The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Mar 2017
The Extracellular to Intracellular Water Ratio in Upper Legs is Negatively Associated With Skeletal Muscle Strength and Gait Speed in Older People.
Skeletal muscles contain a large volume of water that is classified into intracellular (ICW) and extracellular (ECW) water fractions. Nuclear magnetic resonance-based biomarkers suggest that increased water T2 heterogeneities, as well as elevated water T2 relaxation in the quadriceps occurs in the elderly when compared with young adults. However, nuclear magnetic resonance is difficult to apply to a large-scale study or a clinical setting for sarcopenia and frailty screening. ⋯ Thigh ECW/ICW was negatively correlated with knee extension strength and gait speed (r = -.617 and -.431, respectively, p < .001) and increased with age (p < .001). Thigh ECW/ICW was a significant predictor of knee extension strength and gait speed independent of age, sex, body mass index, and skeletal muscle mass. Relative expansion of ECW against ICW in the thigh muscles is a factor in decreased muscle quality and a biomarker of muscle aging.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2017
Comparative StudyComorbidity Indices Versus Function as Potential Predictors of 30-Day Readmission in Older Patients Following Postacute Rehabilitation.
Information regarding the association of comorbidity indices with readmission risk for older adults receiving postacute care is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the discriminatory ability of five comorbidity indices in predicting 30-day all-cause hospital readmission following discharge to the community from postacute inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). ⋯ Comorbidity indices were weakly associated with 30-day readmission in older adults discharged from postacute inpatient rehabilitation. Adding patient-level functional status to the comorbidity indices further improved the discriminatory ability to predict readmission in our sample.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2017
Multicenter StudyImpact of Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing on Adverse Drug Events, Health Related Quality of Life and Emergency Hospital Attendance in Older People Attending General Practice: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) describes medications where risk generally outweighs benefit for older people. Cross-sectional studies suggest an association between PIP and poorer health outcomes but there is a paucity of prospective cohort studies. This study investigates the longitudinal association of PIP with adverse drug events (ADEs), health related quality of life, and accident & emergency visits. ⋯ Older community-dwelling people, prescribed ≥2 STOPP PIP are more likely to report ADEs, poorer health related quality of life and attend the accident & emergency department over 2-year follow-up.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Jan 2017
Multicenter StudyMeasuring Frailty Can Help Emergency Departments Identify Independent Seniors at Risk of Functional Decline After Minor Injuries.
This study aims to (i) describe frailty in the subgroup of independent community-dwelling seniors consulting emergency departments (EDs) for minor injuries, (ii) examine the association between frailty and functional decline 3 months postinjury, (iii) ascertain the predictive accuracy of frailty measures and emergency physicians' for functional decline. ⋯ Measuring frailty in community-dwelling seniors with minor injuries in EDs may enhance current risk screening for functional decline. However, before implementation in usual care, feasibility issues such as inter-rater reliability and acceptability of frailty tools in the EDs have to be addressed.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Nov 2016
Trajectories of Unhealthy Behaviors in Midlife and Risk of Disability at Older Ages in the Whitehall II Cohort Study.
Most of the evidence on the association between unhealthy behaviors and disability comes from studies in the elderly, where reverse causation and selection bias may distort associations; thus, studies based on midlife trajectories of health behaviors are needed. We examined the association of trajectories of four health behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking, alcohol), starting in midlife and over 20 years, with subsequent disability risk in early old age (range = 54-84 years) in the Whitehall II cohort study. ⋯ Unhealthy behavior trajectories in midlife are associated with greater disability risk later in life.