Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: Evidence From the ELSI-Brazil Study.

BACKGROUND: The association between social isolation and cognitive performance has been less investigated in low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC) and the presence of depression as a moderator on this association has not been examined. The authors examined the associations of social isolation and perceived loneliness with cognitive performance in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis, social isolation was evaluated by a composite score including marital status, social contact, and social support. The dependent variable was global cognitive performance, which considered memory, verbal fluency, and temporal orientation tests. Linear and logistic regressions were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables. The authors added interaction terms of depressive symptoms with social isolation and loneliness to examine whether depression, measured through the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, modified these associations. RESULTS: Among 6,986 participants (mean age = 62.1 ± 9.2 years), higher levels of social connections were associated with better global cognitive performance (B = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.02; 0.04). Perceived loneliness was associated with worse cognition (B = -0.26, 95%CI = -0.34; -0.18). Interactions of depressive symptoms with social connections scores were found on memory z-score and with loneliness on global and memory z-scores, suggesting a weaker association between social isolation or loneliness and cognition among those with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: In a large sample from an LMIC, social isolation and loneliness were associated with worse cognitive performance. Surprisingly, depressive symptoms decrease the strength of these associations. Future longitudinal studies are important to assess the direction of the association between social isolation and cognitive performance.

Sex Differences in the Trajectories of Cognitive Decline and Affected Cognitive Domains Among Older Adults With Controlled and Uncontrolled Glycemia.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the trajectories of cognitive decline as a function of the presence of type 2 diabetes and glycemic control in analyzes stratified by sex in an 8-year follow-up period. METHODS: A total of 1 752 men and 2 232 women aged ≥50 years who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), conducted from 2004 to 2012, were analyzed. The outcomes of interest were performance on the cognitive domains of memory, executive function, and temporal orientation as well as the global cognition score. Cognitive performance was standardized in z-scores in strata based on schooling and age. The participants were classified as without diabetes, with controlled glycemia, and with uncontrolled glycemia, according to medical diagnosis, glucose-lowering medications use and HbA1c levels. Generalized linear mixed models controlled by sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related characteristics were used for the trajectory analyses. RESULTS: No differences in z-scores were found for global cognition or cognitive domains based on diabetes classification in men and women at baseline. More than 8 years of follow up, women with uncontrolled glycemia had a greater decline in z-scores for global cognition (-0.037 SD/year [95% CI: -0.073; -0.001]) and executive function (-0.049 SD/year [95% CI: -0.092; -0.007]) compared with those without diabetes. No significant difference in trajectories of global cognition or any cognitive domain was found in men as a function of diabetes classification. CONCLUSIONS: Women with uncontrolled glycemia are at greater risk of a decline in global cognition and executive function than those without diabetes.

Twelve Months and Counting: Following Clinical Outcomes in Critical COVID-19 Survivors.

Rationale: Recent reports suggest that patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) often experience long-term consequences of the infection. However, studies on intensive care unit (ICU) survivors are underrepresented. Objectives: We aimed to explore 12-month clinical outcomes after critical COVID-19, describing the longitudinal progress of disabilities, frailty status, frequency of cognitive impairment, and clinical events (rehospitalization, institutionalization, and falls). Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of survivors of COVID-19 ICU admissions in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We assessed patients every 3 months for 1 year after hospital discharge and obtained information on 15 activities of daily living (basic, instrumental, and mobility activities), frailty, cognition, and clinical events. Results: We included 428 patients (mean age of 64 yr, 61% required invasive mechanical ventilation during ICU stay). The number of disabilities peaked at 3 months compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (mean difference, 2.46; 99% confidence interval, 1.94-2.99) and then decreased at 12 months (mean difference, 0.67; 99% confidence interval, 0.28-1.07). At 12-month follow-up, 12% of patients were frail, but half of them presented frailty only after COVID-19. The prevalence of cognitive symptoms was 17% at 3 months and progressively decreased to 12.1% (P = 0.012 for trend) at the end of 1 year. Clinical events occurred in all assessments. Conclusions: Although a higher burden of disabilities and cognitive symptoms occurred 3 months after hospital discharge of critical COVID-19 survivors, a significant improvement occurred during the 1-year follow-up. However, one-third of the patients remained in worse conditions than their pre-COVID-19 status.

Prediction of intensive care admission and hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients using demographics and baseline laboratory data.

