The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty among geriatric hospital inpatients and its association with economic prosperity and healthcare expenditure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 467,779 geriatric hospital inpatients

The effectiveness of the comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults with frailty in hospital settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is performed by a multidisciplinary team and includes systematic comprehensive team assessment and treatment. Comprehensive geriatric assessment has become a fundamental component of geriatric nursing, as a multidimensional approach is necessary to achieve the best diagnosis and therapy for older adults with frailty.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our review was to analyze the effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment interventions on older adults with frailty in hospital settings.

METHODS

The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from inception to February 28, 2024. Only randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis. The risk ratios (RRs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated to determine the pooled intervention effects. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias analyses were also conducted. Methodological quality and evidence were assessed using the RoB2 tool and GRADE pro online tool.

RESULTS

A total of 18 randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The results showed that participants in the intervention group had a lower risk of having decreased activities of daily living than did those in the control group (RR = 0.55, 95 % CI: 0.33 to 0.92, P = 0.021, low certainty evidence). Comprehensive geriatric assessment was associated with a reduced mortality risk (RR = 0.85, 95 % CI: 0.73 to 0.99, P = 0.038, high certainty evidence).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this systematic review analyzed the available literature, and the results showed that comprehensive geriatric assessment had significant benefits in terms of increased independence and was associated with a reduced mortality risk for older adults with frailty in hospital settings. However, the evidence was limited. Thus, more research is needed in the future to further enrich the evidence in the field of comprehensive geriatric assessment interventions for older adults with frailty.

Predictive validity of the Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old for all-cause mortality and disability incidence

AIM

The Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old (QMCOO) has been used nationwide in Japan as part of the health checkup for latter-stage older adults since the financial year 2020. Although the QMCOO is useful in screening for frailty, its cutoff values for predicting adverse health outcomes have rarely been assessed. Therefore, this study aimed to calculate the cutoff values for predicting all-cause mortality and disability incidence and to evaluate their predictive validity.

METHODS

This study included 3837 health checkup recipients aged ≥75 years residing in Higashiura Town, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The health checkup was conducted from June 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021. Mortality and disability incidence were analyzed separately. For the latter, participants with a disability history were excluded, leaving 3040 available for analysis.

RESULTS

During the follow-up of 11 191 and 8550 person-years, 276 died and 438 developed a disability, respectively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence intervals) for all-cause mortality and disability incidence were 0.68 (0.65-0.71) and 0.66 (0.63-0.68), respectively, with QMCOO cutoff values at 3/4 and 2/3 points. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, self-reported diseases, and frequency of alcohol consumption demonstrated the predictive validity of those cutoff values.

CONCLUSIONS

The optimal cutoff value of the QMCOO for predicting all-cause mortality was 3/4, while the optimal cutoff value for predicting disability incidence was 2/3 among an older Japanese population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••-••.

A frailty census of older adults in the emergency department and acute inpatient settings of a model 4 hospital in the Mid-West of Ireland

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a risk factor for presentation to the ED, in-hospital mortality, prolonged hospital stays and functional decline at discharge. Profiling the prevalence and level of frailty within the acute hospital setting is vital to ensure evidence-based practice and service development within the construct of frailty. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of frailty and co-morbidities among older adults in an acute hospital setting.

METHODS

Data collection was undertaken by clinical research nurses and advanced nurse practitioners experienced in assessing older adults. All patients aged ≥ 65 years and admitted to a medical or surgical inpatient setting between 08:00 and 20:00 and who attended the ED over a 24-h period were screened using validated frailty and co-morbidity scales. Age and gender demographics, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI) and admitting specialty (medical/surgical) were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the cohort, and p values were calculated to ascertain the significance of results.

RESULTS

Within a sample of 413 inpatients, 291 (70%) were ≥ 65 years and therefore were included in the study. 202 of these 291 older adults (70%) were ≥ 75 years. Frailty was investigated using validated clinical cut-offs on the CFS (not frail < 5; frail ≥ 5). Comorbidities were investigated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (mild 1-2; moderate 3-4; severe ≥ 5). The median CFS was 6 indicating moderate frailty levels, and the median CCI score was 3 denoting moderate co-morbidity. In the inpatient cohort, 245 (84%) screened positive for frailty, while 223 (75%) had moderate-severe co-morbidity (CCI Mod 3-4, severe ≥ 5). No significant differences were observed across genders for CFS and CCI. In the ED, 81 patients who attended the ED were ≥ 65 years. The median CFS was 6 (moderate frailty), and the median CCI was 5 (severe co-morbidity level). Seventy-four percent (60) of participants screened positively for frailty (CFS ≥ 5), and 31% (25) had a CFS of 7 or greater (severely frail). Ninety-six percent (78) of patients had a moderate-severe level of comorbidity. No significant associations were found between the CFS and CCI and ED participants age, gender, and medical/surgical speciality usage.

