Number of ideas in spontaneous speech predicts cognitive impairment and frailty in community-dwelling older adults nine years later.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between linguistic parameters in spontaneous speech at baseline and cognitive impairment and frailty nine years later. METHODS: A prospective analysis was carried out on data of the Frailty in Brazilian Older People Study (FIBRA) Study, a population-based study on frailty. From a probabilistic sample of 384 individuals aged 65 and older at baseline (2008-2009), 124 aged 73 years and older at follow-up were selected, as they had scored above the cutoff values of cognitive screening for dementia adjusted by years of schooling at baseline and had answered to the question What is healthy aging and had no frailty at baseline. Verbal responses were submitted to content analysis and had its ideas and words counted. Number of ideas corresponded to the frequency of meaning categories and number of words to all identified significant textual elements in the text constituted by the sample answers to that question. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analyses, controlling for the effects of age, sex, and education, showed that individuals with a high number of ideas at baseline had lower chance of having cognitive impairment (OR = 0.39; 95% CI 0.22 - 0.69) and frailty (OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.44 - 0.99) nine years later than those with low number of ideas. CONCLUSIONS: Higher number of ideas, but not number of words, in spontaneous speech seems to be associated to a more positive prognosis in mental and physical health nine years later. Linguistic markers may be used to predict cognitive impairment and frailty in older individuals.

Stressful events, depressive symptoms, and frailty associated to older adults' survival and mortality.

This study analyzed factors associated with survival and mortality risk of community-dwelling older adults, considering the intensity of stressful life events, depressive symptoms, insomnia, frailty, multimorbidity, and sociodemographic factors. This is a longitudinal study on survival of older adults interviewed between 2008-2009, with follow-up after 8 years. Survival and mortality risks were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier curve, Log Rank test, and Cox proportional-hazards model (p < 0.05). Stressful events affecting older adults' children or grandchildren were associated with higher mortality risk; depressive symptoms and frailty were associated with lower survival. Comprehensive care for older adults must involve events regarding their family relationships, especially those affecting their progeny, due to the impact they can have on older adults' survival, besides evaluating depressive symptoms and frailty.

A multidimensional approach to frailty compared with physical phenotype in older Brazilian adults: data from the FIBRA-BR study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a predictor of negative health outcomes in older adults. The physical frailty phenotype is an often used form for its operationalization. Some authors have pointed out limitations regarding the unidimensionality of the physical phenotype, introducing other dimensions in the approach to frailty. This study aimed to create a multidimensional model to evaluate frailty in older Brazilian adults and to compare the dimensions of the model created among the categories of the physical frailty phenotype. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 3569 participants (73.7 ± 6.6 years) from a multicenter and multidisciplinary survey (FIBRA-BR). A three-dimensional model was developed: physical dimension (poor self-rated health, vision impairment, hearing impairment, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and sleeping disorder), social dimension (living alone, not having someone who could help when needed, not visiting others, and not receiving visitors), and psychological dimension (depressive symptoms, concern about falls, feelings of sadness, and memory problems). The five criteria of the phenotype created by Fried and colleagues were used to evaluate the physical frailty phenotype. The proposed multidimensional frailty model was analyzed using factorial analysis. Pearson's chi-square test was used to analyze the associations between each variable of the multidimensional frailty model and the physical phenotype categories. Analysis of variance compared the multidimensional dimensions scores among the three categories of the physical frailty phenotype. RESULTS: The factorial analysis confirmed a model with three factors, composed of 12 variables, which explained 38.6% of the variability of the model data. The self-rated health variable was transferred to the psychological dimension and living alone variable to the physical dimension. The vision impairment and hearing impairment variables were dropped from the physical dimension. The variables significantly associated with the physical phenotype were self-rated health, urinary incontinence, visiting others, receiving visitors, depressive symptoms, concern about falls, feelings of sadness, and memory problems. A statistically significant difference in mean scores for physical, social, and psychological dimensions among three physical phenotype categories was observed (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the applicability of our frailty model and suggest the need for a multidimensional approach to providing appropriate and comprehensive care for older adults.

Impact of functional capacity on change in self-rated health among older adults in a nine-year longitudinal study.

