Frailty-a risk factor of global and domain-specific cognitive decline among a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adult U.S. Medicare beneficiaries

Association Between Cognitive Trajectories and Subsequent Health Status, Depressive Symptoms, and Mortality Among Older Adults in the United States: Findings From a Nationally Representative Study

BACKGROUND

Cognitive decline may be an early indicator of major health issues in older adults, though research using population-based data is lacking. Researchers objective was to assess the relationships between distinct cognitive trajectories and subsequent health outcomes, including health status, depressive symptoms, and mortality, using a nationally representative cohort.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Global cognition was assessed annually between 2011 and 2018. The health status of 4 413 people, depressive symptoms in 4 342 individuals, and deaths among 5 955 living respondents were measured in 2019. Distinct cognitive trajectory groups were identified using an innovative Bayesian group-based trajectory model. Ordinal logistic, Poisson, and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between cognitive trajectories and subsequent health outcomes.

RESULTS

Researchers identified five cognitive trajectory groups with distinct baseline values and subsequent changes in cognitive function. Compared with the group with stably high cognitive function, worse cognitive trajectories (ie, lower baseline values and sharper declines) were associated with higher risks of poor health status, depressive symptoms, and mortality, even after adjusting for relevant covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Among older adults, worse cognitive trajectories are strongly associated with subsequent poor health status, high depressive symptoms, and high mortality risks. Regular screening of cognitive function may help to facilitate early identification and interventions for older adults susceptible to adverse health outcomes.

Physical frailty intensifies the positive association of oral frailty with poor global cognitive function and executive function among older adults especially for females: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Oral frailty is reported to increase the risk of new onset of mild cognitive impairment. Whereas, the association of oral frailty with cognition among older adults in both physical frail and non-physical frail status has not been sufficiently explored, and whether there are sex differences in the association is unclear. This study investigated the association of oral frailty and physical frailty with global cognitive function and executive function among older adults, as well as the sex differences in such association.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 307 participants aged ≥ 60 years old from communities between June 2023 and August 2023, in Nanjing, China. Global cognitive function and executive function were assessed by using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Trail Making Tests A (TMT-A), respectively. Oral frailty was identified by the combination of natural tooth, Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8), and oral diadochokinesis. Physical frailty was measured by using Fried phenotype model which contained 5 criteria: unintentional weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low physical activity. Multiple linear regression analyses for overall participants and stratified by sex and presence or absence of physical frailty were performed, respectively, to examine the association between oral frailty and cognitive functions.

RESULTS

The median age of participants was 70 years old. The study included 158 (51.5%) females, 53 (17.3%) individuals with physical frailty, and 65 (21.2%) participants with oral frailty. After adjustment, the association between oral frailty and global cognitive function was observed in the physical frailty group (B = -2.67, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -5.27 to -0.07, p = 0.045) and the females with physical frailty (B = -4, 95% CI: -7.41 to -0.58, p = 0.024). Oral frailty was associated with executive function in overall participants (B = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.22, p = 0.037), physical frailty group (B = 23.68, 95% CI: 1.37 to 45.99, p = 0.038). In the adjusted models, oral frailty was significantly associated with executive function in all females (B = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.36, p = 0.009), in females without physical frailty (B = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.36, p = 0.027), and in females with physical frailty (B = 48.69, 95% CI: 7.17 to 90.21, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Physical frailty intensifies the positive association of oral frailty with poor global cognitive function and executive function among older adults, particularly among females. It is ponderable to consider sex differences and facilitate the management of physical frailty when it comes to promoting cognitive health based on the perspective of oral health among older adults.

Association between Physical Function, Mental Function and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study examines the relationship between physical and mental function and frailty, independently and in conjunction with polypharmacy, among older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 368 participants aged ≥60 years. The participants were categorized into either robust or frail groups using Fried's frailty phenotype. Physical functions were assessed using grip strength, gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG), the Five Chair Sit to Stand Test (FCSST) and the Six-Minute Walk Test (SMWT). Mental functions were assessed using cognitive function and depression. Cognitive function was measured using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Depression was assessed with the Korean version of the Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS). Results: The mean age of study population was 75.4 years. In this population, we identified 78.8% (n = 290) robust participants and 21.2% (n = 78) frail participants. The study examined frailty status (frail vs. non-frail) and frailty with and without polypharmacy using multivariate logistic regressions, adjusting for age and sex. In the logistic regression model estimating the risk of frailty, after adjustments for age, sex, BMI, and number of medications, individuals with low SMWT showed a significantly increased risk of frailty, with an odds ratio (OR) of 8.66 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 4.55-16.48. Additionally, global cognitive function was associated with a 1.97-fold increase in frailty risk (95% CI: 1.02-3.67). Moreover, in models adjusted for age, sex, and BMI to assess frailty risk linked to polypharmacy, the TUG, SMWT, and SGDS all showed increased risks, with ORs of 3.65 (95% CI: 1.07-12.47), 5.06 (95% CI: 1.40-18.32), and 5.71 (95% CI: 1.79-18.18), respectively. Conclusions: Physical function (SMWT, FCSST, TUG) and mental function (depression, cognition) were associated with frailty. By comprehensively examining these factors, we will gain valuable insights into frailty and enable more precise strategies for intervention and prevention.

