Association of Polymorphic Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Pathways with Falls in Multimedicated Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Dose exposure is considered relevant for drug-associated falls in older adults, pointing to an importance of drug metabolism. Aim was to analyze individual factors altering drug metabolism such as enzyme saturation by drug exposure and pharmacogenetics in the context of drug-associated falls. DESIGN: Prospective population-based study (ActiFE-Ulm study). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Focus was laid on the metabolism by polymorphic cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes CYP2C19, 2C9, and 2D6. Relevant variants of pharmacogenes were analyzed. Logistic binary regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for falls observed prospectively over a 1-year period with drug metabolism characteristics. RESULTS: In total, 1377 participants were included in the analysis. Although the phenotype predicted by the genotype was not, the use of drugs metabolized by CYP2C19 was associated with falls. Drugs not known as fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs; ie, non-FRIDs), but metabolized by CYP2C19, showed an OR of 1.46 (1.11-1.93) in adjusted analysis. Significant effect modification was observed for a reduced CYP2C19 activity phenotype with non-FRIDs metabolized by CYP2C19. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study suggests an association between the occurrence of falls in older adults and the metabolic capacity of CYP2C19. Thus, an important step toward prevention of falls might be to personalize dosage and treatment length of the main drug classes known to be CYP2C19 substrates, such as many antidepressants, opioids, and sedatives, but also proton pump inhibitors in particular in poor and intermediate metabolizers.

Antidepressants for treating depression among older adults with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression and dementia represent significant health challenges in older adults. Despite guidelines recommending antidepressants, their efficacy in depressed patients with dementia remains undetermined. OBJECTIVE: This review, in following a living systematic review approach, primarily aims to determine the effect of any-type antidepressant on the level of depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia and secondly if there is an effect of any-type antidepressants on cognitive state, quality of life, and functionality in the old-age population with dementia. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs from Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Register. Participants were ≥65 years, with both depression and any type of dementia. Certainty-of-Evidence was assessed through the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool and GRADE. Analysis involved standardized mean difference, with 95 % confidence-intervals (CIs). FINDINGS: Of the 27,771 screened articles, 8 studies (617 participants), treated with SSRI, SSNRI, atypical, and tricyclic antidepressants were retained for quantitative synthesis. No evidence for an effect was found (SMD -0.10 [-0.26, 0.07]), nor when subgrouped based on depression severity or dementia level, nor for secondary outcomes. INTERPRETATION: This review did not find evidence of a clinical effect of antidepressants for treating depression in older adults with dementia. Methodological challenges might contribute to this finding.

Perceived Benefit and Satisfaction With a Tablet Computer and an Emergency Smartwatch by Older Adults and Their Relatives: Prospective Real-World Pilot Study.

Background: Assistive technologies (ATs) have the potential to promote the quality of life and independent living of older adults and, further, to relieve the burden of formal and informal caregivers and relatives. Technological developments over the last decades have led to a boost of available ATs. However, evidence on the benefits and satisfaction with ATs in real-world applications remains scarce. Objective: This prospective, real-world, pilot study tested the perceived benefit and satisfaction with different ATs in the real-world environment. Methods: Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 and their relatives tested a tablet computer with a simplified interface or a smartwatch with programmable emergency contacts for 8 weeks in their everyday life. Perceived benefits and satisfaction with ATs were assessed by all older adults and their relatives using different assessment tools before and after the intervention. Outcome measures included the Technology Usage Inventory, Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0, and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Results: A total of 17 older adults (tablet computer: n=8, 47% and smartwatch: n=9, 53%) and 16 relatives (tablet computer: n=7, 44% and smartwatch: n=9, 56%) were included in the study. The number of participants that were frail (according to the Clinical Frailty Scale) and received care was higher in the smartwatch group than in the tablet computer group. Older adults of the smartwatch group reported higher technology acceptance (Technology Usage Inventory) and satisfaction (Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0) scores than those of the tablet computer group, although the differences were not significant (all P>.05). In the tablet computer group, relatives had significantly higher ratings on the item intention to use than older adults (t12.3=3.3, P=.006). Identified everyday issues with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure included contact/communication and entertainment/information for the tablet computer, safety and getting help in emergency situations for the smartwatch, and the usability of the AT for both devices. While the performance (t8=3.5, P=.008) and satisfaction (t8=3.2, P=.01) in these domains significantly improved in the smartwatch group, changes in the tablet computer group were inconsistent (all P>.05). Conclusions: This study highlights the remaining obstacles for the widespread and effective application of ATs in the everyday life of older adults and their relatives. While the results do not provide evidence for a positive effect regarding communication deficits, perceived benefits could be shown for the area of safety. Future research and technical developments need to consider not only the preferences, problems, and goals of older adults but also their relatives and caregivers to improve the acceptability and effectiveness of ATs.

