Promoting access to innovation for frail old persons

Frailty tends to be considered as a major risk for adverse outcomes in older persons, but some important aspects remain matter of debate. The purpose of this paper is to present expert's positions on the main aspects of the frailty syndrome in the older persons. Workshop organized by International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG), World Health Organization (WHO) and Soci,t, Fran double dagger aise de G,riatrie et de G,rontologie (SFGG). Frailty is widely recognized as an important risk factor for adverse health outcomes in older persons. This can be of particular value in evaluating non-disabled older persons with chronic diseases but today no operational definition has been established. Nutritional status, mobility, activity, strength, endurance, cognition, and mood have been proposed as markers of frailty. Another approach calculates a multidimensional score ranging from "very fit" to "severely frail," but it is difficult to apply into the medical practice. Frailty appears to be secondary to multiple conditions using multiple pathways leading to a vulnerability to a stressor. Biological (inflammation, loss of hormones), clinical (sarcopenia, osteoporosis etc.), as well as social factors (isolation, financial situation) are involved in the vulnerability process. In clinical practice, detection of frailty is of major interest in oncology because of the high prevalence of cancer in older persons and the bad tolerance of the drug therapies. Presence of frailty should also be taken into account in the definition of the cardiovascular risks in the older population. The experts of the workshop have listed the points reached an agreement and those must to be a priority for improving understanding and use of frailty syndrome in practice. Frailty in older adults is a syndrome corresponding to a vulnerability to a stressor. Diagnostic tools have been developed but none can integrate at the same time the large spectrum of factors and the simplicity asked by the clinical practice. An agreement with an international common definition is necessary to develop screening and to reduce the morbidity in older persons

Projeto Bambuí: um estudo de base populacional da prevalência e dos fatores associados à necessidade de cuidador entre idosos The Bambuí Health and Aging Study (BHAS): a population-based cohort study of prevalence and factors associated with the needs of caregivers for the elderly

Este estudo tem por objetivo determinar a prevalência e os fatores associados com a necessidade de cuidador entre idosos residentes na comunidade. Foram selecionados todos os residentes na cidade de Bambuí, Minas Gerais, Brasil, com > 60 anos de idade (n = 1.742). Destes, 92% foram entrevistados e 86% examinados. A variável dependente - necessidade de cuidador - foi definida como: (1) relato de incapacidade para realizar pelo menos uma das atividades da vida diária e/ou (2) escore inferior a 13 no Mini Mental State Examen. A prevalência da necessidade de cuidador foi de 23%. Apresentaram associações positivas e independentes com a necessidade de cuidador: idade, ser solteiro, história de alcoolismo prévio, hipertensão arterial, obesidade e uso de medicamentos prescritos. Observaram-se associações negativas e independentes para: escolaridade, renda familiar, viver só, colesterol total > 240mmHg e ter plano privado de saúde. Assim, a necessidade de cuidador em Bambuí estava associada a piores condições sócio-econômicas e de saúde. O cuidado dos idosos dependentes é um problema de saúde pública.<br>The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the needs of caregivers for older adults living in the community. All residents (n = 1,742) of Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (15,000 inhabitants) aged > 60 years were selected. Of these, 92% were interviewed and 86% were examined. The dependent variable "need for a caregiver" was defined as the inability to perform at least one of the basic activities of daily living and/or a Mini Mental score under 13. Some 23% of the elderly required caregivers. After adjustment for confounding, independent and positive associations with the need for a caregiver were found for: age, single marital status, history of alcohol abuse, hypertension, obesity, and use of > 2 prescription drugs. Independent and negative associations were found for: level of schooling, familiar income, living alone, total cholesterol > 240mmHg, and having a private health plan. Those requiring caregivers presented evidence of worse socioeconomic and health status. The study provides evidence that care of the dependent elderly is a public health problem