Institutional Factors Associated with Residents’ Malnutrition in Nursing Homes: A Cross-Sectional Study

ObjectivesMalnutrition is frequent in older adults, associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and higher costs. Nursing home residents are especially affected, and evidence on institutional factors associated with malnutrition is limited. We calculated the prevalence of malnutrition in Swiss nursing home residents and investigated which structure and process indicators of nursing homes are associated with residents’ malnutrition.DesignSubanalysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project 2018, a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted from 2018 to 2019 in Switzerland.Setting and ParticipantsThis study included 76 nursing homes with a total of 5047 residents.MethodsMalnutrition was defined as a loss of bodyweight of ≥5% in the last 30 days or ≥10% in the last 180 days. Binomial generalized estimating equations (GEE) were applied to examine the association between malnutrition and structural (staffing ratio, grade mix, presence of a dietician, malnutrition guideline, support during mealtimes) and process indicators (awareness of malnutrition, food administration process). GEE models were adjusted for institutional (profit status, facility size) and specific resident characteristics.ResultsThe prevalence of residents with malnutrition was 5%. A higher percentage of units per nursing home having a guideline on prevention and treatment of malnutrition was significantly associated with more residents with weight loss (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.31-4.66, P = .005). Not having a dietician in a nursing home was significantly associated with a higher rate of residents with weight loss (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.09-2.35, P = .016).Conclusions and ImplicationsHaving a dietician as part of a multidisciplinary team in a nursing home is an important step to address the problem of residents’ malnutrition. Further research is needed to clarify the role of a guideline on prevention and treatment of malnutrition to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.     

海南百岁老人甲状旁腺激素水平与全因死亡关联的前瞻性队列研究

目的探讨海南百岁老人甲状旁腺激素(PTH)水平与全因死亡之间的关联。方法基于中国海南百岁老人队列研究, 对完成基线调查且资料完整的1 002人跟踪随访其生存和死亡结局。基线血清PTH水平作为自变量, 分别以连续变量、二分类变量和四分类变量纳入模型, 进行Cox比例风险回归模型分析基线PTH水平与全因死亡之间的关联。结果截至2021年5月31日, 研究随访时间M(Q1, Q3)为4.16(1.31, 5.04)年, 死亡人数为522人, 总死亡率为52.10%。多因素Cox比例风险回归模型分析结果显示, PTH每增加10 pg/ml, 全因死亡风险增加3.7%, HR值为1.037(95%CI:1.007～1.067);PTH水平高的Q4组全因死亡风险是PTH水平低的Q1组的1.458(95%CI:1.131～1.878)倍。结论海南百岁老人中, PTH水平的升高与全因死亡风险增加相关, 可作为社区长寿老人死亡风险预测的参考指标。     

海南百岁老人血压水平及相关因素与全因死亡关联的前瞻性队列研究

目的探讨我国海南百岁老人SBP及DBP水平及相关因素与全因死亡之间的关联。方法数据来自中国海南百岁老人队列研究, 采用前瞻性队列研究方法, 纳入1 002名百岁老人。采用Cox比例风险回归模型, 分析SBP和DBP水平及相关影响因素对全因死亡的影响。结果截至2021年5月31日, 中位随访时间为4.16年, 死亡密度为15.24/100人年。人群按照SBP、DBP四等分后, SBP的Q1组和DBP的Q2组死亡密度最低(分别为12.73/100人年和14.10/100人年)。在总人群中, SBP水平与Q1组相比, Q2、Q3、Q4组与全因死亡均呈正相关。在女性中, SBP以Q1组为参考值, Q2、Q3和Q4组与死亡关联的HR值分别为1.343、1.355和1.420;DBP以Q2组作为参考值, Q1、Q3、Q4组与死亡关联的HR值分别为1.468、1.800和1.504, 大致呈"U"形相关。交互作用分析发现, SBP与BMI之间存在相乘交互作用。结论海南百岁老人的SBP和DBP水平与全因死亡存在关联;百岁老人的DBP可能存在死亡风险较低的适宜水平及范围;不同BMI状态可能影响血压水平与...     