[Care models for older people based on a case study-Geriatrics as an active discipline]. / Versorgungsmodelle für ältere Menschen an einem Fallbeispiel ­ Geriatrie als aktiv handelndes Fach.

Geriatrics can enable and monitor a holistic care of older people through a comprehensive geriatric assessment in a structured way. Therefore, it must be integrated much more closely with preventive, rehabilitative and acute care units. Geriatrics are not seen in any aspects as a replacement for general practitioners or in-hospital structures but much more as a supplement to them. With its function-oriented concept, geriatrics can best coordinate the demographically necessary triage between prevention, acute treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, thus avoiding undertreatment and overtreatment. This can only succeed in collaboration with general practitioners and specialist colleagues. The article categorizes geriatric care structures, such as preventive home visits, acute complex medical treatment, delirium prevention, outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation services based on a case example and makes proposals for structural changes that urgently need to be considered in the current healthcare reform, such as outpatient geriatric centers (AGZ).

Prevention at home in older persons with (pre-)frailty: analysis of participants' recruitment and characteristics of the randomized controlled PromeTheus trial.

BACKGROUND: The "PromeTheus" trial is evaluating a home-based, multifactorial, interdisciplinary prevention program for community-dwelling (pre-)frail older adults. These individuals often suffer from reduced participation, which can complicate the recruitment and enrollment in a clinical trial. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate different recruitment strategies and differences in participant characteristics in relation to these strategies. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used baseline data from the randomized-controlled PromeTheus trial, in which community-dwelling (pre-)frail older persons (Clinical Frailty Scale [CFS] 4-6 pt., ≥ 70 years) were recruited via general practitioners ("GP recruitment") or flyers, newspaper articles, and personalized letters ("direct recruitment"). Differences in the sociodemographic, clinical, physical, functional, mobility-related, psychological and social characteristics were analyzed in relation to the recruitment strategy. RESULTS: A total of 385 participants (mean age = 81.2, SD 5.9 years; women: n = 283, 73.5%) were enrolled, of which 60 (16%) were recruited by GPs and 325 (84%) through direct recruitment. Participants recruited via GPs had significantly higher subjective frailty levels (CFS), were more often physically frail (Fried Frailty Phenotype), and showed lower physical capacity (Short Physical Performance Battery), participation (disability component of the short version of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument), and life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment) compared to those recruited via the direct approach (p = 0.002-0.026). Costs per randomized participant were 94€ for the GP recruitment strategy and €213 for the direct recruitment strategy. CONCLUSION: Different strategies may be required to successfully recruit (pre-)frail home-living older adults into preventive programs. Direct recruitment strategies, in which potential participants are directly informed about the prevention program, seem to be more promising than GP recruitment but may result in enrolment of persons with less functional impairment and higher recruitment costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00024638. Registered on March 11, 2021.

Introducing a machine learning algorithm for delirium prediction-the Supporting SURgery with GEriatric Co-Management and AI project (SURGE-Ahead).

