Association between unmet needs for medication support and all-cause hospitalization in community-dwelling disabled elderly people

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the association between unmet medication management need and 3-year mortality and hospitalization for community-dwelling older people with various levels of disabilities.
DESIGN: Prospective cohort study (the Nagoya Longitudinal Study for Frail Elderly).
SETTING: Community-based.
PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred seventy-two community-dwelling elderly subjects (611 men, 1,161 women).
MEASUREMENTS: Data included the clients' demographic characteristics, a rating for basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs), number of prescribed medications and physician-diagnosed chronic diseases, medication adherence, ability to manage medication, and presence or absence of medication assistance. Cox proportional hazard models and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to assess the association between the medication management at baseline and mortality or hospitalization during a 3-year period.
RESULTS: Of 1,772 participants, 681 reported no difficulty with self-medication management, and 1,091 experienced difficulty with self-medication. Of participants with difficulty with self-medication management, 929 had medication assistance, and 162 did not. During a 3-year follow up, 424 participants died, and 758 were admitted to hospitals. The baseline data demonstrated that participants not receiving medication assistance were younger and had better ADL status and fewer comorbidities. Multivariate Cox regression models adjusting for potential confounders showed that the lack of assistance in those who needed medication assistance was associated with hospitalization but not mortality during the study period.
CONCLUSION: In community-dwelling disabled elderly people, lack of medication assistance in those needing medication support was associated with higher risk of hospitalization.     

Association of heat shock proteins with all-cause mortality

Experimental mild heat shock is widely known as an intervention that results in extended longevity in various models along the evolutionary lineage. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly upregulated immediately after a heat shock. The elevation in HSP levels was shown to inhibit stress-mediated cell death, and recent experiments indicate a highly versatile role for these proteins as inhibitors of programmed cell death. In this study, we examined common genetic variations in 31 genes encoding all members of the HSP70, small HSP, and heat shock factor (HSF) families for their association with all-cause mortality. Our discovery cohort was the Rotterdam study (RS1) containing 5,974 participants aged 55 years and older (3,174 deaths). We assessed 4,430 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the HumanHap550K Genotyping BeadChip from Illumina. After adjusting for multiple testing by permutation analysis, three SNPs showed evidence for association with all-cause mortality in RS1. These findings were followed in eight independent population-based cohorts, leading to a total of 25,007 participants (8,444 deaths). In the replication phase, only HSF2 (rs1416733) remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Rs1416733 is a known cis-eQTL for HSF2. Our findings suggest a role of HSF2 in all-cause mortality.     

老年人多重用药及评价工具的研究进展

我国老龄化问题日益严峻,这对老年人相关疾病的诊治提出了新的挑战.老年综合评估是老年医学的核心技术,是对老年患者的躯体功能、精神心理、社会环境、生活质量及多重用药等多方面进行的全面个体化评估.其中多重用药是老年人中一种常见的老年综合征,会增加老年人药物不良反应的发生风险,对老年人多重用药采取行之有效的评估和干预已成为亟待...     

离休干部237例体质量指数与全因死亡的分析研究

目的 分析第二军医大学离休干部体质量指数（BMI）与全因死亡的关系。方法 收集2000年1月至2013年10月于长海医院老年病科住院的我校离休干部共237例的临床资料,并进行随访,随访截止时间为2014年10月31日。根据BMI分为4组：低体质量组,BMI＜20kg/m2;理想体质量组,BMI 20～24.9 kg/m2;超重组,BMI 25～27.9 kg/m2;肥胖组,BMI≥28kg/m2。采用Cox回归方法分析各组的全因死亡风险。结果 中位随访时间59个月,均无失访,随访结束时发生全因死亡115例。Cox回归分析不同BMI分组的全因死亡风险,校正混杂因素后,相对于低体质量组,理想体质量组、超重组和肥胖组的全因死亡风险分别下降53.6%（HR＝0.464,95%CI：0.239～0.901,P＜0.05）、65.2%（HR＝0.348,95%CI：0.162～0.749,P＜0.05）、74.2%（HR＝0.258,95%CI：0.103～0.644,P＜0.05)。结论 随着BMI增加,离休干部全因死亡风险呈下降趋势。     

