Association Between the Multidimensional Prognostic Index and Mortality During 15 Years of Follow-up in the InCHIANTI Study

Relationship Between Endothelial Function, Vital Parameters, and Cognitive Performance in Community Dwellers with Subjective Cognitive Decline: An Observational Study with Six Months Follow Up

Background

With advancing age, cognitive decline is frequently associated with endothelial dysfunction, but data on vascular performance prior to the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is scarce.

Objective

To investigate the relationship between endothelial function, vital parameters and cognitive performance in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

Methods

Forty-five volunteers aged 65 years and older with SCD underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment-based prognosis evaluation by means of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), full neuropsychological examination and peripheral arterial tonometry measurement by means of EndoPAT™2000 to evaluate endothelial flexibility and vital parameters. Six months after initial evaluation, participants were contacted by phone and a telephone-administered version of the MPI (TELE-MPI) was conducted.

Results

Fifteen study participants scored below the cutoff score of 26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, suggesting MCI (26.56±2.23). Nominal significant correlations were found between heart rate (HR) and trail making test (TMT) A (β= -0.49, p = 0.03), between heart rate variability (HRV) and TMT B (β= 0.78, p = 0.041), between power of low-frequency band (LF) HRV and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (β= 0.007, p = 0.037) as well as between augmentation index (AI) and CogState Detection Test (β= 0.002, p = 0.034).

Conclusions

HR, HRV, and AI, but not endothelial flexibility are associated with cognitive performance in SCD and suspected MCI patients and may serve as clinical biomarkers in the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders with advancing age.

Association of preoperative frailty and postoperative delirium in older cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery: A prospective observational study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common surgical complication in elderly patients. As frailty is a relatively novel concept, its clinical significance for POD has seldom been examined. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and POD in aged cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery in Taiwan.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 345 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed cancer who underwent elective abdominal surgery between 2016 and 2018. Frailty assessment was performed using the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). POD was assessed daily using the Confusion Assessment Method from postoperative day 1 until discharge. Patients were allocated into fit and frail groups.

RESULTS

POD occurred in 19 (5.5%) of 345 patients. POD incidence was 1.6%, 3.1%, 4.8%, 11.5%, and 10.0% in patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4+ frail conditions, respectively, which presented a positive linear correlation among patients with an increased number of frail conditions and POD incidence. Based on CGA, 159 (46.1%) and 186 (53.9%) patients were allocated to fit and frail groups, respectively. POD incidence was 2.5% and 8.1% for the fit and frail groups, respectively. Frailty status was an independent risk factor for POD occurrence in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified frailty as an independent risk factor for POD in aged Taiwanese cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Given the high prevalence of frailty among older cancer patients, preoperative assessment is important to identify high risk of POD and to improve the quality of postoperative care.

Older People Hospitalized for COVID-19: Prognostic Role of Multidimensional Prognostic Index and Other Prognostic Scores

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, frailty and patients’ poor outcomes seem to be closely related. However, there is no clear indication of the significance of this connection and the most adequate risk index in clinical practice. In this study, we compared a short version of MPI (multidimensional prognostic index) and other two prognostic scores for COVID-19 as potential predictors of poor patient outcomes. The patients were consecutively enrolled in the hospital of Palermo for COVID-19. The accuracy of Brief-MPI, 4C score and COVID-GRAM score in points was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) with 95% CI, taking mortality or sub-ICU admission as outcome. The study included 112 participants (mean age 77.6, 55.4% males). During a mean of 16 days of hospitalization, Brief-MPI significantly increased by 0.03 ± 0.14 (p = 0.04), whilst COVID-GRAM did not. Brief-MPI, 4C score and COVID-GRAM scores had good accuracy in predicting negative outcomes (AUC > 0.70 for all three scores). Brief-MPI was significantly associated with an increased mortality/ICU admission risk, indicating the importance of multidimensional impairment in clinical decision-making with an accuracy similar to other prognostic scores commonly used in COVID-19 study, providing information regarding domains for which interventions can be proposed.

The role of prognostic stratification on prescription of anticoagulants in older patients with atrial fibrillation: a multicenter, observational, prospective European study (EUROSAF)

BACKGROUND

Literature suggests that different risks of mortality could influence physicians in prescribing or not anticoagulants in older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) can be considered a tool for the detection of multidimensional frailty. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether prescription patterns of oral anticoagulants exist, based on MPI values.

METHODS

Older hospitalised patients (age ≥ 65 years) with non-valvular AF were included across 24 European centres. MPI was calculated using validated and standardised tools derived from a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Other functional and clinical information were collected to calculate indexes specific for haemorrhagic and thromboembolic risk in AF.