The aims of the present study were to estimate the frequency of change in self-rated health (SRH) among community-dwelling older adults, between two measures taken at a 9-year interval; and determine factors associated with a decline and an improvement in SRH, in relation to aspects of physical/emotional health and subjective wellbeing. Data were derived from a community-based study on frailty among Brazilian elderly. Associations were investigated using Pearson's chi-square test and relative risk ratios were estimated using multinomial logistic regression analysis. 39.3% of participants did not change their SRH at both assessment times, 21.7% rated it as worse and 39.0% rated it as better. The relative risk ratio of an improvement in SRH for individuals with disability in basic activities of daily living (ADLs) was lower than for individuals with independence in basic ADLs (IRR=0.22; IC95%: 0.08-0.63). Understanding the complex interactions between self-rated health and the dimensions that influence the improvement of health perception may shed light on key determinants of the wellbeing among older adults.

The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil): Objectives and Design.

Brazil is experiencing among the world's fastest demographic aging worldwide. This demographic transition is occurring in a context of few resources and great social inequalities. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) is a nationally representative study of 9,412 people aged 50 years or older, residing in 70 municipalities across the 5 Brazilian regions. ELSI-Brazil allows investigations of the aging process, its health, psychosocial and economic determinants, and societal consequences. The baseline examination (2015-2016) included detailed household and individual interviews and physical measurements (blood pressure, anthropometry, grip strength, and timed walk and balance tests). Blood tests and sample storage were performed in a subsample of study participants. Subsequent waves are planned for every 3 years. The study adopts a conceptual framework common to other large-scale longitudinal studies of aging in the world, such as the Health and Retirement Study, allowing cross-national comparisons. The goal of ELSI-Brazil is not only to build an understanding of aging in a large, Western, middle-income country in a rapid demographic transition but also to provide scientific data to support and study policy changes that may affect older adults. We describe the methodology of the study and some descriptive results of the baseline survey.

Elderly caregivers living in urban, rural and high social vulnerability contexts.

OBJECTIVE Comparing the differences in the sociodemographic, care and health profiles of elderly caregivers of the elderly living in urban, rural, and high social vulnerability contexts. METHOD A cross-sectional study developed with elderly caregivers enrolled in the Family Health Units of a municipality in the interior of São Paulo. Household interviews and evaluations were conducted on: Activities of Daily Living (ADL), self-reported pain, frailty, cognition, life satisfaction, family functionality, burden, stress and hope. RESULTS A total of 343 elderly caregivers of elderly individuals participated in the study, of which 55.1% lived in an urban context, 23.6% in rural areas, and 21.3% in a context of high social vulnerability. The majority of elderly caregivers were women across the three contexts, with a median age of 67 years and caring for their spouse. Caregivers from regions of high social vulnerability had lower education level, received less emotional and material help to care, were less satisfied with life, more fragile, in more cognitive decline, had worse family functionality and a lower level of hope when compared to caregivers of urban and rural contexts (p≤0.05). However, caregivers from areas of high vulnerability were more independent for ADL. CONCLUSION Professionals working in Primary Care should consider these differences when planning interventions aimed at the specific group of caregivers.

[Insomnia symptoms, daytime naps and physical leisure activities in the elderly: FIBRA Study Campinas]. / Sintomas de insônia, cochilos diurnos e atividades físicas de lazer em idosos: estudo FIBRA Campinas.

The practice of physical activities contributes to reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improves sleep patterns in the elderly. This research aimed to investigate the association between insomnia symptoms and daytime nap and the participation in physical leisure activities in elderly community residents. Data from the Studies Network of the Fragility in Brazilian Elderly (Campinas site), were used. Information from 689 elderly was analyzed, regarding sociodemographic characterization, physical leisure activity, occurrence of daytime napping and its duration, symptoms of insomnia and use of sleep medication. A significant association was found between the practice of walking and the daytime nap of short duration. Studies indicate that a short nap can benefit the quality of sleep and health of the elderly. Therefore, promoting the practice of walking can be a nursing intervention that favors the sleep patterns of the elderly.

Frailty and functional status among older adults with cognitive impairment: data from the second wave of the FIBRA study.

