Articles

Low calf circumference is associated with frailty in diabetic adults aged over 80 years

Frailty is now seen as a significant factor in older people with diabetes, whose mortality and disability increased. This study aims to investigate the association between calf circumference (CC) with frailty ...

Authors: Yun-Xia Zhu, Yue Zhang, Yan-Yan Wang, Chen-Xi Ren, Jun Xu and Xiao-Yan Zhang

Supporting the mobilization of health assets among older community dwellers residing in senior-only households in Singapore: a qualitative study

Care activities provided by community health practitioners for older adults primarily focused on disease prevention and management. However, healthy longevity can go beyond disease prevention and management an...

Authors: Betsy Seah, Geir Arild Espnes, Emily Neo Kim Ang, Jian Yang Lim, Yanika Kowitlawakul and Wenru Wang

Challenging oneself on the threshold to the world of research – frail older people’s experiences of involvement in research

User involvement of people outside academia in research is argued to increase relevance of research for society and to empower the involved lay persons. Frail older people can be a hard to reach group for rese...

Authors: Isak Berge, Emmelie Barenfeld, Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff, Maria Haak and Qarin Lood

Older age and frailty are the chief predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to an acute medical unit in a secondary care setting- a cohort study

There is a need for more observational studies across different clinical settings to better understand the epidemiology of the novel COVID-19 infection. Evidence on clinical characteristics of COVID-19 infecti...

Authors: Rajkumar Chinnadurai, Onesi Ogedengbe, Priya Agarwal, Sally Money-Coomes, Ahmad Z. Abdurrahman, Sajeel Mohammed, Philip A. Kalra, Nicola Rothwell and Sweta Pradhan

Determinants of participation in a post-hospitalization physical exercise program for older adults

Older patients often experience a decline in physical function and cognitive status after hospitalization. Although interventions involving physical exercise are effective in improving functional performance, ...

Authors: Miriam Urquiza, Iñaki Echeverria, Ariadna Besga, María Amasene, Idoia Labayen, Ana Rodriguez-Larrad, Julia Barroso, Mikel Aldamiz and Jon Irazusta

Comparing proton pump inhibitors with histamin-2 receptor blockers regarding the risk of osteoporotic fractures: a nested case-control study of more than 350,000 Korean patients with GERD and peptic ulcer disease

Patients with peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are more likely to receive long-term therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). This study aimed to investigate the risk of ...

Authors: Joo-Hyun Park, Jessie Lee, Su-Yeon Yu, Jin-Hyung Jung, Kyungdo Han, Do-Hoon Kim and Jinnie Rhee

Coverage of non-receipt of cash transfer (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) and associated factors among older persons in the Mampong Municipality, Ghana – a quantitative analysis

Social assistance in the form of cash transfer or in-kind has been recognised as a social protection strategy in many developing countries to tackle poverty and provide protection for individuals and household...

Authors: Doris Ottie-Boakye

The MAKS-s study: multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention for people with severe dementia in inpatient care – study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Nursing homes accommodate a large number of people with severe dementia. More than 80% of residents with dementia suffer from behavioural and psychological symptoms, that can have consequences on the perceived...

Authors: Kristina Diehl, André Kratzer and Elmar Graessel

Precision implementation of early ambulation in elderly patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a randomized-controlled clinical trial

Although early ambulation (EA) is associated with improved outcomes in post-operative patients, implementation of EA in elderly patients is still a challenge. In this study, we aimed to design and assess a pre...

Authors: Zhaomei Cui, Na Li, Chaonan Gao, Yiou Fan, Xin Zhuang, Jing Liu, Jie Zhang and Qi Tan

Physical frailty predicts the development of social frailty: a prospective cohort study

It has not been clarified whether physical frailty symptoms predict social.

Authors: Koutatsu Nagai, Kayoko Tamaki, Hiroshi Kusunoki, Yosuke Wada, Shotaro Tsuji, Masako Itoh, Kyoko Sano, Manabu Amano, Seiya Hayashitani, Ryota Yokoyama, Ryo Yonezawa, Tsukasa Kamitani and Ken Shinmura

Self-reported activities of daily living, health and quality of life among older adults in South Africa and Uganda: a cross sectional study

Difficulties in performing the activities of daily living (ADL) are common among middle-aged and older adults. Inability to perform the basic tasks as well as increased healthcare expenditure and dependence on...

