The relationship between cognitive frailty, physical frailty and malnutrition in Turkish older adults.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cognitive and physical frailty and malnutrition in older adults. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional and observational. A total of 992 patients who applied to the geriatric outpatient clinic between January 2018 and December 2022 were included in the study. All patients underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. Demographic characteristics, geriatric syndromes, comorbidities, and laboratory parameters were recorded. Fried's Frailty Scale was used to determine physical frailty. The Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form was performed to determine nutritional status. Cognitive frailty was defined as the coexistence of physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Of 992 patients participating in the study, 66% were female, and the mean age was 73.2 ± 7.4. The rate of physical frailty was 13.4%, and 96 patients were cognitively frail. Malnutrition rates were 18.8%, 12.5%, and 2.2% in the cognitive frailty, physical frailty, and healthy control groups, respectively. The healthy control group had a lower median age, fewer geriatric syndromes (excluding orthostatic hypotension), and lower rates of diabetes and hypertension than the frailty groups. The frequency of malnutrition was similar in the cognitive and physical frailty groups. The cognitive frailty group had higher median age, sarcopenia rate, and Timed Up and Go duration; were less likely to be female; and showed lower albumin, mobility, and functionality scores than the physical frailty group (P < 0.05). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, geriatric syndromes, and laboratory parameters, cognitive frailty showed a stronger relationship with malnutrition (odds ratio 1.96, confidence interval 1.13-5.04, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive and physical frailty were found to be associated with malnutrition in older adults. Even after accounting for confounding factors, it appears that cognitive frailty is more closely related to nutritional status than physical frailty.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Australian National University-Alzheimer's Disease Risk Index (ANU-ADRI).

INTRODUCTION: There is still a requirement for concise, practical scales that can be readily incorporated into everyday schedules and predict the likelihood of dementia onset in individuals without dementia. This study aimed to assess the reliability of the ANU-ADRI (Australian National University Alzheimer's Disease Risk Index)-Short Form in Turkish geriatric patients. METHODS: This methodological study involved 339 elderly patients attending the geriatric outpatient clinic for various reasons. The known-group validity and divergent validity were assessed. The ANU-ADRI was administered during the baseline test and again within one week for retest purposes. Alongside the ANU-ADRI, all participants underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment, including Activities of Daily Living (ADL), mobility assessment (Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) and Timed Up and Go Test), nutritional assessment (Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)), and global cognition evaluation (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)). RESULTS: The scale demonstrated satisfactory linguistic validity. A correlation was observed between the mean scores of the ANU-ADRI test and retest (r = 0.997, p < 0.001). Additionally, there existed a moderate negative linear association between the ANU-ADRI and MMSE scores (r = -0.310, p < 0.001), POMA (r = -0.406, p < 0.001), Basic ADL (r = -0.359, p < 0.001), and Instrumental ADL (r = -0.294, p < 0.001). Moreover, a moderate positive linear association was found between the ANU-ADRI and the Timed Up and Go Test duration (r = 0.538, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ANU-ADRI-Short Form was proved as a valuable tool for clinical practice, facilitating the assessment of Alzheimer's disease risk within the Turkish geriatric population.