Frailty, but not cognitive impairment, improves mortality risk prediction among those with chronic kidney disease-a nationally representative study

BACKGROUND

Though older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a greater mortality risk than those without CKD, traditional risk factors poorly predict mortality in this population. Therefore, we tested our hypothesis that two common geriatric risk factors, frailty and cognitive impairment, and their co-occurrence, might improve mortality risk prediction in CKD.

METHODS

Among participants aged ≥ 60 years from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2014), we quantified associations between frailty (physical frailty phenotype) and global/domain-specific cognitive function (immediate-recall [CERAD-WL], delayed-recall [CERAD-DL], verbal fluency [AF], executive function/processing speed [DSST], and global [standardized-average of 4 domain-specific tests]) using linear regression, and tested whether associations differed by CKD using a Wald test. We then tested whether frailty, global cognitive impairment (1.5SD below the mean), or their combination improved prediction of mortality (Cox models, c-statistics) compared to base models (likelihood-ratios) among those with and without CKD.

RESULTS

Among 3,211 participants, 1.4% were cognitively impaired, and 10.0% were frail; frailty and cognitive impairment co-occurrence was greater among those with CKD versus those without (1.2%vs.0.1%). Frailty was associated with worse global cognitive function (Cohen's d = -0.26SD,95%CI -0.36,-0.17), and worse cognitive function across all domains; these associations did not differ by CKD (pinteractions > 0.05). Mortality risk prediction improved only among those with CKD when accounting for frailty (p[likelihood ratio test] < 0.001) but not cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty is associated with worse cognitive function regardless of CKD status. While CKD and frailty improved mortality prediction, cognitive impairment did not. Risk prediction tools should incorporate frailty to improve mortality prediction among those with CKD.

Interaction between plant-based dietary pattern and frailty on cognitive decline: a longitudinal analysis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey cohort

OBJECTIVES

Frailty is a risk factor for faster cognitive decline, while plant-based dietary patterns are associated with decreased risk of cognitive decline. We aimed to explore their interaction with cognitive function among older adults.

METHODS

We used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey between 2008 and 2018. Frailty was evaluated based on the frailty index (FI), and the plant-based diet index (PDI) was calculated using food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Repeated measures of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were utilised to assess cognitive function. We used linear mixed models to estimate regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

We included 7,166 participants with a median follow-up of 5.8 years. Participants in pre-frail (β = -0.18, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.13) and frail (β = -0.39, 95% CI: -0.48, -0.30) groups experienced an accelerated decline in MMSE score compared with the robust group. The PDI modified the above association, with corresponding associations with frailty being much more pronounced among participants with a lower PDI (frail vs. robust β = -0.44, 95% CI: -0.56, -0.32), compared with those with a higher PDI (frail vs. robust β = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.13). In addition, A combination of frailty and a low PDI was strongly associated with a faster decline in MMSE score (β = -0.52, 95% CI: -0.63, -0.41).

CONCLUSION

Adherence to plant-based dietary patterns attenuates the association between frailty and cognitive decline. If the observed association is causal, promoting plant-based dietary patterns may be a strategy to reduce the effects of frailty on neurological health.

