Flexibility, functional autonomy and quality of life (QoL) in elderly yoga practitioners

The aim of this study was to assess the levels of flexibility, functional autonomy and QoL in elderly yoga practitioners. The subjects were divided into a yoga group (YG; n = 52; age = 66.79 ± 3.30 years; BMI = 24.77 ± 3.18) and control group (CG; n = 31; age = 69.33 ± 4.84 years; BMI = 24.32 ± 3.71) and submitted to flexibility tests through goniometry, the LADEG autonomy protocol and QoL, using the WHOQOL-Old questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA showed increases in articular range of motion in shoulder abduction (Δ%SA = 14.11%; p = 0.0001), horizontal shoulder extension (Δ%HSE = 33.90%; p = 0.0001), lumbar spine flexion (Δ%LSF = 50.74%; p = 0.0001), hip flexion (Δ%HF = 35.75%; p = 0.0001), hip extension (Δ%HE = 10.93%; p = 0.021) and knee flexion (Δ%KF = 3.90%; p = 0.001) and in the GDLAM autonomy index (Δ%AI = −13.67%; p = 0.0001) in the YG compared to the CG. The Mann-Whitney test revealed increases in QoL scores in Facet 1 (Δ%Fac1 = 9.04%; p = 0.043), Facet 5 (Δ%Fac5 = 51.06%; p = 0.0001) and in overall QoL (Δ%OqoL = 8.13%; p = 0.046) in the YG compared to the CG. The remaining variables showed no significant intergroup modifications. Thus, the study suggests that the regular practice of yoga may lead to improved range of motion in the performance of activities of daily living in elderly women.     

Association of plasma sex hormone levels with functional decline in elderly men and women

Aim: We aimed to determine whether plasma sex hormone levels are associated with activities of daily living (ADL), cognition, depression and vitality in elderly individuals with functional decline. Methods: Two hundred and eight consecutive persons 70 years or older (108 men and 100 women; mean ± standard deviation, 81 ± 7 years) with a chronic stable condition, receiving long‐term care at a long‐term care facilities located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, were enrolled. Plasma total testosterone, free testosterone (only in men), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEA‐S) and estradiol levels were determined in the morning after an overnight fast. Comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed including basic ADL by Barthel Index, instrumental ADL, cognitive function by Hasegawa Dementia Scale – Revised, mood by Geriatric Depression Scale and ADL‐related vitality by Vitality Index. Results: Simple regression analysis showed that, in men, plasma total and free testosterone levels were associated with basic ADL (R = 0.292 and R = 0.282), instrumental ADL (R = 0.261 and R = 0.408), cognitive function (R = 0.393 and R = 0.553) and vitality (R = 0.246 and R = 0.396), while DHEA(‐S) was associated with cognitive function, and estradiol with cognitive function as well as vitality. In women, the only significant correlation was between DHEA(‐S) and basic ADL. Adjustment for age and nutritional markers did not influence the associations of plasma sex hormone levels with functional scores except for that of free testosterone with Barthel Index. Conclusion: These results suggest that sex hormones have sex‐specific associations with physical and neuropsychiatric functions in elderly individuals, and that endogenous testosterone is related to global function in elderly men.     

The relationship between the stipulated tempo step test, daily activity ability and gait time in elderly

This study is aimed at examining the relationship between stipulated tempo step tests, daily activity ability, and gait time. One hundred and thirty healthy elderly women performed the step test in which they stepped in place for 20 s while matching a metronome beat to tempos of 40, 60, and 120 bpm, respectively. The evaluation parameter was the time difference between the metronome sound and the time when subject's foot hit the ground. The subjects were divided into four groups according to (1) whether they had experienced a fall and (2) activity level. The time difference showed significantly greater variance in the order of 40, 60 and 120 bpm in both groups of high activity and low activity. A significant time difference between groups was found only in the 40 bpm tempo where the low activity group's value was higher. The correlations between the time difference and gait time were significant in all tempos of both groups (r = 0.24-0.41). The time differences in 40 and 60 bpm step tests showed significant and moderate correlations (r = 0.52-0.60) with gait time in the low activity group, but low correlations (r = 0.29-0.30) in the high activity group. In conclusion, the stipulated step test can evaluate the level of daily activity ability in the elderly at home and it is effective in evaluating their balance ability.     