Frailty is defined as a recognizable state of increased vulnerability resulting from age-associated decline of function in various physiological systems, such that the ability to deal with acute or everyday stressors is compromised. Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize the sample of older adults with cognitive impairment, according to the frailty status indirectly assessed by family members, other clinical and sociodemographic variables; and to assess the overlap of clinical conditions evaluated in this sample with cognitive impairment. Methods: Data were extracted from the follow-up database of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study (2016-2017). The sample consisted of 130 elderly people with cognitive impairment assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The scores for the Clinical Dementia Scale (CDR), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and Functional Activities Questionnaire were described. Frailty was indirectly measured through questions answered by family members about the five criteria that compose the frailty phenotype. Results: The sample consisted mostly of older women (n=91) with a mean age of 82.4 (SD=5.3) years, mean schooling of 3.3 years (SD=3.07), widowed (47.7%) and who lived with children and/or grandchildren (68%). More than half had multimorbidity (74.90%), 39.5% had depression symptoms suggestive of major depression, 57% had impaired functionality, 49.3% were frail, 37.6% pre-frail, and 13.10% robust. Conclusion: Among older adults with cognitive impairment, frailty and functional limitations are common.

A fragilidade é definida como um estado reconhecível de vulnerabilidade aumentada resultante do declínio da função associado à idade em vários sistemas fisiológicos, de modo que a capacidade de lidar com estressores agudos ou cotidianos fica comprometida. Objetivo: Caracterizar uma amostra de pessoas idosas com comprometimento cognitivo, segundo o estado de fragilidade, avaliado de forma indireta por familiares, assim como outras variáveis clínicas e sociodemográficas; e avaliar a sobreposição das condições clínicas avaliadas nesta amostra com o comprometimento cognitivo. Métodos: Os dados foram extraídos do banco de dados de acompanhamento do estudo Fragilidade em Idosos Brasileiros (FIBRA - 2016-2017). A amostra foi composta por 130 idosos com comprometimento cognitivo avaliado pelo Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM). Foram descritos os escores da Escala Clínica de Demência (CDR), da Escala Cornell de Depressão em Demência e do Questionário de Atividades Funcionais. A fragilidade foi mensurada indiretamente por meio de questões respondidas junto aos familiares sobre os cinco critérios que compõem o fenótipo de fragilidade. Resultados: A amostra foi composta em sua maioria por mulheres idosas (n=91) com idade média de 82,4 (DP=5,3) anos, escolaridade média de 3,3 anos (DP=3,07), viúvas (47,7%) e que viviam com filhos e/ou netos (68%). Mais da metade apresentava multimorbidade (74,90%), 39,5% apresentavam sintomas depressivos sugestivos de depressão maior, 57% tinham funcionalidade prejudicada, 49,3% eram frágeis, 37,6% pré-frágeis e 13,10% robustos. Conclusão: Entre idosos com alterações cognitivas, é comum a co-ocorrência de fragilidade e de limitações funcionais.

Low grip strength and gait speed as markers of dependence regarding basic activities of daily living: the FIBRA study.

OBJECTIVE: Marincolo et al. showed that older adults without limitations in basic activities of daily living at baseline presented with an 11.7% concomitant presence of functional dependence, slow gait speed, and low muscle strength at follow-up. Slow gait speed remains a predictor of dependence in basic activities of daily living. To determine whether low muscle strength and low gait speed increase the risk of disability related to basic activities of daily living in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A longitudinal study (9 years of follow-up) was conducted with 390 older adults who were independent in basic activities of daily living at baseline and answered the Katz Index at follow-up. Associations were determined using Pearson's χ2 test with a 5% significance level and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Increases in prevalence between baseline and follow-up were observed for low muscle strength (17.5%-38.2%), slow gait speed (26.0%-81.1%), and functional dependence (10.8%-26.6%). At follow-up, 11.7% of the participants had concomitant functional dependence, slow gait speed, and low muscle strength. Slow gait speed remained a predictor of dependence in basic activities of daily living (odds ratio=1.90; 95% confidence interval=1.06-3.41). CONCLUSION: Slow gait speed is a predictor of functional dependence, constituting an important variable for screening functional decline.

Higher purpose in life and education were associated with better cognition among older adults.

