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

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 880-881
Author(s):  
Raj Shah ◽  
Katherine Webb ◽  
Joanne Ryan ◽  
Rory Wolfe ◽  
Michael Ernst ◽  
...  

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.

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (10) ◽  
pp. 3841-3846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce F. Culleton ◽  
Braden J. Manns ◽  
Jianguo Zhang ◽  
Marcello Tonelli ◽  
Scott Klarenbach ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 447-447
Author(s):  
Sultana Monira Hussain ◽  
Michael Ernst ◽  
Christopher Reid ◽  
Andrew M Tonkin ◽  
Johannes Neumann ◽  
...  

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 161-161
Author(s):  
Jane Banaszak-Holl ◽  
Xiaoping Lin ◽  
Jing Xie ◽  
Stephanie Ward ◽  
Henry Brodaty ◽  
...  

Abstract Research Aims: This study seeks to understand whether those with dementia experience higher risk of death, using data from the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) clinical trial study. Methods: ASPREE was a primary intervention trial of low-dose aspirin among healthy older people. The Australian cohort included 16,703 dementia-free participants aged 70 years and over at enrolment. Participants were triggered for dementia adjudication if cognitive test results were poorer than expected, self-reporting dementia diagnosis or memory problems, or dementia medications were detected. Incidental dementia was adjudicated by an international adjudication committee using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria and results of a neuropsychological battery and functional measures with medical record substantiation. Statistical analyses used a cox proportional hazards model. Results: As previously reported, 1052 participants (5.5%) died during a median of 4.7 years of follow-up and 964 participants had a dementia trigger, of whom, 575 (60%) were adjucated as having dementia. Preliminary analyses has shown that the mortality rate was higher among participants with a dementia trigger, regardless of dementia adjudication outcome, than those without (15% vs 5%, Χ2 = 205, p &lt;.001). Conclusion: This study will provide important analyses of differences in the hazard ratio for mortality and causes of death among people with and without cognitive impairment and has important implications on service planning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 323-323
Author(s):  
Ted Kheng Siang Ng ◽  
Abhijit Visaria ◽  
Angelique W M Chan ◽  
Kheng Siang Ted Ng

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.


Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012973
Author(s):  
Sokratis Charisis ◽  
Eva Ntanasi ◽  
Mary Yannakoulia ◽  
Costas A Anastasiou ◽  
Mary H Kosmidis ◽  
...  

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.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laure Rouch ◽  
Philipe de Souto Barreto ◽  
Olivier Hanon ◽  
Jacques Amar ◽  
Yves Rolland ◽  
...  

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.


Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Blair ◽  
Maryam Keshtkar-Jahromi ◽  
Kevin Psoter ◽  
Ronald Reisler ◽  
Travis Warren ◽  
...  

Angola variant (MARV/Ang) has replaced Mt. Elgon variant Musoke isolate (MARV/MtE-Mus) as the consensus standard variant for Marburg virus research and is regarded as causing a more aggressive phenotype of disease in animal models; however, there is a dearth of published evidence supporting the higher virulence of MARV/Ang. In this retrospective study, we used data pooled from eight separate studies in nonhuman primates experimentally exposed with either 1000 pfu intramuscular (IM) MARV/Ang or MARV/MtE-Mus between 2012 and 2017 at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association of variant type with time to death, the development of anorexia, rash, viremia, and 10 select clinical laboratory values. A total of 47 cynomolgus monkeys were included, of which 18 were exposed to MARV/Ang in three separate studies and 29 to MARV/MtE-Mus in five studies. Following universally fatal Marburg virus exposure, compared to MARV/MtE-Mus, MARV/Ang was associated with an increased risk of death (HR = 22.10; 95% CI: 7.08, 68.93), rash (HR = 5.87; 95% CI: 2.76, 12.51) and loss of appetite (HR = 35.10; 95% CI: 7.60, 162.18). Our data demonstrate an increased virulence of MARV/Ang compared to MARV/MtE-Mus variant in the 1000 pfu IM cynomolgus macaque model.


Author(s):  
Lynda M. Hayward

ABSTRACTThere are numerous ways to better integrate the elderly into communities, many of which are contingent upon whether they will remain in their pre-retirement homes or make a move. Using a life course perspective, this paper establishes that residential history, social and family relations, socio-economic status, and health trajectories measured at mid-life can be associated with moves in later life, either directly, or indirectly through their effect on the mid-life residential trajectory. These relationships are examined with multivariate Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regression models, using data from the Ontario Longitudinal Study of Aging. These findings suggest directions for future research, to aid the development of public policy for the large baby-boom cohorts that are just entering mid-life.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 1100-1106
Author(s):  
Mitsuaki Sawano ◽  
Ya Yuan ◽  
Shun Kohsaka ◽  
Taku Inohara ◽  
Takeki Suzuki ◽  
...  

Background and Purpose— In previous studies, isolated nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave abnormalities (NSSTTAs), a common finding on ECGs, were associated with greater risk for incident coronary artery disease. Their association with incident stroke remains unclear. Methods— The REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study is a population-based, longitudinal study of 30 239 white and black adults enrolled from 2003 to 2007 in the United States. NSSTTAs were defined from baseline ECG using the standards of Minnesota ECG Classification (Minnesota codes 4-3, 4-4, 5-3, or 5-4). Participants with prior stroke, coronary heart disease, and major and minor ECG abnormalities other than NSSTTAs were excluded from analysis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine calculate hazard ratios of incident ischemic stroke by presence of baseline NSSTTAs. Results— Among 14 077 participants, 3111 (22.1%) had NSSTTAs at baseline. With a median of 9.6 years follow-up, 106 (3.4%) with NSSTTAs had ischemic stroke compared with 258 (2.4%) without NSSTTAs. The age-adjusted incidence rates (per 1000 person-years) of stroke were 2.93 in those with NSSTTAs and 2.19 in those without them. Adjusting for baseline age, sex, race, geographic location, and education level, isolated NSSTTAs were associated with a 32% higher risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.05–1.67]). With additional adjustment for stroke risk factors, the risk of stroke was increased 27% (hazard ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.00–1.62]) and did not differ by age, race, or sex. Conclusions— Presence of NSSTTAs in persons with an otherwise normal ECG was associated with a 27% increased risk of future ischemic stroke.


2017 ◽  
Vol 177 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi X Chan ◽  
Matthew W Knuiman ◽  
Mark L Divitini ◽  
Suzanne J Brown ◽  
John Walsh ◽  
...  

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.


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