蛋白尿对老年人群心脑血管事件及全因死亡的影响

目的探讨蛋白尿对老年人群心脑血管事件及全因死亡的影响。方法本研究为回顾性队列研究,选择参加2006~2007年开滦集团健康体检中年龄≥60岁、无心脑血管等病史、蛋白尿测定资料完整的20 427例职工为观察对象。采用尿常规试纸法检测晨尿,以蛋白尿水平分3组:蛋白尿阴性组(-)17 740例、微量蛋白尿组(±/+)1607例、大量蛋白尿组(≥2+)1080例,随访至2013年12月31日。采用SAS软件对资料进行统计分析。连续性变量组间比较采用方差分析(组间两两比较用SNK法),分类变量组间比较采用χ~2检验。Kaplan-Meier法计算事件发生率。应用Cox比例风险模型评估蛋白尿对心脑血管事件及全因死亡的影响。结果随访期间共发生心脑血管事件1621例,其中蛋白尿阴性组1326例,微量蛋白尿组162例,大量蛋白尿组133例;共发生全因死亡事件2824例,3组分别为2239例、293例和292例。Cox多因素分析显示,与蛋白尿阴性人群相比,微量蛋白尿组与大量蛋白尿组发生心脑血管事件的风险增加,OR值分别为1.16(95%CI 0.97~1.39)、1.30(95%CI 1.07~1.58),发生全因死亡的风险明显增加,OR值分别为1.32(95%CI 1.16~1.50)、2.02(95%CI1.77~2.30)。结论大量蛋白尿是老年人群心脑血管事件和全因死亡的危险因素。     

老年男性人群高血压合并糖耐量减低与全因死亡风险的相关性

目的 探讨高血压合并糖耐量减低(IGT)对老年男性人群全因死亡风险的影响.方法 纳入2005年5月至2007年5月在解放军总医院第二医学中心行口服葡萄糖耐量试验检出的老年男性IGT患者和正常糖耐量(NGT)人群,根据基线时是否存在高血压病史和IGT分为4组:非高血压(NH)+正常糖耐量(NGT)组、高血压(H)+NGT...     

The short-term effect of interdisciplinary medication review on function and cost in ambulatory elderly people

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a medication review by a specialized team would promote regimen changes in elders taking multiple medications and to measure the effect of regimen changes on monthly cost and functioning. DESIGN: A randomized-controlled trial. SETTING: Health center ambulatory clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults taking five or more medications were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks. A medication-change intervention group of 57 elders was compared with a control group of 76 elder adults. INTERVENTION: The primary intervention was a comprehensive review and recommended modification of a patient's medication regimen. Changes were endorsed by each patient's primary physician and discussed with each patient. MEASUREMENTS: Measures were the Timed Manual Performance Test, Physical Performance Test, Functional Reach Assessment, subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, a modified Randt Memory Test, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the Rand 36-item Health Survey 1.0. Comorbidity was determined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Medication usage was determined using brown bag review. RESULTS: Intervention subjects decreased their medications by an average of 1.5 drugs. No differences in functioning were observed between groups. Intervention subjects saved an average $26.92 per month in wholesale medication costs; control subjects saved $6.75 per month (P<.006). CONCLUSION: Although the intervention significantly reduced the medications taken and monthly cost, most patients were resistant to reducing medications to the recommended level. Further study is needed to understand patient resistance to reducing adverse polypharmacy and to devise better strategies for addressing this important problem in geriatric health. Greater focus on prescriber behavior is recommended.     