Types and frequency of social participation and comprehensive frailty among community-dwelling older people in Japan

Although research has established social participation as important for preventing frailty in older people, the association between the type and frequency of social participation and comprehensive frailty remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal the associations between types and frequency of social participation and comprehensive frailty among community-dwelling older people. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in four cities and towns (Inabe City, Nabari City, Odai Town, and Kiho Town) of Mie Prefecture, Japan, among adults who were: (i) aged ≥65 years and (ii) not certified as needing long-term care. We measured comprehensive frailty using the participants' total scores on the Kihon Checklist, developed by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, which divides frailty status into three categories: robust (0-3 points), prefrail (4-7), and frail (8-25). Types and frequency of social participation were explanatory variables, and ordered logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors identified the associations. The frailty status of the 296 participants (age 65-74 years: 44.3 %; female: 74.0 %) was as follows: frail, 21.3 %; prefrail, 40.2 %; and robust, 38.5 %. Lower level of frailty was associated with interaction using smartphones 2-3 times per month, participating in sports ≥4 times per week, participating in local improvement activities several times per year, and engaging in activities for children 2-4 times per month. Social participation among older adults at appropriate frequencies were associated with the lower level of comprehensive frailty. However, future longitudinal studies are needed using populations from more diverse countries or regions and from different cultures.

Dynamics, association, and temporal sequence of cognitive function and frailty: a longitudinal study among Chinese community-dwelling older adults

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the association of longitudinal dynamics between cognitive function and frailty in Chinese older adults. The temporal sequences between cognitive function and frailty remains unclear. Our study investigates this directionality association using longitudinal data.

METHODS

Latent growth and multivariate latent growth models were employed to examine dynamics of cognition and frailty and their association among 2824 older adults in China. Cross-lagged panel analyses were used to assess the temporal sequences between frailty and cognition. The relation between cognitive domains and frailty was also examined using aforementioned methods.

RESULTS

Cognitive function was negatively associated with frailty status. Higher initial level of cognition indicated lower baseline level (β=-0.175, P < 0.001) and change rate (β=-0.041, P = 0.002) of frailty. We observed a reciprocal association between frailty and cognitive function rather than a unidirectional causal relationship. The initial cognitive performance for all components were negatively associated with baseline (β ranged between - 0.098 to -0.023) and change rate (β ranged between - 0.007 to -0.024) of frail status. No consistent associations between change rate of cognitive components and either initial level or change rate of frailty were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study detected a reciprocal association between cognition and frailty rather than a unidirectional causal relationship. Our results also revealed different connections between cognitive performance and frailty across diverse cognitive domains.

Ranking the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease; findings from the UK Biobank study

Background

The cause of the most common form of dementia, sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), remains unknown. This may reflect insufficiently powered studies to date for this multi-factorial disorder. The UK Biobank dataset presents a unique opportunity to rank known risk factors and determine novel variables.

Methods

A custom machine learning approach for high dimensionality data was applied to explore prospectively associations between AD in a sub-cohort of 156,209 UK Biobank participants aged 60-70 including more than 2,090 who were subsequently diagnosed with AD.

Results

After the possession of the APOE4 allele, the next highest ranked risk factors were other genetic variants within the TOMM40-APOE-APOC1 locus. When stratified by their apolipoprotein epsilon 4 (APOE4) carrier status, the most prominent risk factors in carriers were AST:ALT ratio, the "number of treatments/ medications" taken as well as "time spent in hospital" while protection was conferred by "Sleeplessness/Insomnia". In non-APOE carriers, lower socioeconomic status and fewer years of education were highly ranked but effect sizes were small relative to APOE4 carriers.

Conclusions

Possession of the APOE4 allele was confirmed as the most important risk factor in AD. Other TOMM40-APOE-APOC1 locus variants further moderate the risk of AD in APOE4 carriers. Liver pathology is a novel risk factor in APOE4 carriers while "Sleeplessness/Insomnia" is protective in AD irrespective of APOE4 status. Other factors such as "Number of treatments/ medications" suggest that multimorbidity is an important risk factor for AD. Future treatments aimed at co-morbidities, including liver disease, may concomitantly lower the risk of sporadic AD.

Order of Onset of Physical Frailty and Cognitive Impairment and Risk of Repeated Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether physical frailty onset before, after, or in concert with cognitive impairment is differentially associated with fall incidence in community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

A longitudinal observational study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Data from 1337 older adults age ≥65 years and free of physical frailty or cognitive impairment at baseline were obtained from the National Health Aging Trends Study (2011‒2017), a nationally representative cohort study of US older adult Medicare beneficiaries.

METHODS

Participants were assessed annually for frailty (physical frailty phenotype) and cognitive impairment (bottom quintile of clock drawing test or immediate and delayed recall; or proxy-report of diagnosis of dementia or AD8 score of ≥2). Incident falls were ascertained annually via self-report. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between order of first onset of cognitive impairment and/or frailty and incident single or repeated falls in the 1-year interval following their first onset.

