Eight-year longitudinal falls trajectories and associations with modifiable risk factors: evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

BACKGROUND: The label 'faller' and the associated stigma may reduce healthcare-seeking behaviours. However, falls are not inevitably progressive and many drivers are modifiable. This observational study described the 8-year longitudinal trajectories of self-reported falls in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and studied associations with factors, including mobility, cognition, orthostatic hypotension (OH), fear of falling (FOF) and use of antihypertensive and antidepressant medications. METHODS: Participants aged ≥50 years at each wave were categorised by whether they averaged ≥2 falls in the previous year (recurrent fallers) or not (≤1 fall). Next-wave transition probabilities were estimated with multi-state models. RESULTS: 8,157 (54.2% female) participants were included, of whom 586 reported ≥2 falls at Wave 1. Those reporting ≥2 falls in the past year had a 63% probability of moving to the more favourable state of ≤1 fall. Those reporting ≤1 fall had a 2% probability of transitioning to ≥2 falls. Besides older age and higher number of chronic conditions, factors that increased the risk of transitioning from ≤1 fall to ≥2 falls were lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, FOF and taking antidepressants. Conversely, male sex, higher timed up and go time, the presence of OH and being on antidepressants reduced the probability of improving from ≥2 falls to ≤1 fall. CONCLUSION: The majority of recurrent fallers experienced favourable transitions. Improvements in cognitive and psychological status, psychotropic prescribing, mobility and OH may help improve trajectories. Findings may help combat stigma associated with falling and promote preventative healthcare-seeking behaviours.

The use of the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management's risk stratification algorithm in predicting falls in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

BACKGROUND: the aim of this study was to retrospectively operationalise the World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and Management (WGFPM) falls risk stratification algorithm using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). We described how easy the algorithm was to operationalise in TILDA and determined its utility in predicting falls in this population. METHODS: participants aged ≥50 years were stratified as 'low risk', 'intermediate' or 'high risk' as per WGFPM stratification based on their Wave 1 TILDA assessments. Groups were compared for number of falls, number of people who experienced one or more falls and number of people who experienced an injury when falling between Wave 1 and Wave 2 (approximately 2 years). RESULTS: 5,882 participants were included in the study; 4,521, 42 and 1,309 were classified as low, intermediate and high risk, respectively, and 10 participants could not be categorised due to missing data. At Wave 2, 17.4%, 43.8% and 40.5% of low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups reported having fallen, and 7.1%, 18.8% and 18.7%, respectively, reported having sustained an injury from falling. CONCLUSION: the implementation of the WGFPM risk assessment algorithm was feasible in TILDA and successfully differentiated those at greater risk of falling. The high number of participants classified in the low-risk group and lack of differences between the intermediate and high-risk groups may be related to the non-clinical nature of the TILDA sample, and further study in other samples is warranted.

Predictors of physical activity in older adults early in an emergency hospital admission: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Reduced mobility may be responsible for functional decline and acute sarcopenia in older hospitalised patients. The drivers of reduced in-hospital mobility are poorly understood, especially during the early phase of acute hospitalisation. We investigated predictors of in-hospital activity during a 24-h period in the first 48 h of hospital admission in older adults. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective repeated measures cohort study. Participants aged 75 years or older were recruited within the first 24 h of admission. At recruitment, patients underwent a baseline assessment including measurements of pre-morbid functional mobility, cognition, frailty, falls efficacy, co-morbidity, acute illness severity, knee extension strength and grip strength, and consented to wear accelerometers to measure physical activity during the first 7 days (or until discharge if earlier). In-hospital physical activity was defined as the amount of upright time (standing or walking). To examine the predictors of physical activity, we limited the analysis to the first 24 h of recording to maximise the sample size as due to discharge from hospital there was daily attrition. We used a best subset analysis including all baseline measures. The optimal model was defined by having the lowest Bayesian information criterion in the best-subset analyses. The model specified a maximum of 5 covariates and used an exhaustive search. RESULTS: Seventy participants were recruited but eight were excluded from the final analysis due to lack of accelerometer data within the first 24 h after recruitment. Patients spent a median of 0.50 h (IQR: 0.21; 1.43) standing or walking. The optimal model selected the following covariates: functional mobility as measured by the de Morton Mobility Index and two measures of illness severity, the National Early Warning Score, and serum C-reactive protein. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity, particularly in the acute phase of hospitalisation, is very low in older adults. The association between illness severity and physical activity may be explained by symptoms of acute illness being barriers to activity. Interdisciplinary approaches are required to identify early mobilisation opportunities.