Authors: Sanni Yaya, Dina Idriss-Wheeler, N’doh Ashken Sanogo, Maude Vezina and Ghose Bishwajit

Mediating factors on the association between fear of falling and health-related quality of life in community-dwelling German older people: a cross-sectional study

Previous research has shown that not only falls, but also fear of falling (FoF) influences health-related quality of life (HrQoL) negatively. The EQ-5D (consisting of an index and a visual analogue scale [EQ-V...

Authors: Sophie Gottschalk, Hans-Helmut König, Michael Schwenk, Carl-Philipp Jansen, Corinna Nerz, Clemens Becker, Jochen Klenk and Judith Dams

Feasibility of a yoga intervention to decrease pain in older women: a randomized controlled pilot study

A significant proportion of older women suffer from chronic pain, which can decrease quality of life. The objective of this pilot randomized study was to evaluate the feasibility of a flow-restorative yoga int...

Authors: Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Meredith Graham, Judy Ward, Galen Eldridge, Urshila Sriram and Diane Fine

Glycaemia and hand grip strength in aging people: Guangzhou biobank cohort study

There is a link between hyperglycemia and mechanical functions of muscle. However, existing evidence of the association between hyperglycemia and weaker muscle strength is limited and inconsistent. We examined...

Authors: Xue Liang, Chao Qiang Jiang, Wei Sen Zhang, Feng Zhu, Ya Li Jin, Kar Keung Cheng, Tai Hing Lam and Lin Xu

Training improves the handling of inhaler devices and reduces the severity of symptoms in geriatric patients suffering from chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease

Elderly patients with impaired vision, cognitive decline or motor/sensory disturbances of their fingers suffering from chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) encounter difficulties in handling inhaler de...

Authors: Marie-Christine Luley, Tobias Loleit, Elmar Knopf, Marija Djukic, Carl-Peter Criée and Roland Nau

The impact of dementia and language on hospitalizations: a retrospective cohort of long-term care residents

Hospitalizations carry considerable risks for frail, elderly patients; this is especially true for patients with dementia, who are more likely to experience delirium, falls, functional decline, iatrogenic comp...

Authors: Karine Riad, Colleen Webber, Ricardo Batista, Michael Reaume, Emily Rhodes, Braden Knight, Denis Prud’homme and Peter Tanuseputro

A physical activity program versus usual care in the management of quality of life for pre-frail older adults with chronic pain: randomized controlled trial

Exercise has shown being effective for managing chronic pain and preventing frailty status in older adults but the effect of an exercise program in the quality of life of pre-frail older adults with chronic pa...

Authors: Pedro Otones, Eva García, Teresa Sanz and Azucena Pedraz

Clinical characteristics and manifestations in older patients with COVID-19

To investigate the clinical characteristics and manifestations of older patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Authors: Chenchen Wei, Ya Liu, Yapeng Liu, Kai Zhang, Dezhen Su, Ming Zhong and Xiao Meng

Improving stamina and mobility with preop walking in surgical patients with frailty traits –OASIS IV: randomized clinical trial study protocol

Frail older surgical patients face more than a two-fold increase in postoperative complications, including myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, ileus, and others. Many of...

Authors: Laboni Hoque, Ryan Dewolf, David Meyers, Daniel K. White, Kathleen M. Mazor, Mihaela Stefan, Sybil Crawford, Karim Alavi, Jennifer Yates, Mark Maxfield, Feiran Lou, Karl Uy, Matthias Walz and Alok Kapoor

A scoping review of the Clinical Frailty Scale

Frailty is increasingly recognized as an important construct which has health implications for older adults. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty tool that evaluates specific domains i...

Authors: Sophie Church, Emily Rogers, Kenneth Rockwood and Olga Theou

Paroxysmal hemicrania masquerading as a stroke in an elderly gentleman: case report

Paroxysmal hemicrania has not been associated with ipsilateral weakness, loss of sensation and Horner’s syndrome. This report is the first of its kind documented in literature.

Authors: Boon Hian Tan, Astrid Melani Suantio and Yeow Hoay Koh

Effects of kidney function, serum albumin and hemoglobin on dementia severity in the oldest old people with newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease in a residential aged care facility: a cross-sectional study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), low serum albumin, and anemia are known risk factors for cognitive decline in older people. We investigated the association between kidney function and cognitive impairment severi...

