed by 381 and the IAT by 339 participants. In multinomial logistic regression, neither explicit ageist attitudes (KAOP scale score) nor implicit ageist attitudes (IAT) were associated with frailty in community dwelling Veterans after adjusting for covariates: OR = .98 (95% CI = .95–1.01), p = .221, and OR:=.97 (95% CI = .37–2.53), p = .950 respectively. Conclusions This study shows that neither explicit nor implicit ageist attitudes were associated with frailty in community dwelling Veterans. Further longitudinal and larger studies with more diverse samples and measured with other ageism scales should evaluate the independent contribution of ageist attitudes to frailty in older adults.

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The association between motor capacity and mobility performance: frailty as a moderator

European Review of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s11556-019-0223-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carl-Philipp Jansen ◽

Nima Toosizadeh ◽

M. Jane Mohler ◽

Bijan Najafi ◽

Christopher Wendel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mobility Performance ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Walking Performance ◽

And Performance ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background In older adults, the linkage between laboratory-assessed ‘motor capacity’ and ‘mobility performance’ during daily routine is controversial. Understanding factors moderating this relationship could help developing more valid assessment as well as intervention approaches. We investigated whether the association between capacity and performance becomes evident with transition into frailty, that is, whether frailty status moderates their association. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the observational Arizona Frailty Cohort Study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01880229) in a community-dwelling cohort in Tucson, Arizona. Participants were N = 112 older adults aged 65 years or older who were categorized as non-frail (n = 40), pre-frail (n = 53) or frail (n = 19) based on the Fried frailty index. Motor capacity was quantified as normal (NWS) and fast walking speed (FWS). Mobility performance was quantified as 1) cumulated physical activity (PA) time and 2) everyday walking performance (average steps per walking bout; maximal number of steps in one walking bout), measured by a motion sensor over a 48 h period. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate moderation effects. Results Unlike in non-frail persons, the relationship between motor capacity and mobility performance was evident in pre-frail and frail persons, confirming our hypothesis. A moderating effect of frailty status was found for 1) the relationship between both NWS and FWS and maximal number of steps in one bout and 2) NWS and the average steps per bout. No moderation was found for the association between NWS and FWS with cumulated PA. Conclusion In pre-frail and frail persons, motor capacity is associated with everyday walking performance, indicating that functional capacity seems to better represent mobility performance in this impaired population. The limited relationship found in non-frail persons suggests that other factors account for their mobility performance. Our findings may help to inform tailored assessment approaches and interventions taking into consideration a person’s frailty status.

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Built Environment and Frailty: Neighborhood Perceptions and Associations With Frailty, Experience From the Nagoya Longitudinal Study

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464820912663 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 073346482091266

Author(s):

Beatriz A. Martins ◽

Renuka Visvanathan ◽

Helen R. Barrie ◽

Chi Hsien Huang ◽

Eiji Matsushita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Land Use ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Composite Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Neighborhood Environment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Land Use Mix ◽

Sectional Analysis

Neighborhood physical characteristics have been consistently associated with the health of older adults. This article investigates links between frailty and perceptions of the neighborhood environment. Using a cross-sectional analysis of 370 community-dwelling older adults from Nagoya, Japan, neighborhood perceptions were assessed using the Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale (NEWS) in addition to frailty, using a frailty index. Frailty was associated with the NEWS composite index, land use mix diversity, land use mix access, street connectivity, walking infrastructure, aesthetics, and crime safety, after adjustment for covariates. Older adults with increasing frailty have poorer perceptions of their neighborhoods, which could lead to further constriction of the life-space, less social and physical engagement, and worsening of frailty status.