BACKGROUND: With aging, some cognitive abilities change because of neurobiological processes. Cognition may also be influenced by psychosocial aspects. OBJECTIVE: To describe the relationship between a measure of neuroticism, depression symptoms, purpose in life, and cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis based on the data from the second wave of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study, carried out between 2016 and 2017. The sample consisted of 419 older people (≥ 72 years old) cognitively unimpaired and mostly with low education. The variables of interest were sociodemographic, Neuroticism domain from the NEO-PI-R, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Purpose in Life (PiL) scale, and a cognitive composite score which included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the scores for the sub-items of the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (M-ACE), namely, Verbal Fluency (VF) - Animal, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Episodic Memory (name and address). RESULTS: There was a greater number of women (70%), with older age (median = 80 years, IQR = 77-82), and low education (median = 4 years, IQR = 2-5). In the bivariate correlations, years of education (ρ = 0.415; p < 0.001) and PiL (ρ = 0.220; p < 0.001) were positively associated with cognition. Neuroticism (ρ = -0.175; p < 0.001) and depression symptoms (ρ = -0.185; p < 0.001) were negatively associated with cognition. In the logistic regression, after including confounding variables, the associations between cognition and PiL (OR = 2.04; p = 0.007) and education (OR = 1.32; p < 0.001) remained significant. CONCLUSION: Low PiL and low education levels were associated with worse cognition among older adults. Such results may be of relevance in programs that aim to improve cognition among older adults.

ANTECEDENTES: Com o envelhecimento, algumas habilidades cognitivas mudam devido a processos neurobiológicos. A cognição também pode ser influenciada por aspectos psicossociais. OBJETIVO: Descrever as relações entre uma medida de neuroticismo, sintomas depressivos, propósito de vida e o desempenho cognitivo em pessoas idosas residentes na comunidade. MéTODOS: Trata-se de uma análise transversal com base nos dados da segunda onda do estudo de Fragilidade em Idosos Brasileiros (FIBRA), realizado entre 2016 e 2017. A amostra foi composta por 419 pessoas idosas (≥ 72 anos) cognitivamente saudáveis e em maior parte com baixa escolaridade. As variáveis de interesse foram as sociodemográficas, domínio Neuroticismo do NEO-PI-R, Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (EDG) e Escala de Propósito de Vida (PV) e um escore cognitivo composto que incluiu o Miniexame de Estado Mental (MEEM) e as pontuações dos subitens do Miniexame Cognitivo de Addenbrooke (M-ACE), a saber, Fluência Verbal (FV) Animal, Teste do Desenho do Relógio (TDR) e Memória Episódica (nome e endereço). RESULTADOS: Houve um maior número de mulheres (70%), com idade elevada (mediana = 80 anos, IIQ = 77-82) e baixa escolaridade (mediana = 4 anos, IIQ = 2-5). Nas correlações bivariadas, anos de escolaridade (ρ = 0,415; p < 0,001) e PV (ρ = 0,220; p < 0,001) foram positivamente associadas à cognição. Neuroticismo (ρ = -0,175; p < 0,001) e sintomas depressivos (ρ = -0,185; p < 0,001) foram negativamente associados à cognição. Na regressão logística, após a inclusão de variáveis de confusão, as associações entre cognição e PV (OR = 2,04; p = 0,007) e escolaridade (OR = 1,32; p < 0,001) permaneceram significativas. CONCLUSãO: Baixo PV e baixa escolaridade foram associados à pior cognição em idosos. Tais resultados podem ser relevantes em programas que visam a melhorar a cognição entre pessoas idosas.

[Association between insomnia and rheumatoid arthritis in elderly]. / Associação entre sintomas de insônia e artrite reumatóide em idosos.

This study aimed to assess symptoms of insomnia in elderly residents in the community and its association with rheumatoid arthritis. Descriptive and cross-sectional study, part of a multicentre research project entitled Fragility in Brazilian elderly . A total number of 689 elderly (68.9% female, average age of 72.2 years) were interviewed using a questionnaire on sociodemographic data and clinical conditions. Two tools to identify symptoms of insomnia (the Nottingham Health profile) and to screen cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination) were also applied. For data analysis, we used descriptive statistical techniques and multiple logistic regression, considering a 5% significance level. The association between insomnia symptoms and rheumatoid arthritis was found to be significant in the multivariate analysis; other associated factors were a very poor subjective evaluation of health, being retired, and the presence of depression. Health professionals should investigate carefully the sleep quality in elderly with rheumatoid arthritis, considering its high prevalence in this population.

