Association Between Visual Acuity and Prospective Fall Risk in Generally Healthy and Active Older Adults: The 3-Year DO-HEALTH Study

OBJECTIVE

Although aging has a strong impact on visual acuity (VA) and falls, their interaction is understudied in generally healthy older adults. This study aimed to examine if and to what extent baseline VA is associated with an increased risk of all and injurious falls over 3 years in generally healthy community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Observational analysis of DO-HEALTH, a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Multicenter trial with 7 European centers: Zurich, Basel, Geneva (Switzerland), Berlin (Germany), Innsbruck (Austria), Toulouse (France), and Coimbra (Portugal), including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older without any major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment, sufficient mobility, and good cognitive status.

METHODS

The numbers of all and injurious falls were recorded prospectively by diary and in-person assessment every 3 months. Decreased VA at baseline was defined as better-eye VA lower than 1.0. We applied negative binomial regression models for all and injurious falls, adjusted for age, sex, prior falls, treatment allocation, study site, baseline body mass index, and use of walking aids.

RESULTS

Among the 2131 participants included in this analysis (mean age: 74.9 years, 61.7% were women, 82.6% at least moderately physically active), 1464 (68.7%) had decreased VA. Overall, 3290 falls including 2116 injurious falls were recorded over 3 years. Decreased VA at baseline was associated with a 22% increased incidence rate of all falls [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) = 1.22, 95% CI 1.07, 1.38, P = .003] and 20% increased incidence rate of injurious falls (aIRR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.05, 1.37, P = .007).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Our findings suggest that decreased VA is an independent predictor of an about 20% increased risk of all and injurious falls, highlighting the importance of regular eye examinations and VA measurements for fall prevention, even in generally healthy and active older adults.

A meta-analysis of previous falls and subsequent fracture risk in cohort studies

The relationship between self-reported falls and fracture risk was estimated in an international meta-analysis of individual-level data from 46 prospective cohorts. Previous falls were associated with an increased fracture risk in women and men and should be considered as an additional risk factor in the FRAX® algorithm.

INTRODUCTION

Previous falls are a well-documented risk factor for subsequent fracture but have not yet been incorporated into the FRAX algorithm. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in an international meta-analysis, the association between previous falls and subsequent fracture risk and its relation to sex, age, duration of follow-up, and bone mineral density (BMD).

METHODS

The resource comprised 906,359 women and men (66.9% female) from 46 prospective cohorts. Previous falls were uniformly defined as any fall occurring during the previous year in 43 cohorts; the remaining three cohorts had a different question construct. The association between previous falls and fracture risk (any clinical fracture, osteoporotic fracture, major osteoporotic fracture, and hip fracture) was examined using an extension of the Poisson regression model in each cohort and each sex, followed by random-effects meta-analyses of the weighted beta coefficients.

RESULTS

Falls in the past year were reported in 21.4% of individuals. During a follow-up of 9,102,207 person-years, 87,352 fractures occurred of which 19,509 were hip fractures. A previous fall was associated with a significantly increased risk of any clinical fracture both in women (hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-1.51) and men (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.41-1.67). The HRs were of similar magnitude for osteoporotic, major osteoporotic fracture, and hip fracture. Sex significantly modified the association between previous fall and fracture risk, with predictive values being higher in men than in women (e.g., for major osteoporotic fracture, HR 1.53 (95% CI 1.27-1.84) in men vs. HR 1.32 (95% CI 1.20-1.45) in women, P for interaction = 0.013). The HRs associated with previous falls decreased with age in women and with duration of follow-up in men and women for most fracture outcomes. There was no evidence of an interaction between falls and BMD for fracture risk. Subsequent risk for a major osteoporotic fracture increased with each additional previous fall in women and men.

CONCLUSIONS

A previous self-reported fall confers an increased risk of fracture that is largely independent of BMD. Previous falls should be considered as an additional risk factor in future iterations of FRAX to improve fracture risk prediction.

Adherence to the MIND diet and the odds of mild cognitive impairment in generally healthy older adults: The 3-year DO-HEALTH study

BACKGROUND

The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet may slow cognitive decline in older adults. A potential mechanism could be possible anti-inflammatory properties of the MIND-diet.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether adherence to the MIND diet at baseline is associated with the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and changes in biomarkers of inflammation (High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein(hsCRP), interleukin-6(IL-6)) over three years in adults ≥70 years.

METHODS

Adherence to the MIND diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline and after three years. Presence of MCI based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was defined as <26 (MCI26), or <24 (MCI24). We performed a minimally adjusted model controlling for sex, prior fall, linear spline at age 85, time, treatment and study site. The fully adjusted model also adjusted for education, BMI, physical activity, depression score, daily energy intake, and comorbidity score. To assess the change in inflammatory markers from baseline, we used linear-mixed-effect models adjusted for the same variables plus the respective baseline concentrations. Sensitivity analyses accounting for practice effects of repeated cognitive tests using the reliable change index for both MoCA cut-offs were done.

RESULTS

We included 2028 of 2157 DO-HEALTH participants (60.5% women; mean age 74.88 years) with complete data. Adherence to the MIND diet at baseline was not associated with cognitive decline over three years, neither at MoCA < 26 (OR (95%CI) = 0.99 (0.94-1.04)) nor at MoCA < 24 (OR (95%CI) = 1.03 (0.96-1.1)). Applying the reliable change index to the two cut-offs confirmed the findings. Further, the MIND diet adherence was not associated with the change in MoCA score from baseline in DO-HEALTH. For inflammatory biomarkers MIND-diet baseline adherence was not associated with changes in hsCRP or IL-6.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to the MIND-diet was neither associated with the odds of MCI, nor with hsCRP or IL-6 at baseline. Moreover, change in MIND-diet over three years was not associated with changes in hsCRP or IL-6.

Specific dairy foods and risk of frailty in older women: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Dairy contains a complex mixture of lipids, proteins, and micronutrients. Whether habitual dairy consumption is associated with health benefits is not well established. Since dairy is high in nutrients that are potentially protective against frailty, the association between dairy products and the risk of frailty is of interest.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 85,280 women aged ≥ 60 years participating in the Nurses' Health Study. Consumption of milk, yogurt, and cheese was obtained from repeated food frequency questionnaires administered between 1980 and 2010. Frailty was defined as having at least three of the following five criteria from the FRAIL scale: fatigue, low strength, reduced aerobic capacity, having ≥ 5 chronic illnesses, and a weight loss of ≥ 5%. The occurrence of frailty was assessed every four years from 1992 to 2018. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between the intake of dairy foods and frailty.

RESULTS

During follow-up we identified 15,912 incident cases of frailty. Consumption of milk or yogurt was not associated with the risk of frailty after adjustment for lifestyle factors, medication use, and overall diet quality. Cheese consumption was positively associated with risk of frailty [relative risk (95% confidence interval) for one serving/day increment in consumption: 1.10 (1.05, 1.16)]. Replacing one serving/day of milk, yogurt, or cheese with one serving/day of whole grains, nuts, or legumes was associated with a significant lower risk of frailty, while replacing milk, yogurt, or cheese with red meat or eggs was associated with an increased risk. When milk was replaced with a sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverage, a greater risk of frailty was observed, while replacing milk with orange juice was associated with a lower risk of frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the association between milk, yogurt, and cheese and frailty partly depends on the replacement product. Habitual consumption of milk or yogurt was not associated with risk of frailty, whereas cheese consumption may be associated with an increased risk.

Dietary protein and blood pressure: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and evaluation of the evidence

INTRODUCTION

This umbrella review aimed to investigate the evidence of an effect of dietary intake of total protein, animal and plant protein on blood pressure (BP), and hypertension (PROSPERO: CRD42018082395).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Database were systematically searched for systematic reviews (SRs) of prospective studies with or without meta-analysis published between 05/2007 and 10/2022. The methodological quality and outcome-specific certainty of evidence were assessed by the AMSTAR 2 and NutriGrade tools, followed by an assessment of the overall certainty of evidence. SRs investigating specific protein sources are described in this review, but not included in the assessment of the overall certainty of evidence.

RESULTS

Sixteen SRs were considered eligible for the umbrella review. Ten of the SRs investigated total protein intake, six animal protein, six plant protein and four animal vs. plant protein. The majority of the SRs reported no associations or effects of total, animal and plant protein on BP (all "possible" evidence), whereby the uncertainty regarding the effects on BP was particularly high for plant protein. Two SRs addressing milk-derived protein showed a reduction in BP; in contrast, SRs investigating soy protein found no effect on BP. The outcome-specific certainty of evidence of the SRs was mostly rated as low.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

This umbrella review showed uncertainties whether there are any effects on BP from the intake of total protein, or animal or plant proteins, specifically. Based on data from two SRs with milk protein, it cannot be excluded that certain types of protein could favourably influence BP.

Effects of vitamin D, omega-3 and a simple strength exercise programme in cardiovascular disease prevention: The DO-HEALTH randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in older adults remains unclear. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the effect of 2000 IU/day of vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids (1 g/day), and a simple home strength exercise program (SHEP) (3×/week) on lipid and CVD biomarkers plasma changes over 3 years, incident hypertension and major cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS

The risk of MACE (coronary heart event or intervention, heart failure, stroke) was an exploratory endpoint of DO-HEALTH, incident hypertension and change in biomarkers were secondary endpoints. DO-HEALTH is a completed multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design trial enrolling 2157 Europeans aged ≥70 years.

