Prevalence and Associates of Fear of Falling among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

ObjectivesWe aimed to study the prevalence of fear of falling (FOF), and its association with physical performance, functionality, frailty, sarcopenia, and a variety of geriatric syndromes including cognitive impairment, depression, quality of life and hearing.DesignRetrospective, cross-sectional study.SettingCommunity-dwelling older adults applied to the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital.ParticipantsA total of 1021community-dwelling older adults >= 60 years of age applying to the geriatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital.MeasurementsWe screened for falls and FOF by single close-ended questions. We performed screening and assessment of probable sarcopenia by SARC-F test and handgrip strength evaluation according to EWGSOP2. We used timed up and go test (TUG), usual gait speed (UGS) for physical performance, and Katz- activities of daily living (ADL) and Lawton-Brody instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) for functional evaluation. We screened anxiety with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale.ResultsThe prevalence of FOF was 44.6% and falls, 37.7%. Prevalence of FOF in sarcopenia screening positive participants was 30.1%; in probable sarcopenic (35/20 kg) participants, 43.9%; in those with undernutrition, 45.7%; in fallers, 51.1%; in females, 80.4%; and in prefrail/frail was 74.7% Multivariate regression analyses revealed that female sex (OR=4.1, 95%CI= 2.0-8.4, p<0.001), anxiety (OR=2.7, 95%CI= 1.1-6.5, p=0.03) and ADL limitation (OR=2.5, 95%CI= 1.03-6.3, p=0.04) were independent associates of FOF.ConclusionFOF accompanied by fall experience or not is prevalent in community-dwelling older adults. It is associated with anxiety and ADL limitations apart from the female sex

Associations of sarcopenic obesity versus sarcopenia alone with functionality.

Background & aims: There have been several attempts to come up with a global operational definition of sarcopenia (S), and consequently, a definition of S has been established, to some extent. That said, the definition of sarcopenic obesity (SO), which is defined as the presence of obesity + sarcopenia, remains obscure, hindering evaluations of the prevalence and relevance of SO. It has yet to be elucidated whether SO is associated with worse functionality when compared to S alone (S without obesity). In the present study, we compare SO and S alone in terms of their associations with functional measures through the application of alternative definitions of SO. As a secondary output, we document the prevalence of SO based on alternative definitions

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant use at doses inappropriately lower than recommended in outpatient older adults: a real-life data

Background/Purpose There has been a rapid increase in the use of non-vitamin K-antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC). Current guidelines recommend dose adjustments be made in accordance with certain criteria for each NOAC. This study is aimed at determining whether or not NOAC were prescribed for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in guideline-recommended doses in community-dwelling older adults

Corticosteroid treatment normalizes QTc prolongation and improves heart block in an elderly patient with anti-Ro-positive systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic disease which potentially involves various organs including the skin, joints, kidneys, liver, hematopoetic system, and serous membranes. It is rarely seen in elderly males. The most common cardiovascular involvement type is pericarditis. Anti-Ro antibodies may be associated with neonatal lupus which causes heart blocks. Recent literature indicates that anti-Ro antibodies may be associated with various rhythm and conduction disturbances in the adulthood. The most common finding associated with anti-Ro antibodies is prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval. Herein, we present an elderly male patient with anti-Ro-positive SLE associated with prolonged QTc interval and AV blocks that significantly improved after corticosteroid treatment

Prevalence and Associates of Frailty Status in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES: Frailty is a state of homeostenosis associated with adverse outcomes. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases considerably by aging and shares the common risk factors with frailty. We aimed to examine the prevalence and independent associates of frailty status in CKD patients

Toward a geriatric approach to patients with advanced age and cardiovascular diseases: Position statement of the EuGMS Special Interest Group on Cardiovascular Medicine

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are highly prevalent in older adults and represent a major geriatric health-care concern. Management of CVD in older patients may be challenging due to specific geriatric issues, such as frailty and multi-morbidity, which may influence patients’ outcomes. In this clinical context, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies should target those outcomes that have higher priority in geriatric health care, including disability prevention and quality of life. Older adults with CVD should be offered a reasonably optimized treatment, customized to the individual’s frailty level and functional status. Yet, most clinical trials excluded comorbid and frail patients and evidence to support CVD management in this vulnerable population is lacking. Therefore, a geriatric approach is needed in cardiovascular medicine, characterized by a holistic, patient-centered perspective focusing on functional status and quality of life. With a view to promote the geriatric approach in the management of older patients with CVD, the EuGMS Special Interest Group (SIG) on Cardiovascular Medicine was founded in 2018, consisting of a network of geriatricians with an extensive expertise in geriatric cardiovascular medicine. The present position paper aims to present the Cardiovascular SIG and illustrate its main purposes and action programs.Sin financiación1.710 JCR (2020) Q4, 48/53 Geriatrics & Gerontology0.382 SJR (2020) Q3, 68/108 Geriatrics and GerontologyNo data IDR 2020UE

Toward a geriatric approach to patients with advanced age and cardiovascular diseases: position statement of the EuGMS Special Interest Group on Cardiovascular Medicine (vol 11, pg 179, 2020)

The original version of this article, published on December 14, 2019, contained a mistake