Risk Assessment and Prevention of Falls in Older Community-Dwelling Adults: A Review.

Importance: Falls are reported by more than 14 million US adults aged 65 years or older annually and can result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Observations: Falls result from age-related physiologic changes compounded by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. Major modifiable risk factors among community-dwelling older adults include gait and balance disorders, orthostatic hypotension, sensory impairment, medications, and environmental hazards. Guidelines recommend that individuals who report a fall in the prior year, have concerns about falling, or have gait speed less than 0.8 to 1 m/s should receive fall prevention interventions. In a meta-analysis of 59 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in average-risk to high-risk populations, exercise interventions to reduce falls were associated with 655 falls per 1000 patient-years in intervention groups vs 850 falls per 1000 patient-years in nonexercise control groups (rate ratio [RR] for falls, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83; risk ratio for number of people who fall, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81-0.89; risk difference, 7.2%; 95% CI, 5.2%-9.1%), with most trials assessing balance and functional exercises. In a meta-analysis of 43 RCTs of interventions that systematically assessed and addressed multiple risk factors among individuals at high risk, multifactorial interventions were associated with 1784 falls per 1000 patient-years in intervention groups vs 2317 falls per 1000 patient-years in control groups (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.67-0.87) without a significant difference in the number of individuals who fell. Other interventions associated with decreased falls in meta-analysis of RCTs and quasi-randomized trials include surgery to remove cataracts (8 studies with 1834 patients; risk ratio [RR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.96), multicomponent podiatry interventions (3 studies with 1358 patients; RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.99), and environmental modifications for individuals at high risk (12 studies with 5293 patients; RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91). Meta-analysis of RCTs of programs to stop medications associated with falls have not found a significant reduction, although deprescribing is a component of many successful multifactorial interventions. Conclusions and Relevance: More than 25% of older adults fall each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in persons aged 65 years or older. Functional exercises to improve leg strength and balance are recommended for fall prevention in average-risk to high-risk populations. Multifactorial risk reduction based on a systematic clinical assessment for modifiable risk factors may reduce fall rates among those at high risk.

Preoperative electroencephalographic alpha-power changes with eyes opening are associated with postoperative attention impairment and inattention-related delirium severity.

BACKGROUND: In the eyes-closed, awake condition, EEG oscillatory power in the alpha band (7-13 Hz) dominates human spectral activity. With eyes open, however, EEG alpha power substantially decreases. Less alpha attenuation with eyes opening has been associated with inattention; thus, we analysed whether reduced preoperative alpha attenuation with eyes opening is associated with postoperative inattention, a delirium-defining feature. METHODS: Preoperative awake 32-channel EEG was recorded with eyes open and eyes closed in 71 non-neurological, noncardiac surgery patients aged ≥ 60 years. Inattention and other delirium features were assessed before surgery and twice daily after surgery until discharge. Eyes-opening EEG alpha-attenuation magnitude was analysed for associations with postoperative inattention, primarily, and with delirium severity, secondarily, using multivariate age- and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE)-adjusted logistic and proportional-odds regression analyses. RESULTS: Preoperative alpha attenuation with eyes opening was inversely associated with postoperative inattention (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57, 0.94; P=0.038). Sensitivity analyses showed an inverse relationship between alpha-attenuation magnitude and inattention chronicity, defined as 'never', 'newly', or 'chronically' inattentive (OR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.93; P=0.019). In addition, preoperative alpha-attenuation magnitude was inversely associated with postoperative delirium severity (OR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.95; P=0.040), predominantly as a result of the inattention feature. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative awake, resting, EEG alpha attenuation with eyes opening might represent a neural biomarker for risk of postoperative attentional impairment. Further, eyes-opening alpha attenuation could provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying postoperative inattention risk.

