Frailty Syndrome, Cognition, and Dysphonia in the Elderly

Purpose. The purpose of the current study is to determine the relation of frailty syndrome to acoustic measures of voice quality and voice-related handicap. Methods. Seventy-three adults (52 community-dwelling participants and 21 assisted living residents) age 60 and older completed frailty screening, acoustic assessment, cognitive screening, and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10). Factor analysis was used to consolidate acoustic measures. Statistical analysis included multiple regression, analysis of variance, and Tukey post-hoc tests with alfa of 0.05. Results. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and exhaustion explained 28% of the variance in VHI-10. MoCA and sex explained 27% of the variance in factor 1 (spectral ratio), age and MoCA explained 13% of the variance in factor 2 (cepstral peak prominence for speech), and slowness explained 10% of the variance in factor 3 (cepstral peak prominence for sustained /a/). There were statistically significant differences in two measures across frailty groups: VHI-10 and MoCA. Acoustic factor scores did not differ significantly among frailty groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions. Voice-related handicap and cognitive status differed among robust and frail older adults, yet vocal function measures did not. The components of frailty most related to VHI-10 were exhaustion and weight loss rather than slowness, weakness, or inactivity. Based on these findings, routine screening of physical frailty and cognition are recommended as part of a complete voice evaluation for older adults.12 month embargo; published online: 25 July 2018This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The association between cognition and dual-tasking among older adults: the effect of motor function type and cognition task difficulty

Background: Dual-task actions challenge cognitive processing. The usefulness of objective methods based on dual-task actions to identify the cognitive status of older adults has been previously demonstrated. However, the properties of select motor and cognitive tasks are still debatable. We investigated the effect of cognitive task difficulty and motor task type (walking versus an upper-extremity function [UEF]) in identifying cognitive impairment in older adults. Methods: Older adults (>= 65 years) were recruited, and cognitive ability was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Participants performed repetitive elbow flexion under three conditions: 1) at maximum pace alone (Single-task); and 2) while counting backward by ones (Dual-task 1); and 3) threes (Dual-task 2). Similar single- and dual-task gait were performed at normal speed. Three-dimensional kinematics were measured for both motor functions using wearable sensors. Results: One-hundred older adults participated in this study. Based on MoCA score,20, 21 (21%) of the participants were considered cognitively impaired (mean age = 86 +/- 10 and 85 +/- 5 for cognitively impaired and intact participants, respectively). Within ANOVA models adjusted with demographic information, UEF dual-task parameters, including speed and range-of-motion variability were significantly higher by 52% on average, among cognitively impaired participant (p0.26). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that counting backward by threes within a UEF dual-task experiment was a pertinent and challenging enough task to detect cognitive impairment in older adults. Additionally, UEF was superior to gait as the motor task component of the dual-task. The UEF dual-task could be applied as a quick memory screen in a clinical setting.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Brain Research Network (CDC-HBRN) - CDC Healthy Aging Program-Healthy Brain Initiative; National Institute of Aging (NIA) [1 R21 AG055852-01]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Racial and ethnic disparities in the control of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Southwest American veterans with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes Outcomes in Veterans Study

BACKGROUND: Racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease complications have been observed in diabetic patients. We examined the association between race/ethnicity and cardiovascular disease risk factor control in a large cohort of insulin-treated veterans with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study at 3 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in the American Southwest. Using electronic pharmacy databases, we randomly selected 338 veterans with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes. We collected medical record and patient survey data on diabetes control and management, cardiovascular disease risk factors, comorbidity, demographics, socioeconomic factors, psychological status, and health behaviors. We used analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression to determine the effect of race/ethnicity on glycemic control, insulin treatment intensity, lipid levels, and blood pressure control. RESULTS: The study cohort was comprised of 72 (21.3%) Hispanic subjects (H), 35 (10.4%) African Americans (AA), and 226 (67%) non-Hispanic whites (NHW). The mean (SD) hemoglobin A1c differed significantly by race/ethnicity: NHW 7.86 (1.4)%, H 8.16 (1.6)%, AA 8.84 (2.9)%, p = 0.05. The multivariate-adjusted A1c was significantly higher for AA (+0.93%, p = 0.002) compared to NHW. Insulin doses (unit/day) also differed significantly: NHW 70.6 (48.8), H 58.4 (32.6), and AA 53.1 (36.2), p < 0.01. Multivariate-adjusted insulin doses were significantly lower for AA (-17.8 units/day, p = 0.01) and H (-10.5 units/day, p = 0.04) compared to NHW. Decrements in insulin doses were even greater among minority patients with poorly controlled diabetes (A1c ≥ 8%). The disparities in glycemic control and insulin treatment intensity could not be explained by differences in age, body mass index, oral hypoglycemic medications, socioeconomic barriers, attitudes about diabetes care, diabetes knowledge, depression, cognitive dysfunction, or social support. We found no significant racial/ethnic differences in lipid or blood pressure control. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, insulin-treated minority veterans, particularly AA, had poorer glycemic control and received lower doses of insulin than NHW. However, we found no differences for control of other cardiovascular disease risk factors. The diabetes treatment disparity could be due to provider behaviors and/or patient behaviors or preferences. Further research with larger sample sizes and more geographically diverse populations are needed to confirm our findings