INTRODUCTION: Post-operative delirium (POD) is a common complication in older patients, with an incidence of 14-56%. To implement preventative procedures, it is necessary to identify patients at risk for POD. In the present study, we aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model for POD prediction in older patients, in close cooperation with the PAWEL (patient safety, cost-effectiveness and quality of life in elective surgery) project. METHODS: The model was trained on the PAWEL study's dataset of 878 patients (no intervention, age ≥ 70, 209 with POD). Presence of POD was determined by the Confusion Assessment Method and a chart review. We selected 15 features based on domain knowledge, ethical considerations and a recursive feature elimination. A logistic regression and a linear support vector machine (SVM) were trained, and evaluated using receiver operator characteristics (ROC). RESULTS: The selected features were American Society of Anesthesiologists score, multimorbidity, cut-to-suture time, estimated glomerular filtration rate, polypharmacy, use of cardio-pulmonary bypass, the Montreal cognitive assessment subscores 'memory', 'orientation' and 'verbal fluency', pre-existing dementia, clinical frailty scale, age, recent falls, post-operative isolation and pre-operative benzodiazepines. The linear SVM performed best, with an ROC area under the curve of 0.82 [95% CI 0.78-0.85] in the training set, 0.81 [95% CI 0.71-0.88] in the test set and 0.76 [95% CI 0.71-0.79] in a cross-centre validation. CONCLUSION: We present a clinically useful and explainable ML model for POD prediction. The model will be deployed in the Supporting SURgery with GEriatric Co-Management and AI project.

Relationship between hemoglobin and grip strength in older adults: the ActiFE study.

INTRODUCTION: Although anemia is associated with low muscle strength, hemoglobin has been rarely studied considering ferritin. AIM: To analyze the association between hemoglobin and grip strength in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: We used data from a German cohort of adults ≥ 65 years, excluding those with CRP > 10 mg/L or taking iron supplements. Grip strength (kg) was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. Analysis was performed using multiple linear regression, adjusted for established confounders. Due to interaction, age-stratified (< 80, 80 +), further sex-stratified analysis in those < 80 years old and ferritin-stratified in men < 80 years were performed. RESULTS: In total, 1294 participants were included in this analysis (mean age 75.5 years, 549 (42.3%) women, 910 (70.3%) < 80 years). On average, hemoglobin and grip strength were 14.9 g/dL and 41.3 kg for men, 13.9 g/dL and 25.1 kg for women. Hemoglobin was significantly positively associated with grip strength only among women < 80 years (ß 0.923 [95% CI 0.196, 1.650]). For men < 80 years, the association was significant when ferritin was ≥ 300 µg/L (ß 2.028 [95% CI 0.910, 3.146]). No association was detected among those participants 80 + . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our data show an association between hemoglobin and grip strength only in women < 80 years old. For men < 80 years, the association was only significant with ferritin levels ≥ 300 µg/L. Considering the decreasing levels of hemoglobin and grip strength and the high prevalence of iron deficiency in older adults further analyses investigating this relationship with more iron specific parameters such as transferrin saturation are warranted.

RSV vaccination strategies for high-risk patients 2023: a collaborative position paper by leading German medical societies and organizations.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) inflicts severe illness and courses of infections not only in neonates, infants, and young children, but also causes significant morbidity and mortality in older adults and in people with immunosuppression, hemato-oncologic disease, chronic lung disease, or cardiovascular disease. In June and August 2023, effective vaccines against RSV were approved for the first time by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the EU. The respective pivotal studies showed a very high efficacy of the vaccine in preventing severe RSV-associated respiratory infections. At this point, use of the respective vaccines is restricted to persons aged 60 years or older, according to the registration studies. We therefore recommend use of the vaccination in persons aged 60 years or older. In addition, we recommend use of the vaccination in adults of any age with severe pulmonary or cardiovascular pre-existing conditions, as well as in adults with significant immune compromise, after individual consultation with the treating physician. Cost coverage can be applied for individually with the responsible health insurance company.

