Environmental and behavioural interventions for reducing physical activity limitation and preventing falls in older people with visual impairment

Safety profile of hypnotics or sedatives on community-dwelling older adults aged 75 or older in Japan: A retrospective propensity-matched cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study is to assess if daily use of hypnotics increases mortality, aspiration pneumonia and hip fracture among relatively healthy individuals aged 75 years or older who lead independent lives in the community.

METHOD AND PATIENTS

Of the adults aged 75 years or older residing in Hokkaido prefecture of Japan (n = 705,538), those who did not meet several exclusion criteria were eligible for generating propensity score-matched cohorts (n = 214,723). Exclusion criteria included co-prescribed medications acting on the central nervous system, diagnoses of malignant neoplasm, dementia, depression, etc. We compared 33,095 participants who were prescribed hypnotics for daily use (hypnotic group) with a propensity score-matched cohort without a prescription (control group). Participants were followed for more than 42 months.

RESULTS

During the 42-month follow-up period, the incidence of the three outcome measures in the hypnotics group was significantly higher than that in the control group (aspiration pneumonia p < 0.001, hip fracture p = 0.007, and all-cause mortality p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses utilizing inverse probability weighting demonstrated hazard ratios of 1.083 [1.023-1.146] for mortality, 1.117 [1.014-1.230] for aspiration pneumonia, and 1.720 [1.559-1.897] for hip fracture. Meanwhile, the attribute risk differences were 2.7, 1.5, and 1.0 per 1000 patient-years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although daily use of hypnotics increased the risk of three events, their attribute risk differences were fewer than 3.0 per 1000 patient-years. The results will help provide guidance on whether it is reasonable to prescribe hypnotics to geriatric population aged 75 or older leading independent lives in the community.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

UMIN-CTR UMIN000048398.

Risk of Falls and Fractures in Individuals With Cataract, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or Glaucoma

Importance

Three leading disease causes of age-related visual loss are cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma. Although all 3 eye diseases have been implicated with falls and fracture risk, evidence is mixed, with the contribution of different eye diseases being uncertain.

Objective

To examine whether people with cataract, AMD, or glaucoma have higher risks of falls or fractures than those without.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was a population-based study in England using routinely collected electronic health records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD and Aurum primary care databases with linked hospitalization and mortality records from 2007 to 2020. Participants were people with cataract, AMD, or glaucoma matched to comparators (1:5) by age, sex, and general practice. Data were analyzed from May 2021 to June 2023.

Exposures

For each eye disease, we estimated the risk of falls or fractures using separate multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Main Outcomes

Two primary outcomes were incident falls and incident fractures derived from general practice, hospital, and mortality records. Secondary outcomes were incident fractures of specific body sites.

Results

A total of 410 476 people with cataract, 75 622 with AMD, and 90 177 with glaucoma were matched (1:5) to 2 034 194 (no cataract), 375 548 (no AMD), and 448 179 (no glaucoma) comparators. The mean (SD) age was 73.8 (11.0) years, 79.4 (9.4) years, and 69.8 (13.1) years for participants with cataract, AMD, or glaucoma, respectively. Compared with comparators, there was an increased risk of falls in those with cataract (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.35-1.38), AMD (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.23-1.27), and glaucoma (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.35-1.41). Likewise for fractures, there were increased risks in all eye diseases, with an HR of 1.28 (95% CI, 1.27-1.30) in the cataract cohort, an HR of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.15-1.21) for AMD, and an HR of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.27-1.35) for glaucoma. Site-specific fracture analyses revealed increases in almost all body sites (including hip, spine, forearm, skull or facial bones, pelvis, ribs or sternum, and lower leg fractures) compared with matched comparators.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this study support recognition that people with 1 or more of these eye diseases are at increased risk of both falls and fractures. They may benefit from improved advice, access, and referrals to falls prevention services.

[Application of Risk Management Combined With Precision Nursing in Physical Function Maintenance and Safety Management of Older Patients With Chronic Diseases]

Objective

To examine the application effect of risk management combined with precision nursing in the maintenance of physical functions and the safety management of older patients with chronic diseases and to provide the basis for the formulation of physical function maintenance and fall prevention programs for older inpatients with chronic diseases.