Influence of Concomitant Extracranial Injury on Functional and Cognitive Recovery From Mild Versus Moderateto Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of extracranial injury (ECI) on 6-month outcome in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) versus moderate-to-severe TBI. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Patients with TBI (n = 135) or isolated orthopedic injury (n = 25) admitted to a UK major trauma center and healthy volunteers (n = 99). DESIGN: Case-control observational study. MAIN MEASURES: Primary outcomes: (a) Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), (b) depression, (c) quality of life (QOL), and (d) cognitive impairment including verbal fluency, episodic memory, short-term recognition memory, working memory, sustained attention, and attentional flexibility. RESULTS: Outcome was influenced by both TBI severity and concomitant ECI. The influence of ECI was restricted to mild TBI; GOSE, QOL, and depression outcomes were significantly poorer following moderate-to-severe TBI than after isolated mild TBI (but not relative to mild TBI plus ECI). Cognitive impairment was driven solely by TBI severity. General health, bodily pain, semantic verbal fluency, spatial recognition memory, working memory span, and attentional flexibility were unaffected by TBI severity and additional ECI. CONCLUSION: The presence of concomitant ECI ought to be considered alongside brain injury severity when characterizing the functional and neurocognitive effects of TBI, with each presenting challenges to recovery.

Failure of sucrose replacement with the non-nutritive sweetener erythritol to alter GLP-1 or PYY release or test meal size in lean or obese people.

There is considerable interest in the effect of foods containing high intensity sweeteners on satiation. However, less is known about low-calorie bulk sweeteners such as erythritol. In this randomized three-way crossover study, we studied 10 lean and 10 obese volunteers who consumed three test meals on separate occasions: (a) control sucrose meal; (b) isovolumic meal with partial replacement of sucrose by erythritol; (c) isocaloric meal which contained more erythritol but equivalent calories to the control meal. We measured gut hormone levels, hunger and satiety scores, ad libitum food intake, sucrose preference and intake after the manipulations. There was a greater post-prandial excursion in glucose and insulin levels after sucrose than after the erythritol meals. There was no difference in GLP-1/PYY levels or subsequent energy intake and sucrose preference between sucrose control and isovolumic erythritol meals. In lean (but not obese) participants, hunger decreased to a greater extent after the isocaloric erythritol meal compared to the control meal (p = 0.003) reflecting the larger volume of this meal. Replacing sucrose with erythritol leads to comparable hunger and satiety scores, GLP-1 and PYY levels, and subsequent sucrose preference and intake.

Development steps of multimodal exercise interventions for older adults with multimorbidity: A systematic review.

Background and Aims: Multicomponent exercise interventions are recommended for older adults and for those with chronic diseases. While multiple programs have been tested, no one has yet explored how these programs were developed. This review set out to determine what development steps multicomponent exercise intervention studies that include older adults with multimorbidity have taken. Methods: Systematic review and narrative synthesis. Results: One hundred and thirty-eight studies meeting review criteria (Population: adults ≥60 years with multimorbidity; Intervention: exercise interventions with ≥2 components; Comparator: any considered; Outcome: any considered) were retrieved. Most studies (70%) do not report intervention development actions as suggested by available guidance. Notable deviations from recommendations include limited performance of systematic review of previously published evidence, lack of engagement with theory, and few examples of design then refine. Conclusions: Exercise interventions for older adults with multimorbidity do not appear to follow best practice in terms of their developing. Disregard of development recommendations risks contributing to research redundancy and/or avoidable waste, as important steps that make sure the intervention is warranted, suitable for the population in question, and tested using optimal methods and outcome measures are overlooked.