Deprescribing electronic case reviews for older veterans at risk for falls: Effects on drug burden and falls.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the most common medication-related safety event in older adults. Deprescribing fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) may mitigate fall risk. This study assesses the effects of an innovative deprescribing program in reducing FRID burden and falls-related acute visits over 1 year. METHODS: The Falls Assessment of Medications in the Elderly (FAME) Program is a pilot deprescribing program designed to improve medication safety in Veterans aged ≥65, screening positive for high fall risk at the Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Central case finding and electronic case reviews with deprescribing recommendations were completed by an interdisciplinary team, forwarded to prescribers for approval, then implemented during follow-up telephone visits by FAME team. Primary outcome was change in FRID burden calculated by modified Drug Burden Index (DBI) at 1 year and an exploratory outcome was 1-year fall-related acute visits. RESULTS: Overall, 472 patients (236 intervention cases, 236 matched controls) were included in the study. Of the 236 patients receiving a FAME deprescribing plan, 147 had recommendations approved by prescriber and patient. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the 1-year change in modified DBI was -0.15 (95% CI -0.23, -0.08) in the intervention cohort and -0.11 (-0.21, -0.00) in the matched control cohort (p = 0.47). The odds of increasing DBI by a clinically important threshold of 0.5 was significantly lower in the FAME cohort (OR 0.37, 0.21, 0.66). Fall-related acute events occurred in 6.3% of patients in the intervention group versus 11.0% in control patients over a one-year period (p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: The program was associated with a significantly lower odds of further increasing FRID burden at 1 year compared to matched controls. An electronic case review and telephone counseling program has the potential to reduce drug-related falls in high-risk older adults.

Deprescribing bisphosphonates for older adults with dementia: perspectives of caregivers.

Little is known about caregivers' perspectives on deprescribing bisphosphonates for older adults with dementia. Caregivers agreed that fracture prevention was important for maintaining functional independence but acknowledged that changing goals of care may justify deprescribing. Conversations grounded in "what matters most" can align fracture prevention treatment with goals of care. PURPOSE: The long-term fracture prevention benefits of bisphosphonates may begin to be overshadowed by the potential burden of adverse effects and polypharmacy for older adults living with dementia as the disease progresses. We characterized factors that influence caregiver decision-making for continuing versus deprescribing bisphosphonates for persons living with dementia. METHODS: We conducted 11 interviews with family or informal caregivers of older adults living with dementia in the community or in long-term care who had been treated with bisphosphonates. Interviews focused on experiences caring for someone who has experienced a fracture, perceived benefits and harms of bisphosphonates, and experiences with deprescribing. Analyses were conducted using a qualitative framework methodology guided by the Health Belief Model. RESULTS: Most caregivers were male (n = 8), younger than 65 (n = 8) and were an adult child caregiver (n = 8). Three caregivers were Black and five were Latino/a. Attempts to maintain functional independence despite high likelihood of falls was frequently discussed as contributing to fracture risk, in this population. Many caregivers perceived fracture prevention treatment as important, while several noted that it may become less important near the end of life. Perceived benefits of fracture prevention treatment for persons with dementia included improved quality of life and maintaining independence. Although most indicated that bisphosphonates were well tolerated, gastrointestinal adverse effects, preference for fewer treatments, and dementia-related behaviors that interfere with medication administration may be reasons for deprescribing. CONCLUSION: Conversations grounded in caregiver experiences and "what matters most" may help optimize fracture prevention treatment for older adults with dementia.

Stakeholder Perspectives on Factors Related to Deprescribing Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older Adults Receiving Dialysis.

BACKGROUND: Potentially inappropriate medications, or medications that generally carry more risk of harm than benefit in older adults, are commonly prescribed to older adults receiving dialysis. Deprescribing, a systematic approach to reducing or stopping a medication, is a potential solution to limit potentially inappropriate medications use. Our objective was to identify clinicians and patient perspectives on factors related to deprescribing to inform design of a deprescribing program for dialysis clinics. METHODS: We conducted rapid qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews and focus groups with clinicians (dialysis clinicians, primary care providers, and pharmacists) and patients (adults receiving hemodialysis aged 65 years or older and those aged 55-64 years who were prefrail or frail) from March 2019 to December 2020. RESULTS: We interviewed 76 participants (53 clinicians [eight focus groups and 11 interviews] and 23 patients). Among clinicians, 24 worked in dialysis clinics, 18 worked in primary care, and 11 were pharmacists. Among patients, 13 (56%) were aged 65 years or older, 14 (61%) were Black race, and 16 (70%) reported taking at least one potentially inappropriate medication. We identified four themes (and corresponding subthemes) of contextual factors related to deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications: ( 1 ) system-level barriers to deprescribing (limited electronic medical record interoperability, time constraints and competing priorities), ( 2 ) undefined comanagement among clinicians (unclear role delineation, clinician caution about prescriber boundaries), ( 3 ) limited knowledge about potentially inappropriate medications (knowledge limitations among clinicians and patients), and ( 4 ) patients prioritize symptom control over potential harm (clinicians expect resistance to deprescribing, patient weigh risks and benefits). CONCLUSIONS: Challenges to integration of deprescribing into dialysis clinics included siloed health systems, time constraints, comanagement behaviors, and clinician and patient knowledge and attitudes toward deprescribing.