Sarcopenia in older patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: an observational study from a single geriatric clinic in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), a classical triad of gait abnormality, cognitive disturbance, and urinary incontinence, increases in prevalence with aging. Sarcopenia is also characterized by low muscle strength and mass, contributing to gait difficulty. Gait abnormality and lower physical activity also lead to the development of sarcopenia. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and iNPH. METHODS: A total of 327 participants were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, sex, comorbidity index, number of medications, recurrent falls in the last year, laboratory findings and comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) parameters were recorded. Sarcopenia was defined according to the EGWSOP2 criteria. The relationship between sarcopenia and iNPH was assessed with regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 51 participants with iNPH, 49% female, mean age 78 years (SD 5.7) and 276 control participants, 74% female, mean age 72 years (SD 6.1). The sarcopenia rates in patients with iNPH and controls were 19.6% and 2.5%, respectively (p < 0.01). The odds of probable sarcopenia were 3.89 times, and the slow gait speed was 8.47 times higher in iNPH patients than in controls after adjusting for age, sex, and the other confounders. The Mini-Mental State Examination score (p = 0.042, OR = 0.869 with 95% CI:0.759-0.995) was associated with probable sarcopenia among patients with iNPH. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that sarcopenia was common in older patients with iNPH, which seems to be closely associated with decreased muscle strength and slowed gait speed. Thus, considering the potential untoward effects of both diseases, it is important for physicians to evaluate sarcopenia routinely in the follow-up and treatment of older patients with iNPH.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome in Patients With Dementia: Experiences of A Single Memory Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a life-threatening condition that occurs as an adverse reaction to antipsychotic and antiemetic agents or sudden withdrawal of dopaminergic medications. Given the metabolic and functional reserves and the comorbidities in older adults, NMS may show an atypical course. METHODS: The medical records of patients with neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed for the diagnosis of NMS. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were obtained from the records of laboratory parameters, management, and length of stay. RESULTS: Fifteen older adults (19 episodes) diagnosed with NMS were included. The median age was 76 years, and 5 were female. Ten of 15 NMS patients were atypical. Most of them had an infection accompanying NMS. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome was caused by antidopaminergic agents (5 antipsychotics, 1 metoclopramide) in 6 episodes and discontinuation of a dopaminergic agent, l -DOPA, in 12 episodes. In 1 patient, it was associated with simultaneous use of domperidone and amantadine withdrawal. Rigidity in NMS due to l -DOPA discontinuation was higher than in those due to antipsychotic use ( P = 0.027). Two of our patients needed intensive care, and 1 died. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the high frequency of atypical NMS and the importance of early recognition of this potentially fatal syndrome, which can accompany neurodegenerative diseases and infections in older adults.

An atypical presentation of COVID-19: Hidden risk for seniors to misdiagnose.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Clinical manifestations include cough, fever, dyspnea, myalgia, and loss of sense of smell and taste. Less common extrapulmonary signs and symptoms such as cutaneous manifestations, diarrhea, confusion, functional decline have been reported in the literature. Older patients with multiple comorbidities are at a greater risk for severe disease and death and are vulnerable to atypical presentations due to changes in organ systems, multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, and sensory disturbances. In this case, a 77-year-old patient diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia presented with atypically acute urticaria with angioedema was reported. Although there were no typical signs of the disease, such as cough or shortness of breath, the patient's laboratory values, and chest imaging were compatible with COVID-19. Therefore, the diagnosis of COVID-19 should be considered in older patients presenting with subtle signs or cutaneous manifestations.

Validation of the Turkish version of the Lewy body composite risk score.

The Lewy Body Composite Risk Score (LBCRS) has been developed to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis attributable to Lewy body pathology outside of specialty centers. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the LBCRS in patients with dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and investigate the discriminative power of the test in Turkish patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and DLB, and control group. The sample population (n = 512) comprised DLB (n = 113), DLB-Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)(n = 12), AD (n = 42), AD-MCI (n = 21), and control group (n = 324). A significant group difference was observed in the Turkish version of the LBCRS scores of the five groups (p < .001). The Cronbach's α value was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.799-0.868). The test-retest reliability score of the scale was r = 0.94 and p < .001. The subscales of the LBCRS (motor and nonmotor subdomains of the disease) were determined to explain 65.961% of the total variance with an eigenvalue >1. In patients with DLB, the cutoff score of ≥3 showed sensitivity (92%) and specificity (81%) (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.815-0.951), p < .001) compared with the AD. Compared to the control group, the cutoff score of ≥3 showed a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 97% (AUC = 0.994, 95% CI: 0.989-0.999, p < .001). The Turkish version of LBCRS permits accurate diagnosis of DLB with high sensitivity and specificity. Also, it can be useful to inform the caregivers regarding the course of the disease during the follow-up.

Hyperuricemia may be associated with muscle wellness in older adults.