[Loneliness and its association with sociodemographic and health indicators in Brazilian adults and older adults: ELSI-Brazil]. / Solidão e sua associação com indicadores sociodemográficos e de saúde em adultos e idosos brasileiros: ELSI-Brasil.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of loneliness and its associations with sociodemographic and health indicators in a nationally representative sample of Brazilian adults and older adults. Data from the baseline (2015-2016) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) were analyzed, and participants with complete information on the variables of interest (n = 7,957) were included. Loneliness was the outcome variable, which was based on the question "How often do you feel alone or lonely: always, sometimes, or never?" Independent variables included sociodemographic indicators and health behaviors and conditions. The analyses included the Pearson's chi-square test for calculating relative frequencies, and Poisson regression for estimating prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The prevalence of always feeling lonely was 16.8%; sometimes, 31.7%; and never, 51.5%. Significant associations were observed between always feeling lonely and depression (PR = 4.49; 95%CI: 3.93-5.11), living alone (PR = 2.44; 95%CI: 2.12-2.82), low education level (PR = 1.93; 95%CI: 1.61-2.32), being a woman (PR = 1.53; 95%CI: 1.36-1.72), self-rated poor/very poor health (PR = 1.48; 95%CI: 1.27-1.73), and poor/very poor sleep quality (PR = 1.21; 95%CI: 1.05-1.41). Given its potential to harm quality of life, it is necessary to longitudinally understand the trajectories of loneliness and associated variables, and to use this knowledge to design public policies and health interventions that could benefit the biopsychosocial well-being of Brazilian adults and older adults.

O objetivo foi investigar a prevalência de solidão e suas associações com indicadores sociodemográficos e de saúde em amostra nacionalmente representativa de adultos e idosos brasileiros. Foram analisados dados da linha de base (2015-2016) do Estudo Longitudinal da Saúde dos Idosos Brasileiros (ELSI-Brasil) e incluídos os participantes com informações completas nas variáveis de interesse (n = 7.957). Solidão foi a variável de desfecho, cuja medida baseou-se na pergunta "Com que frequência o(a) senhor(a) se sentiu sozinho(a) ou solitário(a): sempre, algumas vezes ou nunca?". As variáveis independentes compreenderam indicadores sociodemográficos e comportamentos e condições de saúde. As análises incluíram o teste qui-quadrado de Pearson, para cálculo das frequências relativas, e a regressão de Poisson, para estimativa das razões de prevalência (RP) e respectivos intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%). A prevalência de sempre sentir solidão foi de 16,8%; de algumas vezes, 31,7%; e de nunca, 51,5%. Foram observadas associações significativas entre sempre sentir solidão e depressão (RP = 4,49; IC95%: 3,93-5,11), morar só (RP = 2,44; IC95%: 2,12-2,82), baixa escolaridade (RP = 1,93; IC95%: 1,61-2,32), sexo feminino (RP = 1,53; IC95%: 1,36-1,72), autoavaliação de saúde ruim/muito ruim (RP = 1,48; IC95%: 1,27-1,73) e qualidade do sono ruim/muito ruim (RP = 1,21; IC95%: 1,05-1,41). Dado seu potencial de prejuízo à qualidade de vida, é necessário conhecer longitudinalmente as trajetórias da solidão e as variáveis associadas e usar esse conhecimento para o delineamento de políticas públicas e intervenções em saúde que poderão beneficiar o bem-estar biopsicossocial de adultos e idosos brasileiros.

