Adherence of bisphosphonate and decreased risk of clinical vertebral fracture in osteoporotic patients: A propensity score matching analysis.

Objectives: Bisphosphonate is associated with a decreased risk of vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis. However, there are limited studies on how poor compliance with bisphosphonate affects the risk of vertebral fractures in a nationwide cohort. We aim to evaluate whether adherence to bisphosphonate affects the risk of fracture in osteoporosis patients. Methods: We used the data of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Senior Cohort. A total of 33,315 (medication possession ratio [MPR]: 50) osteoporosis patients were matched using the propensity score matching method: those who received low-dose bisphosphonate and those who received high-dose bisphosphonate. Twenty-two confounding variables, including age, socioeconomic status, medications prescribed, and underlying diseases that may affect the risk of fracture were adjusted for propensity score matching. The risk of vertebral fracture was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Patients with a higher MPR showed a decreased vertebral fracture risk than those with a lower MPR (MPR 50 = hazard ratio [HR] 0.909; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.877-0.942 P < 0.001; MPR 70 = HR: 0.874, 95% CI: 0.838-0.913, P < 0.001; MPR 90 = HR: 0.822, 95% CI: 0.780-0.866, P < 0.001). MPR was associated with a decreased vertebral fracture risk in both groups with or without history of fracture. In the subgroup analysis, MPR was associated with a decreased vertebral fracture risk in women, in all ages, with or without T2DM, and with or without hypertension. Conclusions: Higher MPR is associated with a lower vertebral fracture risk.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH NETWORK META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF ROTATOR CUFF TEAR TREATMENT.

Objectives: Rotator cuff tear is the leading cause of the decline in quality of life for older adults, but comparative evidence on treatment effectiveness is lacking. This study systematically reviewed the effects of various rotator cuff tear treatments through a Bayesian meta-analysis of the related randomized clinical trials (RCTs).Methods: We searched nine electronic databases for RCTs evaluating rotator cuff tear treatments from their inception through June 2017. A systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-Decision Support Unit guidelines (Supplementary Table 1). Outcomes included functional improvement, pain one year after surgical treatment, and tendon structural integrity. The Bayesian network meta-analysis was applied for functional improvement and pain, based on an assumption of consistency and similarity. Tendon integrity was reported descriptively.Results: Fifteen RCTs were selected. Patients undergoing physiotherapy after open surgery showed statistically significant functional improvements compared with those undergoing physiotherapy only (mean differences, 9.1 [credible interval, 0.9-17.4]). Open surgery with physiotherapy was associated with a decrease in pain 1 year after treatment compared with when physiotherapy was combined with arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery, mini open surgery, platelet-rich plasma therapy, or physiotherapy alone (absolute value of mean difference 1.2 to 1.4). The tendon integrity results were inconsistent.Conclusions: Some surgical treatments were associated with significant improvement in function and pain, but evidence regarding their comparative effectiveness is still lacking. A well-designed RCT discussing functional and structural treatment outcomes is needed in future.

The effects of frailty and cognitive impairment on 3-year mortality in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty and cognitive impairment in late life increase the risk of mortality. Physical frailty is closely associated with cognitive impairment. The aim of the study was to examine the independent and interaction effects of frailty and cognitive impairment in predicting mortality. STUDY DESIGN: A nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Koreans aged 65 years and older (n=11,266) was followed for 3 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frailty was categorized using Fried's phenotype model. Cognitive impairment was defined as more than 1.5 standard deviations below the age-, gender-, and education-specific norm of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the mortality risk by frailty status and the moderating effect of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Frailty was associated with cognitive impairment, with 922 (19.1%), 1609 (28.1%), and 392 (42.8%) of the nonfrail, prefrail, and frail group, respectively, being cognitively impaired. Compared with the nonfrail group, those who were prefrail (hazard ratio [HR]=1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10, 1.73) and frail (HR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.29, 2.46) had higher mortality rates, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, and chronic conditions. Cognitive impairment was associated with a 30% increased mortality rate. A significant interaction between frailty and cognitive impairment was observed (p=0.003). Compared with those nonfrail and not cognitively impaired, frail persons with cognitive impairment had a lower survival rate (HR=1.92, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.93). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty was a significant predictor of 3-year mortality in community-dwelling older adults, with the association being moderated by baseline cognitive status. Taking cognitive function into account may allow better prediction of adverse outcomes of frailty in later life.