INTRODUCTION: Optimized allocation of medical resources to patients with COVID-19 has been a critical concern since the onset of the pandemic. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used data from a Brazilian tertiary university hospital to explore predictors of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and hospital mortality in patients admitted for COVID-19. Our primary aim was to create and validate prediction scores for use in hospitals and emergency departments to aid clinical decisions and resource allocation. RESULTS: The study cohort included 3,022 participants, of whom 2,485 were admitted to the ICU; 1968 survived, and 1054 died in the hospital. From the complete cohort, 1,496 patients were randomly assigned to the derivation sample and 1,526 to the validation sample. The final scores included age, comorbidities, and baseline laboratory data. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were very similar for the derivation and validation samples. Scores for ICU admission had a 75% accuracy in the validation sample, whereas scores for death had a 77% accuracy in the validation sample. The authors found that including baseline flu-like symptoms in the scores added no significant benefit to their accuracy. Furthermore, our scores were more accurate than the previously published NEWS-2 and 4C Mortality Scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The authors developed and validated prognostic scores that use readily available clinical and laboratory information to predict ICU admission and mortality in COVID-19. These scores can become valuable tools to support clinical decisions and improve the allocation of limited health resources.

Validating intrinsic capacity to measure healthy aging in an upper middle-income country: Findings from the ELSI-Brazil.

Background: While efforts have been made to validate intrinsic capacity (IC) as a multidimensional indicator of healthy aging in high-income countries, we still need evidence from lower-income countries. We examined associations of IC with wide ranges of activities of daily living in a nationally representative sample of Brazilians aged≥50 years. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 7175 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. IC domains (cognitive, psychological, sensory, locomotor, and vitality) were determined using self-reported and physical performance measures. IC was operationalized through factorial analysis. We investigated associations of IC and its domains with functional ability in basic, instrumental, and advanced activities of daily living (ADL, IADL, and AADL) using logistic regressions adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, and modifiable risk factors. Findings: The IC bi-factorial model revealed satisfactory goodness-of-fit. Preserved ability in ADL and IADL, respectively, ranged from 69% and 29% to 89% and 74% across IC quartiles. In adjusted analyses, every standard deviation increment in IC composite score was associated with almost twice the odds of preserved ADL (OR=1·72; 95%CI=1·54-1·93), preserved IADL (OR=1·95; 95%CI=1·77-2·16), and high performance in AADL (OR=1·79; 95%CI=1·59-2·00). Similar results were reported using the IC domains as predictors. Although age, race/ethnicity, and education did not modify associations of IC with functional ability, we found sex differences with stronger relationships of IC with preserved ADL or IADL in females. Interpretation: Our results support IC validity and reliability to measure healthy aging in diverse socioeconomic and cultural settings. Incorporating IC in routine practices can promote holistic and person-centered care approaches in aging societies. Funding: The Brazilian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Communication.

Frailty Modifies the Association of Hypertension With Cognition in Older Adults: Evidence From the ELSI-Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between hypertension and cognition in later life is controversial. We investigated whether the association of hypertension with cognition differs in older adults according to the frailty status using cross-sectional data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥50 years. METHOD: Hypertension was defined by a medical diagnosis or measured blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg. Frailty status was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. We estimated the association of hypertension and systolic and diastolic blood pressure with global cognition, orientation, memory, and verbal fluency z-scores, using multiple linear regression models. We also investigated interactions between hypertension and frailty on cognitive performance and impairment. RESULTS: We evaluated 8609 participants (mean age = 61.9 ± 9.6 years, 53% women). Participants with hypertension (59% of adults aged 50-64 and 77% of those aged ≥65 years) had poorer scores for global cognitive performance than those without hypertension, especially among adults aged 50-64 years (ß = -0.09; 95% confidence interval = -0.15, -0.04; p = .001). However, frailty modified the associations of hypertension with cognitive performance and impairment in those aged ≥65 years (p-values for interaction = .01 and .02, respectively). Among nonfrail older adults, hypertension was associated with cognitive impairment. In contrast, among frail older adults, hypertension was related to better global and memory cognitive z-scores. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension was associated with worse cognitive performance. Among older adults, hypertension was related to cognitive impairment only in nonfrail participants. Frailty evaluation may help clinicians offer personalized hypertension management in older adults.

Prognostic value of a rapid sarcopenia measure in acutely ill older adults.