CONCLUSION

There is a high prevalence of frailty and co-morbidity among older adults who present to the ED and require inpatient care. This may contribute to increased waiting times, lengths of stay, and the need for specialist intervention. With an increased focus on the integration of care for older adults across care transitions, there is a clear need for expansion of frailty-based services, staff training in frailty care and multidisciplinary team resources across the hospital and community setting.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological therapies for preventing frailty in older people: An umbrella review

PURPOSE

This study aimed to synthesize and assess evidence on non-pharmacological interventions for older adults, including those with prefrailty and frailty.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive review of randomized trials and cohort studies on non-pharmacological interventions for individuals aged ≥60 was conducted using MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science through April 2023.

RESULTS

Of the 285 papers screened, 13 met the eligibility criteria. Participants aged 62-98 years were studied across 42,917 individuals. Four systematic reviews (SR) focused on healthy older adults, seven on prefrailty, and eleven on frailty. Interventions included exercise therapy (7 articles), nutritional therapy (3 articles), exercise games (1 article), and combined exercise and nutritional therapy (2 articles). Non-pharmacological interventions showed improvement in frailty in 1 out of 1 SR and prevention of frailty progression in 3 out of 4 SRs. Improvements in physical function were noted in 9 out of 12 SRs, muscle strength in 8 out of 11, and muscle mass in 4 out of 6. Exercise interventions enhanced strength, mass, and function in older adults, including those with prefrailty or frailty, whether alone or combined with other components. Combined exercise and nutritional therapy were found to be more effective than monotherapy. Outcomes related to falls, cognitive function, and quality of life were controversial, and no positive effect on mortality was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Exercise therapy, including multicomponent interventions, can prevent frailty and improve physical function, strength, and muscle mass. Nutritional therapy has some advantages, but its combination with exercise therapy is recommended.

Multidimensional-Based Prediction of Pressure Ulcers Development and Severity in Hospitalized Frail Oldest Old: A Retrospective Study

Purpose

In recent times, growing uncertainty has emerged regarding the effectiveness of standard pressure ulcer (PU) risk assessment tools, which are suspected to be no better than clinical judgment, especially in the frail and comorbid elderly population. This study aimed to identify the primary clinical predictive variables for PU development and severity in hospitalized older adults, utilizing a multidimensional frailty assessment, and compare them with the Braden scale.

Patients and methods

The population consisted of 316 patients, admitted to the Geriatric Unit and Transitional Care of San Bartolomeo Hospital in Sarzana (Italy) during the period 21/02/22-01/07/22. The collected information included both anamnestic and laboratory data. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed, including also anthropometric and physical performance measurements. Multivariate logistic analysis was used, both in a binary classification test and in the subsequent ordinal classification test of severity levels. The final performance of the model was assessed by ROC curve estimation and AUC comparison with the Braden scale.

Results

Within the population, 152 subjects (48%) developed PU at different levels of severity. The results showed that age, Braden scale (subscales of mobility and friction/shear), Barthel scale, Mini Nutritional Assessment, hemoglobin, and albumin are predictors associated with the development of PU (AUC 85%). The result is an improvement over the use of the Braden scale alone (AUC 75%). Regarding the identification of predictive factors for PU severity, 4AT also emerges as potentially relevant.

Conclusion

Assessing the subject's nutritional status, physical performance, and functional autonomies enables the effective integration of the Braden scale in identifying patients most susceptible to developing PU. Our findings support the integration of a comprehensive set of methodologically robust frailty determinants into traditional risk assessment tools. This integration reflects the mutual interplay between patients' frailty, skin frailty, and PU development in very old hospitalized patients.