RESULTS

Participants' median age was 74 [72, 77] years, 61.7% were women, 82.5% were at least moderately physically active, and 40.7% had 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL at baseline. Compared to their controls, omega-3 increased HDL-cholesterol (difference in change over 3 years: 0.08 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.05-0.10), decreased triglycerides (-0.08 mmol/L, (95%CI -0.12 to -0.03), but increased total- (0.15 mmol/L, 95%CI 0.09; 0.2), LDL- (0.11 mmol/L, 0.06; 0.16), and non-HDL-cholesterol (0.07 mmol/L, 95%CI 0.02; 0.12). However, neither omega-3 (adjustedHR 1.00, 95%CI 0.64-1.56), nor vitamin D3 (aHR 1.37, 95%CI 0.88-2.14), nor SHEP (aHR 1.18, 95%CI 0.76-1.84) reduced risk of MACE or incident hypertension compared to control.

CONCLUSION

Among generally healthy, active, and largely vitamin D replete, older adults, treatment with omega-3, vitamin D3, and/or SHEP had no benefit on MACE prevention. Only omega-3 supplementation changed lipid biomarkers, but with mixed effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT01745263.

Protein intake and body weight, fat mass and waist circumference: an umbrella review of systematic reviews for the evidence-based guideline on protein intake of the German Nutrition Society

PURPOSE

This umbrella review aimed to assess whether dietary protein intake with regard to quantitative (higher vs. lower dietary protein intake) and qualitative considerations (total, plant-based or animal-based protein intake) affects body weight (BW), fat mass (FM) and waist circumference (WC).

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews (SRs) with and without meta-analyses of prospective studies published between 04 October 2007 and 04 January 2022. Methodological quality and outcome-specific certainty of evidence of the retrieved SRs were assessed by using AMSTAR 2 and NutriGrade, respectively, in order to rate the overall certainty of evidence using predefined criteria.

RESULTS

Thirty-three SRs were included in this umbrella review; 29 were based on randomised controlled trials, a few included cohort studies. In studies without energy restriction, a high-protein diet did not modulate BW, FM and WC in adults in general (all "possible" evidence); for older adults, overall certainty of evidence was "insufficient" for all parameters. Under hypoenergetic diets, a high-protein diet mostly decreased BW and FM, but evidence was "insufficient" due to low methodological quality. Evidence regarding an influence of the protein type on BW, FM and WC was "insufficient".

CONCLUSION

"Possible" evidence exists that the amount of protein does not affect BW, FM and WC in adults under isoenergetic conditions. Its impact on the reduction in BW and FM under hypoenergetic conditions remains unclear; evidence for an influence of protein type on BW, FM and WC is "insufficient".

Previous fracture and subsequent fracture risk: a meta-analysis to update FRAX

A large international meta-analysis using primary data from 64 cohorts has quantified the increased risk of fracture associated with a previous history of fracture for future use in FRAX.

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to quantify the fracture risk associated with a prior fracture on an international basis and to explore the relationship of this risk with age, sex, time since baseline and bone mineral density (BMD).

METHODS

We studied 665,971 men and 1,438,535 women from 64 cohorts in 32 countries followed for a total of 19.5 million person-years. The effect of a prior history of fracture on the risk of any clinical fracture, any osteoporotic fracture, major osteoporotic fracture, and hip fracture alone was examined using an extended Poisson model in each cohort. Covariates examined were age, sex, BMD, and duration of follow-up. The results of the different studies were merged by using the weighted β-coefficients.

RESULTS

A previous fracture history, compared with individuals without a prior fracture, was associated with a significantly increased risk of any clinical fracture (hazard ratio, HR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.72-2.07). The risk ratio was similar for the outcome of osteoporotic fracture (HR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.69-2.07), major osteoporotic fracture (HR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.63-2.06), or for hip fracture (HR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.62-2.06). There was no significant difference in risk ratio between men and women. Subsequent fracture risk was marginally downward adjusted when account was taken of BMD. Low BMD explained a minority of the risk for any clinical fracture (14%), osteoporotic fracture (17%), and for hip fracture (33%). The risk ratio for all fracture outcomes related to prior fracture decreased significantly with adjustment for age and time since baseline examination.

CONCLUSION

A previous history of fracture confers an increased risk of fracture of substantial importance beyond that explained by BMD. The effect is similar in men and women. Its quantitation on an international basis permits the more accurate use of this risk factor in case finding strategies.

Validation of the ICEBERG emergency room screening tool for early identification of older patients with geriatric consultation needs

Background

The growing number of older and oldest-old patients often present in the emergency room (ER) with undiagnosed geriatric syndromes posing them at high risk for complications in acute care.

Objective

To develop and validate an ER screening tool (ICEBERG) to capture 9 geriatric domains of risk in older patients.

Design setting and participants

For construct validity we performed a chart-based study in 129 ER patients age 70 years and older admitted to acute geriatric care (pilot 1). For criterion validity we performed a prospective study in 288 ER patients age 70 years and older admitted to acute care (pilot 2).

Exposure

In both validation steps, the exposure was ICEBERG test performance below and above the median score (10, range 0-30).

Outcome measures and analysis

In pilot 1, we compared the exposure with results of nine tests of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). In pilot 2, we compared the exposure assessed in the ER to following length of hospital stay (LOS), one-on-one nursing care needs, in-hospital mortality, 30-day re-admission rate, and discharge to a nursing home.

Main results

Mean age was 82.9 years (SD 6.7; n = 129) in pilot 1, and 81.5 years (SD 7.0; n = 288) in pilot 2. In pilot 1, scoring ≥10 was associated with significantly worse performance in 8 of 9 of the individual CGA tests. In pilot 2, scoring ≥10 resulted in longer average LOS (median 7 days, IQR 4, 11 vs. 6 days, IQR 3, 8) and higher nursing care needs (median 1,838 min, IQR 901, 4,267 vs. median 1,393 min, IQR 743, 2,390). Scoring ≥10 also increased the odds of one-on-one nursing care 2.9-fold (OR 2.86, 95%CI 1.17-6.98), and the odds of discharge to a nursing home 3.7-fold (OR 3.70, 95%CI 1.74-7.85). Further, scoring ≥10 was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and re-hospitalization rates, however not reaching statistical significance. Average time to complete the ICEBERG tool was 4.3 min (SD 1.3).

Conclusion

Our validation studies support construct validity of the ICEBERG tool with the CGA, and criterion validity with several clinical indicators in acute care.

Grip strength cut-points from the Swiss DO-HEALTH population

BACKGROUND

While grip strength (GS) is commonly assessed using a Dynamometer, the Martin Vigorimeter was proposed as an alternative method especially in older adults. However, its reference values for Swiss older adults are missing. We therefore aimed to derive sex- and age-specific GS cut-points for the dominant and non-dominant hand (DH; NDH) using the Martin Vigorimeter. Additionally, we aimed to identify clinically relevant weakness and assess convergent validity with key markers of physical function and sarcopenia in generally healthy Swiss older adults.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis includes baseline data from Swiss participants enrolled in DO-HEALTH, a 3-year randomized controlled trial in community-dwelling adults age 70 + . For both DH and NDH, 4 different definitions of weakness to derive GS cut-points by sex and age category (≤ 75 vs. > 75 years) were used: i) GS below the median of the 1st quintile, ii) GS below the upper limit of the 1st quintile, iii) GS below 2-standard deviation (SD) of the sex- and age-specific mean in DO-HEALTH Swiss healthy agers (i.e. individuals without major chronic diseases, disabilities, cognitive impairment or mental health issues) and iv) GS below 2.5-SD of the sex- and age-specific mean in DO-HEALTH Swiss healthy agers. To assess the proposed cut-points' convergent validity, we assessed their association with gait speed, time to complete the 5 Times Sit-To-Stand (5TSTS) test, and present sarcopenia.

RESULTS

In total, 976 participants had available GS at the DH (mean age 75.2, 62% women). According to the 4 weakness definitions, GS cut-points at the DH ranged from 29-42 and 25-39 kPa in younger and older women respectively, and from 51-69 and 31-50 kPa in younger and older men respectively. Overall, weakness prevalence ranged from 2.0% to 19.3%. Definitions of weakness using the median and the upper limit of the 1st GS quintile were most consistently associated with markers of physical performance. Weak participants were more likely to have lower gait speed, longer time to complete the 5TSTS, and sarcopenia, compared to participants without weakness.

CONCLUSIONS

In generally healthy Swiss older adults, weakness defined by the median or the upper limit of the 1st GS quintile may serve as reference to identify clinically relevant weakness. Additional research is needed in less healthy populations in order to derive representative population-based cut-points.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01745263.

Association of magnesium and vitamin D status with grip strength and fatigue in older adults: a 4-week observational study of geriatric participants undergoing rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

Low magnesium and vitamin D levels negatively affect individuals' health.

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the association of magnesium status with grip strength and fatigue scores, and evaluate whether this association differs by vitamin D status among older participants undergoing geriatric rehabilitation.

METHODS

This is a 4-week observational study of participants aged ≥ 65 years undergoing rehabilitation. The outcomes were baseline grip strength and fatigue scores, and 4-week change from baseline in grip strength and fatigue scores. The exposures were baseline magnesium tertiles and achieved magnesium tertiles at week 4. Pre-defined subgroup analyses by vitamin D status (25[OH]D < 50 nmol/l = deficient) were performed.