Posatirelin for the treatment of degenerative and vascular dementia: results of explanatory and pragmatic efficacy analyses

In order to confirm the efficacy and safety of posatirelin (l-pyro-2-aminoadipyl-l-leucyl-l-prolinamide), a synthetic peptide having cholinergic, catecholaminergic and neurotrophic activities, a multicentre, double-blind, controlled study versus placebo was planned in elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, according to National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS–ADRDA) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS–AIREN) criteria, respectively. The trial consisted of a 2-week run-in phase with placebo administered once a day orally, followed by a double-blind period of 3 months, with posatirelin or placebo administered once a day intramuscularly. Efficacy was assessed using the Gottfries–Bråne–Steen (GBS) Rating Scale (primary variable) and the Rey Memory Test (secondary variable). Laboratory tests, vital signs and adverse events were monitored. A total of 360 patients were randomized, the intent-to-treat sample (ITT) being made up of 357 patients and the per protocol sample (PP) of 260 patients. Both pragmatic and explanatory analyses showed significant differences between treatment groups in the GBS Rating Scale and the Rey Memory Test, with no difference in the two types of dementia. No difference between treatments was observed in safety variables, the incidence of adverse events in the posatirelin group being 7.3%. The study confirms previous results showing that treatment with posatirelin can improve cognitive and functional abilities of patients suffering from degenerative or vascular dementia.     

Subjective well-being key elements of Successful Aging: A study with Lifelong Learners older adults from Costa Rica and Spain

Subjective well-being is a major psychological construct in the research tradition. Along with literature, authors have distinguished between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The aim of this study is to determine the role of some psychosocial variables plays in the perceived well-being is conceived from a hedonic or a eudaimonic perspective. The sample consisted of 1016 people of 55 years and older in a Spanish sample and 277 people of 55 years old or older from a Costa Rican sample. Both samples were part of the Longitudinal Older Learners (LOL) study. A structural model with latent variables was estimated with Mplus. The results point out that, the traditional variables included on successful aging models are relevant for explaining older adults’ well-being in both countries with some differences on the hedonic and eudaimonic approach of successful aging on the Latin cultural context studied.     

Measurement of Dynamical Resilience Indicators Improves the Prediction of Recovery Following Hospitalization in Older Adults

ObjectivesAcute illnesses and subsequent hospital admissions present large health stressors to older adults, after which their recovery is variable. The concept of physical resilience offers opportunities to develop dynamical tools to predict an individual's recovery potential. This study aimed to investigate if dynamical resilience indicators based on repeated physical and mental measurements in acutely hospitalized geriatric patients have added value over single baseline measurements in predicting favorable recovery.DesignIntensive longitudinal study.Setting and Participants121 patients (aged 84.3 ± 6.2 years, 60% female) admitted to the geriatric ward for acute illness.MeasurementsIn addition to preadmission characteristics (frailty, multimorbidity), in-hospital heart rate and physical activity were continuously monitored with a wearable sensor. Momentary well-being (life satisfaction, anxiety, discomfort) was measured by experience sampling 4 times per day. The added value of dynamical indicators of resilience was investigated for predicting recovery at hospital discharge and 3 months later.Results31% of participants satisfied the criteria of good recovery at hospital discharge and 50% after 3 months. A combination of a frailty index, multimorbidity, Clinical Frailty Scale, and or gait speed predicted good recovery reasonably well on the short term [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.79], but only moderately after 3 months (AUC = 0.70). On addition of dynamical resilience indicators, the AUC for predicting good 3-month recovery increased to 0.79 (P = .03). Variability in life satisfaction and anxiety during the hospital stay were independent predictors of good 3-month recovery [odds ratio (OR) = 0.24, P = .01, and OR = 0.54, P = .04, respectively].Conclusions and ImplicationsThese results highlight that measurements capturing the dynamic functioning of multiple physiological systems have added value in assessing physical resilience in clinical practice, especially those monitoring mental responses. Improved monitoring and prediction of physical resilience could help target intensive treatment options and subsequent geriatric rehabilitation to patients who will most likely benefit from them.