Ankyrin-B Syndrome: Enhanced Cardiac Function Balanced by Risk of Cardiac Death and Premature Senescence

Here we report the unexpected finding that specific human ANK2 variants represent a new example of balanced human variants. The prevalence of certain ANK2 (encodes ankyrin-B) variants range from 2 percent of European individuals to 8 percent in individuals from West Africa. Ankyrin-B variants associated with severe human arrhythmia phenotypes (eg E1425G, V1516D, R1788W) were rare in the general population. Variants associated with less severe clinical and in vitro phenotypes were unexpectedly common. Studies with the ankyrin-B+/− mouse reveal both benefits of enhanced cardiac contractility, as well as costs in earlier senescence and reduced lifespan. Together these findings suggest a constellation of traits that we term “ankyrin-B syndrome”, which may contribute to both aging-related disorders and enhanced cardiac function

Complications among colorectal cancer survivors: SF-6D preference-weighted quality of life scores

Background Societal preference-weighted health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores enable comparing multi-dimensional health states across diseases and treatments for research and policy. Objective To assess the effects of living with a permanent intestinal stoma, compared to a major bowel resection, among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Research Design Cross-sectional multivariate linear regression analysis to explain preference-weighted HRQOL scores. Subjects Six-hundred-forty CRC survivors (≥5 years) from three group-model HMOs; ostomates and non-ostomates with colorectal resections for CRC were matched on gender, age (±5 years), time since diagnosis, and tumor site (rectum vs. colon). Measures SF-6D scoring system applied to Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2); City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy (mCOH-QOL-O); Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index. Methods Survey of CRC survivors linked to respondents’ clinical data extracted from HMO files. Results Response rate was 52%. Ostomates and non-ostomates had similar sociodemographic characteristics. Mean SF-6D score was 0.69 for ostomates, compared to 0.73 for non-ostomates (p <.001), but other factors explained this difference. Complications of initial cancer surgery, and prior-year comorbidity burden and hospital use were negatively associated with SF-6D scores, while household income was positively associated. Conclusions CRC survivors’ SF-6D scores were not associated with living with a permanent ostomy after other factors were taken into account. Surgical complications, comorbidities, and metastatic disease lowered the preference-weighted HRQOL of CRC survivors with and without ostomies. Further research to understand and reduce late complications from CRC surgeries as well as associated depression is warranted

Adherence to highly-active antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected veterans

Objective. To describe patient variables associated with adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies (HAART) in the Tucson VA HIV Clinic. Methods. A cross-sectional study of sixty-seven HIV-infected veterans on HAART regimens (two protease inhibitors or three or more antiretroviral medications) examined theorized patient, patient-provider and regimen predictors related to: HIV RNA viral load, one-month monitored adherence of one antiretroviral medication within the HAART regimen via Medication Event Monitoring System cap percent therapeutic coverage (%TC-ADH), and self-reported adherence (SR-ADH). Sixty-seven subjects completed self-report, and sixty MEMS Cap data. Results. Subjects were male, white (78%), gay (54%) and/or intravenous drug using (31%), and educated (70% completed high school). Forty-three percent had an AIDS diagnosis, and antiretroviral history averaged five years. Thirty-five of sixty-seven (52%) had an HIV RNA ≤50 copies (undetectable). Forty-one of sixty (68%) had %TC-ADH ≥90%, and 41/67 (62%) had 100% SR-ADH over the previous 7 days. %TC-ADH and SR-ADH were correlated (r = .56 p 50 copies (OR 5.9, CI 1.4-24.8). Belief in one's ability to take medication as ordered (OR 32 CI 4.4-234) was highly associated with SR-ADH ≥90%. Employment was associated with lower odds of SR-ADH ≥90% (OR 0.12, CI .02-.67). Non-white subjects had lower odds of %TC-ADH ≥90% (OR 0.18, CI .04-.93). A 10-point higher score on the HIV-MOS energy/fatigue scale (OR 1.46, CI 1.04-2.4), and belief in ability to take medication as ordered (OR 2.5, CI 1.20-5.0), were associated with greater odds of %TC-ADH ≥90%. Conclusions. SR-ADH was associated with HIV RNA viral load. Less than 62% of patients adhered at ≥90% based upon SR and %TC-ADH. Disruption of medication-taking by activities of daily living, and poor self-efficacy may negatively affect adherence. Assessment of patient beliefs in their ability to take medications as ordered may be a clinically useful adherence screening question