RESULTS

At baseline, participants (N = 253, mean age 75.7 years, 49.4% women) in the first magnesium tertile had lower mean grip strength compared to participants in the third tertile (25.99 [95% CI 24.28-27.70] vs. 30.1 [95% CI 28.26-31.69] kg). Similar results were observed among vitamin D sufficient participants (25.54 [95% CI 22.65-28.43] kg in the first magnesium tertile vs. 30.91 [27.97-33.86] kg in the third tertile). This association was not significant among vitamin D deficient participants. At week 4, no significant associations were observed between achieved magnesium tertiles and change in grip strength, overall and by vitamin D status. For fatigue, no significant associations were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Among older participants undergoing rehabilitation, magnesium status may be relevant for grip strength, particularly among vitamin D sufficient individuals. Magnesium status was not associated with fatigue, regardless of vitamin D status.

STUDY REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03422263; registered February 5, 2018.

The Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Musculoskeletal Health: The VITAL and DO-Health Trials

Previous clinical trials and systematic reviews on the effects of supplemental vitamin D on musculoskeletal outcomes are conflicting. In this paper, we review the literature and summarize the effects of a high daily dose of 2 000 IU vitamin D on musculoskeletal outcomes in generally healthy adults, in men (≥50 years) and women (≥55 years) in the 5.3-year US VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) trial (n = 25 871) and women and men (≥70 years) in the 3-year European DO-HEALTH trial (n = 2 157). These studies found no benefit of 2 000 IU/d of supplemental vitamin D on nonvertebral fractures, falls, functional decline, or frailty. In VITAL, supplementation with 2 000 IU/d of vitamin D did not reduce the risk of total or hip fractures. In a subcohort of VITAL, supplemental vitamin D did not improve bone density or structure (n = 771) or physical performance measures (n = 1 054). In DO-HEALTH, which investigated additive benefits of vitamin D with omega-3 and a simple home exercise program, the 3 treatments combined showed a significant 39% decreased odds of becoming prefrail compared to the control. The mean baseline 25(OH)D levels were 30.7 ± 10 ng/mL in VITAL and 22.4 ± 8.0 ng/mL in DO-HEALTH and increased to 41.2 ng/mL and 37.6 ng/mL in the vitamin D treatment groups, respectively. In generally healthy and vitamin D-replete older adults not preselected for vitamin D deficiency or low bone mass or osteoporosis, 2 000 IU/d of vitamin D had no musculoskeletal health benefits. These findings may not apply to individuals with very low 25(OH)D levels, gastrointestinal disorders causing malabsorption, or those with osteoporosis.

Protein intake and risk of urolithiasis and kidney diseases: an umbrella review of systematic reviews for the evidence-based guideline of the German Nutrition Society

PURPOSE

Changes in dietary protein intake metabolically affect kidney functions. However, knowledge on potential adverse consequences of long-term higher protein intake (HPI) for kidney health is lacking. To summarise and evaluate the available evidence for a relation between HPI and kidney diseases, an umbrella review of systematic reviews (SR) was conducted.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Database of SRs published until 12/2022 were searched for the respective SRs with and without meta-analyses (MA) of randomised controlled trials or cohort studies. For assessments of methodological quality and of outcome-specific certainty of evidence, a modified version of AMSTAR 2 and the NutriGrade scoring tool were used, respectively. The overall certainty of evidence was assessed according to predefined criteria.

RESULTS

Six SRs with MA and three SRs without MA on various kidney-related outcomes were identified. Outcomes were chronic kidney disease, kidney stones and kidney function-related parameters: albuminuria, glomerular filtration rate, serum urea, urinary pH and urinary calcium excretion. Overall certainty of evidence was graded as 'possible' for stone risk not to be associated with HPI and albuminuria not to be elevated through HPI (above recommendations (> 0.8 g/kg body weight/day)) and graded as 'probable' or 'possible' for most other kidney function-related parameters to be physiologically increased with HPI.

CONCLUSION

Changes of the assessed outcomes may have reflected mostly physiological (regulatory), but not pathometabolic responses to higher protein loads. For none of the outcomes, evidence was found that HPI does specifically trigger kidney stones or diseases. However, for potential recommendations long-term data, also over decades, are required.

Protein intake and bone health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews for the evidence-based guideline of the German Nutrition Society

This umbrella review aimed at assessing whether a protein intake exceeding the current recommendation for younger (0.8 g/kg body weight [BW]/day) and older (1.0 g/kg BW/day) adults affects bone mineral density and fracture risk. Moreover, the effect of animal or plant protein was evaluated. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews (SRs) with or without meta-analysis of prospective studies published between 11/2008 and 08/2021. Methodological quality, outcome-specific certainty of evidence, and overall certainty of evidence of the retrieved SRs were assessed using established tools and predefined criteria. Eleven SRs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and/or cohort studies were included. In SRs of cohort studies and RCTs, protein intake/kg BW/day ranged between 0.21-0.95 g (low intake) and > 1.24 g (high intake), respectively, and between 0.67-1.1 g (control groups) and 1.01-1.69 g (intervention groups), respectively. The vast majority of outcome-specific certainty of evidence was rated "low" or "very low." The overall certainty of evidence for an association (cohort studies) or effect (RCTs) of total, animal or plant protein intake on each of the investigated outcomes was rated "insufficient," with the exception of possible evidence for a reduced hip fracture risk by high vs. low protein intake. Since protein intakes in low/control and high/intervention groups were very heterogeneous and with low certainty of evidence, it remains unclear whether a dose above the current recommendation or type of protein intake (animal or plant protein) affects bone health overall. However, there is possible evidence for reduced hip fracture risk with high versus low protein intake.

Association of polypharmacy with cognitive impairment in older trauma patients: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Few if any studies have been conducted to date on the association between polypharmacy and cognitive impairment among older trauma patients. Therefore, we investigated whether polypharmacy is associated with cognitive impairment in trauma patients aged ≥70 years.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of patients aged ≥70 years hospitalised due to a trauma-related injury. Cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤24 points. Medications were coded according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification. Three exposures were examined: polypharmacy (≥5 medications), excessive polypharmacy (≥10 medications), and number of medications. Separate logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking, independent living, frailty, multimorbidity, depression, and type of trauma were used to test the association between the three exposures and cognitive impairment.

RESULTS

A total of 198 patients were included (mean age 80.2; 64.7% women and 35.4% men), of which 148 (74.8%) had polypharmacy and 63 (31.8%) had excessive polypharmacy. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 34.3% overall, 37.2% in the polypharmacy group and 50.8% in the excessive polypharmacy group. More than 80% of participants were taking at least one analgesic. Overall, polypharmacy was not statistically significantly associated with cognitive impairment (odds ratio (OR) 1.20 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46 to 3.11]). However, patients in the excessive polypharmacy group were more than two times more likely to have cognitive impairment (OR 2.88 [95% CI 1.31 to 6.37]) even after adjustments for relevant confounders. Similarly, the number of medications was associated with greater odds of cognitive impairment (OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.04 to 1.28]) after adjustments for the same relevant confounders.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive impairment is common among older trauma patients, particularly among those in the excessive polypharmacy group. Polypharmacy was not associated with cognitive impairment. Excessive polypharmacy and number of medications, on the other hand, were associated with greater odds of cognitive impairment in older trauma patients.

Feasibility of a 12-Month Follow-Up in Swiss Older Adults after Post-Acute Care in Nursing Homes-A Pilot Study

(1) Background: Post-acute care (PAC) aims to support functional recovery in older adults after acute hospitalization in order to regain a sufficient level of self-care facilitating their return home. However, the long-term outcomes of PAC are understudied due to challenges in recording a follow-up. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of a 12-month follow-up after PAC in Swiss nursing homes, examining practicability and potential factors influencing participation rate. (2) Methods: Collection of one-year follow-up data among 140 eligible patients after PAC in nursing homes was attempted. Patients were recruited using letters and phone calls between August and December 2017. We compared baseline data of all initial PAC patients with those who declined participation in the follow-up to identify factors potentially influencing participation. (3) Results: Overall mortality at 12 months was 25% (n = 35 of 140). Of the 105 survivors, 53 (50%) refused participation, 26 (25%) were interviewed, and 26 (25%) were lost to follow-up. Comparison of baseline characteristics between participants and objectors indicated significant statistical differences in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (participants mean of 26.0 [SD 3.92] vs. objectors mean of 23.5 points [SD 4.40], p = 0.015). Further, logistic regression showed statistically significantly greater odds of participation (OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.06-1.48]) for each point increase in MMSE scores. (4) Conclusions: Long-term follow-up studies in older adults after PAC are challenging due to high mortality and dropout rates. Of note, intact cognitive function at baseline was associated with a higher willingness to participate in a follow-up phone interview. The assessment of cognitive function should be considered when estimating the participation rate in older patients.

Association of vocational interventions and work-related factors with disease and work outcomes in people with RMDs: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

A EULAR taskforce was convened to develop recommendations for lifestyle behaviours amongst people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). This paper reviews the literature on work-related factors and disease-specific outcomes for people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and gout.

METHODS

Two separate systematic literature reviews (SLRs) were conducted. The first identified SLRs, published between 01/2013 and 09/2018. The second identified original observational and intervention studies published before 05/2019. Manuscripts were included if they assessed the effects of vocational interventions on disease-specific outcomes (i.e. clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and work outcomes) or if they assessed the association between work-related factors and these outcomes. Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library of systematic reviews and CENTRAL databases were searched.