Metabolic factors associated with incident fracture among older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a nested case-control study.

Older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of fracture despite a paradoxically higher average bone mineral density. This study identified additional markers of fracture risk in this at-risk population. Non-esterified fatty acids and the amino acids glutamine/glutamate and asparagine/aspartate were associated with incident fractures. PURPOSE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is associated with an increased risk of fracture despite a paradoxically higher bone mineral density. Additional markers of fracture risk are needed to identify at-risk individuals. METHOD: The MURDOCK study is an ongoing study, initiated in 2007, of residents in central North Carolina. At enrollment, participants completed health questionnaires and provided biospecimen samples. In this nested case-control analysis, incident fractures among adults with T2D, age ≥ 50 years, were identified by self-report and electronic medical record query. Fracture cases were matched 1:2 by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and BMI to those without incident fracture. Stored sera were analyzed for conventional metabolites and targeted metabolomics (amino acids and acylcarnitines). The association between incident fracture and metabolic profile was assessed using conditional logistic regression, controlled for multiple confounders including tobacco and alcohol use, medical comorbidities, and medications. RESULTS: 107 incident fractures were identified with 210 matched controls. Targeted metabolomics analysis included 2 amino acid factors, consisting of: 1) the branched chain amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine; and 2) glutamine/glutamate, asparagine/aspartate, arginine, and serine [E/QD/NRS]. After controlling for multiple risk factors, E/QD/NRS was significantly associated with incident fracture (OR 2.50, 95% CI: 1.36-4.63). Non-esterified fatty acids were associated with lower odds of fracture (OR 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03-0.87). There were no associations with fracture among other conventional metabolites, acylcarnitine factors, nor the other amino acid factors. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate novel biomarkers, and suggest potential mechanisms, of fracture risk among older adults with T2D.

Ageing and physical resilience after health stressors.

The objectives of this article are to introduce a conceptual framework for physical resilience in the context of ageing and to discuss key elements and challenges in the design of studies of physical resilience after health stressors. Advancing age is associated with increasing exposure to multiple stressors and declining capacity to respond to health stressors. Resilience is defined broadly as the ability to resist or recover well from the adverse effects of a health stressor. In ageing-related study designs of physical resilience after a health stressor, this dynamic resilience response can be observed as changes in repeated measures of function or health status in various domains important to older adults. Methodologic issues in selecting the study population, defining the stressor, covariates, outcomes, and analytic strategies are highlighted in the context of an ongoing prospective cohort study of physical resilience after total knee replacement surgery. The article concludes with approaches to intervention development to optimize resilience.

Improving shared decision-making for osteoporosis pharmacologic therapy in nursing homes: a qualitative analysis.

Decisions on whether to use pharmacologic osteoporosis therapy in skilled nursing facility residents are complex and require shared decision-making. Residents, proxies, and staff desire individualized fracture risk estimates that consider advanced age, dementia, and mobility. They want options for reducing administration burden, monitoring instructions, and periodic reassessment of risk vs. benefit. PURPOSE: Decisions about pharmacologic osteoporosis treatment in nursing home (NH) residents with advanced age and multimorbidity are complex and should occur using shared decision-making. Our objective was to identify processes and tools to improve shared decision-making about pharmacologic osteoporosis treatment in NHs. METHODS: Qualitative analysis of data collected in three NHs from residents at high fracture risk, their proxies, nursing assistants, nurses, and one nurse practitioner (n = 28). Interviews explored participants' stories, attitudes, and experiences with oral osteoporosis medication management. Framework analysis was used to identify barriers to shared decision-making regarding osteoporosis treatment in this setting. RESULTS: Participants wanted individualized fracture risk estimates that consider immobility, advanced age, and comorbid dementia. Residents and proxies expected nursing staff to be involved in the decision-making; nursing staff wished to be informed on the relative risks vs. benefits of medications and given monitoring instructions. Two important competing demands to address during the shared decision-making process were burdensome administration requirements and polypharmacy. Participants wanted to reassess pharmacologic treatment appropriateness over time as clinical status or goals of care change. CONCLUSIONS: Shared decision-making using strategies and tools identified in this analysis may move osteoporosis pharmacologic treatment in NHs and for other older adults with multimorbidity from inappropriate inertia to appropriate prescribing or appropriate inaction.

