Associations between nutrition risk status, body composition and physical performance among community‐dwelling older adults

This study aimed to assess the impact of malnutrition on the 5-year evolution of physical performance, muscle mass and muscle strength in participants from the SarcoPhAge cohort, consisting of community-dwelling older adults. The malnutrition status was assessed at baseline (T0) according to the “Global Leadership Initiatives on Malnutrition” (GLIM) criteria, and the muscle parameters were evaluated both at T0 and after five years of follow-up (T5). Lean mass, muscle strength and physical performance were assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry, handgrip dynamometry, the short physical performance battery test and the timed up and go test, respectively. Differences in muscle outcomes according to nutritional status were tested using Student’s t-test. The association between malnutrition and the relative 5-year change in the muscle parameters was tested using multiple linear regressions adjusted for several covariates. A total of 411 participants (mean age of 72.3 ± 6.1 years, 56% women) were included. Of them, 96 individuals (23%) were diagnosed with malnutrition at baseline. Their muscle parameters were significantly lower than those of the well-nourished patients both at baseline and after five years of follow-up (all p-values < 0.05), except for muscle strength in women at T5, which was not significantly lower in the presence of malnutrition. However, the 5-year changes in muscle parameters of malnourished individuals were not significantly different than those of well-nourished individuals (all p-values > 0.05).

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Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score as a discriminator of dynapenic abdominal obesity among community-dwelling older adults

Geriatric Nursing ◽

10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.02.016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 467-472

Author(s):

Elane Priscila Rosa dos Santos ◽

Caroline Fátima Ribeiro Silva ◽

Daniela Gonçalves Ohara ◽

Areolino Pena Matos ◽

Ana Carolina Pereira Nunes Pinto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Abdominal Obesity ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Short Physical Performance Battery ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

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Harnessing Stakeholder Perspectives and Experience to Address Nutrition Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040477 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 477

Author(s):

Catherine B. Chan ◽

Naomi Popeski ◽

Leah Gramlich ◽

Marlis Atkins ◽

Carlota Basualdo-Hammond ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Community Organizations ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Nutrition Risk ◽

Intersectoral Cooperation ◽

Stakeholder Perspectives ◽

Patient Representatives ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Community-dwelling, older adults have a high prevalence of nutrition risk but strategies to mitigate this risk are not routinely implemented. Our objective was to identify opportunities for the healthcare system and community organizations to combat nutrition risk in this population in the jurisdiction of Alberta, Canada. An intersectoral stakeholder group that included patient representatives was convened to share perspectives and experiences and to identify problems in need of solutions using a design thinking approach. Results: Two main themes emerged from the workshop: (1) lack of awareness and poor communication of the importance of nutrition risk between healthcare providers and from healthcare providers to patients and (2) the necessity to work in partnerships comprised of patients, community organizations, healthcare providers and the health system. Conclusion: Improving awareness, prevention and treatment of malnutrition in community-dwelling older adults requires intersectoral cooperation between patients, healthcare providers and community-based organizations.

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Prospective associations of plasma growth differentiation factor 15 with physical performance and cognitive functions in older adults

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glac020 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Lingxiao He ◽

Philipe de Souto Barreto ◽

Juan Luis Sánchez Sánchez ◽

Yves Rolland ◽

Sophie Guyonnet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Grip Strength ◽

Physical Performance ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cognitive Score ◽

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 ◽

Clinically Significant ◽

One Year ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Background Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has been associated with several age-related disorders, but its associations with functional abilities in community-dwelling older adults are not well studied. Methods The study was a secondary analysis on 1096 community-dwelling older adults (aged 69 to 94 years) recruited from the Multidomain Alzheimer’s Preventive Trial. Plasma GDF15 was measured one year after participants’ enrolment. Annual data of physical performance (grip strength and short physical performance battery [SPPB]) and global cognitive functions (mini-mental state examination [MMSE] and a composite cognitive score) were measured for four years. Adjusted mixed-effects linear models were performed for cross-sectional and longitudinal association analyses. Results A higher GDF15 was cross-sectionally associated with a weaker grip strength (β = -1.1E-03, 95%CI [-2.0E-03, -1.5E-04]), a lower SPPB score (β = -3.1E-04, 95%CI [-5.4E-04, -9.0E-05]) and worse cognitive functions (β = -2.4E-04, 95%CI [-3.3E-04, -1.6E-04] for composite cognitive score; β = -4.0E-04, 95%CI [-6.4E-04, -1.6E-04] for MMSE). Participants with higher GDF15 demonstrated greater longitudinal declines in SPPB (β = -1.0E-04, 95%CI [-1.7E-04, -2.0E-05]) and composite cognitive score (β = -2.0E-05, 95%CI [-4.0E-05, -3.6E-06]). The optimal initial GDF15 cutoff values for identifying participants with minimal clinically significant decline after one year were 2189 pg/mL for SPPB (AUC: 0.580) and 2330 pg/mL for composite cognitive score (AUC: 0.587). Conclusions Plasma GDF15 is cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with lower-limb physical performance and global cognitive function in older adults. Circulating GDF15 alone has limited capacity of discriminating older adults who will develop clinically significant functional declines.

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