Development of a complex intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized patients by optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers: A multi-method study.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a common yet challenging condition in older hospitalized patients, associated with various adverse outcomes. Environmental factors, such as room changes, may contribute to the development or severity of delirium. Most previous research has focused on preventing and reducing this condition by addressing risk factors and facilitating reorientation during hospital stay. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically develop a complex intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized patients by optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers during and after these procedures. The intervention combines stakeholder and expert opinions, evidence, and theory. This article provides guidance and inspiration to research groups in developing complex interventions according to the recommendations in the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. DESIGN AND METHODS: A stepwise multi-method study was conducted. The preparation phase included analysis of the context and current practice via focus groups. Based on these results, an expert workshop was organized, followed by a Delphi survey. Finally, the intervention was modeled and a program theory was developed, including a logic model. RESULTS: A complex intervention was developed in an iterative process, involving healthcare professionals, delirium experts, researchers, as well as caregiver and patient representatives. The key intervention component is an 8-point-program, which provides caregivers with recommendations for preventing delirium during the transition phase and in the post-discharge period. Information materials (flyers, handbook, videos, posters, defined "Dos and Don'ts", discharge checklist), training for healthcare professionals, and status analyses are used as implementation strategies. In addition, roles were established for gatekeepers to act as leaders, and champions to serve as knowledge multipliers and trainers for the multi-professional team in the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: This study serves as an example of how to develop a complex intervention. In an additional step, the intervention and implementation strategies will be investigated for feasibility and acceptability in a pilot study with an accompanying process evaluation. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Delirium prevention can benefit from optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers of older patients in these procedures. STUDY REGISTRATION: DRKS00017828, German Register of Clinical Studies, date of registration 17.09.2019.

[The need for a multidimensional assessment in frail patients]. / Notwendigkeit eines multidimensionalen Assessments bei Frailty.

A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) encompasses medical, psychosocial, and functional aspects that facilitate comprehensive treatment planning and therapy for older adults. It goes beyond a simple screening and typically includes evaluating functionality, mobility, cognition, and emotions, with additional dimensions being relevant based on specific goals. In essence, CGA is suitable for recognizing and evaluating the complexity of frailty and devising suitable interventions.CGA represents a structured way to map the complexity of frail older adults. Employing a multidimensional strategy, it enables the early identification of frailty, facilitating tailored treatment plans, risk assessment and the monitoring of changes over time. A CGA can be conducted in different settings, including acute geriatric wards, in form of a consultation in non-geriatric wards, or directly in outpatient settings and has proven effective in improving care among frail patients.A recent trend in CGA programs involves the use of virtual assessments through telemedicine. Communication occurs via telephone or electronic health records, with each evaluation being checked by a physician. The latest evidence indicates substantial research potential in automated data collection and AI-driven analysis.

[Functionality and everyday suitability of commercially wristwear products for frail older people - a comparative product testing]. / Funktionalität und Alltagstauglichkeit kommerziell erhältlicher Wristwear-Produkte für gebrechliche ältere Menschen : Ein vergleichender Produkttest.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is a wide range of smartwatches and emergency watches on the market that are specifically designed for older people. The products are freely available, which is why there is an urgent need for information about the reliability and functionality of the products among potential users, but also health professionals and decision-makers. As part of a systematic product comparison test, the functionality and quality of seven smartwatches were investigated. METHOD: Four watches for seniors, one watch for adults and two watches for children, but with comparable functionalities, were included in the test. For the test, real-life situations were simulated and, in addition to emergency calls, GPS tracking, fall detection and geofencing, the battery life, call quality, stability/robustness of the products and service/support were evaluated. From the total number of points, a grade was determined based on the German school grading system (1 = very good to 6 = insufficient). RESULTS: All smartwatches evaluated were rated at least "3-satisfactory". The two best-rated watches received a score of 1.8. The differences were particularly evident in the emergency call functionality, battery life, precision of the tracking function, and service/support. The call quality, with one exception, and the stability/robustness were consistently rated as "1-very good". Three watches in the test were able to detect falls with variable results. CONCLUSION: The functionality and usability of the tested products differed considerably. A focus on a few main functions can even provide added value for older, frail people. Continuous comparative testing of products for this target group with new and updated products is desirable.

Regional outcome disparities in German head and neck cancer patients: Shorter survival in Eastern Germany.