PURPOSE: Sarcopenia, associated with morbidity and mortality, is a common geriatric syndrome in older adults. In this study, we investigated the relationship between uric acid, which is a powerful antioxidant and has intracellular proinflammatory activity, and sarcopenia in older adults. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study involving a total of 936 patients. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was evaluated based on the EGWSOP 2 criteria. The patients were divided into two groups according to hyperuricemia (for females > 6 mg/dl, for males > 7 mg/dl); hyperuricemia and control. RESULTS: The frequency of hyperuricemia was 65.40%. Patients with hyperuricemia were older than the control group and female gender frequency was higher (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Sarcopenia was negatively associated with hyperuricemia as a result of the adjustment analysis made according to demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory results, malnutrition, and malnutrition risk. (p = 0.034). Besides, muscle mass and muscle strength were associated with hyperuricemia (p = 0.026 and p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the positive effect of hyperuricemia on sarcopenia, avoiding aggressive uric acid-lowering therapy may be a good option in older adults with asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

Orthostatic hypotension in dementia with Lewy bodies: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

PURPOSE: Orthostatic hypotension (OH), one of the supportive clinical features in the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), is a significant problem in advanced age because of its severe negative consequences. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the prevalence and risk of OH in patients with DLB. METHODS: The indexes and databases cited to identify relevant studies were PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Web of Science. The keywords for the search were "Lewy body dementia" and "autonomic dysfunction" or "dysautonomia" or "postural hypotension" or "orthostatic hypotension." English-language articles published from January 1990 to April 2022 were searched. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was applied to evaluate the quality of the studies. Odds ratios (OR) and risk ratios (RR) were extracted with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and combined using the random effects model after logarithmic transformation. The prevalence in the patients with DLB was also combined using the random effects model. RESULTS: Eighteen studies (10 case controls and 8 case series) were included to evaluate the prevalence of OH in patients with DLB. Higher rates of OH were found to be associated with DLB (OR 7.71, 95% CI 4.42, 13.44; p < 0.001), and 50.8% of 662 patients had OH. CONCLUSION: DLB increased the risk of OH by 3.62- to 7.71-fold compared to healthy controls. Therefore, it will be useful to evaluate postural blood pressure changes in the follow-up and treatment of patients with DLB.

Muscle Strength Seems to be Related to The Functional Status and Severity of Dementia in Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the possible interrelationships between sarcopenia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and AD are two common geriatric syndromes; however, the relationship between AD and sarcopenia has not been evaluated in detail so far. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to evaluate the relationship between AD and sarcopenia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed retrospectively on 128 patients with probable AD, with a mean age of 76.56±7.54 years. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, including the activities of daily living (ADLs), malnutrition, frailty, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and orthostatic hypotension was performed. Sarcopenia was defined according to the revised EWGSOP-2 criteria. RESULTS: The frequency of probable sarcopenia and definitive sarcopenia was 54.7% and 18.7%, respectively. AD patients with probable sarcopenia had lower MMSE and ADLs scores and were frailer. Clinical dementia rating (CDR) score, MMSE, and basic and instrumental ADLs were independently related to probable sarcopenia in the patients (p=0.003, p<0.001, p=0.001, and p=0.001, respectively). The prevalence of probable sarcopenia in those with CDR 2 was higher than in those with CDR 0.5 and 1 (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that probable sarcopenia seems to be related to worse MMSE and ADLs scores and frailty in patients with AD and seems to be related to the severity of AD. Considering adverse health outcomes and the burden of sarcopenia on the patients and their caregivers, optimal care and treatment of sarcopenia in patients with AD are of great importance.

Evaluation of primary teeth affected by dental trauma in patients visiting a university clinic, part 2: dental injury types, treatment strategies, and complications.

OBJECTIVES: This article focuses on treatments and complications in patients presenting dental trauma in primary teeth. Treatment alternatives begin with the decision of performing a procedure under clinical settings or pharmacological techniques (PC) in young children. Correct diagnosis and treatment are crucial to maximize the chances of a favorable outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The files of 320 patients aged 0-9 years who presented to the Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry Department for dental trauma management in primary teeth were evaluated in between 2018 and 2021 for 3-year period. The following information were extracted from patients' records: injury type, affected teeth, caries condition of the teeth, treatment preferences of the dentists. Additionally postoperative complications and their management were evaluated. RESULTS: While 63.1% of the traumatized teeth were caries-free, 35.8% of the teeth had caries. The most frequent dental injuries was simple crown fractures (42.9%), followed by complicated crown fractures (38.5%). Treatments were mostly done in clinical conditions (67.9%) and mostly patients attend regularly to follow-up visits (85.6%). Clinicians prefer more radical treatments under sedation or GA (92.4% extraction of injured tooth). Coronal discoloration was the most common complication, and 35.3% had pulp necrosis for longer term results. CONCLUSION: Follow-up decisions made after concussion in the primary teeth might be appropriate for the patient. Examination of the complication status of primary teeth with simple crown fracture injury revealed that 59.5% of patients did not have any complications. Follow-up decisions were found to be appropriate for crowns with coloration alone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: All options should be considered to provide the best care for children after primary tooth trauma; this can be achieved by being informed about the treatment and its consequences, and if necessary, a positive prognosis can be achieved with an interdisciplinary approach.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the ALBA screening instrument for Lewy body dementia in older adults.