Inappropriate prescribing and association with readmission or mortality in hospitalised older adults with frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate prescribing (IP) is common in hospitalised older adults with frailty. However, it is not known whether the presence of frailty confers an increased risk of mortality and readmissions from IP nor whether rectifying IP reduces this risk. This review was conducted to determine whether IP increases the risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalised middle-aged and older adults with frailty.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted on IP in hospitalised middle-aged (45-64 years) and older adults (≥ 65 years) with frailty. This review considered multiple types of IP including potentially inappropriate medicines, prescribing omissions and drug interactions. Both observational and interventional studies were included. The outcomes were mortality and hospital readmissions. The databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, World of Science, SCOPUS and the Cochrane Library. The search was updated to 12 July 2024. Meta-analysis was performed to pool risk estimates using the random effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 569 studies were identified and seven met the inclusion criteria, all focused on the older population. One of the five observational studies found an association between IP and emergency department visits and readmissions at specific time points. Three of the observational studies were amenable to meta-analysis which showed no significant association between IP and hospital readmissions (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.90-1.31). Meta-analysis of the subgroup assessing Beers criteria medicines demonstrated that there was a 27% increase in the risk of hospital readmissions (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03-1.57) with this type of IP. In meta-analysis of the two interventional studies, there was a 37% reduced risk of mortality (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40-1.00) with interventions that reduced IP compared to usual care but no difference in hospital readmissions (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.19-3.67).

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions to reduce IP were associated with reduced risk of mortality, but not readmissions, compared to usual care in older adults with frailty. The use of Beers criteria medicines was associated with hospital readmissions in this group. However, there was limited evidence of an association between IP more broadly and mortality or hospital readmissions. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The independent and combined effects of physical activity and depressive symptoms on frailty in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To investigate the independent and combined effects of physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms on the risk of frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND

Older adults face a high risk of frailty which is commonly used to predict adverse health outcomes in older patients. Engaging in PA and without depressive symptoms are crucial factors to prevent frailty. It is essential to investigate the independent and combined effects of these two variables on the risk of frailty.

METHODS

We included 3392 community-dwelling older adults. The FRAIL Scale was used to assess older adults' frail status (robust, prefrail and frail). Multiple logistic regression was utilized to examine the independent and combined effects of PA and depressive symptoms on the risk of prefrailty and frailty. The combined effects were visualized by marginal plots.

RESULTS

The prevalence of prefrailty and frailty in older adults were 42.16% and 10.58%. Compared with the group of "Light physical activity and With depressive symptoms", "Vigorous physical activity and Without depressive symptoms" had the lowest risk of prefrailty and frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults who do not engage in PA or have depressive symptoms increased the risk of frailty, but older adults with depressive symptoms could lower the risk of frailty through PA.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It is effective to reduce the risk of frailty by directing older adults to do moderate physical activity, although they have depressive symptoms. The focus should also be on older adults with depressive symptoms, who have at least more than twice and fourfold risk of prefrailty and frailty compared to those without.

IMPACT

This study offers insights for future interventions aimed at preventing frailty in older adults.

REPORTING METHOD

This study adhered to the STROBE checklist.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS

Older adults participated in this study and completed questionnaires.

Frailty and in-hospital mortality in older patients with acute exacerbation of COPD: A real-world prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Few evidence exists for the effect of frailty on the patients admitted with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

OBJECTIVE

We explored the link between frailty and in-hospital death in AECOPD, and whether laboratory indicators mediate this association.

METHODS

This was a real-world prospective cohort study including older patients with AECOPD, consisting of two cohorts: a training set (n = 1356) and a validation set (n = 478). The independent prognostic factors, including frail status, were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The relationship between frailty and in-hospital mortality was estimated by multivariable Cox regression. A nomogram was developed to provide clinicians with a quantitative tool to predict the risk of in-hospital death. Mediation analyses for frailty and in-hospital death were conducted.

RESULTS

The training set included 1356 patients (aged 86.7 ± 6.6 years), and 25.0 % of them were frail. A nomogram model was created, including ten independent variables: age, sex, frailty, COPD grades, severity of exacerbation, mean arterial pressure (MAP), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), albumin, and troponin T (TPN-T). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROCs) was 0.862 and 0.845 for the training set and validation set, respectively. Patients with frailty had a higher risk of in-hospital death than those without frailty (HR,1.83, 95%CI: 1.14, 2.94; p = 0.013). Furthermore, CRP and albumin mediated the associations between frailty and in-hospital death.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty may be an adverse prognostic factor for older patients admitted with AECOPD. CRP and albumin may be part of the immunoinflammatory mechanism between frailty and in-hospital death.

