Low blood pressure levels for fall injuries in older adults: the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study.

Fall injuries cause morbidity and mortality in older adults. We assessed if low blood pressure (BP) is associated with fall injuries, including sensitivity analyses stratified by antihypertensive medications, in community-dwelling adults from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (N = 1819; age 76.6 ± 2.9 years; 53% women; 37% black). Incident fall injuries (N = 570 in 3.8 ± 2.4 years) were the first Medicare claims event from clinic visit (7/00-6/01) to 12/31/08 with an ICD-9 fall code and non-fracture injury code, or fracture code with/without a fall code. Participants without fall injuries (N = 1249) were censored over 6.9 ± 2.1 years. Cox regression models for fall injuries with clinically relevant systolic BP (SBP; ≤ 120, ≤ 130, ≤ 140, > 150 mmHg) and diastolic BP (DBP; ≤ 60, ≤ 70, ≤ 80, > 90 mmHg) were adjusted for demographics, body mass index, lifestyle factors, comorbidity, and number and type of medications. Participants with versus without fall injuries had lower DBP (70.5 ± 11.2 vs. 71.8 ± 10.7 mmHg) and used more medications (3.8 ± 2.9 vs. 3.3 ± 2.7); all P < 0.01. In adjusted Cox regression, fall injury risk was increased for DBP ≤ 60 mmHg (HR = 1.25; 95% CI 1.02-1.53) and borderline for DBP ≤ 70 mmHg (HR = 1.16; 95% CI 0.98-1.37), but was attenuated by adjustment for number of medications (HR = 1.22; 95% CI 0.99-1.49 and HR = 1.12; 95% CI 0.95-1.32, respectively). Stratifying by antihypertensive medication, DBP ≤ 60 mmHg increased fall injury risk only among those without use (HR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.02-1.90). SBP was not associated with fall injury risk. Number of medications or underlying poor health may account for associations of low DBP and fall injuries.

Hospitalisation and surgery: Is exposure associated with increased subsequent depressive symptoms? Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

BACKGROUND: The dramatic shift in the global population demographic has led to increasing numbers of older people undergoing hospitalisation and surgical procedures. While necessary, these exposures may lead to an increase in depressive symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether hospitalisation or hospitalisation with surgery under general anaesthesia is associated with an increase in depressive symptoms in adults over the age of 50. METHODS: Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in 8036 individuals at waves 1 and 2 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), 2 years apart. Mixed-effects models were used to investigate the hypothesis after adjustment for risk factors for depression and potential confounders. RESULTS: During the 12 months preceding wave 1, a total of 459 participants were hospitalised (mean age, 67.0; 55.3% female), and a further 548 participants (mean age, 64.6; 51.8% female) were hospitalised and underwent surgery with general anaesthesia; 6891 (mean age, 63.5; 54.3% female) were not hospitalised. Analysis of waves 1 and 2 data using mixed-effects models demonstrated that there was a 7% increased adjusted incidence rate of depressive symptoms (IRR [95% CI] = 1.07 [1.02-1.11]) in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in the hospitalisation group and a 4% increased adjusted incidence rate of depressive symptoms (IRR [95% CI] = 1.04 [1.00-1.08]) in the surgery group compared with those with no hospitalisation. CONCLUSION: Hospitalisation and hospitalisation with surgery and general anaesthesia are associated with increased depressive symptoms. This is the first time a longitudinal population-representative study has demonstrated this relationship for both exposures simultaneously.

Hospitalisation and surgery: are there hidden cognitive consequences? Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal study on Ageing (TILDA).

Background: the dramatic shift in the global population demographic has led to increasing numbers of older people undergoing hospitalisation and surgical procedures. Objectives: to determine whether hospitalisation or hospitalisation with surgery under general anaesthesia is associated with poorer cognitive performance in adults over the age of 50. Methods: cognitive function in the domains of global cognition, memory and executive function was assessed in 8,023 individuals at waves 1 and 2 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), 2 years apart. Mixed-effects models were used to investigate the hypothesis after adjustment for risk factors for cognitive decline and potential confounders. Results: during the 12 months preceding wave 1, 472 participants were hospitalised (mean age 67.0, 54.9% female) and a further 560 participants (mean age 64.6, 52.1% female) were hospitalised and underwent surgery with general anaesthesia; 6,938 (mean age 63.5, 54.5% female) were not hospitalised. There was a 14% higher error rate (IRR[95% CI] = 1.14[1.06, 1.22]) in the MMSE in the hospitalisation group and a 6% higher error rate (IRR[95% CI] = 1.06[0.99, 1.13]) in the surgery group compared to those with no hospitalisation. Poorer cognitive performance in the memory tasks was evident in both hospitalisation and hospitalisation with surgery groups (immediate recall: [95% CI] = -0.13 words[-0.22,-0.04] versus -0.13 words[-0.21,-0.04] and delayed recall: -0.20 words[-0.33,-0.06] versus -0.20[-0.32, -0.07]) compared to those with no hospitalisation. Increased error in the time-based prospective memory task was observed in the hospitalisation group and the surgery group (OR[95% CI] = 1.32[1.08, 1.60] versus 1.29[1.07, 1.55]). Conclusion: hospitalisation and hospitalisation with surgery and general anaesthesia are associated with poorer global and domain specific cognitive performance.