Protocol for the models of primary osteoporosis screening in men (MOPS) cluster randomized trial.

Current guidelines recommend primary osteoporosis screening for at-risk men to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and cost associated with osteoporotic fractures. However, analyses in a national Veterans Health Administration cohort of over 4,000,000 men demonstrated that primary osteoporosis screening as it is currently operationalized does not benefit most older Veterans due to inefficient targeting and low subsequent treatment and adherence rates. The overall objective of this study is to determine whether a new model of primary osteoporosis screening reduces fracture risk compared to usual care. We are conducting a pragmatic group randomized trial of 38 primary care teams assigned to usual care or a Bone Health Service (BHS) screening model in which screening and adherence activities are managed by a centralized expert team. The study will: 1) compare the impact of the BHS model on patient-level outcomes strongly associated with fracture rates (eligible proportion screened, proportion meeting treatment criteria who receive osteoporosis medications, medication adherence, and femoral neck bone mineral density); 2) quantify the impact on provider and facility-level outcomes including change in DXA volume, change in metabolic bone disease clinic volume, and PACT provider time and satisfaction; and 3) estimate the impact on health system and policy outcomes using Markov models of screening program cost per quality adjusted life year based from health system and societal perspectives.

Electroencephalogram-Based Complexity Measures as Predictors of Post-operative Neurocognitive Dysfunction.

Physiologic signals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrate irregular behaviors due to the interaction of multiple control processes operating over different time scales. The complexity of this behavior can be quantified using multi-scale entropy (MSE). High physiologic complexity denotes health, and a loss of complexity can predict adverse outcomes. Since postoperative delirium is particularly hard to predict, we investigated whether the complexity of preoperative and intraoperative frontal EEG signals could predict postoperative delirium and its endophenotype, inattention. To calculate MSE, the sample entropy of EEG recordings was computed at different time scales, then plotted against scale; complexity is the total area under the curve. MSE of frontal EEG recordings was computed in 50 patients ≥ age 60 before and during surgery. Average MSE was higher intra-operatively than pre-operatively (p = 0.0003). However, intraoperative EEG MSE was lower than preoperative MSE at smaller scales, but higher at larger scales (interaction p < 0.001), creating a crossover point where, by definition, preoperative, and intraoperative MSE curves met. Overall, EEG complexity was not associated with delirium or attention. In 42/50 patients with single crossover points, the scale at which the intraoperative and preoperative entropy curves crossed showed an inverse relationship with delirium-severity score change (Spearman ρ = -0.31, p = 0.054). Thus, average EEG complexity increases intra-operatively in older adults, but is scale dependent. The scale at which preoperative and intraoperative complexity is equal (i.e., the crossover point) may predict delirium. Future studies should assess whether the crossover point represents changes in neural control mechanisms that predispose patients to postoperative delirium.

Factors Associated With Adherence to Osteoporosis Medications Among Male Veterans.

Risk factors for nonadherence to osteoporosis medication have been well described for cohorts of women with osteoporosis, but little is known about predictors or mediators of nonadherence in men. We conducted a secondary analysis of a national cohort of male veterans to explore factors associated with nonadherence to osteoporosis medications. We included veterans with a prescription for an oral bisphosphonate or calcitonin between 2000 and 2010. We identified demographic, comorbid, and fracture-related risk factors by their International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate their association with adherence. Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) over 5 years, starting at the time of their first prescription during the study period and censoring at death or end of study period. Of 135,306 men identified with at least one prescription for an osteoporosis medication during the study period, 90,406 (67%) were nonadherent (MPR < 0.80). The median duration of therapy was 3.2 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 1.7-5.0). In the fully adjusted model, the odds of adherence were lower in those aged <65 years (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-0.89), with no copay (OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.76-0.80), dementia (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.83-0.91), anxiety/depression (OR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.90-0.95), tobacco use (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.89-0.94), alcohol abuse (OR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.89-0.94), rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.87-0.97), and on androgen deprivation therapy (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.83-0.95). The odds of adherence were higher in whites (OR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.11-1.17), with a prior screening colonoscopy (OR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.09-1.14), on alendronate versus other agents (OR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.55-1.67), with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (OR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.12-1.17), on glucocorticoids (OR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.02-1.14), and with recent fracture (OR = 1.07; 95% CI 1.04-1.10). In conclusion, adherence to oral bisphosphonates/calcitonin is poor, with particular subgroups at greatest risk. These findings may help tailor approaches for supporting adherence in men prescribed osteoporosis medications. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