Methods

The control group and the observation group were randomly selected by cluster sampling from geriatric wards of similar conditions in West China University, Sichuan University. The control group received conventional nursing care and the observation group had risk management combined with precision nursing on top of the conventional nursing care. The primary outcome indicator was activities of daily living (ADL). The secondary outcome indicators were the whole-day ambulation time and infusion time, the incidence of falls, and length-of-stay among patients.

Results

A total of 109 patients in the control group and 110 patients in the observation group completed the study. At the time of admission, there was no statistically significant difference between the ADL scores of the two groups ( P>0.05). Among the patients in the intervention group, the post-intervention ADL scores of the observation group (75.74±22.71) were higher than the pre-intervention ADL scores (68.74±17.32) and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.435, P<0.05). Among the patients in the control group, the post-intervention ADL scores of the control group (70.36±21.90) were higher than the pre-intervention ADL scores (69.14±18.29) and the difference was not statistically significant ( t=0.549, P>0.05). In addition, the post-intervention ADL score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.973, P<0.05). After intervention, patients in the observation group had higher whole-day ambulation time during hospitalization (7.35±2.07) than those in the control group did (4.11±2.62), showing significant difference ( t=1.508, P<0.05). The whole-day infusion time during hospitalization of the observation group (1.68±0.19) was lower than that of the control group (2.39±0.31), showing significant difference ( t=-2.339, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of falls or the length-of-stay between the two groups ( P>0.05).

Conclusion

Risk management combined with precision nursing helps improve patients' ability to perform activities of daily in older patients with chronic diseases, increase their whole-day ambulation time, and reduce the whole-day infusion time without increasing the incidence of falls, which has a positive effect on physical function maintenance and fall prevention in hospital safety management of older patients with chronic diseases.

The Patient Voice in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Findings from a Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

Visual impairment resulting from diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) may cause behavioural, environmental, psychological, and logistical challenges that could act as barriers to effective uptake and sustainability of treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents (anti-VEGFs). Understanding emotions and experiences of patients with nAMD may help inform the determinants of adherence, and could contribute to improvements in ophthalmic outcomes and quality of life.

METHODS

Seventeen patients with nAMD receiving anti-VEGF injections were enrolled from three clinics: one each in France (n = 5), Germany (n = 6), and the UK (n = 6). Patients' health information and treatment characteristics were collected. Individual phone interviews were conducted by experienced health care interviewers. Transcripts were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Patients (53% female) had a mean age of 77 years. Bilateral anti-VEGF injections were received by 24% (n = 4); and most (76%, n = 13) were adherent to their treatment. Patient emotions at diagnosis ranged from happiness at learning about the treatment for nAMD to being terrified of receiving an injection in the eye. Most patients mentioned feeling anxious and fearful before their first injection despite receiving reassurance. After the first injection, these feelings and apprehension abated for many, but not all. With the goal of maintaining the best possible vision, few (24%, n = 4) patients reported more than one missed appointment, and most had never considered stopping treatment. No patient reported additional assistance beyond family support; however, many had difficulties with recreational and domestic activities and had developed coping strategies.

CONCLUSION

This study provides insights on patients' emotions related to their experience of nAMD and its management, highlighting the varying experiences between individuals. It shows the importance of the patient's voice when considering patient care and management, and how the nature and timing of interventions can improve the experience of living with and managing nAMD.