INTRODUCTION: Demographics are important prognostic factors in malignant diseases. A nationwide analysis concerning the prognostic impact of demographics in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients (HNCP) has not been performed previously. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of data from the Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD) and the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) between 2002 and 2017 was performed. A total of 212'920 HNCP were included. Incidence, tumor stage, age development, sex distribution, age-, residence-, and diagnosis-time-specific survival were examined. RESULTS: Mean age of HNCP increased more rapidly than in the general population (slope coefficient: 0.29 vs. 0.20; p < 0.0001). Higher age and male sex were associated with a worse prognosis. Whereas overall survival (OS) increased from the early to the later observation period for HNCP <70 years, no OS improvement for HNCP >70 years was found. Furthermore, an OS disadvantage was observed for East Germany compared to West Germany (median 47 vs. 60 months; p < 0.0001). This disparity was associated with a disproportionately high ratio of men in East Germany (men/women: 4.4 vs. 3.1; p < 0.0001) and a lower mean age (61 vs. 63 years; p < 0.0001). In addition to stage, age and sex, residence in East Germany were confirmed as an independent factor for OS in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Finally, three decades after the German reunion, a survival disadvantage for patients in East Germany still exists. This discrepancy may be a result of socioeconomic disparities.

Relationship of the SITLESS intervention on medication use in community-dwelling older adults: an exploratory study.

Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) interventions in older adults can improve health outcomes. Problems related with aging include prevalent comorbidity, multiple non-communicable diseases, complaints, and resulting polypharmacy. This manuscript examines the relationship between an intervention aiming at reducing SB on medication patterns. Method: This manuscript presents a local sub-analysis of the SITLESS trial data on medication use. SITLESS was an exercise referral scheme (ERS) enhanced by self-management strategies (SMS) to reduce SB in community-dwelling older adults. We analyzed data from the ERS + SMS, ERS and usual care (UC) groups. Patient medication records were available at baseline and at the end of the intervention (4-month period) and were analyzed to explore the effect of SITLESS on medication patterns of use. Result: A sample of 75 participants was analyzed, mostly older overweight women with poor body composition scores and mobility limitations. There was a significant reduction of 1.6 medicines (SD = 2.7) in the ERS group (p < 0.01), but not in the UC or ERS + SMS groups. Differences were more evident in medicines used for short periods of time. Conclusion: The findings suggest that an exercise-based program enhanced by SMS to reduce SB might influence medication use for acute conditions but there is a need to further investigate effects on long-term medicine use in older adults.

Inclusion of functional measures and frailty in the development and evaluation of medicines for older adults.

The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) E7, the guidance for the conduct of clinical trials in people older than age 65 years, dates from 1994. Since then, the inclusion of older people in clinical trials has hardly improved, particularly for the oldest old age group (individuals older than age 75 years), which is the fastest growing demographic bracket in the EU. Even though most medications are taken by this group, relevant endpoints and safety outcomes for this cohort are rarely included and reported, both in clinical trials and regulatory approval documents. To improve the critical appraisal and the regulatory review of medicines taken by frail older adults, eight recommendations are presented and discussed in this Health Policy. These recommendations are brought together from different perspectives and experience of the treatment of older patients. On one side, the perspective of medical practitioners from various clinical disciplines, with their direct experience of clinical decision making; on the other, the perspective of regulators assessing the data submitted in medicine registration dossiers, their relevance to the risk-benefit balance for older patients, and the communication of the findings in the product information. Efforts to improve the participation of older people in clinical trials have been in place for more than a decade, with little success. The recommendations presented here are relevant for stakeholders, authorities, pharmaceutical companies, and researchers alike, as the implementation of these measures is not under the capacity of a single entity. Improving the inclusion of frail older adults requires awareness, focus, and action on the part of those who can effect a much needed change.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with and without exercise to reduce fear of falling in older people living in the community.

