Impact of an early geriatric rehabilitation program in acutely hospitalised vulnerable patients: a real-life study in an ACE unit in Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION: Early geriatric rehabilitation programs are potential means to prevent acute hospitalisation-associated functional decline. METHODS: The objectives were to measure the impact of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program on patients' administrative in hospital data and on functional trajectories. With a before-and-after design, we compared all patients admitted from January to August 2018 into the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) unit of an Academic hospital in Switzerland who received this type of program to those admitted during the same period in 2016 and 2017. We considered vulnerable patients aged 75 or older. Functional independency level was assessed at baseline, admission, and discharge according to Katz's basic activities daily living (BADL). RESULTS: In total, 378/1,073 patients (mean age 86.6 ± 6.4; 74.6% women; 84% admitted from the emergency department) were prospectively admitted into the ACE unit in 2018. With an adherence rate of 74.0% to functional therapies and compared to the prior years, the program reduced transfers to rehabilitation settings (28.5 vs. 24.3%, p=0.04) and increased direct discharges to home (46.8 vs. 42.4%, p=0.04). Rates of early-unplanned readmission were similar. Between admission to discharge, 89.9% of the patients engaged in the program remained functionally stable or enhanced. Whatever the BADL score at the admission, 46.5% improved their status for at least one BADL. Even though no clinical determinant was identified, patients who engaged ≥ 5 sessions of functional therapy per week were more likely to improve their functional level (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.76-5.27). CONCLUSION: This real-life study demonstrates arguments to implement early interdisciplinary rehabilitation program in ACE units in particular to prevent functional decline in vulnerable patients. These findings support consideration regarding the interest of switching from the traditional disease-centred approach in acute care for older patients to a modern one, that also put the emphasis on maintaining functional capacities.

Automatic Detection of Adverse Drug Events in Geriatric Care: Study Proposal.

BACKGROUND: One-third of older inpatients experience adverse drug events (ADEs), which increase their mortality, morbidity, and health care use and costs. In particular, antithrombotic drugs are among the most at-risk medications for this population. Reporting systems have been implemented at the national, regional, and provider levels to monitor ADEs and design prevention strategies. Owing to their well-known limitations, automated detection technologies based on electronic medical records (EMRs) are being developed to routinely detect or predict ADEs. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop and validate an automated detection tool for monitoring antithrombotic-related ADEs using EMRs from 4 large Swiss hospitals. We aim to assess cumulative incidences of hemorrhages and thromboses in older inpatients associated with the prescription of antithrombotic drugs, identify triggering factors, and propose improvements for clinical practice. METHODS: This project is a multicenter, cross-sectional study based on 2015 to 2016 EMR data from 4 large hospitals in Switzerland: Lausanne, Geneva, and Zürich university hospitals, and Baden Cantonal Hospital. We have included inpatients aged ≥65 years who stayed at 1 of the 4 hospitals during 2015 or 2016, received at least one antithrombotic drug during their stay, and signed or were not opposed to a general consent for participation in research. First, clinical experts selected a list of relevant antithrombotic drugs along with their side effects, risks, and confounding factors. Second, administrative, clinical, prescription, and laboratory data available in the form of free text and structured data were extracted from study participants' EMRs. Third, several automated rule-based and machine learning-based algorithms are being developed, allowing for the identification of hemorrhage and thromboembolic events and their triggering factors from the extracted information. Finally, we plan to validate the developed detection tools (one per ADE type) through manual medical record review. Performance metrics for assessing internal validity will comprise the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, F1-score, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: After accounting for the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we will include 34,522 residents aged ≥65 years. The data will be analyzed in 2022, and the research project will run until the end of 2022 to mid-2023. CONCLUSIONS: This project will allow for the introduction of measures to improve safety in prescribing antithrombotic drugs, which today remain among the drugs most involved in ADEs. The findings will be implemented in clinical practice using indicators of adverse events for risk management and training for health care professionals; the tools and methodologies developed will be disseminated for new research in this field. The increased performance of natural language processing as an important complement to structured data will bring existing tools to another level of efficiency in the detection of ADEs. Currently, such systems are unavailable in Switzerland. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/40456.