Assessment Tools of Biopsychosocial Frailty Dimensions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Frailty is a complex interplay between several factors, including physiological changes in ageing, multimorbidities, malnutrition, living environment, genetics, and lifestyle. Early screening for frailty risk factors in community-dwelling older people allows for preventive interventions on the clinical and social determinants of frailty, which allows adverse events to be avoided. By conducting a narrative review of the literature employing the International Narrative Systematic Assessment tool, the authors aimed to develop an updated framework for the main measurement tools to assess frailty risks in older adults, paying attention to use in the community and primary care settings. This search focused on the biopsychosocial domains of frailty that are covered in the SUNFRAIL tool. The study selected 178 reviews (polypharmacy: 20; nutrition: 13; physical activity: 74; medical visits: 0; falls: 39; cognitive decline: 12; loneliness: 15; social support: 5; economic constraints: 0) published between January 2010 and December 2021. Within the selected reviews, 123 assessment tools were identified (polypharmacy: 15; nutrition: 15; physical activity: 25; medical visits: 0; falls: 26; cognitive decline: 18; loneliness: 9; social support: 15; economic constraints: 0). The narrative review allowed us to evaluate assessment tools of frailty domains to be adopted for multidimensional health promotion and prevention interventions in community and primary care.

Increased quantity and diversity of patient referrals following the introduction of a novel vision rehabilitation model

Despite effective vision rehabilitation (VR) interventions, no gold standard model of care delivery has been established. The institution of the South East Ontario Vision Rehabilitation Service (SOVRS) introduced a centralized intake, an occupational therapist as a systems navigator, and improved communication pathways between low vision services in order to optimize regional VR care. The aim of this study is to compare the SOVRS model of VR to a traditional, hospital-based pre-SOVRS-implementation model using referral data.

A single-site (Vision Rehabilitation Clinic at Kingston Health Sciences Center), retrospective medical chart review was performed. Data were gathered from the electronic medical records of patients who received a low vision assessment at the pre-SOVRS-implementation clinic (2017) and the SOVRS clinics (2019).

A total of 245 charts were reviewed over the two study periods. There were no significant differences in the age, gender, or diagnoses causing vision loss between 2017 and 2019. One hundred nine incoming referrals were received in 2017, with 136 in 2019, representing a 25% increase in incoming referrals ( p < .001). The proportion of incoming referrals from non-ophthalmologists rose from 3.7% in 2017 to 31.9% in 2019 ( p < .001). The number of outgoing referrals also increased significantly, from 113 outgoing referrals in 2017 to 259 in 2019 ( p < .001), equivalent to a mean of 1.04 ± 0.68 (± standard deviation) outgoing referrals per incoming referral in 2017 and 1.90 ± 0.97 outgoing referrals per incoming referral in 2019. Outgoing service referrals also diversified significantly in 2019 ( p < .001), with more referrals to services such as VR health service organizations and community services.

The SOVRS model was able to increase both the quantity and diversity of incoming and outgoing referrals by adopting several key strategies during its development. By expanding referrals, SOVRS increased the services available to patients and enabled a larger population to receive VR care.

Implementation and costs of housing adaptations among older adults with different functional limitations in Japan

Background

Accessible housing is crucial to maintain a good quality of life for older adults with functional limitations, and housing adaptations are instrumental in resolving accessibility problems. It is unclear to what extent older adults, who have a high risk of further functional decline, use housing adaptation grants acquired through the long-term care (LTC) insurance systems. This study aimed to examine the utilization of housing adaptation grants in terms of implementation and costs, for older adults with different types of functional limitations related to accessibility problems.

Methods

The study sample included individuals from a suburban city in the Tokyo metropolitan area who were certified for care support levels (indicative of the need for preventive care) for the first time between 2010 and 2018 (N = 10,372). We followed the study participants over 12 months since the care needs certification. We matched and utilized three datasets containing the same individual’s data: 1) care needs certification for LTC insurance, 2) insurance premium levels, and 3) LTC insurance claims. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to estimate the likelihood of individuals with different functional limitations of having housing adaptations implemented. Afterward, we conducted a subgroup analysis of only older adults implementing housing adaptation grants to compare costs between groups with different functional limitations using the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests.

Results

Housing adaptations were implemented among 15.6% (n = 1,622) of the study sample, and the median cost per individual was 1,287 USD. Individuals with lower extremity impairment or poor balance were more likely to implement housing adaptations (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.290 to AOR = 2.176), while those with visual impairment or lower cognitive function were less likely to implement housing adaptations (AOR = 0.553 to AOR = 0.861). Costs were significantly lower for individuals with visual impairment (1,180 USD) compared to others (1,300 USD).