Frailty as an Effect Modifier in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The effect of clinical interventions may vary by patients' frailty status. Understanding treatment effect heterogeneity by frailty could lead to frailty-guided treatment strategies and reduce overtreatment and undertreatment. This systematic review aimed to examine the effect modification by frailty in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and multicomponent interventions.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrial.gov, from their inception to 8 December 2023. Two reviewers independently extracted trial data and examined the study quality with senior authors.

RESULTS

Sixty-one RCTs that evaluated the interaction between frailty and treatment effects in older adults were included. Frailty was evaluated using different tools such as the deficit accumulation frailty index, frailty phenotype, and other methods. The effect of several pharmacological interventions (e.g., edoxaban, sacubitril/valsartan, prasugrel, and chemotherapy) varied according to the degree of frailty, whereas other treatments (e.g., antihypertensives, vaccinations, osteoporosis medications, and androgen medications) demonstrated consistent benefits across different frailty levels. Some non-pharmacological interventions had greater benefits in patients with higher (e.g., chair yoga, functional walking, physical rehabilitation, and higher dose exercise program) or lower (e.g., intensive lifestyle intervention, psychosocial intervention) levels of frailty, while others (e.g., resistance-type exercise training, moderate-intensive physical activity, walking and nutrition or walking) produced similar intervention effects. Specific combined interventions (e.g., hospital-based disease management programs) demonstrated inconsistent effects across different frailty levels.

DISCUSSION

The efficacy of clinical interventions often varied by frailty levels, suggesting that frailty is an important factor to consider in recommending clinical interventions in older adults.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number CRD42021283051.

Diet and lifestyle behaviours simultaneously act on frailty: it is time to move the threshold of frailty prevention and control forward

BACKGROUND

To analyse the association among the simultaneous effects of dietary intake, daily life behavioural factors, and frailty outcomes in older Chinese women, we predicted the probability of maintaining physical robustness under a combination of different variables.

METHODS

The Fried frailty criterion was used to determine the three groups of "frailty", "pre-frailty", and "robust", and a national epidemiological survey was performed. The three-classification decision tree model was fitted, and the comprehensive performance of the model was evaluated to predict the probability of occurrence of different outcomes.

RESULTS

Among the 1,044 participants, 15.9% were frailty and 50.29% were pre-frailty; the overall prevalence first increased and then decreased with age, reaching a peak at 70-74 years of age. Through univariate analysis, filtering, and embedded screening, eight significant variables were identified: staple food, spices, exercise (frequency, intensity, and time), work frequency, self-feeling, and family emotions. In the three-classification decision tree, the values of each evaluation index of Model 3 were relatively average; the accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1 score range were between 75% and 84%, and the AUC was also greater than 0.800, indicating excellent performance and the best interpretability of the results. Model 3 takes exercise time as the root node and contains 6 variables and 10 types, suggesting the impact of the comprehensive effect of these variables on robust and non-robust populations (the predicted probability range is 6.67-93.33%).

CONCLUSION

The combined effect of these factors (no exercise or less than 0.5 h of exercise per day, occasional exercise, exercise at low intensity, feeling more tired at work, and eating too many staple foods (> 450 g per day) are more detrimental to maintaining robustness.

Serum klotho levels and mortality patterns in frail individuals: unraveling the u-shaped association

BACKGROUND

Frailty, a clinical syndrome intricately linked with the aging process, stands as a harbinger of numerous adverse outcomes, most notably mortality. This study aimed to elucidate the association between serum α-klotho concentration and mortality patterns, including all-cause and cause-specific mortality, in patients with frailty.

METHODS

The study employed Cox proportional hazard models, smoothed curve fitting, and supplementary analyses, encompassing threshold effect analysis, subgroup and sensitivity analyses, to explore the relationship between α-klotho levels and mortality, including all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality.

RESULTS

Among the 2,608 frail individuals (mean age: 60.78 [SD 10.48] years; 59.89% female), the mortality stood at 25.35% during a median follow-up period of 6.95 years. Both unadjusted and adjusted models revealed a significant inverse association between higher serum α-klotho levels and the risk of all-cause and CVD-related mortality ([mean(95% CI) 0.68 (0.55, 0.83)] for all-cause mortality; [mean(95% CI) 0.48 (0.32, 0.74)] for CVD-related mortality, all P for trend < 0.001). Notably, log2-klotho displayed a U-shaped correlation with all-cause mortality and cancer mortality, characterized by thresholds of 9.48 and 9.55, respectively. The robustness of these findings was consistently supported by subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

This study unveils a U shaped association between serum α-klotho levels and both all-cause and cancer-related mortality among middle-aged and elderly individuals with frailty in the United States. The identified serum α-klotho thresholds, at 714.8 pg/ml for all-cause mortality and 750.6 pg/ml for cancer-related mortality, hold promise as potential targets for interventions aimed at mitigating the risks of premature death and cancer within this vulnerable population.