A template for physical resilience research in older adults: Methods of the PRIME-KNEE study.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with similar health conditions often experience widely divergent outcomes following health stressors. Variable recovery after a health stressor may be due in part to differences in biological mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, or system level, that are elicited in response to stressors. We describe the PRIME-KNEE study as an example of ongoing research to validate provocative clinical tests and biomarkers that predict resilience to specific health stressors. METHODS: PRIME-KNEE is an ongoing, prospective cohort study that will enroll 250 adults ≥60 years undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Data are collected at baseline (pre-surgery), during surgery, daily for 7 days after surgery, and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months post-surgery. Provocative tests include a cognition-motor dual-task walking test, cerebrovascular reactivity assessed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy, peripheral blood mononuclear cell reactivity ex vivo to lipopolysaccharide toxin and influenza vaccine, and heart rate variability during surgery. Cognitive, psychological, and physical performance batteries are collected at baseline to estimate prestressor reserve. Demographics, medications, comorbidities, and stressor characteristics are abstracted from the electronic medical record and via participant interview. Blood-based biomarkers are collected at baseline and postoperative day 1. Repeated measures after surgery include items from a delirium assessment tool and pain scales administered daily by telephone for 7 days and cognitive change index (participant and informant), lower extremity activities of daily living, pain scales, and step counts assessed by Garmin actigraphy at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months after surgery. Statistical models use these measures to characterize resilience phenotypes and evaluate prestressor clinical indicators associated with poststressor resilience. CONCLUSION: If PRIME-KNEE validates feasible clinical tests and biomarkers that predict recovery trajectories in older surgical patients, these tools may inform surgical decision-making, guide pre-habilitation efforts, and elucidate mechanisms underlying resilience. This study design could motivate future geriatric research on resilience.

Extent of and reasons for osteoporosis medication non-adherence among veterans and feasibility of a pilot text message reminder intervention.

We determined the extent of and reasons for non-adherence to oral bisphosphonates among veterans and conducted a pilot text message reminder application aimed at the most commonly cited reason for non-adherence. The intervention was found to be acceptable and feasible. PURPOSE: To evaluate the extent of and reasons for non-adherence to oral bisphosphonates among veterans and to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a pilot text message reminder application. METHODS: We surveyed 105 veterans initiating oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis/osteopenia within the prior 18 months utilizing a validated self-report measure adapted for osteoporosis. Additionally, we conducted a pilot text message reminder to determine feasibility in 12 veterans who were initiating or were currently non-adherent to oral bisphosphonates. RESULTS: Of the 43 (40.9% response rate) completed surveys, the most common reasons for non-adherence were "I forgot" (37.5%), "I had other medications to take" (20.5%), "my bones are not weak" (18.4%), "I felt well" (18.4%), and "I worried about taking them for the rest of my life" (17.9%). Median MPR for the 49 (46.7%) non-adherent (MPR < 0.80) veterans was 0.35 (IQR 0.21-0.64). Of veterans offered a weekly automated text message reminder, 12 (50%) accepted. Nine of these 12 veterans reported that the text message reminders did "very well" at reminding them to take their medication and would recommend the application to other patients/family/friends. The median 6-month MPR for the reminder group was 0.96 (IQR 0.54-1.00). CONCLUSION: Half the veterans in our sample were taking insufficient doses of oral bisphosphonates to attain the full benefit of fracture risk reduction. Reasons for poor adherence included forgetfulness, polypharmacy, and misconceptions about osteoporosis. A pilot text message reminder intervention targeted to one of the most commonly cited reasons was found to be acceptable and feasible among veterans.

Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH): A Descriptive Analysis of Cancelled Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Geriatric collaborative care models improve postoperative outcomes for older adults. However, there are limited data exploring how preoperative geriatric assessment may affect surgical cancellations. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective cohort analysis. Patients enrolled in the Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health (POSH) program from 2011 to 2016 were included. POSH is a collaborative care model between geriatrics, surgery, and anesthesiology. Baseline demographic and medical data were collected during the POSH pre-op appointment. Patients who attended a POSH pre-op visit but did not have surgery were identified, and a chart review was performed to identify reasons for surgical cancellation. Baseline characteristics of patients who did and did not undergo surgery were compared. RESULTS: Of 449 eligible POSH referrals within the study period, 33 (7.3%) did not proceed to surgery; cancellation rates within the POSH program were lower than institutional cancellation rates for adults over age 65 who did not participate in POSH. Patients who did not have surgery were significantly older, more likely to have functional limitations, and had higher rates of several comorbidities compared with those who proceeded to surgery (P < 0.05). Reasons for surgical cancellations included a similar number of patient- and provider-driven causes. CONCLUSIONS: Many reasons for surgical cancellation were related to potentially modifiable factors, such as changes in goals of care or concerns about rehabilitation, emphasizing the importance of shared decision-making in elective surgery for older adults. These results highlight the important role geriatric collaborative care can offer to older adults with complex needs.

Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict Mortality and Allocate Palliative Care for Older Patients With Hip Fracture.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a machine learning model designed to predict mortality for Medicare beneficiaries aged >65 years treated for hip fracture in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs). DESIGN: Retrospective design/cohort analysis of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility-Patient Assessment Instrument data. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17,140 persons admitted to Medicare-certified IRFs in 2015 following hospitalization for hip fracture. MEASURES: Patient characteristics include sociodemographic (age, gender, race, and social support) and clinical factors (functional status at admission, chronic conditions) and IRF length of stay. Outcomes were 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality. We trained and evaluated 2 classification models, logistic regression and a multilayer perceptron (MLP), to predict the probability of 30-day and 1-year mortality and evaluated the calibration, discrimination, and precision of the models. RESULTS: For 30-day mortality, MLP performed well [acc = 0.74, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) = 0.76, avg prec = 0.10, slope = 1.14] as did logistic regression (acc = 0.78, AUROC = 0.76, avg prec = 0.09, slope = 1.20). For 1-year mortality, the performances were similar for both MLP (acc = 0.68, AUROC = 0.75, avg prec = 0.32, slope = 0.96) and logistic regression (acc = 0.68, AUROC = 0.75, avg prec = 0.32, slope = 0.95). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: A scoring system based on logistic regression may be more feasible to run in current electronic medical records. But MLP models may reduce cognitive burden and increase ability to calibrate to local data, yielding clinical specificity in mortality prediction so that palliative care resources may be allocated more effectively.

Delaying Elective Surgery in Geriatric Patients: An Opportunity for Preoperative Optimization.

Deciding whether to pursue elective surgery is a complex process for older adults. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) can help refine estimates of benefits and risks, at times leading to a delay of surgery to optimize surgical readiness. We describe a cohort of geriatric patients who were evaluated in anticipation of elective abdominal surgery and whose procedures were delayed for any reason. Themes behind the reasons for delay are described, and a holistic framework to guide preoperative discussion is suggested.