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Association Between Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio and Frailty: The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.783077 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Weihao Xu ◽

Yuanfeng Liang ◽

Zhanyi Lin

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio ◽

Lymphocyte Ratio ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Healthy Longevity ◽

Quartile Group ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Inflammation has been reported to play an important role in frailty syndrome. The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has recently emerged as an informative marker for systematic inflammation. However, few studies have examined the association between NLR and frailty. This study aims to examine the association between NLR and frailty in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years in the 2011 (n = 2,354) and 2014 (n = 2,458) waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) were included. Frailty status was determined using the 38-item frailty index (FI) and categorized into “robust” (FI ≤ 0.1), “pre-frail” (0.1 < FI ≤ 0.21), or “frail” (FI > 0.21). NLR was calculated using a derived formula: NLR = (white blood cell–lymphocyte)/lymphocyte.Results: A total of 3,267 participants were finally included. In cross-sectional analyses, participants with higher NLR levels had increased likelihood of frailty [the 3rd quartile: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.63; the 4th quartile: OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.23–2.02) compared with those in the 1st quartile group. During the 3-year follow-up, 164 of the 1,206 participants, robust or pre-frail at baseline, developed frailty, and 197 of the 562 participants, robust at baseline, developed pre-frailty or frailty. Among the robust and pre-frail participants in 2011, after multivariate adjustment, those in the 4th quartile group had a higher frailty incidence than those in the 1st quartile group (OR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.18–3.59). Among the robust participants in 2011, those in the 4th quartile group also had a higher pre-frailty or frailty incidence than those in the 1st quartile group (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.07–3.55).Conclusion: Among community-dwelling older adults, higher NLR levels were found to be associated with increased odds of prevalent and incident frailty.

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Abstract P411: Longitudinal Association Between Frailty and Arterial Stiffness in Community-dwelling Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.141.suppl_1.p411 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Alvin G Thomas ◽

Anna Kucharska-Newton ◽

Jingkai Wei ◽

Priya Palta ◽

Sheila Burgard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Frailty Phenotype ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Arterial Stiffening ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

Loss To Follow Up ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Longitudinal Association ◽

Aortic Stiffening

Introduction: Frailty is predictive of cardiovascular disease and is suggested to co-occur with arterial stiffening, the hallmark of vascular aging. However, the temporal relationship is uncertain. Using the ARIC study, we examine the association of baseline frailty with cross-sectional and 5-year change in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in older adults. Methods: Participants at visit 5 (2011-2013) were classified as frail (≥3 criteria), prefrail (1-2 criteria), or robust using the Fried frailty phenotype criteria (unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, grip strength, slow walking speed, and low physical activity). We measured cfPWV at visits 5 and 6/7 (2016-2019). We used linear regression with inverse-probability of attrition weights to estimate the association between frailty and 5-year change in cfPWV while accounting for loss-to-follow-up among survivors. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race-center, mean arterial pressure, height, heart rate, smoking, and time between visits. Results: Of 5,096 participants at visit 5 (58% female, 21% black, mean age 75 [SD 5.1] years), 296 (6%) were frail and 2403 (47%) prefrail. In adjusted analyses at visit 5, frail participants had 30 cm/s (95% CI: -9, 69; p=0.1) higher cfPWV and prefrail participants had 12 cm/s (95% CI: -5, 30; p=0.2) higher cfPWV than those classified as robust (Table 1). In longitudinal analyses adjusted for attrition, we observed a 3 cm/s (95% CI: -11, 19; p=0.6) and 6 cm/s (95% CI: 0, 12; p=0.05) greater annualized increase in cfPWV over ~5 years among frail and prefrail participants, respectively, relative to the rate of arterial stiffening among robust participants (26 cm/s per year). Conclusions: Compared to robust older adults, greater aortic stiffness was observed among frail community-dwelling adults. Changes in aortic stiffening over the course of 5 years were not materially influenced by frailty status at baseline. Frail older adults may present with greater arterial aging and its associated hemodynamic effects on target organs.