'Keeping the plates spinning': a qualitative study of the complexity, barriers, and facilitators to caregiving in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

AIMS: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for 50% of all heart failure cases; yet remains poorly understood, diagnosed, and managed, which adds complexity to the carer role. No study to date has investigated the experiences of informal carers of people with HFpEF. The aim of this study was to explore the role and experiences of informal carers of people with HFpEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews involving carers alone, patients alone, or carer/patient dyads. The interviews were part of a larger programme of research in HFpEF. Participants were recruited from three regions of England. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. Twenty-two interviews were conducted with 38 participants, 17 were informal carers. Three inter-related themes were identified: Theme 1, the complex nature of informal caregiving ('spinning plates'); Theme 2, the barriers to caregiving ('the spinning falters'); and Theme 3, the facilitators of caregiving ('keeping the plates spinning'). CONCLUSIONS: Informal carers play an important role in supporting people with HFpEF. The experience of caregiving in HFpEF is similar to that described for Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction, but complicated by challenges of limited information and support specific to HFpEF, and high burden of multi-morbidity. Healthcare providers should assess the needs of informal carers as part of patient care in HFpEF. Carers and patients would benefit from improved information and co-ordinated management of HFpEF and multi-morbidities. Helping carers 'keep the plates spinning' will require innovative approaches and co-ordination across the care continuum.

A critical interpretive synthesis of the lived experiences and health and patient-reported outcomes of people living with COPD who isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS: To determine the lived experiences of people with COPD who isolated at home during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and explore how these experiences affected health and patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: Keyword searches were performed in five bibliographic databases. Critical interpretative synthesis (CIS) methods were used to interrogate and understand patterns across studies. RESULTS: 23 studies were identified; three employed qualitative methods and 20 quantitative methods. Application of CIS methods highlighted a core synthetic concept that appeared to underpin experiences and outcomes, that of a heightened perception of risk. Using the Risk Perception Model as a framework, we found that cognitive factors such as knowledge of underlying health status and the transmissibility of COVID-19; experiential factors including previous episodes of breathlessness and hospitalisation; and sociocultural factors such as access to trusted sources of information, influenced perceptions of risk. In turn, this influenced behaviour, which translated to outcomes such as reduced hospitalisations, deconditioning and social isolation as people avoided "high-risk" situations and settings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD who isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic had a heightened perception of risk which was influenced by cognitive, experiential and sociocultural factors. The consequences of this were varied and included both positive (reduced exacerbations and hospitalisations) and negative (social isolation, deconditioning, diminished capacity for self-care) outcomes. Understanding risk and the impacts it can have could help clinicians to support people with COPD return to their pre-pandemic way of living and enable better communication of ongoing risk from respiratory viral illness.

What dietary interventions have been tested in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction? A systematic scoping review.

AIMS: To determine what dietary interventions have been tested in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the modulation method, and outcomes employed and to summarize any evidence for benefit. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed key word searches in five bibliographic databases from 2001 to 2021, to identify randomized or experimental dietary interventions tested in HFpEF or mixed heart failure (HF) samples. Study characteristics were summarized according to population, intervention, comparator, outcome categories and intervention complexity was assessed. Twenty-five clinical investigations were retrieved; only 10 (40%) were conducted exclusively in HFpEF; the remainder enrolled mixed HF samples. Most studies employed either highly tailored prescribed diets (n = 12, 48%) or dietary supplementation (n = 10, 40%) modalities. Dietary pattern interventions (n = 3, 12%) are less well represented in the literature. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneity made pooling studies challenging. Better reporting of baseline characteristics and the use of standardized HF lexicon would ensure greater confidence in interpretation of studies involving mixed HF populations. The field would benefit greatly from explicit reporting of the biological mechanism of action (e.g. the causal pathway) that an intervention is designed to modulate so that studies can be synthesized via their underlying mechanism of action by which diet may affect HF. An extension of the current set of core outcomes proposed by the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association would ensure dietary clinical endpoints are more consistently defined and measured. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42019145388.

What are the outcomes of dietary interventions in Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To determine the efficacy of dietary interventions in Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). METHOD AND RESULTS: Keyword searches were performed in five bibliographic databases to identify randomized or controlled studies of dietary interventions conducted in HFpEF or mixed heart failure (HF) samples published in the English language. Studies were appraised for bias and synthesized into seven categories based on the similarity of the intervention or targeted population. The quality of the body of evidence was assessed via the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) framework. Twenty-five unique interventions were identified; 17 were considered for meta-analysis. Most studies were judged to be at high risk of bias. There was moderate-quality evidence that caloric restriction led to clinically meaningful improvements in blood pressure and body weight. There was moderate-quality evidence that carbohydrate restriction resulted in meaningful reductions in blood pressure. There was very low-quality evidence that protein supplementation improved blood pressure and body weight and moderate-quality evidence for clinically meaningful improvements in function. CONCLUSIONS: While some types of dietary interventions appeared to deliver clinically meaningful change in critical outcomes; the study heterogeneity and overall quality of the evidence make it difficult to make firm recommendations. Greater transparency when reporting the nutritional composition of interventions would enhance the ability to pool studies. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019145388.