RESULTS

Of the 1,337, 832 developed cognitive impairment first (termed "CI first"), 286 developed frailty first (termed "frailty first") and 219 had co-occurrence of cognitive impairment and frailty within one year (termed "CI-frailty co-occurrence") over 5 years. Overall, 491 (34.5%) had at least 1 fall during the 1-year interval following the onset of physical frailty and/or cognitive impairment. After adjustment, "CI-frailty co-occurrence" was associated with a more than 2-fold increased risk of repeated falls than "CI first" (odds ratio 2.35, 95% confidence interval 1.51‒3.67; P < .001). No significant difference was found between participants with "frailty first" and "CI first" (P = .07). In addition, the order of onset was not associated with risk of a single fall.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Older adults experiencing "CI-frailty co-occurrence" had the greatest risk of repeated falls compared with those with "CI first" and "frailty first". Fall risk screening should consider the order and timing of onset of physical frailty and cognitive impairment.

Frailty and its combined effects with lifestyle factors on cognitive function: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Frailty describes an age-related state of deterioration in biological function. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and cognitive function and its combined effects with lifestyles.

METHODS

A total of 3,279 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort were tested the cognitive function by using the Chinese version of Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Frailty was evaluated based on a 35-item frailty index (FI). Frailty status was dichotomized into robust (FI < 0.15) and frail (FI ≥ 0.15). Multivariate generalized linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of frailty with MMSE score and cognitive impairment. We also analysed the modification and combined effects of lifestyle factors, including smoking status, drinking status, and regular physical exercise, on the above associations.

RESULTS

FI was significantly associated with lower MMSE score [β (95%Cl) = -0.28 (-0.43, -0.13)] and cognitive impairment [OR (95%Cl) = 1.19 (1.04, 1.35)]. The association of frailty status with MMSE were found to be stronger among ever smokers [β(95%Cl) = -1.08 (-1.64, -0.51)] and physical inactive individuals [β(95%Cl) = -1.59 (-2.63, -0.54)] while weaker or not significant among never smokers [β(95%Cl) = -0.30 (-0.62, 0.01)] and physical active individuals [β(95%Cl) = -0.37 (-0.65, -0.08))]. There were significant combined effects of frailty status with unhealthy lifestyles including smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical inactive on cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty was associated with cognitive impairment among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people, while smoking cessation and regular physical exercise could attenuate the above associations, which highlight the potential preventive interventions.

Association between frailty and cognitive function in older Chinese people: A moderated mediation of social relationships and depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

To date, few studies have focused on examining either the direct or indirect effect of physical frailty on cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the moderating effects of social relationships, including their individual components in the role of depressive symptoms as a mediator between frailty and cognitive impairment.

METHODS

This study included a total of 7525 Chinese older adults from the 2017-2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Mediation analyses and moderated mediation effect analysis fully adjusted for all potential confounding factors were conducted.

RESULTS

Significant correlations were found between frailty, depression, social relationships, and cognitive function. Depression partially mediated the association of frailty with cognitive function [B = -0.198; 95 % confidence interval (CI): (-0.258, -0.143)]. Social relationships moderated the effect of frailty on cognitive function through both path b (depression-cognitive function) [B = 0.137; 95 % CI: (0.045, 0.230)], and path c' (frailty-cognitive function) [B = 0.870; 95 % CI: (0.562, 1.178)]. In addition, social activities and social networks moderated both the direct and indirect effect of the moderated mediation model. Social support only moderated the direct effect.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design of this study precludes any conclusion from the results as to the causality of cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Social relationships moderated both the direct and indirect effects of depressive symptoms on the association between frailty and cognitive impairment. The findings suggest that interventions, such as paying attention to the mental health of old people and improving the quality of social relationships, may help break the link between frailty and cognitive impairment.

The role of vitamin D in the link between physical frailty and cognitive function: A mediation analysis in community-dwelling Chinese older adults

Background

Physical frailty and cognitive aging have important influences on poor clinical outcomes in older adults. Many studies have investigated the association between frailty and cognitive function, but whether vitamin D mediates the association between frailty and cognitive function is unclear. We explored the mediating role of vitamin D on the cross-sectional association between physical frailty and cognitive function using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS).

Methods

We analyzed data from 1944 subjects aged 60 years and older from the 2011 CLHLS cohort. Frailty status was identified by the Osteoporotic Fracture Study (SOF) index. The Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between frailty, vitamin D, and cognition, adjusted for a range of covariates. Mediation analyses tested the indirect effects of vitamin D on physical frailty and cognitive function.