Authors: Jia-Jyun Wu, Shuo-Chun Weng, Chih-Kuang Liang, Chu-Sheng Lin, Tsuo-Hung Lan, Shih-Yi Lin and Yu-Te Lin

Interprofessional medication assessment among home care patients: any impact on functioning? Results from a randomised controlled trial

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are related to the use of potentially inappropriate medicines and negative clinical outcomes including drug-related adverse events and functional declines. Home care clients are...

Authors: K. Auvinen, A. Voutilainen, J. Jyrkkä, E. Lönnroos and P. Mäntyselkä

Frailty and healthcare utilisation across care settings among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore

Frailty is frequently found to be associated with increased healthcare utilisation in western countries, but little is known in Asian population. This study was conducted to investigate the association between...

Authors: Lixia Ge, Chun Wei Yap, Bee Hoon Heng and Woan Shin Tan

Frailty as a predictor of future falls and disability: a four-year follow-up study of Chinese older adults

Frailty, which is defined as aging-related multisystem impairments, can lead to adverse health outcomes. However, evidence for such a connection in Chinese older adults remains lacking. This study examined the...

Authors: Quan Zhang, Xinyi Zhao, Huiying Liu and Hua Ding

The effects of neostigmine on postoperative cognitive function and inflammatory factors in elderly patients – a randomized trial

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is a common postoperative complication in elderly patients. In elderly patients, the decline of organ function and neuromuscular junction function make them more sensitive t...

Authors: Bao Zhu, Defeng Sun, Lin Yang, Zhongliang Sun, Yan Feng and Chengcheng Deng

Physical and psychological states interfere with health-related quality of life of institutionalized elderly: a cross-sectional study

Nursing home elders experience many problems that may influence their quality of life, in example of cognitive, mental, nutritional and physical disabilities. Concerning about elders’ wellbeing may help them l...

Authors: Ilky Pollansky Silva e Farias, Luiza de Almeida Souto Montenegro, Rayssa Lucena Wanderley, Jannerson Cesar Xavier de Pontes, Antonio Carlos Pereira, Leopoldina de Fátima Dantas de Almeida and Yuri Wanderley Cavalcanti

Knowledge, skills and attitudes of older people and staff about getting up from the floor following a fall: a qualitative investigation

Falls are the most common reason for ambulance callouts resulting in non-conveyance. Even in the absence of injury, only half of those who fall can get themselves up off the floor, often remaining there over a...

Authors: Dawn R. Swancutt, Suzy V. Hope, Benjamin P. Kent, Maria Robinson and Victoria A. Goodwin

Functional fitness normative values for elderly polish population

It’s really important to measure the actual functional physical fitness of elderly independent living persons from different environments to know the level and rate of decrease may inform about the threat of l...

Authors: Zofia Ignasiak, Anna Sebastjan, Teresa Sławińska, Anna Skrzek, Wojciech Czarny, Paweł Król, Marian Rzepko, Barbara Duda-Biernacka, Anna Marchewka, Katarzyna Filar-Mierzwa, Sylwia Nowacka-Dobosz, Janusz Dobosz and Danuta Umiastowska

Increasing the uptake of vitamin D supplement use in Australian residential aged care facilities: results from the vitamin D implementation (ViDAus) study

Adequate (≥800 IU/day) vitamin D supplement use in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is variable and non-optimal. The vitamin D implementation (ViDAus) study aimed to employ a range of strate...

Authors: Pippy Walker, Annette Kifley, Susan Kurrle and Ian D. Cameron

Accelerometry assessed physical activity of older adults hospitalized with acute medical illness - an observational study

In a hospital setting and among older patients, inactivity and bedrest are associated with a wide range of negative outcomes such as functional decline, increased risk of falls, longer hospitalization and inst...

Authors: Plamena Tasheva, Vanessa Kraege, Peter Vollenweider, Guillaume Roulet, Marie Méan and Pedro Marques-Vidal

Shared decision-making in advance care planning for persons with dementia in nursing homes: a cross-sectional study

Shared decision-making provides an approach to discuss advance care planning in a participative and informed manner, embodying the principles of person-centered care. A number of guided approaches to achieve s...