Conclusion

Older adults with visual or cognitive limitations may not receive appropriate housing adaptations, despite their high risk of accessibility problems. Housing adaptation grants should include various types of services that meet the needs of older people with different disabilities, and the results indicate there may be a need to improve the system.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03100-9.

Do Interventions Reducing Social Vulnerability Improve Health in Community Dwelling Older Adults? A Systematic Review

Background

Social vulnerability occurs when individuals have been relatively disadvantaged by the social determinants of health. Complex interventions that reduce social vulnerability have the potential to improve health in older adults but robust evidence is lacking.

Objective

To identify, appraise and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of complex interventions targeting reduction in social vulnerability for improving health related outcomes (mortality, function, cognition, subjective health and healthcare use) in older adults living in the community.

Methods

A mixed methods systematic review was conducted. Five databases and targeted grey literature were searched for primary studies of all study types according to predetermined criteria. Data were extracted from each distinct intervention and quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Effectiveness data were synthesized using vote counting by direction of effect, combining p values and Albatross plots.

Results

Across 38 included studies, there were 34 distinct interventions categorized as strengthening social supports and communities, helping older adults and their caregivers navigate health and social services, enhancing neighbourhood and built environments, promoting education and providing economic stability. There was evidence to support positive influences on function, cognition, subjective health, and reduced hospital utilization. The evidence was mixed for non-hospital healthcare utilization and insufficient to determine effect on mortality.

Conclusion

Despite high heterogeneity and varying quality of studies, attention to reducing an older adult's social vulnerability assists in improving older adults' health.

Assessment of Physical Activity and Related Factors among Adults with Visual Impairments in Japan

In Japan, there is a lack of physical activity data on health and disease among people with visual impairments, making it difficult to develop specific strategies for health promotion. This study aimed to identify moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among people with visual impairments in Japan, to examine the percentage of them who meet the MVPA recommended activity, and to identify factors related to MVPA. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed a survey of 169 adults with visual impairments. The relationship between MVPA and related factors was analyzed using binomial logistic regression analysis. The median MVPA was 46 min/day for men and 36 min/day for women, respectively, aged < 65 years, and 26 min/day for men and 34 min/day for women, respectively, aged ≥ 65 years. Seventy-eight percent of the subjects achieved the recommendations by the WHO, and 28% of the subjects < 65 years had achieved the MVPA of 60 min/day recommended by the Japanese Active Guide. Self-efficacy (SE) for PA, recommended PA implementation behavior, subjective walking speed, and exercise habits were significantly associated with MVPA. The current status of MVPA time among people with visual impairments in Japan, as revealed by this study, indicates that it is important to set realistic goals and plan a step-by-step process to achieve the recommendation. In the future, it will be important to develop a program that encourages the improvement of SE and promotes PA.

Longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity after falls in older adults with varying degrees of glaucoma

BACKGROUND

Visually impaired older adults have a greater risk of falling, making them particularly susceptible to fall-related health consequences and restricted physical activity. Unclear however, is the relationship between having falls and longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity in older adults with visual impairments.

METHODS

We created a three-year prospective cohort study (Falls in Glaucoma Study) of older adults with primary or suspected glaucoma at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute from 2013 to 2015. Cumulative incidence of falls was determined through self-reported fall calendars over 12 months. Participants were then classified into one of three groups: multiple fallers (≥2 falls), single fallers (1 fall), and non-fallers (0). Daily physical activity was measured over 1 week using a waist-bound accelerometer during baseline and three-year follow-ups. Activity fragmentation was defined as the reciprocal of the mean activity bout length, with higher fragmentation reflecting shorter, more fractured bouts of continuous activity. Multivariate linear mixed-effects models were used to assess three-year longitudinal changes in: 1) activity fragmentation, and 2) accumulation of activity across six three-hour intervals from 5 AM to 11 PM.