El objetivo fue investigar la prevalencia de la soledad y sus asociaciones con indicadores sociodemográficos y de salud en una muestra nacionalmente representativa de adultos y ancianos brasileños. Se analizaron datos de la línea base (2015-2016) del Estudio Longitudinal de la Salud de los Ancianos Brasileños (ELSI-Brasil) y se incluyeron los participantes con información completa en las variables de interés (n = 7.957). La soledad fue la variable de desenlace, cuya medida se basó en la pregunta "¿Con qué frecuencia te sentiste solo(a) o solitario(a): siempre, a veces o nunca?". Las variables independientes incluyeron indicadores sociodemográficos y comportamientos y condiciones de salud. Los análisis incluyeron la prueba de chi-cuadrado de Pearson para calcular las frecuencias relativas, y la regresión de Poisson, para estimar las razones de prevalencia (RP) y los respectivos intervalos de 95% de confianza (IC95%). La prevalencia de sentirse siempre solo fue de 16,8%; a veces, 31,7%; y nunca, 51,5%. Se observaron asociaciones significativas entre sentir siempre soledad y depresión (RP = 4,49; IC95%: 3,93-5,11), vivir solo (RP = 2,44; IC95%: 2,12-2,82), baja escolaridad (RP = 1,93; IC95%: 1,61-2,32), sexo femenino (RP = 1,53; IC95%: 1,36-1,72), autoevaluación de salud mala/muy mala (RP = 1,48; IC95%: 1,27-1,73) y calidad del sueño mala/muy mala (RP = 1,21; IC95%: 1,05-1,41). Dado su potencial para perjudicar la calidad de vida, es necesario conocer longitudinalmente las trayectorias de la soledad y las variables asociadas, y usar ese conocimiento para diseñar políticas públicas e intervenciones en salud que puedan beneficiar el bienestar biopsicosocial de adultos y ancianos brasileños.

[Influence of multimorbidity patterns on the activities in the day-to-day lives of the elderly: nine-year follow-up of the Fibra Study]. / Influência de padrões de multimorbidade nas atividades de vida diária da pessoa idosa: seguimento de nove anos do Estudo Fibra.

The scope of this article was to evaluate the influence of multimorbidity and associated effects on the activities in the day-to-day lives of community-dwelling elderly individuals. It involved a cohort study with data from the FIBRA Study, the baseline (2008-2009) and follow-up (2016-2017). The basic activities in daily living (ADL) were evaluated using Katz's index, and the chronic diseases were classified as: (1) multimorbidity and multimorbidity patterns; (2) cardiopulmonary; (3) vascular-metabolic; and (4) mental-musculoskeletal. The chi-square test and Poisson regression data were used for analysis. A total of 861 older adults with no functional dependency at baseline were analyzed. Elderly individuals with multimorbidity (RR = 1.58; 95%CI: 1.19-2.10) and classified according to cardiopulmonary (RR = 2.43; 95%CI: 1.77-3.33), vascular-metabolic (RR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.19-1.89) and mental-musculoskeletal (RR = 1.30; 95%CI: 1.03-1.65) had a higher risk of presenting functional decline in ADL in the follow-up compared to those who didn't have the same disease patterns. Multimorbidity and its patterns increased the risk of functional disability in older adults over the nine-year period.

O objetivo foi avaliar a influência da multimorbidade e seus padrões nas atividades básicas de vida diária da pessoa idosa residente na comunidade. Trata-se de estudo de coorte com dados provenientes do Estudo FIBRA, linha de base (2008-2009) e seguimento (2016-2017). As atividades básicas de vida diária (ABVD) foram avaliadas pelo questionário de Katz e as doenças crônicas foram classificadas como (1) multimorbidade e padrões de multimorbidade: (2) cardiopulmonar; (3) vascular-metabólico; e (4) mental-musculoesquelético. Para a análise de dados, utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado e a regressão de Poisson. Foram analisados 861 indivíduos sem limitação para ABVD na linha de base. As pessoas idosas com multimorbidade (RR = 1,58; IC95%: 1,19-2,10) e classificados nos padrões cardiopulmonar (RR = 2,43; IC95%: 1,77-3,33), vascular-metabólico (RR = 1,50; IC95%: 1,19-1,89) e mental-musculoesquelético (RR = 1,30; IC95%: 1,03-1,65) tiveram maior risco de apresentar declínio funcional nas ABVD no seguimento em comparação aos que não tinham os mesmos padrões de doenças. A multimorbidade e seus padrões aumentaram o risco de incapacidade na pessoa idosa ao longo de nove anos.

Relationship between chronic pain, depressive symptoms, and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults: mediating role of frailty.