RESULTS

Two SLRs were identified including individuals with SSc and inflammatory arthritis. Subsequently, 23 original manuscripts were identified, with most of them (43.5%) including people with RA and no manuscripts on gout. Most observational studies evaluated the association between work-related factors and work outcomes while limited information was available on the impact of work on clinical outcomes. A few studies suggested that physically demanding jobs have a small detrimental effect on radiographic progression in axSpA and PsA. Intervention studies showed beneficial effects of vocational interventions for disease-specific outcomes, but with small effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

Many studies indicated that work participation is not likely to be detrimental and, in some cases, may be beneficial for RMD-specific outcomes and should therefore receive attention within healthcare consultations.

Predictive validity of current sarcopenia definitions (EWGSOP2, SDOC, and AWGS2) for clinical outcomes: A scoping review

Over the last 3 years new definitions of sarcopenia by the Sarcopenia Definition and Outcome Consortium (2020, SDOC), European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (2019, EWGSOP2) and Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (2019, AWGS2) have been proposed. The objective of this scoping review was to explore predictive validity of these current sarcopenia definitions for clinical outcomes. We followed the PRISMA checklist for scoping reviews. Based on a systematic search performed by two independent reviewers of databases (Pubmed and Embase) articles comparing predictive validity of two or more sarcopenia definitions on prospective clinical outcomes published since January 2019 (the year these definitions were introduced) were included. Data were extracted and results collated by clinical outcomes and by sarcopenia definitions, respectively. Of 4493 articles screened, 11 studies (mean age of participants 77.6 (SD 5.7) years and 50.0% female) comprising 82 validity tests were included. Overall, validity tests on the following categories of clinical outcomes were performed: fracture (n = 40, assessed in one study), mortality (n = 18), function (n = 11), institutionalization (n = 7), falls (n = 4), and hospitalization (n = 2). Thereby, EWGSOP2 was investigated in 15 validity tests (18.3%) on all categories of clinical outcomes, whereas SDOC was investigated in four validity tests (4.9%) in one study on fractures in men only, and none of the validity tests investigated predictive validity by the AWGS2. However, we were not able to pool the data using a meta-analytic approach due to important methodological heterogeneity between the studies. We identified various definitions of clinical outcomes that were used to test predictive validity of sarcopenia definitions suggesting that an agreement on an operational definition of a clinical outcome is key to advance in the field of sarcopenia. Moreover, data on predictive validity using the sarcopenia definitions by the SDOC and AWGS2 are still scarce and lacking, respectively. In a next step, prospective studies including both women and men are needed to compare predictive validity of current sarcopenia definitions on defined key clinical outcomes.

Association Between Multimorbidity and Rate of Falls: A 3-Year 5-Country Prospective Study in Generally Healthy and Active Community-Dwelling Adults Aged ≥70 Years

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between the baseline number of chronic diseases and multimorbidity with regard to the incidence of all and injurious falls over 3 years among European community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Observational analysis of DO-HEALTH, a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Multicenter trial with 7 European centers: Zurich, Basel, Geneva (Switzerland), Berlin (Germany), Innsbruck (Austria), Toulouse (France), and Coimbra (Portugal), including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older without any major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment, sufficient mobility, and good cognitive status.

METHODS

The main outcomes were the number of all falls and injurious falls experienced over 3 years. The number of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, defined as the presence of 3 or more chronic diseases at baseline, were assessed with the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire by Sangha et al.

RESULTS

Among the 2155 participants included in the analyses (mean age: 74.9 years, 62% were women, 52% were physically active more than 3 times a week), 569 (26.4%) had multimorbidity at baseline. Overall, each 1-unit increase in the baseline number of chronic diseases was linearly associated with a 7% increased incidence rate of all falls [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.12, P < .001] and a 6% increased incidence rate of injurious falls (aIRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.11, P = .003). Baseline multimorbidity was associated with a 21% increased incidence rate of all falls (aIRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.37, P = .002) and a 17% increased incidence rate of injurious falls (aIRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.32, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Baseline number of prevalent chronic diseases and multimorbidity in generally healthy and active community-dwelling older adults were associated with increased incidence rates of all and injurious falls over 3 years. These findings support that multimorbidity may need consideration as a risk factor for falls, even in generally healthy and active older adults.

Comparing Prevalence of Sarcopenia Using Twelve Sarcopenia Definitions in a Large Multinational European Population of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

Multinational prevalence data on sarcopenia among generally healthy older adults is limited. The aim of the study was to assess prevalence of sarcopenia in the DO-HEALTH European trial based on twelve current sarcopenia definitions.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This is an analysis of the DO-HEALTH study including 1495 of 2157 community-dwelling participants age 70+ years from Germany, France, Portugal, and Switzerland with complete measurements of the sarcopenia toolbox including muscle mass by DXA, grip strength, and gait speed.

MEASUREMENTS

The twelve sarcopenia definitions applied were Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS1), AWGS2, Baumgartner, Delmonico, European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP1), EWGSOP2, EWGSOP2-lower extremities, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH1), FNIH2, International Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (IWGS), Morley, and Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC).

RESULTS

Mean age was 74.9 years (SD 4.4); 63.3% were women. Sarcopenia prevalence ranged between 0.7% using the EWGSOP2 or AWGS2 definition, up to 16.8% using the Delmonico definition. Overall, most sarcopenia definitions, including Delmonico (16.8%), Baumgartner (12.8%), FNIH1(10.5%), IWGS (3.6%), EWGSOP1 (3.4%), SDOC (2.0%), Morley (1.3%), and AWGS1 (1.1%) tended to be higher than the prevalence based on EWGSOP2 (0.7%). In contrast, the definitions AWGS2 (0.7%), EWGSOP2-LE (1.1%), FNIH2 (1.0%) - all based on muscle mass and muscle strength - showed similar lower prevalence as EWGSOP2 (0.7%). Moreover, most sarcopenia definitions did not overlap on identifying sarcopenia on an individual participant-level.

CONCLUSION

In this multinational European trial of community-dwelling older adults we found major discordances of sarcopenia prevalence both on a population- and on a participant- level between various sarcopenia definitions. Our findings suggest that the concept of sarcopenia may need to be rethought to reliably and validly identify people with impaired muscle health.

Association between iron deficiency and hospitalization rate in community-dwelling older adults: A 3-year prospective observational study of DO-HEALTH

BACKGROUND

Iron deficiency (ID) is associated with negative health outcomes in older adults. However, data on the impact of ID on the number of hospitalizations and length of hospital stay (LOS) is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the associations between baseline ID and the number of hospitalizations and between baseline ID and at least one LOS ≥5 days in community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

This is a secondary observational analysis of a randomized controlled trial including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged ≥70 years without major diseases at baseline. The main exposure was defined as ID (soluble transferrin receptor [sTfR] concentrations >28.1 nmol/L) at baseline. The primary outcome was the number of hospitalizations over a 3-year follow-up. The secondary outcome was having at least one LOS ≥5 days over the study period among individuals with one or more hospitalizations. Interaction between ID and anemia (hemoglobin <130 g/L for men and <120 g/L for women) was also investigated.

RESULTS

Baseline sTfR concentration was determined in 2141 participants (median age 74.0 years). At 3 year, 1497 hospitalizations were reported with an incidence rate of hospitalization of 0.26 per person-year (95% CI: 0.24, 0.28). Overall, baseline ID was associated with a 24% increased incidence rate of hospitalization (incidence rate ratio: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.45) over 3 years. This association was independent of anemia status at baseline since the interaction between ID and anemia at baseline was not significant. Moreover, ID was not significantly associated with having a LOS ≥5 days (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.97) among participants with at least one hospitalization over 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

ID is associated with increased hospitalization rate and not associated with LOS ≥5 days among generally healthy older adults. Efforts to minimize ID in older adults may improve overall health and optimize healthcare costs.

2021 EULAR recommendations regarding lifestyle behaviours and work participation to prevent progression of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases

OBJECTIVES

A European League Against Rheumatism taskforce was convened to review the literature and develop recommendations on lifestyle behaviours for rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

METHODS

Six lifestyle exposures (exercise, diet, weight, alcohol, smoking, work participation) and seven RMDs (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, gout) were considered. The taskforce included health professionals in rheumatology, geriatricians, epidemiologists, public health experts, people with RMDs and exposure domain experts. Systematic reviews were conducted to gather available evidence, from which recommendations were developed.

RESULTS

Five overarching principles and 18 specific recommendations were defined based on available evidence. The overarching principles define the importance of a healthy lifestyle, how lifestyle modifications should be implemented, and their role in relation to medical treatments. Exercise recommendations highlight the safety and benefits of exercise on pain and disability, particularly among people with osteoarthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. The diet recommendations emphasise the importance of a healthy, balanced diet for people with RMDs. People with RMDs and health professionals should work together to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Small amounts of alcohol are unlikely to negatively affect the outcomes of people with RMDs, although people with rheumatoid arthritis and gout may be at risk of flares after moderate alcohol consumption. Smokers should be supported to quit. Work participation may have benefits on RMD outcomes and should be discussed in consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

These recommendations cover a range of lifestyle behaviours and can guide shared decision making between people with RMDs and health professionals when developing and monitoring treatment plans.