Authors: Bart Goossens, Aline Sevenants, Anja Declercq and Chantal Van Audenhove

The role and attitude of senior leaders in promoting group-based community physical activity: a qualitative study

In the context of worldwide public health, it is very important to promote physical activity among the older people. This study explored the roles and attitudes of senior leaders in promoting group-based exerc...

Authors: Hiroko Komatsu, Kaori Yagasaki, Yuko Oguma, Yoshinobu Saito and Yasuhiro Komatsu

The influence of integrated geriatric outpatient clinics on the health care utilization of older people

The number of people aged greater than 65 years is growing in many countries. Taiwan will be a superaged society in 2026, and health care utilization will increase considerably. Our study aimed to evaluate the...

Authors: Yu-Ju Wei, Cheng-Fang Hsieh, Yu-Ting Huang, Ming-Shyan Huang and Tzu-Jung Fang

Correction to: Implementation of the goal-directed medication review electronic decision support system (G-MEDSS)© into home medicines review: a protocol for a clusterrandomised clinical trial in older adults

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Lisa Kouladjian O’Donnell, Mouna Sawan, Emily Reeve, Danijela Gnjidic, Timothy F. Chen, Patrick J. Kelly, J. Simon Bell and Sarah N. Hilmer

Kaumātua Mana Motuhake Pōi: a study protocol for enhancing wellbeing, social connectedness and cultural identity for Māori elders

The Aotearoa New Zealand population is ageing accompanied by health and social challenges including significant inequities that exist between Māori and non-Māori around poor ageing and health. Although histori...

Authors: Brendan Hokowhitu, John G. Oetzel, Mary Louisa Simpson, Sophie Nock, Rangimahora Reddy, Pare Meha, Kirsten Johnston, Anne-Marie Jackson, Bevan Erueti, Poia Rewi, Isaac Warbrick, Michael P. Cameron, Yingsha Zhang and Stacey Ruru

Association between kidney function, nutritional status and anthropometric measures in older people

Different mechanisms connect the nutritional status with the occurrence and the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The end-stage renal disease is complicated by catabolic inflammatory reactions and cachex...

Authors: Agnieszka Guligowska, Andrea Corsonello, Małgorzata Pigłowska, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Johan Ärnlöv, Axel C. Carlsson, Lisanne Tap, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Francesc Formiga, Rafael Moreno-Gonzalez, Ellen Freiberger, Cornel Sieber, Pedro Gil Gregorio, Sara Laínez Martínez, Rada Artzi-Medvedik…

Chronic kidney disease in the context of multimorbidity patterns: the role of physical performance

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be associated with several co-occurring conditions. We aimed at exploring multimorbidity patterns associated with CKD, as well as the impact of physical performance and...

Authors: Andrea Corsonello, Paolo Fabbietti, Francesc Formiga, Rafael Moreno-Gonzalez, Lisanne Tap, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Johan Ärnlöv, Axel C. Carlsson, Christian Weingart, Ellen Freiberger, Tomasz Kostka, Agnieszka Guligowska, Pedro Gil, Sara Lainez Martinez…

Impaired kidney function is associated with lower quality of life among community-dwelling older adults

Quality of life (QoL) refers to the physical, psychological, social and medical aspects of life that are influenced by health status and function. The purpose of this study was to measure the self-perceived he...

Authors: Rada Artzi-Medvedik, Robert Kob, Paolo Fabbietti, Fabrizia Lattanzio, Andrea Corsonello, Yehudit Melzer, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Lisanne Tap, Pedro Gil, Sara Lainez Martinez, Francesc Formiga, Rafael Moreno-González, Tomasz Kostka, Agnieszka Guligowska…

Prevalence of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults using the updated EWGSOP2 definition according to kidney function and albuminuria

Loss of muscle mass and function may be more pronounced in older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and with albuminuria. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older...

Authors: Rafael Moreno-Gonzalez, Xavier Corbella, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Lisanne Tap, Cornel Sieber, Ellen Freiberger, Tomasz Kostka, Agnieszka Guligowska, Itshak Melzer, Yehudit Melzer, Axel C. Carlsson, Johan Ärnlöv, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Pedro Gil, Sara Lainez Martinez…

Kidney function and other factors and their association with falls

Reduced kidney function has become a major public health concern, especially among older people, as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of end stage renal disease and mortality. Fall...