BACKGROUND: Current recommendations to assess sarcopenia requiring specialized equipment hinder its use as a prognostic tool in busy acute settings. AIMS: To investigate the prognostic value of a rapid sarcopenia measure in acutely ill older outpatients for 1-year adverse outcomes. METHODS: Prospective study with 665 acutely ill older adults (mean age 78.7 ± 8.3 years; 63% women) in need of intensive management to avoid hospital admission. Sarcopenia was screened upon admission, defined as the presence of both low muscle strength and low muscle mass. Low muscle strength was determined by handgrip strength according to the cutoffs of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (<16 kg for women and <26 kg for men). Low muscle mass was assessed by calf circumference, a validated surrogate measure of skeletal muscle mass, using previously established thresholds (≤33 cm for women and ≤34 cm for men). Outcomes were time to hospitalization, new dependence in basic activities of daily living (ADL), worsening walking ability, and death. To investigate the association of sarcopenia and its components with outcomes we used hazard models, considering death as a competing risk, adjusted for sociodemographic factors, Charlson comorbidity index, cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, and weight loss. RESULTS: On admission, 203 (31%) patients had sarcopenia. Comparing 1-year adverse outcomes between older adults with and without sarcopenia, respectively, cumulative incidences for hospitalization were 46% vs 32% (adjusted sub-hazard ratio [sHR] = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.16-2.04), for new ADL dependence, 47% vs 24% (adjusted sHR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.31-2.42), for worsening walking ability, 28% vs 13% (adjusted sHR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.28-2.90), and for death, 22% vs 10% (adjusted HR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.05-2.73). Low muscle strength alone was associated with all outcomes, and low muscle mass was associated with all outcomes except mortality. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia was a strong predictor of 1-year adverse outcomes among acutely ill older outpatients. Combining handgrip strength with calf circumference may be a practical and efficient approach to screen for sarcopenia, and thereby identify high-risk older adults in busy clinical settings.

Delirium and Adverse Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the association between acute mental changes and adverse outcomes in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the occurrence of delirium in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and explore its association with adverse outcomes. DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study. SETTING: Tertiary university hospital dedicated to the care of severe cases of COVID-19 in São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 707 patients, aged 50 years or older, consecutively admitted to the hospital between March and May 2020. MEASUREMENTS: We completed detailed reviews of electronic medical records to collect our data. We identified delirium occurrence using the Chart-Based Delirium Identification Instrument (CHART-DEL). Trained physicians with a background in geriatric medicine completed all CHART-DEL assessments. We complemented our baseline clinical information using telephone interviews with participants or their proxy. Our outcomes of interest were in-hospital death, length of stay, admission to intensive care, and ventilator utilization. We adjusted all multivariable analyses for age, sex, clinical history, vital signs, and relevant laboratory biomarkers (lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein, glomerular filtration rate, D-dimer, and albumin). RESULTS: Overall, we identified delirium in 234 participants (33%). On admission, 86 (12%) were delirious. We observed 273 deaths (39%) in our sample, and in-hospital mortality reached 55% in patients who experienced delirium. Delirium was associated with in-hospital death, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.75 (95% confidence interval = 1.15-2.66); the association held both in middle-aged and older adults. Delirium was also associated with increased length of stay, admission to intensive care, and ventilator utilization. CONCLUSION: Delirium was independently associated with in-hospital death in adults aged 50 years and older with COVID-19. Despite the difficulties for patient care during the pandemic, clinicians should routinely monitor delirium when assessing severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients.

Assessing Risk for Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults: The Need to Include Both Physical Frailty and Cognition.

BACKGROUND: Physical frailty is a powerful tool for identifying nondisabled individuals at high risk of adverse outcomes. The extent to which cognitive impairment in those without dementia adds value to physical frailty in detecting high-risk individuals remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effects of combining physical frailty and cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND) on the risk of basic activities of daily living (ADL) dependence and death over 8 years. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 7338 community-dwelling people, 65 years or older, without dementia and ADL dependence at baseline (2006-2008). Follow-up assessments occurred every 2 years until 2014. MEASUREMENTS: The five components of the Cardiovascular Health Study defined physical frailty. A well-validated HRS method, including verbal recall, series of subtractions, and backward count task, assessed cognition. Primary outcomes were time to ADL dependence and death. Hazard models, considering death as a competing risk, associated physical frailty and CIND with outcomes after adjusting for sociodemographics, comorbidities, depression, and smoking status. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical frailty was 15%; CIND, 19%; and both deficits, 5%. In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, combining these factors identified older adults at an escalating risk for ADL dependence (no deficit = 14% [reference group]; only CIND = 26%, sub-hazard ratio [sHR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-1.8; only frail = 33%, sHR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4-2.0; both deficits = 46%, sHR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.6-2.6) and death (no deficit = 21%; only CIND = 41%, HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.4-1.9; only frail = 56%, HR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.7-2.7; both deficits = 66%, HR = 2.6, 95% CI = 2.0-3.3) over 8-year follow-up. Adding the cognitive measure to models that already included physical frailty alone increased accuracy in identifying those at higher risk of ADL dependence (Harrell's concordance [C], 0.74 vs 0.71; P < .001) and death (Harrell's C, 0.70 vs 0.67; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Physical frailty and CIND are independent predictors of incident disability and death. Because together physical frailty and CIND identify vulnerable older adults better, optimal risk assessment should supplement measures of physical frailty with measures of cognitive function. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:477-483, 2019.

10-Minute Targeted Geriatric Assessment Predicts Disability and Hospitalization in Fast-Paced Acute Care Settings.