Clinical Outcomes of Conservative Treatment and Arthroscopic Repair of Rotator Cuff Tears: A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes following conservative treatment and arthroscopic repair in patients with a rotator cuff tear. METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients aged >50 years with a symptomatic rotator cuff tear were reviewed. The rotator cuff tendons were evaluated using ultrasonography, shoulder magnetic resonance imaging or MR arthrography, and the patients with either a high-grade partial-thickness or small-to-medium-sized (≤3 cm) full-thickness tear were included in this study. The primary outcome measures were a pain assessment score and range of motion (ROM) at 1-year follow-up. The secondary outcomes were the rate of tear progression or retear along with the rate of symptom aggravation after the treatments. RESULTS: A total of 357 patients were enrolled, including 183 patients that received conservative treatment and 174 patients who received an arthroscopic repair. The pain assessment score (p<0.001) and the ROM in forward flexion (p<0.001) were significantly improved in both groups. The ROM in internal rotation did not significantly change after conservative treatment and arthroscopic repair. The pain assessment score and ROM were not significantly different between the two groups. Retear was observed in 9.6% of patients who had an arthroscopic repair and tear progression was found in 6.7% of those who underwent conservative treatment. The proportion of aggravation for pain and ROM did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of conservative treatment is not inferior to arthroscopic repair for patients >50 years old with a less than medium-sized rotator cuff tear in a 1-year follow-up period. Further study is warranted to find the optimal combination of conservative treatment for a symptomatic rotator cuff tear.

Changes in combined lifestyle risks and disability transition in older adults: Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, 2006-2008.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined associations between changes in lifestyle risks and disability in late life. METHODS: A national sample of Koreans aged ≥ 65 years was surveyed at baseline (2006) and 2-year follow-up (n=3511). Disability transition was categorized as disability-free, improved, maintained, and declined, based on activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) scales. Lifestyle risk factors included current smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, low physical activity, and unhealthy weight. Changes in lifestyle risks were categorized as risk-free, positive (decreased risk), stable, and negative (increased risk). Multinomial logistic regression models examined the influence of changes in lifestyle risks on disability transition. RESULTS: A higher percentage (82.9%) of respondents who were risk-free remained disability-free than those who exhibited positive (71.8%), stable (64.9%), or negative (63.8%) change (p<0.001). Sustaining no lifestyle risks, compared with negative change, was associated with a higher likelihood of remaining disability-free than decline (odds ratio=2.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32-5.42), adjusting for covariates. Among individual lifestyle factors, physical activity was predictive of not only functional independence but also improvement and maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults adopting more healthy lifestyles are more likely to maintain functional independence than decline. Making healthy lifestyle choices may delay disability progression in later life.

Clustering of multiple healthy lifestyles among older Korean adults living in the community.

AIM: Despite the predictive value of combined healthy lifestyles in maintaining physical and cognitive functioning in late life, little is known about the clustering patterns of healthy lifestyle behaviors in older people. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence, clustering and population characteristics of adherence to multiple health behaviors in community-dwelling older Korean adults. METHODS: The study population consisted of a nationally representative sample of 4165 Korean adults aged 65 years and older in 2006. Healthy lifestyles, defined as adherence to recommended guidelines, included non-smoking, no heavy drinking, physical activity and healthy weight. Combinations of behavioral patterns and prevalence odds ratios for pairwise clusters were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify demographic and health-related characteristics associated with the number of adherence to guideline recommendations. RESULTS: Those who adhered to all four guideline recommendations constituted the minority (11.7%). More women than men engaged in a higher number of healthy lifestyles. Clustering was more pronounced in men for whom no heavy alcohol drinking and physical activity centered around non-smoking. In women, clustering patterns were less obvious. Men, those with low levels of education, income and wealth, and the functionally impaired were less likely to adhere to multiple healthy lifestyles. CONCLUSION: Clustering of healthy lifestyles, especially among older men, supports the potential benefit of a multiple behavior change approach. Health promotion efforts should target the socially disadvantaged and functionally compromised segment of the older population presenting low adherence to recommended behaviors.