安徽省两城市老年人生活自理能力及其相关因素的研究

目的：了解老年人生自理能力状况及其影响因素,方法：应用整群随机抽样方法,调查安徽省合肥,铜陵两城市老年日常生活活动能力,应用单因素和多因素logistic回归模型分析老年人生活自理能力受损的主要影响因素,结果：老年人日常生活动动（PADL）和日常家务活动功能（IADL）丧失率分别为7．2％和20．9％,女性功能丧失率高于男性,且随年龄的增长,功能丧失率逐渐升高,经多因素分析,活活自理能力功能丧失率与年龄,性别,教育程度,患病,经济和有无工作有关,结论：老年人生活自理能力随年龄增长而下降,女性知活自理能力低于男性,IADL功能丧失率高于PADL,老年人健康状况应引起重视。     

Evaluating functional independence in older adults using subscales of the Berg Balance Scale

Background/PurposeDifficulties in evaluating the functional independence of older adults are often encountered, and the evaluation process is time-consuming on an outpatient basis. The purpose of our study was to establish a simple and objective way to evaluate the functional independence level of older adults in their daily life.MethodsPatients aged 65 years or older from the geriatric outpatient department of a medical center in Taiwan were recruited. Those with significant functional dependence, psychiatric disorders, cognitive impairment, uncorrected visual problems, and postural hypotension were excluded. The participants were examined using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Statistical analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between the subscales.ResultsA total of 47 participants with an average age of 81.02 years (interquartile range 79–85) were recruited, and their scores on the BBS were significantly correlated with their scores on the FIM (r = 0.705, p < 0.001). The subscale “sitting to standing” on the BBS correlated with most items in the FIM; the correlation coefficient between this subscale and the total score of the FIM was also the highest among all the subscales of the BBS (r = 0.623, p < 0.001). In addition, the scores on the FIM were shown to be significantly different among the subscale “sitting to standing”, scoring 4, 3, or ≤2.ConclusionIn our study, the subscale “sitting to standing” was shown to be the most sensitive among the subscales of the BBS to evaluate functional independence. Therefore, the performance of “sitting to standing” is suggested to be an objective measure to evaluate the functional independence in activities of daily living of older adults; it is easy and simple to perform in everyday clinical practice.     

Exploration of subjective well-being and dependence in daily activities at the beginning of the geriatric rehabilitation process: a challenge to traditional goal-setting and evaluation procedures?

The objectives of this study were to describe a population of elderly patients at the beginning of their rehabilitation period as regards subjective well-being and dependence in activities of daily living (ADL). In a Swedish rural county 244 patients aged 65+ who had begun rehabilitation within the last month were targeted. One part of the self-administered Göteborg Quality of Life Instrument and a revised version of the ADL Staircase were used. No correlation was found between subjective well-being and ADL dependence. However, significant correlations between ADL dependence and separate subjective well-being items were found in three out of 17, i.e. the items ‘energy’, ‘leisure’, and ‘sense of significance and appreciation outside home’. Overall subjective well-being did not show any gender differences, but significant gender differences due to the distribution of scores was shown; females scored the items ‘health’, ‘sleeping’, and ‘economy’ as bad to a larger extent than males. Males were significantly more dependent than females in three out of nine ADL: ‘going to the toilet’, ‘dressing’, and ‘cooking’. Additional knowledge of subjective well-being and ADL dependence at the beginning of the rehabilitation process challenges the traditional goal-setting and evaluation procedures of geriatric rehabilitation services.     

Activities of daily living function and neuropsychiatric symptoms of people with dementia and caregiver burden: The mediating role of caregiving hours

