Physical performance trajectories and mortality among nursing home residents: results of the SENIOR cohort.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that older people can experience a considerable change in their physical performance (PP) over time. OBJECTIVES: To identify PP trajectories and their association with mortality among nursing home residents who were followed up for 3 years. DESIGN: Three-year longitudinal observational study. SETTING: Subjects of the SENIOR cohort. SUBJECTS: Six hundred and four nursing home residents with a mean age of 82.9 ± 9.1 years. METHODS: Baseline characteristics and the date of death were collected from the medical records. PP was assessed annually by the short physical performance battery (SPPB) test. Multiple imputations were performed to manage the missing data. PP trajectory groups were estimated using latent growth curve analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to examine the risk of mortality according to the PP trajectory groups. RESULTS: Three PP trajectory groups were identified: slow decline (N = 96), moderate decline (N = 234) and fast decline (N = 274). After adjustments for potential confounding variables and the baseline SPPB scores, the residents in the fast decline and moderate decline trajectory groups had an increased risk of mortality compared to those in the slow decline trajectory group, with hazard ratio values of 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34-2.26) and 1.37 (95% CI = 1.10-1.66), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PP trajectories provide value-added information to baseline geriatric assessments and could be used for predicting 3-year mortality among nursing home residents. It may be important to regularly monitor the SPPB score and signal an alert when a fast decline in PP is detected in older people.

Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Nursing Home Residents According to Intrinsic Capacity Proposed by the World Health Organization.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the domains of intrinsic capacity (ie, cognition, locomotion, sensory, vitality, and psychosocial) proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 3-year adverse health outcomes of nursing home residents. METHODS: A 3-year incidence of mortality, falls, repeated falls, and autonomy decline (ie, a one-unit increase in the Katz score) was assessed in a cohort of Belgian nursing home residents. Cognition was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). For locomotion, balance, gait speed and chair stand performance were evaluated by the Short Physical Performance Battery test. The sensory domain was measured using the Strawbridge questionnaire for audition and vision. For vitality, abdominal circumference, body mass index, nutritional status (by Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA]) and handgrip strength were assessed. Psychosocial status was evaluated by the EQ-5D and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Missing data were handled by multiple imputations. Cox proportional hazard models, logistic regressions, and analysis of variance were used for the analyses. RESULTS: In the multivariable model, a one-unit increase in balance performance and in the nutrition score decreased the probability of death by 12% (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.99) and 4% (HR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.93-0.99), respectively. The risk of falling decreased when there was a one-unit increase in balance performance (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.79-0.96) and in the nutrition score (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.98). No association was found for intrinsic capacity and repeated falls. Low scores in nutrition (odds ratio = 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96) were associated with a higher probability of autonomy decline. CONCLUSION: Some domains of intrinsic capacity predicted health outcomes among nursing home residents. Nutrition and balance should be regularly checked among this population.

Relationship between peak expiratory flow and incidence of frailty, deaths and falls among nursing home residents: Results of the SENIOR cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To correlate peak expiratory flow (PEF) with the incidence of frailty, deaths and falls among nursing home residents. METHODS: This is a 1-year longitudinal analysis performed on the clinical data of the SENIOR cohort. PEF, measured by peak flow meter, was considered as "low" when the observed value was ≤80% of the theoretical value. Physical capacity was evaluated using Short Physical Performance Battery, balance and gait using Tinetti test and muscle strength using a dynamometer. The incidence of frailty was defined as the transition from a "robust" or "prefrail" status to a "frail" status following Fried's criteria. Deaths and falls were also collected. RESULTS: Among 646 subjects included at baseline (83.2 ± 9 years and 72.1% women), 297 (45.7%) displayed a low PEF. In this subgroup, physical capacity (p-values from 0.01 to <0.001), muscle strength (p < 0.001), balance and gait score (p < 0.001) were significantly lower compared to subjects displaying normal PEF. Subjects who became frail after one year displayed a lower % of the theoretical PEF value compared to those that did not (88.52 ± 45.06 vs 102.78 ± 50.29, respectively, p = 0.03). After adjustment for potential confounding variables (calf circumference, Tinetti test, SPPB test and handgrip strength), PEF was no longer associated with the occurrence of frailty. There was no association between PEF and mortality and falls. CONCLUSION: In a nursing home setting, PEF is not an independent factor associated with the incidence of frailty, deaths and falls.