FINDINGS

In adjusted models accounting for visual field damage and other factors, multiple fallers demonstrated greater annual declines (per year) in daily active bouts (-1.79 bouts/day, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.35, -0.22), daily active minutes (-17.15 min/day, 95% CI: -26.35, -7.94), and increased fragmentation (1%, 95% CI: 0, 2%) over the three-year follow-up period as compared to non-fallers; no such changes were seen when comparing single fallers and non-fallers. In time-of-day analyses, multiple fallers experienced greater annual declines in average hourly steps over all periods of the day, though the rate of decline was only significant between 5 PM and 8 PM (-27.07 steps/hour, 95% CI: -51.15, -2.99) compared to non-fallers.

INTERPRETATION

In an older population with visual impairment, multiple falls over 12 months were associated with more transient and fragmented activity over a subsequent three-year period, and activity declines during evening hours, compared to non-fallers. These findings suggest that multiple fallers with visual impairment may be at high risk for a decline in physical capacity and endurance, warranting clinical interventions.

FUNDING

The research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grant EY022976.

Does Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment Influence Patient Falls and Mobility? A Systematic Review

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible blindness, increases fall risk through impaired central vision. Falls place an enormous economic burden on healthcare systems. We hypothesized that AMD treatments may reduce patients' falls risk. This systematic review (ID #: 172623) synthesized the current understanding of wet and dry AMD treatments' impact on patient falls and mobility, connecting these two public health issues.Methods: On April 17, 2020, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried. Clinical trials and observational studies were included, while non-English and non-primary studies were excluded. Two authors screened, extracted data, and assessed bias using RoB-2 and ROBINS-I. A third author served as a tie breaker.Results: This database search resulted in 3,525 studies, with an additional 112 identified through bibliography review. Ten articles met eligibility criteria. Most studies featured the outcome of interest as a secondary outcome (n = 4) and patient-reported adverse events (n = 5), rather than a primary focus (n = 2). Ten out of the 11 outcomes had a moderate to serious risk of bias. No two studies used the same instrument to measure falls or mobility.Conclusion: Despite the potential positive impact of AMD treatments on patient falls and mobility, quality data on this relationship are lacking. This work underscores the need to broaden ophthalmologic research outcomes beyond visual parameters to include patient-centred, functional measures. Incorporating standardized methods to track falls and screen for difficulty with walking and balance would enable evaluation of AMD treatments on functional outcomes, potentially helping guide management.

Characterizing Longitudinal Changes in Physical Activity and Fear of Falling after Falls in Glaucoma

BACKGROUND

Older adults with visual impairments experience a higher risk of falling, and are more vulnerable to adverse health consequences associated with falls than those with normal vision. This study characterizes longitudinal changes in objectively measured physical activity and fear of falling (FoF) occurring after various types of falls in visually impaired older adults.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Hospital-based enrollment.

PARTICIPANTS

People with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma.

MEASUREMENTS

Falls were defined as unintentionally coming to rest on the ground or a lower level, and injurious falls were determined though follow-up calls. Study participants were categorized into three groups-fallers with injurious consequences, fallers without injurious consequences, and non-fallers based on fall status in the first year. Physical activity was assessed by waist-bound accelerometer. FoF was evaluated by questionnaire, with Rasch modeling generating FoF scores where higher scores reflected worse FoF. The 3-year longitudinal changes of physical activity and FoF were modeled using mixed-effects models.

RESULTS

In linear models fully adjusted for visual field damage and other covariates, physical activity among injurious fallers showed greater annual (per year) declines in daily steps (-425 steps/d, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -793, -57), daily active minutes (-13 min/d, 95% CI = -21, -6), and daily moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes (-3 MVPA minutes/d, 95% CI = -5, 0) over the 3-year period as compared to non-fallers; however, physical activity did not significantly decline among non-injurious fallers. No longitudinal increases in FoF scores were observed in injurious or non-injurious fallers when compared to non-fallers.

CONCLUSION

Among visually impaired older adults, injurious falls identified prospectively over 12 months contributed to a significant decline in physical activity over a 3-year period, while minimal changes were observed in FoF.