ALBA screening instrument (ASI) has been demonstrated to be an effective, cheap, and noninvasive clinical instrument to screen for Lewy body dementia (LBD). We aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of ASI (ASI-T) in patients with LBD and to investigate the discriminative power of the test in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), LBD, and cognitively healthy older adults (controls). 172 older adults over 60 years of age (43 with LBD, 41 AD, and 88 controls) were included. The sensitivity and specificity of the instrument were determined. A significant difference was found in ASI-T total score between people with LBD versus the controls (t=-9.259; p < 0.001), and versus patients with AD (t = 3.490; p = 0.001). Internal consistency of the ASI-T was good(Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). The cutoff score of 7 showed sensitivity (86%) and specificity (81%) (AUC= 0.888,CI0.95, p < 0.001) compared to controls. Also, compared to AD, it showed sensitivity (86%) and specificity(70%) (AUC = 0.590,CI .95, p < 0.001). Moreover, ASI-T demonstrated a significant concurrent validity with MMSE (r = -0.62; p < 0.001) and MoCA (r = -0.54; p = 0.003). In factor analysis, the five subscales accounted for 60% of the total variance. Our findings suggested that the ASI-T is a reliable, valid, and effective instrument for screening LBD. With acceptable psychometric properties, it has the power to distinguish patients with LBD from controls or those with AD.

The Awareness and Attitude of Physicians to Older Adult Routine Vaccination Scheme.

Purpose: Immunization is one of the main components of preventive medicine measures. Influenza, pneumococcal, tetanus, and shingles vaccines are recommended for older adults routinely. This study aimed to show the knowledge and attitudes of the physicians to older adults' vaccination schemes. Patients and Methods: An electronic self-reported questionnaire was sent to physicians between March and July 2021 in Turkey. Sociodemographic characteristics, professional experience, area of expertise, and practice setting of the participants were recorded. As multiple-choice questions; the routinely recommended vaccines, and vaccines suggested in their daily practice before and after the COVID-19 pandemic were enquired. Results: A total of 435 participants were included in the study. 43.9% of the patients were primary family physicians, and 36.8% were internists. 63.4% of the participants had reported reviewing the National Vaccination Scheme. 94.5% of the medical doctors indicated that they had recommended any vaccination to their patients. 20.9% of the practitioners could select four or five of the routinely recommended vaccines. Reviewing the National Adult Vaccination Scheme and being an internist were positively related to predicting the recommended vaccines. The recommendation rates of influenza and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13) were seen at 88% and 78%, respectively. Except for PCV13, recommendation rates of other routine vaccines were decreased after the pandemic. Conclusion: Awareness of routine vaccination schedules should be improved among health-care professionals, and reminders for immunization should be provided periodically in each health-care setting.

E-mail-based health care in patients with dementia during the pandemic.