BACKGROUND: Limited time and resources hinder the use of comprehensive geriatric assessment in acute contexts. We investigated the predictive value of a 10-minute targeted geriatric assessment (10-TaGA) for adverse outcomes over 6 months among acutely ill older outpatients. METHODS: Prospective study comprising 819 acutely ill outpatients (79.2 ± 8.4 years; 63% women) in need of intensive management (eg, intravenous therapy, laboratory test, radiology) to avoid hospitalization. The 10-TaGA provided a validated measure of cumulative deficits. Previously established 10-TaGA cutoffs defined low (0-0.29), medium (0.30-0.39), and high (0.40-1) risks. To estimate whether 10-TaGA predicts new dependence in activities of daily living and hospitalization over the next 6 months, we used hazard models (considering death as competing risk) adjusted for standard risk factors (sociodemographic factors, Charlson comorbidity index, and physician estimates of risk). Differences among areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) examined whether 10-TaGA improves outcome discrimination when added to standard risk factors. RESULTS: Medium- and high-risk patients, according to 10-TaGA, presented a higher incidence of new activities of daily living dependence (21% vs 7%, adjusted subhazard ratio [aHR] = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.3-4.5; 40% vs 7%, aHR = 5.0, 95% CI = 2.8-8.7, respectively) and hospitalization (27% vs 13%, aHR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.3; 37% vs 13%, aHR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.8-4.6, respectively) than low-risk patients. The 10-TaGA remarkably improved the discrimination of models that incorporated standard risk factors to predict new activities of daily living dependence (AUROC = 0.76 vs 0.71, p < .001) and hospitalization (AUROC = 0.71 vs 0.68, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The 10-TaGA is a practical and efficient comprehensive geriatric assessment tool that improves the prediction of adverse outcomes among acutely ill older outpatients.

Targeted Geriatric Assessment for Fast-Paced Healthcare Settings: Development, Validity, and Reliability.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and examine the validity and reliability of a targeted geriatric assessment (TaGA) for busy healthcare settings. DESIGN: The TaGA was developed through the consensus of experts (Delphi technique), and we investigated its construct validity and reliability in a cross-sectional study. SETTING: Geriatric day hospital specializing in acute care in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Older adults (N = 534) aged 79.5 ± 8.4, 63% female, consecutively admitted to the geriatric day hospital. MEASUREMENTS: The Frailty Index (FI), Physical Frailty Phenotype, and Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) were used to explore the TaGA's validity. External scales were used to investigate the validity of each matched TaGA domain. The interrater reliability and time to complete the instrument were tested in a 53-person subsample. RESULTS: In 3 rounds of opinion, experts achieved consensus that the TaGA should include 10 domains (social support, recent hospital admissions, falls, number of medications, basic activities of daily living, cognitive performance, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, nutritional status, gait speed). They arrived at sufficient agreement on specific tools to assess each domain. A single numerical score from 0 to 1 expressed the cumulative deficits across the 10 domains. The TaGA score was highly correlated with the FI (Spearman coefficient = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.76-0.82) and discriminated between frail and nonfrail individuals better than the ISAR (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.84 vs 0.72; P < .001). The TaGA score also had excellent interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92, 95% CI=0.87-0.95). Mean TaGA administration time was 9.5 ± 2.2 minutes. CONCLUSION: The study presents evidence supporting the TaGA's validity and reliability. This instrument may be a practical and efficient approach to screening geriatric syndromes in fast-paced healthcare settings. Future research should investigate its predictive value and effect on care.

Prediction of intensive care admission and hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients using demographics and baseline laboratory data

Abstract Introduction: Optimized allocation of medical resources to patients with COVID-19 has been a critical concern since the onset of the pandemic. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the authors used data from a Brazilian tertiary university hospital to explore predictors of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and hospital mortality in patients admitted for COVID-19. Our primary aim was to create and validate prediction scores for use in hospitals and emergency departments to aid clinical decisions and resource allocation. Results: The study cohort included 3,022 participants, of whom 2,485 were admitted to the ICU; 1968 survived, and 1054 died in the hospital. From the complete cohort, 1,496 patients were randomly assigned to the derivation sample and 1,526 to the validation sample. The final scores included age, comorbidities, and baseline laboratory data. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were very similar for the derivation and validation samples. Scores for ICU admission had a 75% accuracy in the validation sample, whereas scores for death had a 77% accuracy in the validation sample. The authors found that including baseline flu-like symptoms in the scores added no significant benefit to their accuracy. Furthermore, our scores were more accurate than the previously published NEWS-2 and 4C Mortality Scores. Discussion and conclusions: The authors developed and validated prognostic scores that use readily available clinical and laboratory information to predict ICU admission and mortality in COVID-19. These scores can become valuable tools to support clinical decisions and improve the allocation of limited health resources.