Authors: Sabine Britting, Rada Artzi-Medvedik, Paolo Fabbietti, Lisanne Tap, Francesco Mattace-Raso, Andrea Corsonello, Fabrizia Lattanzio, Johan Ärnlöv, Axel C. Carlsson, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Tomasz Kostka, Agnieszka Guligowska, Francesc Formiga, Rafael Moreno-Gonzalez, Pedro Gil…

The screening for chronic kidney disease among older people across Europe (SCOPE) project: findings from cross-sectional analysis

Authors: Andrea Corsonello, Ellen Freiberger and Fabrizia Lattanzio

Is kidney function associated with cognition and mood in late life?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), cognitive impairment and depression share common risk factors. Previous studies did not investigate the possible association between kidney function and cognitive and mood disorde...

Authors: Lisanne Tap, Andrea Corsonello, Francesc Formiga, Rafael Moreno-Gonzalez, Johan Ärnlöv, Axel C. Carlsson, Regina Roller-Wirnsberger, Gerhard Wirnsberger, Gijsbertus Ziere, Ellen Freiberger, Cornel Sieber, Tomasz Kostka, Agnieszka Guligowska, Pedro Gil, Sara Lainez Martinez, Rada Artzi-Medvedik…

Acute hospital staff’s attitudes towards dementia and perceived dementia knowledge: a cross-sectional survey in Ireland

Little is known about staff’s attitudes in Irish acute hospital settings towards people living with dementia and their perceived dementia knowledge. The aim of this study was to understand the general level of...

Authors: Brian Keogh, Wing Ting To, Louise Daly, Geralyn Hynes, Siobhan Kennelly, Brian Lawlor, Suzanne Timmons, Susan O’Reilly, Mairead Bracken-Scally, Aurelia Ciblis, Natalie Cole, Amanda Drury, Chiara Pittalis, Brendan Kennelly, Mary McCarron and Anne-Marie Brady

Validation of “(fr)AGILE”: a quick tool to identify multidimensional frailty in the elderly

Several tools have been proposed and validated to operationally define frailty. Recently, the Italian Frailty index (IFi), an Italian modified version of Frailty index, has been validated but its use in clinic...

Authors: Ilaria Liguori, Gennaro Russo, Giulia Bulli, Francesco Curcio, Veronica Flocco, Gianlugi Galizia, David Della-Morte, Gaetano Gargiulo, Gianluca Testa, Francesco Cacciatore, Domenico Bonaduce and Pasquale Abete

A study on depression of the elderly with different sleep quality in pension institutions in Northeastern China

China owns he largest aged population in the world, and the elderly adults who live in pension institutions are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than other elderly adults. The purpose of this study ...

Authors: Jun Zhang, Yingying Zhang, Zhenggang Luan, Xiujie Zhang, Haoran Jiang and Aiping Wang

The associations of the number of medications and the use of anticholinergics with recovery from tubal feeding: a longitudinal hospital-based study

Several medications, such as anticholinergics, are considered to affect the swallowing function adversely; however, whether or not anticholinergics or polypharmacy should be avoided to prevent eating dysfuncti...

Authors: Keiji Takata, Kentaro Oniki, Yuki Tateyama, Hiroki Yasuda, Miu Yokota, Sae Yamauchi, Norio Sugawara, Norio Yasui-Furukori and Junji Saruwatari

Age sequences of the elderly’ social network and its efficacies on well-being: an urban-rural comparison in China

Although social network is a known determinant of the elderly’s well-being, it is not clear, in urban-rural and age-comparison, what its structural characteristics are and how it works for well-being. The rese...

Authors: Zhenhua Zheng and Hong Chen

Frailty phenotype and multi-domain impairments in older patients with chronic kidney disease

Older subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often affected by multiple geriatric impairments that may benefit from a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). However, ordinary execution of CGA in all...

Authors: Simone Vettoretti, Lara Caldiroli, Giulia Porata, Carlotta Vezza, Matteo Cesari and Piergiorgio Messa

The stability of care preferences following acute illness: a mixed methods prospective cohort study of frail older people

Patient preferences are integral to person-centred care, but preference stability is poorly understood in older people, who may experience fluctuant illness trajectories with episodes of acute illness. We aime...

Authors: S. N. Etkind, N. Lovell, A. E. Bone, P. Guo, C. Nicholson, F. E. M. Murtagh and I. J. Higginson