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44 Association between Falls and Cognitive Frailty among Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross Sectional Study

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afz164.44 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. iv9-iv12

Author(s):

Resshaya Roobini Murukesu ◽

Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh ◽

Noor Izyani Mokhtar ◽

Janet Bong May Ing ◽

Ponnusamy Subramaniam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cognitive Frailty ◽

Prospective Longitudinal ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Introduction The presence of either frailty or cognitive impairment have been determined as precursors of falls among older adults. However, the association between falls and cognitive frailty has yet to be established. Objective To investigate the association between falls and cognitive frailty among community dwelling older adults. Methods A total of 246 Malaysian community dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above residing in the state of Selangor participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic details and clinical characteristics including the history of falls were obtained via interview. The presence of cognitive frailty was identified using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale and Fried Frailty Index. Data analysis was carried out via binary logistic regression. Results The prevalence of falls and cognitive frailty in this study were 21.2% and 21.9% respectively among community dwelling older adults (mean age 72.39±5.40). No significant relationship between falls and cognitive frailty [OR:1.187, 95% C.I: 0.493-2.856, p=0.702] was demonstrated. However, older women [OR:2.663, 95% C.I, 1.136-6.239, p=0.024] and the presence of multi-morbidities [OR: 1.431, 95% C.I, 1.026-1.997, p=0.035] were significantly associated with falls which corroborates with existing literature. Conclusion Cognitive frailty was not a significant risk factor of falls among community dwelling older adults in this study. Further research is required in prospective, longitudinal, population-based studies to confirm this result.

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1H-MRS metabolites and rate of β-amyloid accumulation on serial PET in clinically normal adults

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000004421 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 89 (13) ◽

pp. 1391-1399 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zuzana Nedelska ◽

Scott A. Przybelski ◽

Timothy G. Lesnick ◽

Christopher G. Schwarz ◽

Val J. Lowe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Standardized Uptake Value ◽

Resonance Spectroscopy ◽

1H Mrs ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Clinically Normal ◽

Mixed Effect Models ◽

Amyloid Accumulation ◽

Amyloid Aβ ◽

Β Amyloid

Objective:To assess whether noninvasive proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) tissue metabolite measurements at baseline can predict an increase in the rate of β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation on serial PET in clinically normal (CN) older adults.Methods:Consecutive participants aged 60 years and older (n = 594) from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who were CN at baseline and who underwent 1H-MRS from the posterior cingulate voxel and longitudinal 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)–PET were included. The rate of Aβ accumulation by serial cortical PiB standardized uptake value ratios was estimated as a function of baseline 1H-MRS metabolite ratios and time using mixed-effect models adjusted for age, sex, and APOE ε4. Effect of APOE ε4 on the relationship between baseline MRS and an increased rate of Aβ accumulation was also assessed.Results:Among all participants, a higher myo-inositol (mI)/creatine (p = 0.011) and a lower N-acetylaspartate/mI (p = 0.006) at baseline were associated with an increased Aβ accumulation over time after adjusting for age, sex, and APOE ε4. APOE ε4 did not modify the association of baseline 1H-MRS metabolite ratios and rate of Aβ accumulation. However, APOE ε4 carriers accumulated Aβ faster than noncarriers regardless of the baseline Aβ load (p = 0.001).Conclusion:Among CN older adults, early metabolic alterations on 1H-MRS and APOE ε4 status are independently associated with an increased rate of Aβ accumulation. Our findings could have important implications for early diagnosis and identification of individuals for secondary prevention trials, because an increased rate of Aβ accumulation in CN older adults may confer a higher risk for cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment.

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Frailty and Mortality in a Community-Dwelling Relatively Healthy Older Population

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2187 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 573-573

Author(s):

A R M Saifuddin Ekram ◽

Joanne Ryan ◽

Sara Espinoza ◽

Michael Ernst ◽

Anne Murray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Deficit Accumulation ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Related Mortality

