The journal of nutrition, health & aging
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J Nutr Health Aging · Dec 2011
Physical frailty in older adults is associated with metabolic and atherosclerotic risk factors and cognitive impairment independent of muscle mass.
Metabolic and atherosclerotic diseases are known risk factors for disability in old age, and can result in sarcopenia as well as cognitive impairment, which are both components of frailty syndrome. As muscle loss increases with ageing, it is unclear whether muscle loss per se, or the diseases themselves, are the underlying cause of physical frailty in those suffering from these diseases. We tested the hypothesis that metabolic and atherosclerotic diseases and cognitive impairment are associated with physical frailty independent of muscle loss in old age, and further examined their impact on the relationship between physical frailty and mortality. ⋯ Metabolic and atherosclerotic diseases and high WHR, was associated with physical frailty, independent of their adverse effect on cognitive function and muscle mass.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyTransitions in cognitive status in relation to frailty in older adults: a comparison of three frailty measures.
Cognitive decline is related to frailty. Frailty can be operationalized in different ways, which have an unknown impact on the estimation of risk. Here, we compared 3 frailty measures in relation to cognitive changes and mortality in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). ⋯ Frail elderly people have an increased risk of cognitive decline. All frailty measures allowed quantification of individual vulnerability and predict both cognitive changes and mortality.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Dec 2011
A new hierarchical classification for prognosis of hip fracture after 2 years' follow-up.
To examine the prognostic value of different profiles of hip fracture patients for recovery of pre-fracture functional level and for post-fracture mortality. ⋯ Hip fracture patients can be classified into homogeneous groups with different prognostic profiles based on pre-fracture characteristics. This new classification improves Penrod's previous system by establishing groups of patients hierarchically ordered by the probability of recovery and mortality at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-fracture.