RESULTS

Altogether, 2,012 participants affected by AF (mean age was 83.2 ± 7.5, range: 65-104 years), with a higher presence of women (57.0%), were included. Overall, 440 took vitamin K antagonists VKAs (22.0%), 667 (33.4%) direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), whilst 44.6% did not take any anticoagulant treatment. Prescription of anticoagulants was associated with MPI values, with people taking anticoagulants having lower mean MPI values. Anticoagulant therapy was not used in 53.1% of the group with the highest risk of mortality, compared with 32.3% of those in the group with the lowest mortality risk. People with higher scores in MPI were less frequently treated with anticoagulant therapy, after adjusting for several potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

The EURopean study of Older Subjects with Atrial Fibrillation (EUROSAF) suggested that almost half of the older persons with AF do not receive anticoagulants and that MPI is an important determinant in prescribing or not anticoagulants. Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02973984KEY POINTSAtrial fibrillation is a common condition in older people. The data regarding the use of anticoagulants is mainly derived from randomised controlled trials that do not include a sufficient number of older frail people.Our study suggests that a consistent part of older people affected by atrial fibrillation was not treated with anticoagulants, in particular, older frail patients; however, it is unclear if this choice is supported or not by evidence.The prognostic evaluation through the multidimensional prognostic index could be useful information for the choice in the prescription of anticoagulants in older people affected by atrial fibrillation.

Frailty trajectories in community-dwelling older adults during COVID-19 pandemic: The PRESTIGE study

BACKGROUND

Frailty has been recognized as potential surrogate of biological age and relevant risk factor for COVID-19 severity. Thus, it is important to explore the frailty trajectories during COVID-19 pandemic and understand how COVID-19 directly and indirectly impacts on frailty condition.

METHODS

We enrolled 217 community-dwelling older adults with available information on frailty condition as assessed by multidimensional frailty model both at baseline and at one-year follow-up using Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) tools. Pre-frail/frail subjects were identified at baseline as those with MPI score >0.33 (MPI grades 2-3). Frailty worsening was defined by MPI difference between 12 months follow-up and baseline ≥0.1. Multivariable logistic regression was modelled to identify predictors of worsening of frailty condition.

RESULTS

Frailer subjects at baseline (MPI grades 2-3 = 48.4%) were older, more frequently female and had higher rates of hospitalization and Sars-CoV-2 infection compared to robust ones (MPI grade 1). Having MPI grades 2-3 at baseline was associated with higher risk of further worsening of frailty condition (adjusted odd ratio (aOR): 13.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.01-46.09), independently by age, gender and Sars-CoV-2 infection. Specifically, frail subjects without COVID-19 (aOR: 14.84, 95% CI: 4.26-51.74) as well as those with COVID-19 (aOR: 12.77, 95% CI: 2.66-61.40, p = 0.001) had significantly higher risk of worsening of frailty condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling frailer individuals are far beyond the mere infection and disease, determining a significant deterioration of frailty status both in infected and non-infected subjects.

Biomarkers of aging in real life: three questions on aging and the comprehensive geriatric assessment

Measuring intrinsic, biological age is a central question in medicine, which scientists have been trying to answer for decades. Age manifests itself differently in different individuals, and chronological age often does not reflect such heterogeneity of health and function. We discuss here the value of measuring age and aging using the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), cornerstone of geriatric medicine, and operationalized assessment tools for prognosis. Specifically, we review the benefits of employing the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), which collects information about eight domains relevant for the global assessment of the older person (functional and cognitive status, nutrition, mobility and risk of pressure sores, multi-morbidity, polypharmacy, and co-habitation), in the evaluation of the functional status, and in the prediction of health outcomes for older adults. Further integration of biological markers of aging into multidimensional prognostic tools is warranted, as well as actions which could facilitate prognostic assessments for older persons in all healthcare settings.

Multidimensional frailty and quality of life: data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Purpose

Frailty has been found to be associated with poor quality of life (QoL) in older people, but data available are limited to cross-sectional studies. We therefore aimed to assess the association between multidimensional frailty, determined by Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI), with mortality and good QoL expectancy (GQoLE) in a large representative sample of older adults, over 10 years of follow-up.

Methods

In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, using the data from 2004–2005 and 2014–2015, MPI was calculated using a weighted score of domains of comprehensive geriatric assessment, i.e., number of difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL, depressive symptoms, number of medical conditions, body mass index, physical activity level, and social aspects. Mortality was assessed using administrative data, GQoLE indicators were used for longitudinal changes in QoL.

Results

6244 Participants (mean age 71.8 years, 44.5% males) were followed up for 10 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to people in the MPI low-risk group, people in the moderate (hazard ratio, HR = 4.27; 95% confidence interval, CI 3.55–5.14) and severe-risk group (HR = 10.3; 95% CI 7.88–13.5) experienced a significantly higher mortality rate. During the follow-up period, people in the moderate and severe-risk groups reported lower GQoLE values than their counterparts, independently from age and gender.

Conclusions

Multidimensional frailty was associated with a higher risk of mortality and significantly lower GQoLE, suggesting that the multifactorial nature of frailty is associated not only with mortality, but also poor QoL.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-022-03152-9.