ObjectiveDue to the presence of neuropsychiatric behaviors and the decreased ability for activities of daily living (ADLs), family caregivers experience high burden levels in caring for people with dementia (PWD). This study sought to test the mediating role of caregiving hours in association with PWDs’ ability for basic activities of daily living (BADL) function or neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden.MethodsThis study used two waves of survey data, collected between 2013 and 2016, from 186 PWD–caregiver dyads in a dementia clinic at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Two sets of multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between the changes in patients’ BADL function, patients’ neuropsychiatric behaviors, caregiving hours in ADL (including BADL and Instrumental ADL), and caregiver burden (measured using Zarit Burden Interview). Bootstrapping methods were used to detect the mediating effects of caregiving hours in ADL if the 95% confidence interval (CI) did not cover 0.ResultsCaregiving hours in BADL mediated the relationship of PWDs’ BADL function and caregiver burden (effect = −0.0137, 95% bootstrap CI = −0.0379, −0.0003). However, such mediating effects were not found in the relationship of PWDs’ neuropsychiatric behaviors and caregiver burden.ConclusionsIn order to relieve caregiver burden, respite care services for caregivers for PWD should target services that assist with PWD’s BADL.     

Sociodemographic Effects on the Dynamics of Task-specific ADL Functioning at the Oldest-old Ages: The Case of China

Studies that systematically examine the dynamics of task-specific ADL functioning and its associates are very rare. Using the first three waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, this study examines the dynamics of each of the six ADL tasks (bathing, dressing, toileting, indoor transferring, eating, and continence) and their sociodemographic correlates among the oldest-old by including the ADL information both at the follow-up wave for survivors and at the time prior to death for those who died during survey intervals. Effects of age, gender, urban/rural residence, ethnicity, education, primary lifetime occupation, primary source of daily expenses, living alone, and marital status are examined in both the absence and presence of other various confounders. Our results show that each sociodemographic factor still plays some limited role in the dynamics of ADL functioning across tasks.     

Clinical determinants of failure in balance tests in elderly subjects

We assessed the role of clinical and biological parameters on performance in four balance tests in elderly subjects. An observational study was conducted in the Center for Preventive Medicine of Nancy (France) in 2368 community-living elderly subjects aged 60 and older. Body mass index (BMI), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), clock test, “Health score” and use of psychotropic drugs (UPD) were assessed. Participants performed four balance tests: “one-leg-stand” (OLS), “timed-up-and-go” (TUG), “rise-from-the-floor” (RFF) and “sit-to-stand” (STS). The statistical analysis showed that women were almost twice as likely to fail balance tests as men. In both women and men, the following determinant factors of the performance in balance tests were found: for OLS: age, BMI and health score; for TUG: age, BMI, clock test and health score; for RFF: BMI and health score. In addition, in women other determinant factors were: MMSE for OLS, UPD for TUG, age and clock test for RFF. In men, the clock test and the UPD were also significant determinant factors for OLS. Similar results were found for STS. In conclusion, female sex, overweight, low cognitive status, low self-perception of health and UPD were associated with a higher risk of failure in balance tests.     

Frailty, hospitalization, and progression of disability in a cohort of disabled older women

Purpose

To determine the association between a previously validated frailty phenotype and the development of new-onset dependence in activities of daily living, independent of hospitalizations and other established predictors of disability.

Subjects

Seven hundred and forty-nine women enrolled in the Women’s Health and Aging Study-I who were independent in all activities in daily living when enrolled in the cohort.

Methods

Assessments and interviews were conducted through home visits at 6-month intervals for 3 years. Frailty was classified using a validated phenotype (≥3 of the following: weight loss, exhaustion, slow walking, sedentariness, and weak grip), and hospitalizations were identified by self-report. Grouped-time proportional hazard models assessed associations among frailty, hospitalization, and the development of dependence in activities in daily living, adjusting for other factors.

Results

Twenty-five percent of the cohort (186/749) were frail at baseline; 56% (104/186) of frail versus 20% (23/117) of nonfrail women developed dependence in activities in daily living (P <.001). In multivariate analysis, frailty was independently associated with the development of dependence in activities in daily living (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4 to 3.6), adjusting for hospitalization status, age, race, education, baseline functional status, cognition, depressive symptoms, number of chronic diseases, and self-reported health status. Additionally, a dose-response relationship existed between the number of frailty criteria that a woman had and the hazard of subsequent dependence in activities in daily living.

Conclusion

Frailty, conceptualized as an underlying vulnerability, and hospitalization, which marks an acute deterioration in health, were strongly and independently associated with new-onset dependence in activities in daily living. Additional research is needed to determine if dependence can be minimized by targeting resources and programs to frail older persons.     