静息心率对老年人群心脑血管事件及全因死亡的影响

目的探讨老年人群(≥60岁)静息心率(RHR)水平对心脑血管事件及全因死亡的影响。方法本前瞻性队列研究于2006年和2007年进行,参加者为101 010名开滦集团的员工,选择其中年龄≥60岁、无心律失常、无心脑血管病史、未服用β受体阻滞剂的18 924例职工为研究对象。按RHR四分位数值分为以下4组:<67次/min、68~71次/min、72~79次/min、≥80次/min。随访期间收集心脑血管疾病及全因死亡事件,应用Cox比例风险模型评估RHR与全因死亡及CVD的风险。结果 (1)中位随访11.18年,4组发生心脑血管事件例数和累积发病率分别为[536(11.32%)、479(12.38%)、686(12.53%)、618(12.76%)],差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);4组发生全因死亡例数和累积全因死亡率分别为1 086(22.93%)、940(24.30%)、1 330(24.28%)、1 462(30.19%)例,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。(2)校正传统心血管疾病危险因素后多因素分析显示,与RHR最低四分位数组相比,最高四分位组发生心脑血管事件及全因死亡的HR值分别为1.06(95%CI 0.93~1.20)、1.07(95%CI 0.95~1.20)、1.07(95%CI 0.94~1.21);1.14(95%CI 1.04~1.25)、1.12(95%CI 1.03~1.22)、1.37(95%CI 1.26~1.49)。结论 RHR升高是开滦研究老年人群全因死亡的危险因素。     

Effectiveness of acute geriatric units in the real world: The case of short‐term mortality among seniors hospitalized for pneumonia

Aim: We sought to compare the effectiveness of acute geriatric units with usual medical care in reducing short‐term mortality among seniors hospitalized for pneumonia in the real world. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we merged chart and administrative data of seniors aged 65 years and older admitted to acute geriatric units and other medical units for pneumonia at three hospitals over 1 year. The outcome was 30‐day mortality. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling was carried out to estimate the treatment effect of acute geriatric units for all seniors, those aged 80 years and older, and those with premorbid ambulation impairment, after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, and accounting for clustering around hospitals. Results: Among 2721 seniors, 30‐day mortality was 25.5%. For those admitted to acute geriatric and other medical units, this was 24.2% and 25.8%, respectively. Using hierarchical logistic regression modeling, treatment in acute geriatric units was not associated with significant mortality reduction among all seniors (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52–1.00). However, significant mortality reduction was observed in the subgroups of those aged 80 years and older (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54–0.99), and with premorbid ambulation impairment (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46–0.93). Conclusions: Acute geriatric units reduced short‐term mortality among seniors hospitalized for pneumonia who were aged 80 years and older or had premorbid ambulation impairment. Further research is required to determine if this beneficial effect extends to seniors hospitalized for other acute medical disorders. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 55–62 .     

IDF and ATP-III definitions of metabolic syndrome in the prediction of all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetic patients

AIM: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recently, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) proposed to lower diagnostic thresholds for fasting glucose and waist circumference and to limit the diagnosis of MS only to subjects with abdominal adiposity. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of IDF criteria in diabetic patients, in comparison with previous ATP-III criteria. METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed on a consecutive series of 882 Caucasian type 2 diabetic outpatients, aged 65.3 +/- 10.9 years, with a duration of diabetes of 13.1 +/- 10.6 years. Information on 3-year all-cause mortality was obtained by the City of Florence Registry Office. RESULTS: The prevalence of MS was 68.4 and 73.7% using ATP-III and IDF criteria, respectively. Over the follow-up period, 115 (13.6%) deaths were recorded. Patients with ATP-III-defined MS showed a significantly higher mortality rate when compared with the rest of the sample (16.1% vs. 8.2%; p = 0.002), whereas a non-significant trend was observed using IDF classification (14.9% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.064). At Cox regression analysis, after adjustment for sex, age, and its individual components, diagnosis of MS with ATP-III criteria, but not with IDF criteria [OR (95% CI) 1.65 (0.99-2.72), p = 0.053], was significantly associated with higher mortality [OR (95%,CI) 2.38 [1.18-4.76]). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, in Caucasian type 2 diabetic patients the application of IDF criteria determines an increase of estimated prevalence of MS, without improving its prognostic value. Further studies are needed before the newer IDF criteria for MS are adopted on a larger scale.