Effect of vitamin D3 vs. calcifediol on VDR concentration and fiber size in skeletal muscle

INTRODUCTION

This study sought to examine the effect of vitamin D₃ (VD₃) 3200 IU/d, calcifediol (HyD) 20mcg/d, or placebo on intramyonuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) concentration, muscle fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA), and muscle satellite cell activation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was conducted on a subset of the VD₃ (n = 12), HyD (n = 11), and placebo (n = 13) groups who participated in the 6-month randomized controlled HyD Osteopenia Study in postmenopausal women. Baseline and 6-month vastus lateralis muscle cross sections were probed for VDR, fiber type I and II, and PAX7 (satellite cell marker) using immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

Baseline mean ± SD age was 61 ± 4 years and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) level was 55.1 ± 22.8 nmol/L. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly by group. Six-month mean ± SD 25OHD levels were 138.7 ± 22.2 nmol/L (VD₃), 206.8 ± 68.8 nmol/L (HyD), and 82.7 ± 36.1 nmol/L (placebo), ANOVA P < 0.001. There were no significant group differences in 6-month change in VDR concentration (ANOVA P = 0.227). Mean ± SD percent 6-month changes in type I FCSA were 20.5 ± 32.7% (VD₃), - 6.6 ± 20.4% (HyD), and - 0.3 ± 14.0% (placebo, ANOVA P = 0.022). Type II FCSA or PAX7 concentration did not change significantly by group (all P > 0.358).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated no significant change in intramyonuclear VDR in response to either form of vitamin D vs. placebo. Type I FCSA significantly increased with VD₃, but not with HyD at 6 months. As type I fibers are more fatigue resistant than type II, enlargement in type I suggests potential for improved muscle endurance. Although HyD resulted in the highest 25OHD levels, no skeletal muscle benefits were noted at these high levels.

CLINICAL TRIAL

NCT02527668.

Exercise and the prevention of major osteoporotic fractures in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis with special emphasis on intensity progression and study duration

The role of exercise in preventing osteoporotic fractures is vague, and further recommendations for optimized exercise protocols are very rare. In the present work, we provided positive evidence for exercise effects on the number of osteoporotic fractures in adults, albeit without observing any significant relevance of intensity progression or study duration.

INTRODUCTION

Osteoporotic fractures are a major challenge confronting our aging society. Exercise might be an efficient agent for reducing osteoporotic fractures in older adults, but the most promising exercise protocol for that purpose has yet to be identified. The present meta-analysis thus aimed to identify important predictors of the exercise effect on osteoporotic fractures in adults.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of six literature databases according to the PRISMA guideline that included controlled exercise studies and reported the number of low-trauma major osteoporotic fractures separately for exercise (EG) and control (CG) groups. Primary study outcome was incidence ratio (IR) for major osteoporotic fractures. Sub-analyses were conducted for progression of intensity (yes vs. no) during the trial and the study duration (≤ 12 months vs. > 12 months).

RESULTS

In summary, 11 studies with a pooled number of 9715 participant-years in the EG and 9592 in the CG were included. The mixed-effects conditional Poisson regression revealed positive exercise effects on major osteoporotic fractures (RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94, p = .006). Although studies with intensity progression were more favorable, our subgroup analysis did not determine significant differences for diverging intensity progression (p = .133) or study duration (p = .883). Heterogeneity among the trials of the subgroups (I² ≤ 0-7.1%) was negligible.

CONCLUSION

The present systematic review and meta-analysis provided significant evidence for the favorable effect of exercise on major osteoporotic fractures. However, diverging study and exercise characteristics along with the close interaction of exercise parameters prevented the derivation of reliable recommendations for exercise protocols for fracture reductions.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42021250467.

Exercise Reduces the Number of Overall and Major Osteoporotic Fractures in Adults. Does Supervision Make a Difference? Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021250467) was to evaluate the effects of exercise on low-trauma overall and major osteoporotic fractures (hip, spine, forearm, or humerus fractures) and to determine the corresponding effect of supervision of the exercise program. Our systematic search of six literature databases according to the PRISMA guideline was conducted from January 1, 2013 (ie, date of our last search) to May 22, 2021, and included controlled clinical exercise trials with (i) individuals aged ≥45 years, (ii) cohorts without therapies/diseases related to fractures, (iii) observation periods of ≥3 months, and (iv) the number of low-trauma fractures listed separately for the exercise (EG) and control (CG) groups. We included 20 intervention studies with 21 EGs and 20 CGs comprising a pooled number of participant-years of n = 11.836 in the EG and n = 11.275 in the CG. The mixed-effects conditional Poisson regression revealed significant effects of exercise on low-trauma overall incidence (rate) ratio (IR 0.67, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.51-0.87) and major osteoporotic fractures IR (0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.92). Heterogeneity between the trials was moderate for low-trauma overall (I2 = 40%) and negligible (I2 < 1%) for major osteoporotic fractures. Supervision of the exercise program plays a significant role in the reductions of overall and major osteoporotic fractures with IR about twice as favorable in the predominately supervised (IR 0.44; 95% CI 0.27-0.73 and 0.38; 0.19-0.76) versus the predominately non-supervised exercise trials (IR 0.83; 95% CI 0.60-1.14 and 0.82; 0.64-1.05). In summary, the present study provides evidence for the positive effect of exercise on low-trauma overall and major osteoporotic fractures in middle aged to older adults. Supervision of the exercise program is a crucial aspect in exercise programs on fracture reduction. Thus, home-based exercise protocols should increasingly implement online classes to ensure widely consistent supervision and monitoring of the exercise program. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Update of the fracture risk prediction tool FRAX: a systematic review of potential cohorts and analysis plan

We describe the collection of cohorts together with the analysis plan for an update of the fracture risk prediction tool FRAX with respect to current and novel risk factors. The resource comprises 2,138,428 participants with a follow-up of approximately 20 million person-years and 116,117 documented incident major osteoporotic fractures.

INTRODUCTION

The availability of the fracture risk assessment tool FRAX® has substantially enhanced the targeting of treatment to those at high risk of fracture with FRAX now incorporated into more than 100 clinical osteoporosis guidelines worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine whether the current algorithms can be further optimised with respect to current and novel risk factors.

METHODS

A computerised literature search was performed in PubMed from inception until May 17, 2019, to identify eligible cohorts for updating the FRAX coefficients. Additionally, we searched the abstracts of conference proceedings of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, European Calcified Tissue Society and World Congress of Osteoporosis. Prospective cohort studies with data on baseline clinical risk factors and incident fractures were eligible.

RESULTS

Of the 836 records retrieved, 53 were selected for full-text assessment after screening on title and abstract. Twelve cohorts were deemed eligible and of these, 4 novel cohorts were identified. These cohorts, together with 60 previously identified cohorts, will provide the resource for constructing an updated version of FRAX comprising 2,138,428 participants with a follow-up of approximately 20 million person-years and 116,117 documented incident major osteoporotic fractures. For each known and candidate risk factor, multivariate hazard functions for hip fracture, major osteoporotic fracture and death will be tested using extended Poisson regression. Sex- and/or ethnicity-specific differences in the weights of the risk factors will be investigated. After meta-analyses of the cohort-specific beta coefficients for each risk factor, models comprising 10-year probability of hip and major osteoporotic fracture, with or without femoral neck bone mineral density, will be computed.

CONCLUSIONS

These assembled cohorts and described models will provide the framework for an updated FRAX tool enabling enhanced assessment of fracture risk (PROSPERO (CRD42021227266)).

Protein intake and risk of frailty among older women in the Nurses' Health Study

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that an overall healthy diet is associated with lower risk of frailty. However, the effect of diet composition, specifically the role of protein intake on frailty, is mostly unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake of protein, including total, plant, animal, and dairy protein, in relation to frailty incidence in a large cohort of older women.

METHODS

We analysed data from 85 871 women aged ≥60 participating in the Nurses' Health Study. Intake of protein was measured nine times during follow-up from 1980 until 2010. Frailty was defined as having at least three of the following five criteria from the Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses and Loss of Weight (FRAIL) scale: fatigue, low strength, reduced aerobic capacity, having ≥5 illnesses, and weight loss of ≥5%. The occurrence of frailty was assessed every 4 years from 1992 up to 2014.

RESULTS

During follow-up, we identified 13 279 incident cases of frailty. Women with a higher intake of plant protein had a lower risk of developing frailty after adjustment for all relevant confounders [relative risks across quintiles of consumption: 1.00, 0.94, 0.89, 0.86, and 0.86; P-trend < 0.001]. In contrast, those with a higher intake of animal protein intake had a higher risk of frailty [relative risks across quintiles of consumption: 1.00, 0.98, 0.99, 1.00, and 1.07; P-trend 0.04]. The intake of total and dairy protein showed no significant association with frailty in the full model. Substituting 5% of energy from plant protein intake at the expense of animal protein, dairy protein, or non-dairy animal protein was associated with 38% (29%, 47%), 32% (21%, 42%), and 42% (33%, 50%) reduced risk of frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher intake of plant protein, but not animal or dairy protein, was associated with a lower risk of frailty. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially non-dairy animal protein, was associated with lower risk of frailty.

Dietary protein intake and health-related outcomes: a methodological protocol for the evidence evaluation and the outline of an evidence to decision framework underlying the evidence-based guideline of the German Nutrition Society

PURPOSE

The present work aimed to delineate (i) a revised protocol according to recent methodological developments in evidence generation, to (ii) describe its interpretation, the assessment of the overall certainty of evidence and to (iii) outline an Evidence to Decision framework for deriving an evidence-based guideline on quantitative and qualitative aspects of dietary protein intake.

METHODS

A methodological protocol to systematically investigate the association between dietary protein intake and several health outcomes and for deriving dietary protein intake recommendations for the primary prevention of various non-communicable diseases in the general adult population was developed.