The Association between Functional Health Patterns and Frailty in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients

This study investigates the association between the Functional Health Pattern Assessment Screening Tool (FHPAST) and frailty in hospitalized geriatric patients. One hundred and forty patients (mean age 78.2 years, age range 65-90) were screened for frailty using the Frail Scale during hospitalization in the geriatric unit. Among them, 57 patients were identified as prefrail (40.7%), and 83 were identified as frail (59.3%). A comparative analysis between groups in terms of the FHPAST components covering health risk, general well-being, and health promotion was performed. Correlations between FHAPST components, socio-demographic data, frailty criteria, as well as logistic regression to identify variables that better predict frailty were also sought. Frailty was mainly associated with difficulty urinating, limitations in performing activities of daily living and walking, physical discomfort, less positive feelings in controlling one's own life, lower compliance with recommendations from the healthcare provider, and engagement in seeking healthcare services. Patients with difficulty urinating and walking had a probability of 4.38 times (OR = 4.38, CI 95% [1.20-15.94]), p = 0.025) and 65.7 times (OR = 65.7, CI 95% [19.37-223.17], p < 0.001) higher of being frail rather than prefrail. The relationship between frailty and prefrailty in hospitalized geriatric patients and components of nursing Functional Health Patterns (FHP) has yet to be explored. This study provides evidence of the most prevalent needs of frail geriatric patients in hospital settings.

Predictors and Outcomes of Oral Anticoagulant Deprescribing in Geriatric Inpatients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate prevalence and predictors of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) deprescribing in older inpatients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and its association with 1-year incidence of major clinical outcomes.

DESIGN

Multicenter retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Inpatients aged ≥75 years with known AF on OAT at admission discharged from 3 Italian acute geriatric wards between January 2014 and July 2018.

METHODS

Data from a routine Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), along with OAT status at discharge were recorded. One-year incidence of all-cause death, stroke or systemic embolism (SSE), and major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (MB/CRNMB) were retrieved from administrative databases. Associations were explored through multilevel analysis.

RESULTS

Among 1578 patients (median age 86 years, 56.3% female), OAT deprescription (341 patients, 21.6%) was associated with bleeding risk, functional dependence and cognitive impairment, and inversely, with previous SSE and chronic AF. Incidences of death, SSE, and MB/CRNMB were 56.6%, 1.5%, and 4.1%, respectively, in OAT-deprescribed patients, and 37.6%, 2.9%, and 4.9%, respectively, in OAT-continued patients, without significant differences between groups. OAT deprescription was associated with all-cause mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.41, 95% CI 1.68-1.85], along with older age, comorbidity burden, cognitive impairment, and functional dependence, but with neither SSE nor MB/CRNMB incidence, as opposed to being alive and free from SSE and MB/CNRMB, respectively (aOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.25-1.82, and aOR 0.95 95% CI 0.49-1.85, respectively). Conversely, OAT deprescription was associated with higher odds of being dead than alive both in patients free from SSE and in those free from MB/CRNMB.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

CGA-based OAT deprescribing is common in acute geriatric wards and is not associated with increased SSE. The net clinical benefit of OAT in geriatric patients is strongly related with the competing risk of death, suggesting that functional and cognitive status, as well as residual life expectancy, should be considered in clinical decision making in this population.

Assessing frailty amongst older people admitted to hospital in a low-income setting: a multicentre study in northern Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Populations are ageing globally and Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are experiencing the fastest rates of demographic change. Few studies have explored the burden of frailty amongst older people in hospital in LMICs, where healthcare services are having to rapidly adapt to align with the needs of older people. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of frailty amongst older people admitted to hospital in Tanzania and to explore their demographic and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

This study had a prospective observational design. Over a six-month period, all adults ≥ 60 years old admitted to medical wards in four hospitals in northern Tanzania were invited to participate. They were screened for frailty using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and the Frailty Phenotype (FP). Demographic and clinical characteristics of interest were recorded in a structured questionnaire. These included the Barthel Index, the Identification of Elderly Africans Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADEA-IADL) and Cognitive (IDEA-Cog) screens, the EURO-D depression scale and Confusion Assessment Method.