Introduction/aim: Frail and cognitively impaired older patients are particularly vulnerable groups during the pandemic. Lockdowns, social isolation, and physical inactivity considerably affect physical and mental wellbeing. During the pandemic process, routine medical checks and acute medical care services may be disrupted. The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of telemedicine in the delivery of healthcare services to elderly patients during the pandemic. Materials and methods: E-mails sent to the e-mail address of the department of geriatrics, which has been actively used for 4 years, between April 2020 and June 2021, were retrospectively evaluated. The time and reason for each application, referral to the patients, demographic data of the patients, and chronic diseases were recorded. E-mail frequencies were considered monthly time series, and time series charts for e-mail frequencies from patients were produced. Results: A total of 374 e-mails that 213 patients sent were assessed. A vast majority, 97.6% of the e-mails, were sent by proxies. The mean age of patients was 78.7 ± 8.1 years, and 59.2% were women. Hypertension and dementia were the most common comorbidities. The applications mostly occurred in April-May and October-November 2020. The most common complaint in dementia was behavioral disturbances (13.6%). Geriatric outpatient appointments were arranged for 29.9% of the applicants, 14.2% were referred to the emergency department, and 23.0% were offered medical treatment. Outpatient examination and treatment were completed in 15% of the patients and 10.4% of them were hospitalized. The time series charts showed that e-mails were sent more frequently by patients with dementia than the others (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Telemedicine, which enables many problems of patients to be solved in geriatric practice without face-to-face appointments, can also prevent infections and unnecessary hospitalizations, especially during these unusual pandemic days.

Evaluation of primary teeth affected by dental trauma in patients visiting a university clinic, Part 1: Epidemiology.

OBJECTIVES: The retrospective study reported herein was the first of three that investigated dental trauma in primary teeth. This article discusses the study that aimed to reveal the epidemiology of trauma with data such as prevalence, risk factors, and types of injuries, and to highlight prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 320 patients aged 0-9 years who visited the Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry Pedodontics Department due to dental trauma were evaluated according to the age, gender, medical condition, season, oral habits, trauma environment/type/cause, personal characteristics, and number of siblings. The chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables by group. RESULTS: Of the patients, 25.9% were aged 24-35 months at the time of study, 62.8% were male, 38.1% had two siblings, 37.2% had a sucking habit, 93.4% had a healthy medical condition, 41.3% experienced the trauma in summer, and 26.3% were aged 30-34 months at the time they incurred the trauma. Of the traumas, 54.1% were caused by falling, 60% occurred at home, 23% pertained to lateral luxation, and 70% were incurred when the patients were with their mother. CONCLUSION: Given the results of this study, mothers with low education levels should be informed about their children's risk of incurring injuries from falling at home, especially in summer. Parents should also be warned that their children's oral habits increase their risk of trauma. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study can help increase the knowledge level of clinicians, can raise social awareness, and can guide plan formulation for preventing risks.

Antidepressant-induced serotonin syndrome in older patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Widespread prescription of antidepressants and their resulting role in serotonin syndrome (SS) are of great importance for clinical practice in the elderly. This study aims to investigate possible associations of antidepressant drug-induced SS with related variables in these patients. METHODS: A total of 238 older adults using antidepressants were included. Patients who fulfilled the Hunter Serotonin Toxicity Criteria (HSTC) for SS were considered as the clinical groups (mild, moderate, or severe), and those who did not as the control group. We recorded all patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, gender, comorbidity index, number of medications, daily equivalent dose of the relevant antidepressant according to fluoxetine per day, electrocardiogram test results, laboratory results, and management. RESULTS: The mean age of all patients was 75.4 ± 7.6 years and 63.4% were female. Sixty patients had SS, while 178 patients did not. There was a significant difference between those with and without SS in terms of gender, frequency of combination antidepressant therapy, and daily equivalent antidepressant dose (P < 0.05). The most common diagnostic findings in SS patients were tremor and hyperreflexia and 31.7% was mild, and moderate in 68.3% with higher median age and number of medications (P < 0.041). Antidepressants were discontinued in all patients regardless of severity, of whom 71.7% were treated with benzodiazepines and 36.7% with cyproheptadine. After adjusting for age and sex, association with use of SSRI + SNRI, use of any combination therapy, and daily equivalent dose remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread single or combined use of antidepressants in older adults represents an increased clinical concern for SS and physicians should be aware of this drug-related complication in older patients.