RESULTS

The developed methodological protocol relies on umbrella reviews including systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses. Systematic literature searches in three databases will be performed for each health-related outcome. The methodological quality of all selected systematic reviews will be evaluated using a modified version of AMSTAR 2, and the outcome-specific certainty of evidence for systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis will be assessed with NutriGrade. The general outline of the Evidence to Decision framework foresees that recommendations in the derived guideline will be given based on the overall certainty of evidence as well as on additional criteria such as sustainability.

CONCLUSION

The methodological protocol permits a systematic evaluation of published systematic reviews on dietary protein intake and its association with selected health-related outcomes. An Evidence to Decision framework will be the basis for the overall conclusions and the resulting recommendations for dietary protein intake.

Effects of diet on the outcomes of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs): systematic review and meta-analyses informing the 2021 EULAR recommendations for lifestyle improvements in people with RMDs

BACKGROUND

A EULAR taskforce was convened to develop recommendations for lifestyle behaviours in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). In this paper, the literature on the effect of diet on the progression of RMDs is reviewed.

METHODS

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed of studies related to diet and disease outcomes in seven RMDs: osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis and gout. In the first phase, existing relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses, published from 2013 to 2018, were identified. In the second phase, the review was expanded to include published original studies on diet in RMDs, with no restriction on publication date. Systematic reviews or original studies were included if they assessed a dietary exposure in one of the above RMDs, and reported results regarding progression of disease (eg, pain, function, joint damage).

RESULTS

In total, 24 systematic reviews and 150 original articles were included. Many dietary exposures have been studied (n=83), although the majority of studies addressed people with OA and RA. Most dietary exposures were assessed by relatively few studies. Exposures that have been assessed by multiple, well conducted studies (eg, OA: vitamin D, chondroitin, glucosamine; RA: omega-3) were classified as moderate evidence of small effects on disease progression.

CONCLUSION

The current literature suggests that there is moderate evidence for a small benefit for certain dietary components. High-level evidence of clinically meaningful effect sizes from individual dietary exposures on outcomes in RMDs is missing.

Effects of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and a simple home strength exercise program on fall prevention: the DO-HEALTH randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The roles of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and home exercise on fall prevention among generally healthy and active older adults are unclear.

OBJECTIVES

We tested the effects of daily supplemental vitamin D, daily supplemental marine omega-3s fatty acids, and a simple home exercise program (SHEP), alone or in combination, on the incidences of total and injurious falls among generally healthy older adults.

METHODS

We performed a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial-design randomized controlled trial among 2157 community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older, who had no major health events in the 5 years prior to enrolment, recruited from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, and Portugal between December 2012 and November 2014. Participants were randomly assigned to supplementation with 2000 international units/day of vitamin D3 and/or 1 g/day of marine omega-3s, and/or a SHEP compared with placebo and/or control exercise over 3 years. The primary endpoint for the present fall analysis was the incidence rate of total falls. Falls were recorded prospectively throughout the trial. Since there were no interactions between treatments, the main effects are reported based on a modified intent-to-treat analysis.

RESULTS

Of 2157 randomized participants, 1900 (88%) completed the study. The mean age was 74.9 years, 61.7% were women, 40.7% had a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 20 ng/ml, and 83% were at least moderately physically active. In total, 3333 falls were recorded over a median follow-up of 2.99 years. Overall, vitamin D and the SHEP had no benefit on total falls, whilst supplementation with omega-3s compared to no omega-3 supplementation reduced total falls by 10% (incidence rate ratio = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-1.00; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Among generally healthy, active, and vitamin D-replete older adults, omega-3 supplementation may have a modest benefit on the incidence of total falls, whilst a daily high dose of vitamin D or a SHEP had no benefit.

Prevalence of polypharmacy in community-dwelling older adults from seven centres in five European countries: a cross-sectional study of DO-HEALTH

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of polypharmacy and characteristics associated with polypharmacy in older adults from seven European cities.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study of baseline data from DO-HEALTH.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

DO-HEALTH enrolled 2157 community-dwelling adults age 70 and older from seven centres in Europe. Participants were excluded if they had major health problems or Mini-Mental State Examination Score <24 at baseline.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Extensive information on prescription and over-the-counter medications were recorded. Polypharmacy was defined as the concomitant use of five or more medications, excluding vitamins or dietary supplements. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association of sociodemographic factors (age, sex, years of education, living situation and city) and health-related indicators (number of comorbidities, cognitive function, frailty status, body mass index (BMI), prior fall, self-rated health and smoking status) with polypharmacy.

RESULTS

27.2% of participants reported polypharmacy ranging from 16.4% in Geneva to 60.8% in Coimbra. In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, older age (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.10), greater BMI (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.12) and increased number of comorbidities (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.92 to 2.36) were associated with polypharmacy. Women were less likely to report polypharmacy than men (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.84). In comparison to participants from Zurich, participants from Coimbra were more likely to report polypharmacy (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.56 to 3.55), while participants from Geneva or Toulouse were less likely to report polypharmacy ((OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.59 and OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.96), respectively). Living situation, smoking status, years of education, prior fall, cognitive function, self-rated health and frailty status were not significantly associated with polypharmacy.

CONCLUSION

Polypharmacy is common among relatively healthy older adults, with moderate variability across seven European cities. Independent of several confounders, being a woman, older age, greater BMI and greater number of comorbidities were associated with increased odds for polypharmacy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01745263.

Combined Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and a Simple Home Exercise Program May Reduce Cancer Risk Among Active Adults Aged 70 and Older: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the individual and combined benefit of vitamin D, omega-3, and a simple home strength exercise program on the risk of any invasive cancer.

Design: The DO-HEALTH trial is a three-year, multicenter, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design double-blind, randomized-controlled trial to test the individual and combined benefit of three public health interventions.

Setting: The trial was conducted between December 2012 and December 2017 in five European countries.

Participants: Generally healthy community-dwelling adults ≥70 years were recruited.

Interventions: Supplemental 2000 IU/day of vitamin D₃, and/or 1 g/day of marine omega-3s, and/or a simple home strength exercise (SHEP) programme compared to placebo and control exercise.

Main outcome: In this pre-defined exploratory analysis, time-to-development of any verified invasive cancer was the primary outcome in an adjusted, intent-to-treat analysis.

Results: In total, 2,157 participants (mean age 74.9 years; 61.7% women; 40.7% with 25-OH vitamin D below 20 /ml, 83% at least moderately physically active) were randomized. Over a median follow-up of 2.99 years, 81 invasive cancer cases were diagnosed and verified. For the three individual treatments, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs, 95% CI, cases intervention versus control) were 0.76 (0.49–1.18; 36 vs. 45) for vitamin D₃, 0.70 (0.44–1.09, 32 vs. 49) for omega-3s, and 0.74 (0.48–1.15, 35 vs. 46) for SHEP. For combinations of two treatments, adjusted HRs were 0.53 (0.28–1.00; 15 vs. 28 cases) for omega-3s plus vitamin D₃; 0.56 (0.30–1.04; 11 vs. 21) for vitamin D₃ plus SHEP; and 0.52 (0.28–0.97; 12 vs. 26 cases) for omega-3s plus SHEP. For all three treatments combined, the adjusted HR was 0.39 (0.18–0.85; 4 vs. 12 cases).

Conclusion: Supplementation with daily high-dose vitamin D₃ plus omega-3s, combined with SHEP, showed cumulative reduction in the cancer risk in generally healthy and active and largely vitamin D–replete adults ≥70 years.

Clinical Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT01745263.

Prospective Study of Ageing Trajectories in the European DO-HEALTH Study

INTRODUCTION

Ageing trajectories range from delayed ageing with extended health to accelerated ageing, with an increased risk of frailty. We evaluated the prevalence and prospective change between health states among community-dwelling European older adults.

METHODS

This prospective study is a secondary analysis of DO-HEALTH, a randomized trial that included adults aged 70 years and older across 5 European countries. Healthy agers (HA) fulfilled the Nurses' Health Study healthy ageing criteria and accelerated agers were non-HA being at least pre-frail according to the Fried frailty criteria. We assessed the proportion of participants changing between health states over 4 assessments and evaluated the odds of changing to a more favourable category. To increase reliability and avoid regression to the mean, we averaged the first 2 years and compared them to the average of the last 2 years.

RESULTS

Of 2,157 participants, 12.4% were excluded for meeting both healthy ageing and pre-frailty criteria simultaneously. Among the remaining 1,889 participants (mean age 75.1 years, 60.9% female), 23.1% were initially HA, 44.4% were non-HA but not pre-frail, and 32.6% were pre-frail or frail. Subsequently, 65.3% remained in the same health state, 12.0% improved to a healthier state, and 22.8% progressed to a less advantageous state. After adjusting for sex, study centre, treatment, and body mass index, each year of age was associated with 6% lower odds of improving health states. Women had 35% higher odds than men of following a disadvantageous trajectory.

CONCLUSION

We observed dynamic trajectories of ageing where transitioning to a healthier state became less likely with advancing age and among women.

Intra-trial Mean 25(OH)D and PTH Levels and Risk of Falling in Older Men and Women in the Boston STOP IT Trial

CONTEXT

Supplementation with vitamin D has the potential to both reduce and increase risk of falling, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) may contribute to fall risk.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the associations of intra-trial mean circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and PTH on incident falls in healthy older adults.

DESIGN

Observational within a clinical trial.