Impact of Pharmaceutical Interventions with STOPP/START and PIM-Check in Older Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmaceutical interventions can reduce negative outcomes related to potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the impact of interventions on the reduction of PIPs and on different clinical outcomes using two electronic explicit tools. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients hospitalized between 2018 and 2019 at the Acute Care for Elders unit at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland. A medication review was conducted using PIM-Check in the first arm and STOPP/START in the second arm. Proposed interventions were communicated to the physicians. Clinical outcomes evaluated were incidence of falls, delirium, activities of daily living (ADL), length of stay, number of drugs at discharge and hospital readmission. RESULTS: The 123 included patients (60 in the first arm and 63 in the second arm) were 86.3 ± 6.6 years old, had 3.5 ± 1.7 diseases and were treated by 6.2 ± 2.7 drugs at admission. There was a significant decrease in PIPs in each arm, but no significant difference between arms. The deprescription of nervous system drugs was significantly higher with STOPP/START than with PIM-Check (Chi-square p = 0.025). ADL scores between home and discharge were significantly higher in the STOPP/START arm than in the PIM-Check arm (4.42 vs 3.77; p = 0.040). The predictors of ADL score improvement were the deprescription of nervous system drugs (ß = 0.423; 95% CI 0.034-0.812; p = 0.033), the use of STOPP/START (ß = 0.798, 95% CI 0.305-1.290; p = 0.002) and a shorter length of hospital stay (ß = -0.033, 95% CI - 0.056 to - 0.010; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Although PIM-Check was non-inferior to STOPP/START in reducing the number of PIPs, STOPP/START had a significantly higher impact on ADL. The use of STOPP/START or the deprescription of two nervous system drugs would allow the patient to acquire almost one more basic function of living. On the other hand, a loss of one point on the ADL score was observed per month of hospitalization. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04028583.

Ability to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing in older patients: comparative analysis between PIM-Check and STOPP/STARTv2.

PURPOSE: Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is a source of preventable adverse drug events. The objective of this study was a comparative analysis (quantitative and qualitative) between two tools used to detect PIP, PIM-Check and STOPP/START. METHODS: First, a qualitative analysis (QAC) was conducted to evaluate the concordance between the criteria, which constitute PIM-Check and the gold standard STOPP/START. Second, a retrospective comparative and observational study was performed on the list of treatment at the admission of 50 older patients hospitalized in an acute geriatric ward of a university hospital in Switzerland in 2016 using both tools. RESULTS: The QAC has shown that 50% (57 criteria) of STOPP/START criteria are fully or partially concordant with those of PIM-Check. The retrospective study was performed on 50 patients aged 87 years, suffering from 5 co-morbidities (min-max 1-11) and treated by of 8 drugs (min-max 2-16), as medians. The prevalence of the detected PIP was 80% by PIM-Check and 90% by STOPP/START. Medication review shows that 4.2 PIP per patient were detected by PIM-Check and 3.5 PIP by STOPP/START among which 1.9 PIP was commonly detected by both tools, as means. PIM-Check detected more PIP related to cardiology, angiology, nephrology, and endocrinology in older patients but missed the PIP related to geriatric syndromes (e.g., fall, dementia, Alzheimer) detected by STOPP/START. CONCLUSIONS: By using PIM-Check in geriatric settings, some PIP will not be detected. It is considered as a limitation for this tool in this frail population but brings a certain complementarity in other areas of therapy not covered by STOPP/START.

Statin (mis)use in older people: A cross-sectional study using French health insurance databases.