BACKGROUND: Borim et al. showed that older adults with chronic pain exhibited more depressive symptoms and frailty components. Depressive symptoms were associated with more frailty components, and those with more depressive symptoms and frailty faced greater limitations in IADL performance. Frailty appears to mediate the pathway from chronic pain to functional impairment Chronic pain is directly associated with depressive symptoms and frailty. Chronic pain is not directly associated with functional disability. Depression and frailty are both directly associated with functional disabilities. Frailty mediates the association between chronic pain and functional disability. Depression; Disability evaluation; Frailty; Frail elderly. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the direct and indirect effects of chronic pain, depressive symptoms, frailty components, and functional disability through a pathway analysis approach in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Data of 419 participants were cross-sectionally evaluated for the presence of depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale [15 items]), physical frailty components (phenotype criteria), chronic pain, and limitations in performing instrumental activities of daily living (functional disability scale by Lawton and Brody). Structural equation modeling via path analysis was used to explore the direct and indirect effects among these four variables. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Of the total participants, 69.8% were women and 59.3% had low education (1-4 years); the mean age was 80.3±4.6 years. Chronic pain and depressive symptoms were directly related and were associated to frailty. The number of frailty components and depressive symptoms were directly associated with functional disability. Frailty had an indirect effect on the association between chronic pain, depressive symptoms, and functional disabilities. CONCLUSION: The pathway from chronic pain and depressive symptoms to functional disability is potentially mediated by the number of frailty components.

Cognitive Impairment Predicts Sarcopenia 9 Years Later among Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the longitudinal association between cognitive impairment and sarcopenia in a sample of Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Nine-year observational prospective study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 521 community-dwelling older adults from 2 Brazilian sites of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA in Portuguese) study. METHODS: Sarcopenia was defined as low hand-grip strength and low muscle mass. Cognitive impairment was determined at baseline using the Mini-Mental State Examination, with education-adjusted cutoff scores. The logistic regression model was used to assess the association between cognitive impairment and incident sarcopenia after adjusting for gender, age, education, morbidities, physical activity, and body mass index. Inverse probability weighting was applied to correct for sample loss at follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 72.7 (±5.6) years, and 365 were women (70.1%). Being 80 years and older [odds ratio (OR), 4.62; 95% CI, 1.38-15.48; P = .013], being under- and overweight (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11-0.76; P = .012, and OR, 5.12; 95% CI, 2.18-12.01; P < .001, respectively) and having cognitive impairment (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.18-5.04; P = .016) at baseline predicted sarcopenia after 9 years. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Cognitive impairment may predict sarcopenia in Brazilian older adults. More studies are necessary to identify the main mechanisms shared by sarcopenia and cognitive decline, which could support the development of prevention interventions.

Mini-Mental State Examination sentence writing among community-dwelling elderly adults in Brazil: text fluency and grammar complexity.

BACKGROUND: In normal aging, the decrease in the syntactic complexity of written production is usually associated with cognitive deficits. This study was aimed to analyze the quality of older adults' textual production indicated by verbal fluency (number of words) and grammatical complexity (number of ideas) in relation to gender, age, schooling, and cognitive status. METHODS: From a probabilistic sample of community-dwelling people aged 65 years and above (n = 900), 577 were selected on basis of their responses to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) sentence writing, which were submitted to content analysis; 323 were excluded as they left the item blank or performed illegible or not meaningful responses. Education adjusted cut-off scores for the MMSE were used to classify the participants as cognitively impaired or unimpaired. Total and subdomain MMSE scores were computed. RESULTS: 40.56% of participants whose answers to the MMSE sentence were excluded from the analyses had cognitive impairment compared to 13.86% among those whose answers were included. The excluded participants were older and less educated. Women and those older than 80 years had the lowest scores in the MMSE. There was no statistically significant relationship between gender, age, schooling, and textual performance. There was a modest but significant correlation between number of words written and the scores in the Language subdomain. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the strong influence of schooling and age over MMSE sentence performance. Failing to write a sentence may suggest cognitive impairment, yet, instructions for the MMSE sentence, i.e. to produce a simple sentence, may limit its clinical interpretation.

Mini-Mental State Examination performance in frail, pre-frail, and non-frail community dwelling older adults in Ermelino Matarazzo, São Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Frailty in older adults is a multifactorial syndrome defined by low metabolic reserve, less resistance to stressors, and difficulty in maintaining organic homeostasis due to cumulative decline of multiple physiological systems. The relationship between frailty and cognition remains unclear and studies about Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) performance and frailty are scarce. The objective was to examine the association between frailty and cognitive functioning as assessed by the MMSE and its subdomains. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study (FIBRA) was carried out in Ermelino Matarazzo, a poor subdistrict of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants were 384 community dwelling older adults, 65 years and older who completed the MMSE and a protocol to assess frailty criteria as described in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). RESULTS: Frail older adults had significantly worse performance on the MMSE (p < 0.001 for total score). Linear regression analyses showed that the MMSE total score was influenced by age (p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001), family income (p < 0.001), and frailty status (p < 0.036). Being frail was associated more significantly with worse scores in Time Orientation (p < 0.004) and Immediate Memory (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that being frail is associated with worse cognitive performance, as assessed by the MMSE. It is recommended that the assessment of frail older adults should include the investigation of their cognitive status.