BACKGROUND: Fear of falling (FoF) is a lasting concern about falling that leads to an individual avoiding activities that he/she remains capable of performing. It is a common condition amongst older adults and may occur independently of previous falls. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy that helps change dysfunctional thoughts and behaviour, with and without exercise, may reduce FoF, for example, by reducing catastrophic thoughts related to falls, and modifying dysfunctional behaviour. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of CBT for reducing FoF in older people living in the community, and to assess the effects of interventions where CBT is used in combination with exercise. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Issue 1, 2023), MEDLINE Ovid (from 1946 to 11 January 2023), Embase Ovid (from 1980 to 11 January 2023), CINAHL Plus (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) (from 1982 to 11 January 2023), PsycINFO (from 1967 to 11 January 2023), and AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine from 1985 to 11 January 2023). We handsearched reference lists and consulted experts for identifying additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: This review included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and cluster-RCTs assessing CBT with and without exercise interventions compared to control groups with sham-treatment, or treatment as usual. We defined CBT as a collaborative, time-limited, goal-oriented, and structured form of speaking therapy. Included studies recruited community-dwelling older adults, with a mean population age of at least 60 years minus one standard deviation, and not defined by a specific medical condition. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. For continuous data, as assessed by single- or multiple-item questionnaires, we report the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) when studies used the same outcome measures, and standardised mean difference (SMD) when studies used different measures for the same clinical outcome. For dichotomous outcomes, we reported the treatment effects as risk ratios (RR) with 95% CIs. We measured the primary outcome, FoF, immediately, up to, and more than six months after the intervention. We analysed secondary outcomes of activity avoidance, occurrence of falls, depression, and quality of life when measured immediately after the intervention. We assessed risk of bias for each included study, using the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We selected 12 studies for this review, with 11 studies included for quantitative synthesis. One study could not be included due to missing information. Of the 11 individual studies, two studies provided two comparisons, which resulted in 13 comparisons. Eight studies were RCTs, and four studies were cluster-RCTs. Two studies had multiple arms (CBT only and CBT with exercise) that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The primary aim of 10 studies was to reduce FoF. The 11 included studies for quantitative synthesis involved 2357 participants, with mean ages between 73 and 83 years. Study total sample sizes varied from 42 to 540 participants. Of the 13 comparisons, three investigated CBT-only interventions while 10 investigated CBT with exercise. Intervention duration varied between six and 156 hours, at a frequency between three times a week and monthly over an eight- to 48-week period. Most interventions were delivered in groups of between five and 10 participants, and, in one study, up to 25 participants. Included studies had considerable heterogeneity, used different questionnaires, and had high risks of bias. CBT interventions with and without exercise probably improve FoF immediately after the intervention (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.36 to -0.11; 11 studies, 2357 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The sensitivity analyses did not change the intervention effect significantly. Effects of CBT with or without exercise on FoF may be sustained up to six months after the intervention (SMD -0.24, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.07; 8 studies, 1784 participants; very low-certainty evidence). CBT with or without exercise interventions for FoF probably sustains improvements beyond six months (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.15; 5 studies, 1185 participants; moderate-certainty of evidence). CBT interventions for reducing FoF may reduce activity avoidance (MD -2.57, 95% CI -4.67 to -0.47; 1 study, 312 participants; low-certainty evidence), and level of depression (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.60 to -0.21; 2 studies, 404 participants; low-certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether CBT interventions reduce the occurrence of falls (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.39; 5 studies, 1119 participants; very low-certainty evidence). All studies had a serious risk of bias, due to performance bias, and at least an unclear risk of detection bias, as participants and assessors could not be blinded due to the nature of the intervention. Downgrading of certainty of evidence also occurred due to heterogeneity between studies, and imprecision, owing to limited sample size of some studies. There was no reporting bias suspected for any article. No studies reported adverse effects due to their interventions. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: CBT with and without exercise interventions probably reduces FoF in older people living in the community immediately after the intervention (moderate-certainty evidence). The improvements may be sustained during the period up to six months after intervention (low-certainty evidence), and probably are sustained beyond six months (moderate-certainty evidence). Further studies are needed to improve the certainty of evidence for sustainability of FoF effects up to six months. Of the secondary outcomes, we are uncertain whether CBT interventions for FoF reduce the occurrence of falls (very low-certainty evidence). However, CBT interventions for reducing FoF may reduce the level of activity avoidance, and may reduce depression (low-certainty evidence). No studies reported adverse effects. Future studies could investigate different populations (e.g. nursing home residents or people with comorbidities), intervention characteristics (e.g. duration), or comparisons (e.g. CBT versus exercise), investigate adverse effects of the interventions, and add outcomes (e.g. gait analysis). Future systematic reviews could search specifically for secondary outcomes.