Older person behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPS) and functional limitations mediate the association between older person cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms in the caregiver

We assess for the mediation of the association between older person cognitive impairment and caregiver depressive symptoms through older person BPS and functional limitations, and whether the mediation varies by caregiver–older person relationship (spouse/adult child). Data for 1111 older person (aged 75+ with activity of daily living (ADL) limitation)–caregiver dyads from Singapore were used. The outcome variable was dichotomous (caregiver clinically significant depressive symptoms [CSDS]: yes/no) in the primary analysis and continuous (caregiver depressive symptoms score) in the sensitivity analysis. The causal steps approach assessed for the mediation of the association between older person cognitive impairment (yes/no) and the outcome variable through the two potential mediators. A bootstrapping approach calculated point estimates and confidence intervals (CIs) of the indirect (∼mediated) effects. Variation of the indirect effects by caregiver–older person relationship was also assessed. In the primary analysis, the causal steps approach supported older person BPS and functional limitations as mediators. The bootstrapping approach confirmed both as significant mediators, though BPS (indirect effect odds ratio (OR) 1.32 [95% bootstrap CI 1.19,1.48]; %mediation: 70.6%) was a stronger mediator than functional limitations (1.04 [1.01,1.11]; %mediation: 11.5%). Variation of the indirect effects by caregiver–older person relationship was not supported. Results of the sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. We conclude that while caring for an older person with cognitive impairment is detrimental for the caregiver's mood, management of associated BPS and functional limitations, especially the former, among such older persons may reduce depressive symptoms among their caregivers. Spouse as well as adult child caregivers benefit.     

Comparison of a static,independent balance protocol and the National Institute on Aging balance protocol on stability and risk of falling in the elderly

Falls by the elderly are preceded by muscle weakness and deteriorated sensory input. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an independent static balance (ISB) protocol with the National Institute on Aging (NIA) supervised protocol for improving balance. Sixteen participants (age 88.6 ± 4.3 year) were randomly placed in the ISB or NIA group. Pre- and posttests included fall risk (FR), overall stability (OS), anterior/posterior index (API), and medial and lateral index (MLI). Training consisted of 20 min, 2 × weeks for 12 weeks. The NIA group demonstrated greater improvement in all variables compared to the ISB group except for FR; however, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the groups among any dependent variable. Static balance exercises conducted independently led to similar improvements in balance and FR reduction as the highly supervised NIA protocol. Balance can be improved independently without close supervision thus allowing personnel to tend to other patients.     

Mini Nutritional Assessment and functional capacity in community‐dwelling elderly in Rural Luozi,Democratic Republic of Congo

Aim: Good nutrition is beneficial both for the health and the functional capacity of the elderly. However, malnutrition is a serious health problem among the elderly, particularly the elderly living in rural areas in many developing countries. The aim of the present study was to carry out a cross‐sectional study of the elderly in the city of Luozi, Democratic Republic of Congo, through the use of the long and the short forms of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale. Methods: We carried out a cross‐sectional study in the city of Luozi, a city facing serious socioeconomic problems as a result of wartime conditions in the country. The study included 370 volunteer community‐dwelling elderly people aged 65–88 years, both male and female. Investigations took into account the MNA, the activities of daily living, and the instrumental activities of daily living, falls, current diseases and lifestyle. Results: Approximately 57.8% of the participants were at risk of malnutrition, whereas 28.4% were malnourished according to the MNA scale. MNA scores were significantly lower (Student's t‐test, P = 0.03) in those with a fall history (MNA score 18.3 ± 4.0) compared with those who did not (MNA score, 21.0 ± 2.7). All the participants with malnutrition suffered from at least one chronic disease. The percentage of participants with dependency was significantly higher in the malnourished participants (87.6%) than in well‐nourished participants (50.9%). Conclusion: These findings provide information that malnutrition is a serious health concern among elderly people in the city of Luozi, and shows the need for adequate nutrition and social programs for the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 35–42 .     