SETTING

The Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts University.

PARTICIPANTS

410 men and women age ≥65 years who participated in the 3-year Boston STOP IT trial to determine the effect of supplementation with 700 IU of vitamin D3 plus calcium on incident falls (secondary endpoint). Intra-trial exposures of 25(OH)D and PTH were calculated as the mean of biannual measures up to and including the first fall.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence of first fall.

RESULTS

Intra-trial mean 25(OH)D was significantly associated with risk of falling in a U-shaped pattern; the range associated with minimal risk of falling was approximately 20 to 40 ng/mL. PTH was not significantly associated with risk of falling.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the importance of maintaining the circulating 25(OH)D level between 20 and 40 ng/mL, the range that is also recommended for bone health. At PTH levels within the normal range, there was no detectible independent association of PTH with fall risk.

Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns in Generally Healthy European Adults Aged 70 Years and Older—Baseline Results From the DO-HEALTH Clinical Trial

Background

Physical activity (PA) is important for healthy aging and disease prevention whereas sedentary behavior (SB) accelerates health deterioration.

Aim

To investigate activity profiles regarding PA and SB among generally healthy European older adults.

Methods

Meeting PA recommendations was defined as ≥150 min/week of moderate and/or ≥75 min/week of vigorous PA. A cut-off of ≥5.5 h/day was used to define time spent with SB. We present prevalence of PA and SB overall and by sex, age, BMI, and country. We examined correlates with multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

Two thousand one hundred and fifty-five DO-HEALTH participants completed baseline information on activity profiles [mean age 74.9 years (SD 4.5), 61.8% women]. Overall, 62.2% met PA recommendations and overall, 37.1% spent ≥5.5 h/day with SB. Younger participants (70–74 years), men, and those with BMI <25 kg/m² met PA recommendations more often. Per country, prevalence of meeting PA recommendations were: Austria 74.4%, France 51.0%, Germany 65.6%, Portugal 46.5%, and Switzerland 66.7%. Regarding SB, prevalence did not differ in all subgroups. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, being male, younger age, lower MoCA scores, and higher SPPB score were associated with greater odds, whereas higher BMI, more years of education, higher GDS score, and residing in Portugal were associated with lower odds of meeting PA recommendations. High BMI and higher MoCA scores were associated with greater odds of high SB.

Conclusion

Individualized public health efforts may be warranted even in active older adults, as profiles were less favorable in subgroups of older age, female sex and higher BMI.

Effects of physical exercise and body weight on disease-specific outcomes of people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs): systematic reviews and meta-analyses informing the 2021 EULAR recommendations for lifestyle improvements in people with RMDs

BACKGROUND

A European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) taskforce was convened to develop recommendations for lifestyle behaviours in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). This paper reviews the literature on the effects of physical exercise and body weight on disease-specific outcomes of people with RMDs.

METHODS

Three systematic reviews were conducted to summarise evidence related to exercise and weight in seven RMDs: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), psoriatic arthritis, systemic sclerosis and gout. Systematic reviews and original studies were included if they assessed exercise or weight in one of the above RMDs, and reported results regarding disease-specific outcomes (eg, pain, function, joint damage). Systematic reviews were only included if published between 2013-2018. Search strategies were implemented in the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library of systematic reviews and CENTRAL databases.

RESULTS

236 articles on exercise and 181 articles on weight were included. Exercise interventions resulted in improvements in outcomes such as pain and function across all the RMDs, although the size of the effect varied by RMD and intervention. Disease activity was not influenced by exercise, other than in axSpA. Increased body weight was associated with worse outcomes for the majority of RMDs and outcomes assessed. In general, study quality was moderate for the literature on exercise and body weight in RMDs, although there was large heterogeneity between studies.

CONCLUSION

The current literature supports recommending exercise and the maintenance of a healthy body weight for people with RMDs.

Prevalence and incidence of iron deficiency in European community-dwelling older adults: an observational analysis of the DO-HEALTH trial

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Iron deficiency is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older adults. However, data on its prevalence and incidence among older adults is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and incidence of iron deficiency in European community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 70 years.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of the DO-HEALTH trial, a 3-year clinical trial including 2157 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 70 years from Austria, France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. Iron deficiency was defined as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) > 28.1 nmol/L. Prevalence and incidence rate (IR) of iron deficiency per 100 person-years were examined overall and stratified by sex, age group, and country. Sensitivity analysis for three commonly used definitions of iron deficiency (ferritin < 45 μg/L, ferritin < 30 μg/L, and sTfR-ferritin index > 1.5) were also performed.

RESULTS

Out of 2157 participants, 2141 had sTfR measured at baseline (mean age 74.9 years; 61.5% women). The prevalence of iron deficiency at baseline was 26.8%, and did not differ by sex, but by age (35.6% in age group ≥ 80, 29.3% in age group 75-79, 23.2% in age group 70-74); P < 0.0001) and country (P = 0.02), with the highest prevalence in Portugal (34.5%) and the lowest in France (24.4%). As for the other definitions of iron deficiency, the prevalence ranged from 4.2% for ferritin < 30 µg/L to 35.3% for sTfR-ferritin index > 1.5. Occurrences of iron deficiency were observed with IR per 100 person-years of 9.2 (95% CI 8.3-10.1) and did not significantly differ by sex or age group. The highest IR per 100 person-years was observed in Austria (20.8, 95% CI 16.1-26.9), the lowest in Germany (6.1, 95% CI 4.7-8.0). Regarding the other definitions of iron deficiency, the IR per 100 person-years was 4.5 (95% CI 4.0-4.9) for ferritin < 45 µg/L, 2.4 (95% CI 2.2-2.7) for ferritin < 30 µg/L, and 12.2 (95% CI 11.0-13.5) for sTfR-ferritin index > 1.5.

CONCLUSIONS

Iron deficiency is frequent among relatively healthy European older adults, with people aged ≥ 80 years and residence in Austria and Portugal associated with the highest risk.

Prevalence of healthy aging among community dwelling adults age 70 and older from five European countries

Background

To compare the prevalence of healthy aging among adults age 70 and older from 5 European countries recruited for the DO-HEALTH clinical trial. Participants were selected for absence of prior major health events.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of DO-HEALTH baseline data. All 2,157 participants (mean age 74.9, SD 4.4; 61.7% women) were included and 2,123 had data for all domains of the healthy aging status (HA) definition. HA was assessed based on the Nurses` Health Study (NHS) definition requiring four domains: no major chronic diseases, no disabilities, no cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA ≥25), no mental health limitation (GDS-5 <2, and no diagnosis of depression). Association between HA and age, BMI, gender, and physical function (sit-to-stand, gait speed, grip strength) was assessed by multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusting for center.

Results

Overall, 41.8% of DO-HEALTH participants were healthy agers with significant variability by country: Austria (Innsbruck) 58.3%, Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Geneva) 51.2%, Germany (Berlin) 37.6%, France (Toulouse) 36.7% and Portugal (Coimbra) 8.8% (p <0.0001). Differences in prevalence by country persisted after adjustment for age. In the multivariate model, younger age (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.98), female gender (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.81), lower BMI (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96), faster gait speed (OR = 4.70, 95% CI 2.68 to 8.25) and faster performance in sit-to-stand test (OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.93) were independently and significantly associated with HA.

Conclusions

Despite the same inclusion and exclusion criteria preselecting relatively healthy adults age 70 years and older, HA prevalence in DO-HEALTH varied significantly between countries and was highest in participants from Austria and Switzerland, lowest in participants from Portugal. Independent of country, younger age, female gender, lower BMI and better physical function were associated with HA.

Trial registration

DO-HEALTH was registered under the protocol NCT01745263 at the International Trials Registry (clinicaltrials.gov), and under the protocol number 2012–001249-41 at the Registration at the European Community Clinical Trial System (EudraCT).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-02755-8.

Prevalence of Physical Frailty: Results from the DO-HEALTH Study

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with multiple negative health outcomes. However, its prevalence varies by population and instrument used. We investigated frailty and pre-frailty prevalence by 5 instruments in community-dwelling older adults enrolled to a randomized-controlled trial in 5 European countries.

METHODS

Cross-sectional baseline analysis in 2,144 DO-HEALTH participants recruited from Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, and Portugal with complete data for frailty. Frailty status was assessed by the Physical Frailty Phenotype [PFP], SOF-Frailty Index [SOF-FI], FRAIL-Scale, SHARE-Frailty Instrument [SHARE-FI], and a modified SHARE-FI, and compared by country, age, and gender. Logistic regression was used to determine relevant factors associated with frailty and pre-frailty.

RESULTS

Mean age was 74.9 (±4.4) years, 61.6% were women. Based on the PFP, overall frailty and pre-frailty prevalence was 3.0% and 43.0%. By country, frailty prevalence was highest in Portugal (13.7%) and lowest in Austria (0%), and pre-frailty prevalence was highest in Portugal (57.3%) and lowest in Germany (37.1%). By instrument and overall, frailty and pre-frailty prevalence was highest based on SHARE-FI (7.0% / 43.7%) and lowest based on SOF-FI (1.0% / 25.9%). Frailty associated factors were residing in Coimbra (Portugal) [OR 12.0, CI 5.30-27.21], age above 75 years [OR 2.0, CI 1.17-3.45], and female gender [OR 2.8, CI 1.48-5.44]. The same three factors predicted pre-frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

Among relatively healthy adults age 70 and older enroled to DO-HEALTH, prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty differed significantly by instrument, country, gender, and age. Among instruments, the highest prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty was documented by the SHARE-FI and the lowest by the SOF-FI.