Prediction of probable sarcopenia with an alternative method: plantar flexion strength.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterized by age-related reduction in muscle mass and strength. Assessment of handgrip strength (HGS) is an essential measurement for the diagnosis of sarcopenia; however, disorders affecting upper limb muscles and joints may pose challenges in assessing handgrip strength. Therefore, the present study aimed to show the validity of plantar flexion strength (PFS) in diagnosing probable sarcopenia and investigating the relations between comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and PFS while determining appropriate cutoff values for PFS. METHODS: A total of 304 older participans who underwent CGA were included. The revised criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) were used to determine PFS cutoff values for gender groups. Associations between probable sarcopenia and CGA parameters were investigated using PFS cutoffs. RESULTS: The mean age was 74.50 ± 7.10, and 170 of the participants (55.9%) were women. The mean HGS was 14.40 ± 5.63 kg in women and 25.08 ± 8.07 kg in men. The mean PFS were 13.17 ± 3.62 and 14.92 ± 3.86 kg respectively. In females, PFS cutoff with sensitivity/specificity; 0.81/0.60 was set at 14.95 kg (AUC 0.69, 95%CI: 0.611-0.772, p < 0.001). In males, PFS cutoff with sensitivity/specificity; 0.80/0.55 was set at 16.80 kg (AUC 0.68, 95%CI: 0.593-0.772, p < 0.001). Probable sarcopenia identified by GMS was associated with basic living activities, mobility, and frailty after adjusting for age and sex (p < 0.001, p = 0.021, and p = 0.011 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Probable sarcopenia identified by PFS could be associated with CGA. PFS may be useful for evaluating probable sarcopenia in older adults whose HGS cannot be estimated accurately.

Predictivity of the comorbidity indices for geriatric syndromes.

BACKGROUND: The aging population and increasing chronic diseases make a tremendous burden on the health care system. The study evaluated the relationship between comorbidity indices and common geriatric syndromes. METHODS: A total of 366 patients who were hospitalized in a university geriatric inpatient service were included in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics, laboratory findings, and comprehensive geriatric assessment(CGA) parameters were recorded. Malnutrition, urinary incontinence, frailty, polypharmacy, falls, orthostatic hypotension, depression, and cognitive performance were evaluated. Comorbidities were ranked using the Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI), Elixhauser Comorbidity Index(ECM), Geriatric Index of Comorbidity(GIC), and Medicine Comorbidity Index(MCI). Because, the CCI is a valid and reliable tool used in different clinical settings and diseases, patients with CCI score higher than four was accepted as multimorbid. Additionally, the relationship between geriatric syndromes and comorbidity indices was assessed with regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 76.2 ± 7.25 years(67.8% female). The age and sex of multimorbid patients according to the CCI were not different compared to others. The multimorbid group had a higher rate of dementia and polypharmacy among geriatric syndromes. All four indices were associated with frailty and polypharmacy(p < 0.05). CCI and ECM scores were related to dementia, polypharmacy, and frailty. Moreover, CCI was also associated with separately slow walking speed and low muscle strength. On the other hand, unlike CCI, ECM was associated with malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: In the study comparing the four comorbidity indices, it is revealed that none of the indices is sufficient to use alone in geriatric practice. New indices should be developed considering the complexity of the geriatric cases and the limitations of the existing indices.

DPP4 inhibitors as a potential therapeutic option for sarcopenia: A 6-month follow-up study in diabetic older patients.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigates the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) as an add-on therapy for sarcopenia in older adults with T2DM over a six-month follow-up period. METHODS: This is a retrospective and six-month follow-up study. The study was performed on 90 participants who are followed in a geriatric clinic hospital. Sarcopenia was diagnosed as per the EGWSOP-2 criteria. The patients were divided into two groups regarding DPP4i use. Each patient was evaluated for sarcopenia and sarcopenia-related parameters at baseline and at the end of 6 months. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 72.57 ± 7.089, and 60% of them were female. DPP4i users had worse glycemic control and decreased rate of low muscle strength at the end of 6 months (39.6% vs. 25.0%, P = .039). Forty-two patients without DPP4i therapy had reduced muscle strength (22.71 ± 6.95 kg vs. 20.88 ± 6.32 kg, P = .046) and stable Hba1c levels (6.45 ± 0.56% vs. 6.40 ± 0.52, P = .380) at their six-month follow-up control. CONCLUSIONS: Adding DPP4i to treatment for T2DM yields a positive effect on muscle strength and glycemic control. These agents may offer higher prospects in managing T2DM while counteracting sarcopenia. BRIEF SUMMARY: T2DM and Sarcopenia are common in older adults. Considering the increased prevalence of T2DM and the risk of coexistent sarcopenia in older adults, the additional positive effects of DPP4i may be crucial in the choice of treatment for these patients.