Cumulative complexity: a qualitative analysis of patients' experiences of living with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

AIMS: To investigate how heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), within the context of limited clinical services, impacts patients' lives. METHODS AND RESULTS: Secondary thematic analysis informed by the cumulative complexity model (CCM), of interview transcripts from 77 people diagnosed with HFpEF and their carers. Four themes corresponding to the core concepts of workload, capacity, access, and outcome described in the CCM were generated. Theme 1: Shouldering a heavy workload described the many tasks expected of people living with HFpEF. Theme 2: The multiple threats to capacity described how patients and carers strived to engage with this work, but were often faced with multiple threats such as symptoms and mobility limitations. Deficient illness identity (Theme 3) reflects how HFpEF either was not recognized or was perceived as a more benign form of HF and therefore afforded less importance or priority. These themes contributed to a range of negative physical, social, and psychological outcomes and the perception of loss of control described in Theme 4: Spiraling complexity. CONCLUSIONS: The constellation of HFpEF, multi-morbidity, and ageing creates many demands that people with HFpEF are expected to manage. Concurrently, the same syndromes threaten their ability to physically enact this work. Patients' recollections of their interactions with health professionals suggest that there is a widespread misunderstanding of HFpEF, which can prohibit access to care that could potentially reduce or prevent deterioration.

Clinical and demographic correlates of accelerometer-measured physical activity in participants enrolled in the OPTIMISE HFpEF study.

AIMS: This study aimed to measure physical activity (PA) in participants with suspected heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and assess associations between PA and participant characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adults with presumed HFpEF were recruited and received diagnostic evaluation and clinical assessment. Physical activity was objectively measured using accelerometers over 7 days. To examine predictors of PA, a best subset analysis was used, with the optimal model defined as that with the lowest Bayesian information criterion. One hundred and twenty-four participants with presumed HFpEF who had valid accelerometer data were included in this study. Seventy-six were confirmed by a cardiologist as meeting the European Society of Cardiology diagnosis criteria for HFpEF. The median age of all participants was 80.1 years, and 47.4% were female. Patients spent most of each 24-h period at low-intensity PA and few or no durations at high-intensity PA, with lower activity for those with HFpEF. Gait speed was the best univariate correlate of activity levels (adjusted R2 0.29). The optimal model using best subsets regression included six variables and improved adjusted R2 to 0.47. In the model, lower levels of PA were associated with slower gait speed, lower levels of anxiety, higher levels of depression, past smoking history, a confirmed HFpEF diagnosis, and higher body mass index. CONCLUSION: Participants demonstrated very low PA levels. The study has identified important patient characteristics associated with PA, which may help to identify those most in need of interventions. Notably, participants with confirmed HFpEF were more inactive than participants with other heart failure phenotypes.

Clinicians' and patients' experiences of managing heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulted in unprecedented societal and healthcare provision change, which has been implemented at pace. Little is known about the indirect impacts of these changes and what the future effects may be. AIM: To explore patients' and clinicians' experiences of managing heart failure (HF) during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN & SETTING: Qualitative study in three regions of the UK: Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews (n = 30) were conducted with older adults with established HF and healthcare providers from primary and secondary health services involved in their care. Interviews were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Compliance with the government guidance 'Stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives' during the COVID-19 pandemic, and perceptions relating to risk from COVID-19 and underlying morbidity, drove 'being careful' behaviours and organisational changes. Enacting behavioural change and implementing organisational change resulted in opportunities and challenges for health and healthcare practice. CONCLUSION: Perception of risk led to significant behavioural and organisational change during the pandemic. Some changes described by both patients and clinicians, such as enhanced relationships and self-monitoring, present as opportunities, and consideration should be given as to how to maintain or develop these. Equally, indirect impacts of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown, such as disengagement and withdrawal, and the fallout from reluctance to access health services, should be acknowledged and interventions to address these challenges are needed.