Validation of Abbreviated Form of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI): The BRIEF-MPI Project

Purpose

Participants and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Frailty and senile apathy in the everyday clinical practice in the conditions of COVID-19

The article covers the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic criteria of frailty and senile apathy in the elderly. Special attention is paid to sarcopenia: the phenotypic classification and modern approaches to the treatment are discussed. The knowledge and understanding of the main pathogenetic links of sarcopenia, frailty and senile apathy, as well as the development of a single therapeutic line for these pathological conditions can significantly improve the life quality and expectancy of the elderly.

Predictors of short- and long-term mortality among acutely admitted older patients: role of inflammation and frailty

BACKGROUND

Frailty, demographic and clinical variables linked to incident diseases (e.g., dehydration, inflammation) contribute to poor outcomes in older patients acutely hospitalized. Their predictivity on short-, intermediate- and long-term mortality in a comprehensive model has been scarcely investigated.

AIMS

To test the performance of a predictive tool considering frailty and inflammation as well as age, sex and impaired hydration status on 1-year mortality in acutely admitted older patients.

METHODS

Retrospective observational study including 529 medical patients (age 84.6 ± 7.3 years). At hospital admission, frailty was assessed by the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI). The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) was used to grade systemic inflammation. Serum osmolarity was calculated to assess hydration.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, sex, GPS and osmolarity, the severe-risk MPI was a strong predictor for 1-year mortality (OR 4.133; 95% CI 2.273-7.516; p < 0.001). Age > 85 years, male sex, GPS-2 and serum osmolarity > 300 mOsm/L were independent predictors of mortality in the same multivariable model. The MPI alone showed a moderate discrimination power (AUC 0.678; 95% CI 0.628-0.729; p < 0.001) on 1-year mortality, which increased by 12.5% after the addition of the above predictors in the fully adjusted regression model (AUC 0.763; 95% CI 0.719-0.807; p < 0.001). The severe-risk MPI adjusted for the same factors was also an independent predictor of mortality after 60 and 180 days since hospital admission.

DISCUSSION

Inflammation and impaired hydration are potentially modifiable risk factors for severe outcomes in older acutely hospitalized patients. A model combining GPS, age, gender, and plasma osmolarity improved the accuracy of MPI at admission in predicting long-term mortality.

The Potential Role of miRNAs in Cognitive Frailty

Frailty is an aging related condition, which has been defined as a state of enhanced vulnerability to stressors, leading to a limited capacity to meet homeostatic demands. Cognitive impairment is also frequent in older people, often accompanying frailty. Age is the main independent risk factor for both frailty and cognitive impairment, and compelling evidence suggests that similar age-associated mechanisms could underlie both clinical conditions. Accordingly, it has been suggested that frailty and cognitive impairment share common pathways, and some authors proposed "cognitive frailty" as a single complex phenotype. Nevertheless, so far, no clear common underlying pathways have been discovered for both conditions. microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key fine-tuning regulators in most physiological processes, as well as pathological conditions. Importantly, miRNAs have been proposed as both peripheral biomarkers and potential molecular factors involved in physiological and pathological aging. In this review, we discuss the evidence linking changes of selected miRNAs expression with frailty and cognitive impairment. Overall, miR-92a-5p and miR-532-5p, as well as other miRNAs implicated in pathological aging, should be investigated as potential biomarkers (and putative molecular effectors) of cognitive frailty.

Validation and implementation of telephone-administered version of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (TELE-MPI) for remote monitoring of community-dwelling older adults

BACKGROUND

During the recent lockdown measures adopted by national authorities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, many vulnerable older patients with chronic conditions, normally followed in ambulatory setting, needed to be monitored and managed in alternative ways, including telemedicine.

AIMS

In the framework of a telemedicine program, we aimed to validate and implement a telephone-administered version of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (TELE-MPI) among community-dwelling older outpatients.

METHOD

From March 9 to May 11, 2020, 131 older patients (82.1 years; 74% females) were interviewed using a telephone-based survey to calculate the TELE-MPI. The standard MPI was performed face-to-face three months apart. The Bland-Altman methodology measured the agreement between the two tools. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to ascertain the prognostic value of TELE-MPI and TELE-MPI classes (low, moderate, or severe risk) on negative outcomes occurring during the lockdown period.

RESULTS

Mean MPI and TELE-MPI values were 0.523 and 0.522, respectively. Lower and upper 95% limits of agreement were - 0.122 and + 0.124, respectively, with only 4.6% of observations outside the limits. Each 0.1 increase of TELE-MPI score was significantly correlated with higher incidence of psychiatric disorders [odd ratio (OR): 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27, 1.95] and falls (OR: 1.41; 95% CI 1.08, 1.82) in community-dwelling-older adults.

DISCUSSION

TELE-MPI showed a strong agreement with the standard MPI and was able to predict psychiatric disorders and falls during lockdown period.

CONCLUSION

TELE-MPI may represent a useful way to follow by remote the health status of older adults.