RESULTS

540 adults aged ≥ 60 were admitted, and 308 completed assessment. Frailty was present in 66.6% using the CFS and participants with frailty were significantly older, with lower levels of education and literacy, greater disability, greater comorbidity, poorer cognition and higher levels of delirium. Using the FP, 57.0% of participants were classed as frail though a majority of participants (n = 159, 51.6%) could not be classified due to a high proportion of missing data.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that the prevalence of frailty on medical wards in northern Tanzania is high according to the CFS. However, the challenges in operationalising the FP in this setting highlight the need for future work to adapt frailty screening tools for an African context. Future investigations should also seek to correlate frailty status with long-term clinical outcomes after admission in this setting.

Lung function and the risk of frailty in the European population: a mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological evidence has suggested a relationship between lung function and frailty, but the precise nature of the causality remains unclear. In this study, we applied a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine the causal effects of lung function on frailty.

METHODS

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) independently related (P ≤ 5E-08) to lung function, as identified by genome-wide association study (GWAS), were applied as instrumental variables (IV). The association with frailty index (FI) was investigated using summary-level data from the latest GWAS on FI (n = 175,226). Different statistical methods were employed to evaluate the causal estimates between lung function and FI. The pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and leave-one-out analysis were applied to confirm the stability of the MR estimates.

RESULTS

Using the random-effect inverse-variance weighted approach, genetically proxied forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), ratio of FEV1 on forced vital capacity (FVC) [FEV1/FVC], and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were significantly and inversely associated with FI (FEV1, β = -0.08, P = 2.03E-05; FEV1/FVC, β = -0.06, P = 9.51E-06; PEF, β = -0.07, P = 4.09E-04) with good statistical power (99.7-100%). However, no significant association was observed between FVC and FI (β = -0.01, P = 0.681). Leave-one-out analysis showed that there was no single SNP driving the bias of the estimates. There was potential heterogeneity, but no obvious pleiotropy was founded in this MR study.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that impaired pulmonary function is closely related to the risk of frailty. Enhancing lung function in the elderly population may contribute to the prevention of frailty to a certain extent.

Correlation of serum VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, and activin A levels with frailty

BACKGROUND

Secretory factors linked to lymphogenesis, such as vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), angiopoietin like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), and activin A (ACV-A), have been recognized as potential markers of chronic inflammatory status and age-related diseases. Furthermore, these factors may also be linked to frailty. The primary objective of this study was to examine the serum VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, and ACV-A levels in young individuals, healthy older individuals, and older individuals with pre-frailty and frailty, and to determine their association with pro-inflammatory factor levels.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study, enrolling a total of 210 older individuals and 20 young healthy volunteers. Participants were divided into four groups based on the Freid frailty phenotype: healthy young group, older patients without frailty group, pre-frail older group, and frail older group. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from all four groups. ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, ACV-A, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, while RT-qPCR was used to measure the transcription level of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4 and ACV-A in PBMCs.

RESULTS

In comparison to healthy young individuals and older participants without frailty, older participants with frailty exhibited lower renal function, higher serum levels and transcription levels of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, ACV-A, and elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (CRP, IL-1β, and TNF-α). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that serum levels of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, and ACV-A were positively correlated with the frailty index, independent of age, eGFR, and comorbidities. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that serum levels of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, and ACV-A have great accuracy in predicting frailty.

CONCLUSION

Elevated serum levels of VEGF-C, ANGPTL4, and ACV-A are associated with frailty status.

The Prevalence of the Frailty Syndrome in a Hospital Setting-Is Its Diagnosis a Challenge? A Comparison of Four Frailty Scales in a Cross-Sectional Study

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of the frailty syndrome in older patients hospitalized in the geriatric ward depending on the diagnostic criteria used, the feasibility of particular diagnostic scales in hospitalized patients, and their compatibility; 416 patients (81.2 ± 6.91 years) admitted to the Department of Geriatrics of Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Bialystok within eight months were included in the study. Four diagnostic scales were used to identify the frailty syndrome: Fried criteria, 7-point Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), 40-item Frailty Index (FI), and FRAIL Scale. Depending on the scale, the prevalence of frailty syndrome varied from 26.8% (FRAIL Scale), 52.3% (Clinical Frailty Scale), and 58.1% (Fried criteria) up to 62.9% (Frailty Index). We observed the highest feasibility for CFS (100%) and the lowest for the Fried scale (79.8%). The highest level of agreement was found between the CFS and Frailty Index, with 80.3% consistent ratings (Cohen Kappa 0.6). Patients in the geriatric ward are characterized by a high prevalence of frailty, although it differs depending on the criteria. The most difficult to use in daily practice was the Fried scale, while the Clinical Frailty Scale was determined feasible in all patients.