Consequences of severity at stroke onset for health-related quality of life (HRQL) and informal care: a 1-year follow-up in elderly stroke survivors

Severity of stroke influences the possibility of living at homes after stroke and has been discussed as one possible prognostic factor for functional outcome and future residence. The objective was to explore how severity at stroke onset affects health-related quality of life (HRQL) and informal care among 147 stroke survivors and their spouses living in their own homes 1 year after acute stroke. This study is part of "The G?teborg 70+ Stroke Study" which included 249 elderly persons after acute stroke. One year after stroke 59% of the survivors, 94 women and 53 men, lived in their own homes. This group forms the present study population. They were subdivided according to the severity of stroke at onset, as assessed by Barthel index (BI) ratings in the acute phase. The stroke survivors rated their HRQL and were interviewed in their own homes to assess the effects of stroke on daily life activities and informal care after 1 year. Informal caregivers were found to assist their spouses to a great extent, regardless of severity of stroke. Persons with moderate/severe stroke at onset received more informal as well as more formal help than the ones with mild stroke. As expected, the group with moderate/severe stroke also was more dependent on personal assistance, used more assistive devices (ADs) and rated their HRQL lower. However, persons who were assessed as mild stroke at onset also needed informal care, particularly with more complex tasks. Gender differences were obvious, since many women were living alone after their partner had died, while the men usually had assistance from their spouses. Noteworthy is that informal caregivers assisted their spouses to a large extent, regardless of severity of stroke at onset. Different kind of support programs, extended day rehabilitation centers and more relieve places should be developed. That could possibly improve the life situation for the elderly stroke survivors and their caregivers, generally an elderly spouse.     

Task independence,safety, and adequacy among nondisabled and osteoarthritis‐disabled older women

Objective

To examine the constructs of task independence, safety, and adequacy.

Method

Fifty‐seven nondisabled (ND) and 56 osteoarthritis‐disabled (OAK) women were observed performing daily tasks.

Results

Intercorrelations among the constructs of independence and adequacy were uniformly high, while the relationship of safety to these constructs was moderate and more variable, although stronger in the OAK group. Task performance of the OAK group was consistently less adequate and independent than that of the ND group; however, the groups were generally equivalent in safety. For individual tasks, adequacy best differentiated between the groups. In both groups, those who performed independently also performed safely, but fewer independent OAK participants also performed totally adequately.

Conclusion

The majority of older women who perform tasks independently also perform them safely and adequately; for a clinically significant minority, independence is not always synonymous with safe and adequate performance. Patients may be placed at risk if independence is the only construct used to determine disability.

     

Difference in subjective well-being between ethnic Korean and Japanese elderly residents in an urban community in Japan

Background:   The ethnic Korean community in Japan has witnessed the increasing aging of their population structure. The purpose of our study was to clarify the differences in standards of living between elderly ethnic Korean and elderly Japanese populations living in Japan, and to examine whether there is any difference in subjective well-being between the two populations.
Methods:   We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey that consisted of items addressing ethnicity, age, gender, literacy, living conditions, mental health, "sense of purpose in life", activities of daily living (ADL), medical history, quality of life (QOL), and receipt of pension benefits and public assistance; the participants were 425 elderly people (ethnic Korean residents in Japan, n  = 204; Japanese, n  = 221) aged 65 and older living in a community in Osaka City. Findings from the two groups were compared using the Student's t -test and the χ² test. We also employed multiple linear regression analysis.
Results:   We found that the ethnic Korean group had less formal education ( P  < 0.001), lower ADL ( P  < 0.05) and QOL ( P  < 0.001), higher illiteracy ( P  < 0.05) and depression rates ( P  < 0.001), and a higher prevalence of hypertension, myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus than the Japanese group. Ethnicity was a significant variable for subjective well-being in simple linear regression analysis. After adjusting for literacy, absence of sense of purpose in life and mental health in multiple regression analysis, ethnicity remained a significant variable.
Conclusions:   The present findings indicate that ethnic Korean elderly have poor health and social situations compared with the Japanese group, and that there was a difference in subjective well-being between the two ethnic groups.     