Effects of Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and a Home Exercise Program on Prevention of Pre-Frailty in Older Adults: The DO-HEALTH Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

The benefits of supplemental vitamin D3, marine omega-3 fatty acids, and a simple home exercise program (SHEP) on frailty prevention in generally healthy community-dwelling older adults are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To test the effect of vitamin D3, omega-3s, and a SHEP, alone or in combination on incident pre-frailty and frailty in robust older adults over a follow-up of 36 months.

METHODS

DO-HEALTH is a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2x2x2 factorial randomized clinical trial among generally healthy European adults aged 70 years or older, who had no major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment, sufficient mobility and intact cognitive function. As a secondary outcome of the DO-HEALTH trial, among the subset of participants who were robust at baseline, we tested the individual and combined benefits of supplemental 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D3, 1 g/day of marine omega-3s, and a SHEP on the odds of being pre-frail and frail over 3 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

At baseline, 1,137 out of 2,157 participants were robust (mean age 74.3 years, 56.5% women, mean gait speed 1.18 m/s). Over a median follow-up time of 2.9 years, 696 (61.2%) became pre-frail and 29 (2.6%) frail. Odds ratios for becoming pre-frail were not significantly lower for vitamin D3, or omega 3-s, or SHEP, individually, compared to control (placebo for the supplements and control exercise). However, the three treatments combined showed significantly decreased odds (OR 0.61 [95% CI 0.38-0.98; p=0.04) of becoming pre-frail compared to control. None of the individual treatments or their combination significantly reduced the odds of becoming frail.

CONCLUSION

Robust, generally healthy and active older adults without major comorbidities, may benefit from a combination of high-dose, supplemental vitamin D3, marine omega-3s, and SHEP with regard to the risk of becoming pre-frail over 3 years.

Iron Deficiency and Incident Infections among Community-Dwelling Adults Age 70 Years and Older: Results from the DO-HEALTH Study

OBJECTIVES

To assess if baseline iron deficiency, with or without anemia, is associated with incident infections over 3 years among community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Prospective secondary analysis of DO-HEALTH, a 3-year randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

2157 community-dwelling adults age 70+ from 5 European countries with good cognitive function and mobility and no major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment Measurements: Incident infections, their severity and type were recorded every 3 months throughout the 3-year follow-up. Iron deficiency was defined as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels > 28.1 nmol/l and anemia as hemoglobin levels < 120 g/l for women and 130 g/l for men. We applied negative binomial mixed effects regression models with random effects for countries, and controlling for treatment allocation, age, sex, body mass index, polypharmacy, number of comorbidities, smoking status, living situation, alcohol intake, frailty status, and physical activity levels. A pre-defined stratified analysis was performed to explore if the associations between iron deficiency and infections were consistent by baseline anemia status.

RESULTS

In total, 2141 participants were included in the analyses (mean age 74.9 years, 61.5% of women, 26.8% with iron deficiency). Across all participants, baseline iron deficiency was not associated with incident overall infections, but was associated with a 63% greater rate of incident severe infections requiring hospitalization (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.63, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.11-2.41, p=0.01). This association was more pronounced among the 2000 participants who did not have anemia at baseline (IRR=1.80, 95% CI 1.20-2.69, p=0.005).

CONCLUSION

Based on this prospective study among generally healthy European community-dwelling older adults, iron deficiency was not associated with the incidence rate of overall infections but may increase the incidence of severe infections. Intervention studies are needed to prove the causality of this observation.

Vitamin D: Bolus Is Bogus-A Narrative Review

In this review we summarize the impact of bolus versus daily dosing of vitamin D on 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)₂D levels, as well as on key countervailing factors that block vitamin D functions at the cellular level. Further, we discuss the role of bolus versus daily dosing of vitamin D for several health outcomes, including respiratory infections and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), rickets, falls and fractures, any cancer, and cancer-related mortality. This discussion appears timely because bolus doses continue to be tested for various disease outcomes despite a growing amount of evidence suggesting lack of efficacy or even detrimental effects of bolus dosing of vitamin D for outcomes where daily dosing at modest levels was effective in the vitamin D deficient. As a result, these discordant results may bias health recommendations for vitamin D if the recommendations are based on meta-analyses combining both daily and bolus dosing trials. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Ability of 3 Frailty Measures to Predict Short-Term Outcomes in Older Patients Admitted for Post-Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the ability of 3 commonly used frailty measures to predict short-term clinical outcomes in older patients admitted for post-acute inpatient rehabilitation.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Consecutive patients (n = 207) admitted to a geriatric inpatient rehabilitation facility.

METHODS

Frailty on admission was assessed using a frailty index, the physical frailty phenotype, and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Predictive capacity of the frailty instruments was analyzed for (1) nonhome discharge, (2) readmission to acute care, (3) functional decline, and (4) prolonged length of stay, using multivariate logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

The number of patients classified as frail was 91 (44.0%) with the frailty index, 134 (64.7%) using the frailty phenotype, and 151 (73.0%) with the CFS. The 3 frailty measures revealed acceptable discriminatory accuracy for nonhome discharge (area under the curve ≥ 0.7) but differed in their predictive ability: the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for nonhome discharge was highest for the CFS [6.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-21.1], compared to the frailty index (4.1, 95% CI 2.0-8.4) and the frailty phenotype (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2-6.6). For the other outcomes, discriminatory accuracy based on ROC tended to be lower and predictive ability varied according to frailty measure. Readmission to acute care from inpatient rehabilitation was predicted by all instruments, most pronounced by the frailty phenotype (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.6-18.8) and the frailty index (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.6), and less so by the CFS (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.5-3.8).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Frailty measures may contribute to improved prediction of outcomes in geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. The choice of the instrument may depend on the individual outcome of interest and the corresponding discriminatory ability of the frailty measure.

Swiss Frailty Network and Repository: protocol of a Swiss Personalized Health Network's driver project observational study

INTRODUCTION

Early identification of frailty by clinical instruments or accumulation of deficit indexes can contribute to improve healthcare for older adults, including the prevention of negative outcomes in acute care. However, conflicting evidence exists on how to best capture frailty in this setting. Simultaneously, the increasing utilisation of electronic health records (EHRs) opens up new possibilities for research and patient care, including frailty.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Swiss Frailty Network and Repository (SFNR) primarily aims to develop an electronic Frailty Index (eFI) from routinely available EHR data in order to investigate its predictive value against length of stay and in-hospital mortality as two important clinical outcomes in a study sample of 1000-1500 hospital patients aged 65 years and older. In addition, we will examine the correlation between the eFI and a test-based clinical Frailty Instrument to compare both concepts in Swiss older adults in acute care settings. As a Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN) driver project, our study will report on the characteristics and usability of the first nationwide eFI in Switzerland connecting all five Swiss University Hospitals' Geriatric Departments with a representative sample of patients aged 65 years and older admitted to acute care.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol was approved by the competent ethics committee of the Canton of Zurich (BASEC-ID 2019-00445). All acquired data will be handled according to SPHN's ethical framework for responsible data processing in personalised health research. Analyses will be performed within the secure BioMedIT environment, a national infrastructure to enable secure biomedical data processing, an integral part of SPHN.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04516642.

Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals

PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to describe communication experiences while wearing a mask during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, to identify possible mask-related barriers to COVID-19-adapted communications and to investigate whether the ABC mnemonic (A: attend mindfully; B: behave calmly; C: communicate clearly) might address these.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional, voluntary, web-based survey between January and February 2021. A 22-item survey was developed using the Surveymonkey platform and question styles were varied to include single choice and Likert scales. The respondents were also asked to view a short video presentation, which outlined the ABC mnemonic. CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) was used to ensure completeness of reporting. Diverging stacked bar charts were created to illustrate Likert scale responses.

RESULTS

We received 226 responses. The respondents were mostly women (60.2%) and the majority worked in a teaching hospital (64.6%). The majority of the respondents indicated issues related to lack of time during clinical encounters, uncertainty about how to adapt communication, lack of personal protective equipment, lack of communication skills and lack of information about how to adapt their own communication skills. In addition, the participants indicated acknowledging emotions and providing information using clear, specific, unambiguous, and consistent lay language while wearing a mask were among the main communication challenges created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the study showed significantly improved self-perceived competency regarding key communication after watching the short video presentation.

CONCLUSION

Effective communication in medical encounters requires both verbal and nonverbal skills.

Frailty is associated with increased mortality in older adults 12 months after discharge from post-acute care in Swiss nursing homes

Frail older adults with ongoing care needs often require post-acute care (PAC) following acute hospitalization when not eligible for specific rehabilitation. Long-term outcomes of PAC in this patient group have not been reported for Switzerland so far. In the present report, we investigated 12-month mortality in regard to frailty status upon admission to PAC in a nursing home setting. In our sample of 140 patients (mean age 84 [±8.6] years) 4.3% were robust, 37.1% were pre-frail, 54.3% were frail and 4.3% were missing frailty status. Mortality at 12-months follow-up stratified by baseline frailty was 0% (robust), 11.5% (pre-frail) and 31.6% (frail). Kaplan-Meier analysis stratified by frailty status showed a decreased probability of 12-months survival for frail individuals compared to their pre-frail and robust counterparts (P = 0.0096). Being frail was associated with more than 4-fold increased odds of death at follow-up (OR 4.19; 95% CI 1.53-11.47).