Relationships between gender, age, family conditions, physical and mental health, and social isolation of elderly caregivers.

BACKGROUND: In an aging population an increasing number of elderly caregivers will be called upon to provide care over a long period, during which time they will be burdened both by caregiving and by the physiological effects of their own aging. Among them there will be more aged male caregivers, who will probably be less prepared than women to become caregivers. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between caregivers' gender, age, family income, living arrangements and social support as independent variables, and depressive symptoms, comorbidities, level of frailty, grip strength, walking speed and social isolation, as dependent variables. METHODS: 176 elderly people (123 women) were selected from a sample of a population-based study on frailty (n = 900), who had cared for a spouse (79.3%) and/or parents (31.4%) in the past five years (mean age = 71.8 ± 4.86 years; mean monthly family income in minimum wages = 4.64 ± 5.14). The study used questionnaires and self-report scales, grip strength and walking speed tests. RESULTS: 65% of participants evaluated caregiving as being very stressful. Univariate analyses of regression showed low family income as a risk factor for depression; being female and low perceived social support as a risk for comorbidities; being 80 years of age and above for low grip strength; and being male for social isolation indicated by discontinuity of activities and social roles. In multivariate analyses of regression, poverty arose as a risk factor for depression and being female for comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Gender roles, age, income and social support interacted with physical and emotional health, and with the continuity of social participation of elderly caregivers. Special attention must be given to male caregivers.

How Do the Factors Associated With Frailty Change With Sex? An Exploratory Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is important to study multiple social, physical, and psychosocial factors associated with frailty in populations characterized by social and health disparities, such as men and women. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional population-based study with older adults 65 years or older from the FIBRA (Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults) 2008-2009 study. We carried out a comparative analysis of the factors associated with the frailty phenotype in older men (N = 706) and women (N = 1 251) using networks based on mixed graphical models according to sex. RESULTS: In the male network, frailty was most strongly associated with years of schooling, overall satisfaction with life, and falls; in the female network, the syndrome was associated with satisfaction with problem-solving, depression, and diabetes in addition to years of schooling. Furthermore, permutation tests showed that the networks for males and females were statistically different in terms of their structure, the global strength of the relationships, and the strength of the relationships between frailty and diabetes; frailty and falls; frailty and depression; frailty and overall satisfaction with life; and frailty and satisfaction with problem-solving (p < .05). The walktrap network cluster detection algorithm revealed that in men, frailty was in a physical and social dimension while in women the syndrome was in a cardiometabolic and psychosocial dimension. CONCLUSIONS: Network analysis showed that different factors are associated with frailty for each sex. The findings suggest that different strategies for dealing with frailty should be adopted for men and women so that care and prevention efforts can be directed appropriately.

Depressive symptoms, symptoms of insomnia and stressful events in hypertensive older adults: Cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: the aim of this study was to determine whether symptoms of insomnia and intensity of stressful life events are independently associated with depressive symptoms in community-dwelling hypertensive older adults. METHODS: this was an observational cross-sectional study. Participants were 438 older adults with arterial hypertension who completed questionnaires about depressive symptoms, stressful events, self-reported symptoms of insomnia and socio-demographic characteristics. Cluster analysis was performed to obtain groups according to insomnia symptoms. The following groups were identified: Poor Sleep Quality, Early Waking and Good Sleep Quality. Associations were tested using linear regression analysis and multiple Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The factors that independently contributed to the increase of depressive symptoms were belonging to the Poor Sleep Quality group (p<.001) and Early Waking group (p=.005), reporting higher intensity of stressful life events (p<.001) and having less schooling (p=.003). CONCLUSION: older adults with hypertension need a comprehensive approach to their health care that considers depressive symptoms and their relationship with intensity of stressful events, insomnia symptoms and schooling.