Abstract This study examined factors associated with frailty and studied the association between frailty status and mortality in healthy community-dwelling older persons. Participants included 19,114 individuals from the “ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly” (ASPREE) trial. Frailty was defined using modified Fried phenotype comprising exhaustion, body mass index, grip strength, gait speed and physical activity. A deficit accumulation frailty index (FI) using 66 items was also developed. Correlates of frailty were examined using multinomial logistic regression. The association between frailty status at baseline and mortality was analyzed using Cox regression. At baseline, 39.0% (95% CI: 38.3, 39.7) of participants were prefrail, and 2.2% (95% CI: 2.0, 2.4) were frail according to Fried phenotype, while 40.6% (95% CI: 40.0, 41.3) of participants were pre-frail and 8.1% (95% CI: 7.7, 8.5) were frail according to FI. Older age, female sex, lower education, African-American and Hispanic ethno-racial status, smoking, alcohol use, comorbidities, and polypharmacy were associated with frailty status. Pre-frailty increased risk of all-cause mortality significantly (Fried HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.71; FI HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.31, 1.81); and the risk was even higher for frailty (Fried HR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.67, 3.00; FI HR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.83, 2.99) after adjustment for covariates. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and non-CVD-related mortality showed similar trends. These results highlight a considerable burden of pre-frailty among a large group of community-dwelling, initially healthy older adults. Both Fried phenotype and deficit accumulation FI similarly predicted all-cause, CVD and non-CVD-related mortality in relatively healthy older adults.

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A Frailty Index from Next-of-Kin Data: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the Mexican Health and Aging Study

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/6069374 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mario Ulises Pérez-Zepeda ◽

Matteo Cesari ◽

María Fernanda Carrillo-Vega ◽

Guillermo Salinas-Escudero ◽

Pamela Tella-Vega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Next Of Kin ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cross Sectional Analysis ◽

Aging Study ◽

The Mean ◽

Number Of Visits ◽

Sectional Analysis

Objectives. To construct a frailty index from next-of-kin information of the last year of life of community-dwelling 50 years old or older adults and test its association with health services utilization. Methods. Cross-sectional analysis from next-of-kin data available from the last wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Measurements. Along with descriptive statistics, the frailty index (FI) was tested in regression models to assess its association with adverse outcomes previous to death: number of hospitalized days in the previous year and number of visits to a physician in the previous year, in unadjusted and adjusted models. Results. From a total of 2,649 individuals the mean of age was 74.8 (±11.4) and 56.3% (n = 1,183) were women. The mean of the FI was of 0.279 (±SD 0.131, R = 0.0–0.738) and distribution was biased to the right. There was a significant association (p < 0.001) between the FI and number of hospitalized days (β = 45.7, 95% CI 36.1–55.4, p < 0.001) and for the number of visits to a physician (β = 25.93, 95% CI 19.27–32.6, p < 0.001) both models adjusted for age and sex. Conclusion. The FI constructed with next-of-kin data showed similar characteristics to similar indexes of older adults. It was independently associated with health care use.

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The Convergent Validity of the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)

Geriatrics ◽

10.3390/geriatrics5040088 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 88 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Antoinette Broad ◽

Ben Carter ◽

Sara Mckelvie ◽

Jonathan Hewitt

Keyword(s):

Convergent Validity ◽

Frailty Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Paired Data ◽

Clinical Frailty Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Frailty Status ◽

Regional Community ◽

Community Dwelling Older People

Background: Different scales are being used to measure frailty. This study examined the convergent validity of the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Method: The cross-sectional study recruited patients from three regional community nursing teams in the South East of England. The CFS was rated at recruitment, and the eFI was extracted from electronic health records (EHRs). A McNemar test of paired data was used to compare discordant pairs between the eFI and the CFS, and an exact McNemar Odds Ratio (OR) was calculated. Findings: Of 265 eligible patients consented, 150 (57%) were female, with a mean age of 85.6 years (SD = 7.8), and 78% were 80 years and older. Using the CFS, 68% were estimated to be moderate to severely frail, compared to 91% using the eFI. The eFI recorded a greater degree of frailty than the CFS (OR = 5.43, 95%CI 3.05 to 10.40; p < 0.001). This increased to 7.8 times more likely in men, and 9.5 times in those aged over 80 years. Conclusions: This study found that the eFI overestimates the frailty status of community dwelling older people. Overestimating frailty may impact on the demand of resources required for further management and treatment of those identified as being frail.

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