Hospital admission and the occurrence of delirium in older adults with physical frailty: cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the relationship between hospitalization and the occurrence of delirium in older adults with physical frailty.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study carried out in a public hospital in southern Brazil. Hospitalized older adults aged ≥ 60 years participated. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, physical frailty phenotype tests were performed and the Confusion Assessment Method was used. Descriptive analyzes were carried out and odds ratio values were estimated for the frailty and delirium variables.

RESULTS

Of the 320 older adults evaluated, 21.14% presented delirium, 49% were identified as pre-frail and 36.2% as frail. Of those affected by delirium, 71.6% were classified as frail and 28.3% as pre-frail (p < 0.001). An association was observed between the occurrence of delirium and frailty (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38), age ≥ 80 years (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.32), epilepsy (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.76), dementia (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.37 to 1.82), and history of stroke (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26).

CONCLUSION

There was a high frequency of pre-frail and frail older adults, and the occurrence of delirium in frail was significantly higher. Special attention should be paid to frail older adults to prevent the occurrence of delirium during hospitalization.

Prevalence of frailty in Indonesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Frailty increases the risks of hospitalization, injury, fall, psychological disorders, and death in older adults. Accurate estimation of the prevalence of frailty is crucial for promoting health in these individuals. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in older adults residing in Indonesia.

METHODS

In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, six electronic databases were searched (without any language restriction) for relevant articles from inception to February 2023. Studies on the prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in older adults (age ≥ 60 years) residing in Indonesia were included in the analysis. A random-effects model was selected a priori because of the expected high degree of heterogeneity in the study, followed by sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression. The protocol of this review study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022381132).

RESULTS

A total of 79 studies were identified, of which 20 were finally included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in older adults in Indonesia was 26.8% and 55.5%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of frailty and prefrailty was 37.9% and 44.8% in nursing homes, 26.3% and 61.4% in hospitals, and 21.1% and 59.6% in community settings, respectively. Furthermore, the pooled prevalence of frailty and prefrailty was 21.6% and 64.3%, 18.7% and 62%, and 27.8% and 59.8% in studies using the Frailty Index-40, FRAIL, and Fried Frailty Phenotype questionnaires, respectively. However, the parameters did not vary significantly across measurement tools or study settings. Publication bias was not detected while the year of data collection influenced the heterogeneity between the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first meta-analysis to report the prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in older adults residing in Indonesia. The gradual increase in the number of older adults with frailty or prefrailty in Indonesia is concerning. Therefore, the government, private sectors, health-care professionals, and the community must jointly design effective strategies and policies to address this problem.

Foods, Nutrients, and Risk of In-Hospital Frailty in Women: Findings from a Large Prospective Cohort Study

Frailty is increasingly prevalent worldwide because of aging populations. Diet may play a role as a modifiable risk factor. This study aimed to investigate associations between dietary factors and risk of frailty in the UK Women's Cohort admitted to hospitals in England. Consumption of foods and nutrients was estimated using a validated 217-item food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Incident frailty was assessed via a hospital frailty risk score based on linkage with hospital episode statistics. Out of 25,186 participants admitted to hospitals, 6919 (27%) were identified with frailty and 10,562 (42%) with pre-frailty over a mean follow-up of 12.7 years. After adjustment for confounding, we observed a 12% increase in risk of frailty with each additional 10 g/MJ intake of total meat (HR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.17), with the highest risk observed for processed meats (HR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.21, 1.73). Similar associations were observed with pre-frailty. Vegetable intake was associated with slightly lower risk of frailty (HR = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.97, 1.00). There was no evidence of association between most nutrient intakes and in-hospital frailty risk. Overall, our findings suggest that reducing consumption of meat, especially processed meat, in adults may be beneficial regarding the development of frailty.