Result

Physical frailty was negatively associated with vitamin D levels and scores on the MMSE, and vitamin D levels were positively associated with scores on the MMSE. Linear regression analysis showed that physical frailty and serum vitamin D concentration were significant predictors of cognitive function. Importantly, mediation analysis showed that serum vitamin D concentration significantly mediated the relationship between physical frailty and cognitive function.

Conclusion

The association between physical frailty and cognitive function appears to be mediated by vitamin D. Future studies should explore whether serum vitamin D concentrations may mediate the association between physical frailty and cognitive decline and whether this mediating role is moderated by other factors.

Risk factors and a nomogram for frailty in Chinese older patients with Alzheimer's disease: A single-center cross-sectional study

This study aimed to determine the risk factors of frailty in Chinese older patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and then construct a nomogram for frailty in this population. A total of 205 eligible older AD patients were recruited. Patients' general demographic characteristics were collected through a self-designed questionnaire. A nomogram was constructed for frailty based on the risk factors identified from the multivariate analysis. The discrimination and calibration capabilities of this nomogram were assessed with the C-index and calibration curve, respectively. The results showed that older age, no regular exercise habit, severe cognitive decline, and low social support were identified as important risk factors of frailty in AD patients. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.884 by bootstrapping validation, and the calibration curve of the nomogram showed high coherence between the predicted and actual probabilities of frailty. In conclusion, this nomogram was validated to have favorable discrimination and calibration capabilities.

Cognitive Impairment and Cirrhosis in Older Patients: A Systematic Review

Prevalence of cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in older patients receiving care in long-term care settings is unknown. This systematic review aimed to identify potential factors associated with HE and cognitive impairment in older patients with cirrhosis. A PubMed search of English-language articles published between January 1, 2000, and November 3, 2021, was conducted to identify studies in adults with cirrhosis relevant to cognitive impairment and/or HE (e.g., fall, frailty, and sarcopenia). Of 2,879 English-language publications, 24 were included. In patients with cirrhosis, falls were increased in the presence of HE and were associated with increased injury risk. Frailty was associated with HE development and cognitive impairment in patients with cirrhosis. Further, cognitive impairment and frailty were predictive of HE-related hospitalizations. Sarcopenia increased the risk of developing HE. Furthermore, specific medications increased the risk of developing HE. Risk reduction and management of patients with HE are critical to prevent negative outcomes.

Cognitive impairment burden in older and younger adults across the kidney transplant care continuum

BACKGROUND

Younger kidney transplant (KT) candidates and recipients may have cognitive impairment due to chronic diseases and reliance on dialysis.

METHODS

To quantify cognitive impairment burden by age across the KT care continuum, we leveraged a two-center cohort study of 3854 KT candidates at evaluation, 1114 recipients at admission, and 405 recipients at 1-year post-KT with measured global cognitive performance (3MS) or executive function (Trail Making Test). We also estimated burden of severe cognitive impairment that affects functional dependence (activities of daily living [ADL] < 6 or instrumental activities of daily living [IADL] < 8).

RESULTS

Among KT candidates, global cognitive impairment (18-34 years: 11.1%; 35-49 years: 14.0%; 50-64 years: 19.5%; ≥65 years: 22.0%) and severe cognitive impairment burden (18-34 years: 1.1%; 35-49 years: 3.0%; 50-64 years: 6.2%; ≥65 years: 7.7%) increased linearly with age. Among KT recipients at admission, global cognitive impairment (18-34 years: 9.1%; 35-49 years: 6.1%; 50-64 years: 9.3%; ≥65 years: 15.7%) and severe cognitive impairment burden (18-34 years: 1.4%; 35-49 years: 1.4%; 50-64 years: 2.2%; ≥65 years: 4.6%) was lower. Despite lowest burden of cognitive impairment among KT recipients at 1-year post-KT across all ages (18-34 years: 1.7%; 35-49 years: 3.4%; 50-64 years: 4.3%; ≥65 years: 6.5%), many still exhibited severe cognitive impairment (18-34 years: .0%; 35-49 years: 1.9%; 50-64 years: 2.4%; ≥65 years: 3.5%).

CONCLUSION

Findings were consistent for executive function impairment. While cognitive impairment increases with age, younger KT candidates have a high burden comparable to community-dwelling older adults, with some potentially suffering from severe forms. Transplant centers should consider routinely screening patients during clinical care encounters regardless of age.