Characteristics of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in primary care: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are undiagnosed, and UK general practice registers do not typically record heart failure (HF) subtype. Improvements in management of HFpEF is dependent on improved identification and characterisation of patients in primary care. AIM: To describe a cohort of patients recruited from primary care with suspected HFpEF and compare patients in whom HFpEF was confirmed and refuted. DESIGN & SETTING: Baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of patients with suspected HFpEF recruited from primary care in two areas of England. METHOD: A screening algorithm and review were used to find patients on HF registers without a record of reduced ejection fraction (EF). Baseline evaluation included cardiac, mental and physical function, clinical characteristics, and patient reported outcomes. Confirmation of HFpEF was clinically adjudicated by a cardiologist. RESULTS: In total, 93 (61%) of 152 patients were confirmed HFpEF. The mean age of patients with HFpEF was 79 years, 46% were female, 80% had hypertension, and 37% took ≥10 medications. Patients with HFpEF were more likely to be obese, pre-frail or frail, report more dyspnoea and fatigue, were more functionally impaired, and less active than patients in whom HFpEF was refuted. Few had attended cardiac rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Patients with confirmed HFpEF had frequent multimorbidity, functional impairment, frailty, and polypharmacy. Although comorbid conditions were similar between people with and without HFpEF, the former had more obesity, symptoms, and worse physical function. These findings highlight the potential to optimise wellbeing through comorbidity management, medication rationalisation, rehabilitation, and supported self-management.

Heart failure disease management: a systematic review of effectiveness in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

AIMS: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) poses a substantial challenge for clinicians, but there is little guidance for effective management. The aim of this systematic review was to determine if there was evidence that disease management programmes (DMPs) improved outcomes for patients with HFpEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: A systematic review of controlled studies in English or Greek of DMPs including patients with HFpEF from 2008 to 2018 was conducted using CINAHL, Cochrane, MEDLINE, and Embase. Interventions were assessed using a DMP taxonomy and scored for complexity and intensity. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Initial and updated searches found 6089 titles once duplicates were removed. The final analysis included 18 studies with 5435 HF patients: 1866 patients (34%, study ranges 18-100%) had potential HFpEF (limited by variable definitions). Significant heterogeneity in terms of the population, intervention, comparisons, and outcomes prohibited meta-analysis. Statistically significant or positive trends were found in mortality, hospitalization rates, self-care ability, quality of life, anxiety, depression, and sleep, but findings were not robust or consistent. Four studies reported results separately for study-defined HFpEF, with two finding less positive effect on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Varying definitions of HFpEF used in studies are a substantial limitation in interpretation of findings. The reduced efficacy noted in contemporary HF DMP studies may not only be due to improvements in usual care but may also reflect inclusion of heterogeneous patients with HFpEF or HF with mid-range EF who may not respond in the same way as HFrEF to individual components. Given that patients with HFpEF are older and multi-morbid, DMPs targeting HFpEF should not rely on a single-disease focus but provide care that addresses predisposing and presentation phenotypes and draws on the principles of comprehensive geriatric assessment. Other components could also be more targeted to HFpEF such as modification of lifestyle factors for which there is emerging evidence, rather than simply continuing the model of care used in HFrEF. Based on current evidence, HF DMPs may improve mortality, hospitalization rates, self-care, and quality of life in patients with HFpEF; however, further research specifically tailored to appropriately defined HFpEF is required.

Mild traumatic brain injury recovery: a growth curve modelling analysis over 2 years.

BACKGROUND: An improved understanding of the trajectory of recovery after mild traumatic brain injury is important to be able to understand individual patient outcomes, for longitudinal patient care and to aid the design of clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: To explore changes in health, well-being and cognition over the 2 years following mTBI using latent growth curve (LGC) modelling. METHODS: Sixty-one adults with mTBI presenting to a UK Major Trauma Centre completed comprehensive longitudinal assessment at up to five time points after injury: 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. RESULTS: Persisting problems were seen with neurological symptoms, cognitive issues and poor quality of life measures including 28% reporting incomplete recovery on the Glasgow Outcome Score Extended at 2 years. Harmful drinking, depression, psychological distress, disability, episodic memory and working memory did not improve significantly over the 2 years following injury. For other measures, including the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms and Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI), LGC analysis revealed significant improvement over time with recovery tending to plateau at 3-6 months. INTERPRETATION: Significant impairment may persist as late as 2 years after mTBI despite some recovery over time. Longitudinal analyses which make use of all available data indicate that recovery from mTBI occurs over a longer timescale than is commonly believed. These findings point to the need for long-term management of mTBI targeting individuals with persisting impairment.