Outcome of novel oral anticoagulant versus warfarin in frail elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of retrospective studies

BACKGROUND

Frail patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are thought to be at a higher risk for cerebral infarction and death than patients who are not frail, making preventive interventions important. Anticoagulants should be used in frailty patients with AF. However, there are limited data about anticoagulants in frail patients with AF. Therefore, we concucted this meta-analysis to find the best anticoagulation strategy.

METHODS

Systematic electronic searches were conducted on 4 July 2022 4 July 2022, in PubMed, Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Library. Relevant and eligible cohort studies were included. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Furthermore, we performed a publication bias analysis and subgroup analysis to explore the source of heterogeneity.

RESULT

3 publications (10 cohorts, 188573 participants) met our inclusion criteria. The pooled analysis showed that ischemic strokes (HR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.71 to 0.79; I2 = 60.2%), systemic embolism (HR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.64 to 0.87; I  = 68.6%), major bleeding(HR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.64 to 0.89; I2 = 97.4%), intracranial hemorrhage (HR: 0.57; 95%CI: 0.45 to 0.71; I2 = 54.6%) and cardiovascular death(HR: 0.61; 95%CI: 0.51 to 0.70; I2 = 83.2%) were lower in NOACs as compared with warfarin. Regarding gastrointestinal bleeding, meta-analysis showed no significant differences in the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (HR: 0.97; 95%CI: 0.69 to 1.36; I2 = 95.9%).   .

CONCLUSION

NOAC was more effective and safety than warfarin in frail patients with AF.

Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score as a Predictive Marker in Hospitalized Frail Elderly Patients

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a simple screening tool able to detect altered nutritional status as well as to predict clinical adverse outcomes in specific populations. No data are available in frail patients. This study aims to investigate the predictive role of the CONUT score on mortality and length of stay (LOS) in frail patients admitted to an Internal Medicine Department. We consecutively enrolled 246 patients aged 65 years or older, divided into two groups based on frailty status. The two groups were further divided according to low (<5) or high (≥5) CONUT score. Length of stay (LOS) was higher in frail patients than not-frail patients, as well as in the frail group with high CONUT scores compared to the frail group with low CONUT scores. Multiple linear regression showed an increase of 2.1 days for each additional point to the CONUT score. In-hospital mortality was higher in frail compared to not-frail patients, but it did not differ between frail patients with high CONUT scores and frail patients with low CONUT scores. An analysis of the survival curve for 30-day mortality showed a higher mortality rate for frail/high-CONUT-score patients as compared to the not-frail/low-CONUT-score group. The CONUT score shows high prognostic value for higher LOS-but not mortality-in the clinical setting of internal medicine departments for old frail patients.

A Qualitative Exploration of Older Patients' Experiences With Frailty and Related Management Strategies

BACKGROUND

Frailty is highly prevalent in hospitalized older patients and may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes. Understanding the experiences of older patients and the management strategies they use to recover from frailty is crucial to developing appropriate interventions.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to explore the frailty experiences of older adults and the management strategies they use to recover from frailty.

METHODS

Using purposive sampling, semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 16 older patients with frailty. Data were analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

The experiences of participants were classified into three phases, including the (a) individual sensing phase, (b) daily-living-threatening phase, and (c) acclimatization and acceptance phase. When experiencing frailty, the participants developed management strategies to facilitate recovery, which manifested in three phases: (a) making flexible adjustments to the daily routine, (b) using adequate support systems, and (c) adopting positive thinking.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results indicate that familial support and positive thinking are important management strategies for successful recovery in frail individuals. Older patients require adequate support systems. Positive thinking was also found to be an effective management strategy for recovery. Healthcare professionals should not only focus on providing supportive resources but also provide support to older patients to facilitate their adoption of positive thinking to face life changes brought on by frailty.

A pathway model of chronic pain and frailty in older Chinese cancer patients: The mediating effect of sleep

This study aimed to explore the association between chronic pain, sleep quality, and frailty, and whether sleep quality will mediate the relationship between chronic pain and frailty. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2020 and July 2021 among 308 patients in Nantong city. The relationship between chronic pain and frailty was tested using linear regression. The bootstrap method was used to examine mediating effect of sleep quality. Chronic pain was significantly correlated with frailty (r=0.271, P<.001). Sleep quality played a partially mediating role between chronic pain and frailty (β=0.160, R²=32%, P<.001). Interventions to scientifically manage chronic pain and improve sleep quality may be effective in reducing the incidence of frailty in elderly cancer patients.