太极拳锻炼对老年女性平衡功能的影响

目的探讨太极拳锻炼对老年女性平衡功能的影响。方法对96例老年女性随即分为太极拳锻炼组（50例）和对照组46（例）,进行win-pod静态平衡及星状图动态平衡检测,并对结果进行分析。结果太极拳组在睁眼测试中的轨迹长、外周面积两项指标上小于对照组（P〈0．05）,在闭眼测试中的各项指标均小于对照组（P〈0．05）;太极拳组在正左、左后、正后、正右、右前等指标均与对照组有显著差异（P〈0．05）。结论太极拳锻炼可以提高老年女性的静、动态平衡功能。     

Factors associated with ADL dependence: A comparative study of residential care home and community-dwelling elderly in Japan

Background:   Since the start of Long Term Nursing Insurance in Japan in April 2000, there has been much discussion about and emphasis on leading healthy and active twilight years, without ever being bedridden if possible. In an attempt to address some of these concerns, this comparative study examines the factors associated with dependence in the activities of daily living (ADL) in two samples of elderly people living in two different environments.
Methods:   In this cross-sectional, self-reported study, 262 and 968 elderly people from a residential care home and Yogo town completed a 65-item questionnaire. Questions pertaining to ADL, medical and social history, quality of life (QOL) and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale were included in the questionnaire. Using logistic regression model, factors associated with ADL dependence were determined.
Results:   In the residential care home group, age, female gender, instrumental ADL, communication-related ability, history of falls, stroke, and osteoarthropathy, depressive tendency and low satisfaction with life emerged as the factors associated with ADL dependence, after multivariate logistic regression. The corresponding factors in the community-dwelling elderly group were age, depressive tendency, history of osteoarthropathy, and low sense of health.
Conclusion:   Age and female gender were the two non-modifiable risk factors associated with ADL dependence. Stroke, followed by osteoarthropathy and falls were the main medical conditions predisposing to functional dependence. Dependence in instrumental ADL, independence in communication-related ADL, depressive tendency and components of QOL were factors associated with ADL dependence. Awareness of these factors not only helps to identify at-risk patients, to initiate preventive measures and to promote disability-delaying activities, but also helps in the holistic management of geriatric patients.     

社区老年人社会衰弱与生活质量的关系

目的 了解社区老年人社会衰弱和生活质量的现状,探讨社会衰弱与生活质量的关系。方法 采用横断面研究,利用多阶段分层随机抽样,于2021年4月—2021年7月对四川省攀枝花市5个区/县12个街道≥65岁的社区老年人开展调查。调查内容包括人口学特征、行为生活方式、健康状况、社会衰弱、日常生活活动（ADL）能力和主观幸福感。分析社会衰弱与ADL和主观幸福感的相关性。结果 共纳入2 987例调查对象,其中男性1 358例、女性1 629例,年龄65～101岁,平均（73.8±5.6）岁。社会衰弱率为25.91%(774/2 987),17.54%(524/2 987)老年人ADL功能受损,幸福感中位得分72.86分。社会衰弱老人ADL功能受损的风险是强健老人的2.538倍（95%CI:1.808～3.586）,高幸福感的可能性是强健老人的0.706倍（95%CI:0.567～0.880）;社会衰弱前期老人ADL功能受损的风险是强健老人的1.659倍（95%CI:1.205～2.301）。结论 社会衰弱一定程度上与老年人生活质量呈负相关。     

Mortality and functional evolution at one year after hospital admission due to heart failure (HF) in elderly patients

The aim of this observational study was to describe the characteristics (including functional measures) of the elderly patients hospitalized in the acute geriatric unit (AGU) and diagnosed with HF as well as to determine the variables associated with mortality at one year after discharge. A prospective study including patients aged 70 and over hospitalized for acute decompensated HF was performed. The baseline measures were demographics, comorbidity, clinical, functional and cognitive status. The outcome for this study was death within one year from the index hospital admission date. During the length of the study, 32.7% patients died (20.7% within the first three months). The clinical features associated with HF-related mortality in the univariate analysis were institutionalization, a higher dependence in performing basic activities or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Older age did not correlate with mortality, nor did left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the ejection fraction or the pharmacological treatment at discharge. After performing the logistic regression analysis, the only variable independently related to a higher mortality risk at one year was the preadmission dependence in performing basic activities of daily living (BADL). The results of this study highlight that preadmission functional and sociodemographic variables are the best predictors of mortality at one year, surpassing the classic prognostic factors. Performing an adequate assessment at the time of admission, which should include a functional evaluation, may help us to better classify patients and to offer them a customized therapeutic plan with better prognostic capabilities.