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Are Associated with Reduced Fracture Risk among Older Veterans with Dementia.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) have been noted to increase bone density and quality in mice. Human studies are limited but suggest an association with improved bone healing after hip fracture. We examined the relationship between AChEI use and fracture risk in a national cohort of 360,015 male veterans aged 65 to 99 years with dementia but without prior fracture using Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, Medicare, and pharmacy records from 2000 to 2010. Diagnosis of dementia, any clinical fracture (excluding facial and digital), comorbidities, and medications were identified using ICD-9 and drug class codes. Cox proportional hazard models considering AChEI use as a time-varying covariate and adjusting for fall and fracture risk factors compared the time-to-fracture in AChEI users versus non-AChEI users. Potential confounders included demographics (age, race, body mass index), comorbidities associated with fracture or falls (diabetes, lung disease, stroke, Parkinson's, seizures, etc.) and medications associated with fracture or falls (bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids, androgen deprivation therapy [ADT], proton pump inhibitors [PPIs], selective serotonin receptor inhibitors [SSRIs], etc.). Competing mortality risk was considered using the methods of Fine and Gray. To account for persistent effects on bone density or quality that might confer protection after stopping the medication, we completed a secondary analysis using the medication possession ratio (MPR) as a continuous variable in logistic regression models and also compared MPR increments of 10% to minimal/no use (MPR 0 to <0.10). Among older veterans with diagnosis of dementia, 20.1% suffered a fracture over an average of 4.6 years of follow-up. Overall, 42.3% of the cohort were prescribed AChEIs during the study period. The hazard of any fracture among AChEI users compared with those on other/no dementia medications was significantly lower in fully adjusted models (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.88). After considering competing mortality risk, fracture risk remained 18% lower in veterans using AChEIs (HR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.76-0.89). © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Published 2019. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Association of functional and structural social support with chronic kidney disease among African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the relationship between social support and renal outcomes in African Americans. We sought to determine the association of social support with prevalent chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney function decline in an African American cohort. We also examined whether age modifies the association between social support and kidney function decline. METHODS: We identified Jackson Heart Study (JHS) participants with baseline (Exam in 2000-2004) functional and structural social support data via the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) and social network size questions, respectively. With ISEL as our primary exposure variable, we performed multivariable regression models to evaluate the association between social support and prevalent CKD [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥30 mg/g], eGFR decline, and rapid renal function decline (RRFD) (> 30% decrease in eGFR over approximately 10 years). All models were adjusted for baseline sociodemographics, diabetes, hypertension, smoking status, and body mass index; models for eGFR decline and RRFD were additionally adjusted for eGFR and ACR. In models for eGFR decline, we assessed for interaction between age and social support. For secondary analyses, we replaced ISEL with its individual domains (appraisal, belonging, self-esteem, and tangible) and social network size in separate models as exposure variables. RESULTS: Of 5301 JHS participants, 4015 (76%) completed the ISEL at baseline. 843 (21%) had low functional social support (ISEL score < 32). Participants with low (vs. higher) functional social support were more likely to have lower income (47% vs. 28%), be current or former tobacco users (39% vs. 30%), have diabetes (25% vs. 21%) or CKD (14% vs. 12%). After multivariable adjustment, neither ISEL or social network size were independently associated with prevalent CKD, eGFR decline, or RRFD. Of the ISEL domains, only higher self-esteem was associated with lower odds of prevalent CKD [OR 0.94 (95% CI 0.89-0.99)]. The associations between social support measures and eGFR decline were not modified by age. CONCLUSIONS: In this African-American cohort, social support was not associated with prevalent CKD or kidney function decline. Further inquiry of self-esteem's role in CKD self-management and renal outcomes is warranted.

Glycemic Control and Insulin Treatment Alter Fracture Risk in Older Men With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus among older men has been associated with increased bone mineral density but paradoxically increased fracture risk. Given the interactions among medication treatment, glycemic control, and diabetes-associated comorbidities, the relative effects of each factor remains unclear. This retrospective study includes 652,901 male veterans aged ≥65 years with diabetes and baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value. All subjects received primary care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) from 2000 to 2010. Administrative data included ICD9 diagnoses and pharmacy records and was linked to Medicare fee-for-service data. Hazard ratios (HR) for any clinical fracture and hip fracture were calculated using competing risk hazards models, adjusted for fracture risk factors including age, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), alcohol and tobacco use, rheumatoid arthritis, corticosteroid use, as well as diabetes-related comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and peripheral neuropathy. HbA1c <6.5% was associated with a higher risk of any clinical fracture (HR = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.11) compared with the reference HbA1c of 7.5% to 8.5%. Fracture risk was not increased among those with A1c ≥8.5%, nor among those with A1c 6.5% to 7.5%. Use of insulin was independently associated with greater risk of fracture (HR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.12). There was a significant interaction between insulin use and HbA1c level, (p < 0.001), such that those using insulin with HbA1c <6.5% had HR = 1.23 and those with HbA1c 6.5% to 7.5% had HR = 1.15. Metformin use was associated with decreased fracture risk (HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.90). We conclude that among older men with diabetes, those with HbA1c lower than 6.5% are at increased risk for any clinical and hip fracture. Insulin use is associated with higher fracture risk, especially among those with tight glycemic control. Our findings demonstrate the importance of the treatment regimen and avoiding hypoglycemia for fracture prevention in older men with diabetes. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.