PURPOSE: To describe the occurrence of potential statin misuse, its characteristics and associated factors in older people. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Alsace and Lorraine (France) using French health insurance databases. Study population comprised community-dwelling patients and nursing homes residents aged 80 and over, who received at least one statin prescription between January 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017 (N = 38 268). Potential statin misuse was identified considering off-label uses, high-intensity doses, drug contraindications and statin-drug interactions. RESULTS: At least one potential statin misuse was detected for 19 468 patients (50.9%). Off-label prescription was the most frequent misuse observed (53.6%), followed by high-intensity statin dose (30.5%). Polypharmacy (five to nine drugs) and excessive polypharmacy (10 or more drugs) were the main risk factors associated with potential statin misuse (adjusted OR = 2.6 and 4.7 respectively). Nursing home, multi-morbidity and the presence of multiple prescriptions from different doctors for the same patient were other risk factors significantly associated. Two sensitivity analyzes (reconsiderations of off-label and high statin dose definitions) revealed the same statistical trend. CONCLUSION: Potential statin misuse is frequent in people aged 80 and over. These findings should serve as a warning to health care professionals and hopefully will contribute to ensure an appropriate and safe use of statin in aged population.

Analysis of the impact of a medication reconciliation tool on the hospital-community interface.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of a medication reconciliation tool (MRT), which contains information on all the treatments a patient is receiving upon admission as well as intra-hospital therapeutic adjustments and the rationale behind them, on the transmission and quality of the follow-up of prescribing recommendations outside the hospital setting. METHODS: The MRT involved the prescriptions of patients who were aged 75 and over, who were admitted to a geriatric short-stay unit, and who were referred to a general practitioner (GP) upon discharge. Drug discrepancies (DD) and polypharmacy after an intra-hospital medication reconciliation and at the time of renewing the out-patient prescription (one month after discharge) were measured. Satisfaction among GPs was investigated. RESULTS: The medication lists of 173 patients (1242 drugs; median eight drugs/day) were reconciled, optimised, and communicated using the MRT to the 89 GPs of the 103 patients who returned home. Intra-hospital reconciliation identified 779 DDs (4.6 ± 2.3), of which 39.0% were additions to treatment that had been overlooked. After the discharge prescription was renewed, only 1.6 ± 1.6 DDs were measured. Between admission, discharge, and repeat prescription, polypharmacy was reduced from 83.2% to 74.6% and 67.7% (p < 0.05). Despite a 31.5% response rate to the postal questionnaire, 79.3% of physicians thought the MRT facilitated continuity of care and 75.5% wanted it to be rolled-out more widely. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the MRT is a useful tool and of interest for documenting the process of intra-hospital therapeutic optimisation and with regard to the rapid transmission and follow-up of recommendations by partners in the community.

Vaccination for quality of life: herpes-zoster vaccines.

Current vaccination policy in most high-income countries aims to counteract the decline in cell-mediated immunity to varicella zoster virus that occurs with advancing age or immunosuppression. The aim of this review was to describe the burden of illness associated with herpes zoster (HZ) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) risks and their impact on the social and common life in infected people. The effectiveness/efficacy and cost effectiveness of the immunization strategy will be presented through the review of the literature relevant to the live attenuated HZ vaccine (ZLV) licensed in 2006 and the recombinant HZ vaccine (RZV). The latter has very recently been approved to protect aged people aged ≥ 50 years against HZ morbidity including its complications, and associated health-care costs. Finally, this review also provides data with respect of precautions of using and safety of ZVL and RVZ.

Instruments assessing medication literacy in adult recipients of care: A systematic review of measurement properties.

OBJECTIVES: The assessment of medication literacy in patients is an important step in assisting clinicians to plan for education, prescription simplification, assistance and/or medication aids. There have been several attempts to develop a standardised, objective measure of medication literacy. The objectives of this systematic review were to critically appraise, compare and summarise the measurement properties of existing instruments that assess medication literacy in adult recipients of care. DESIGN: A systematic review was performed. SEARCH METHODS: Structured searches were conducted in Embase, MEDLINE PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycINFO and Web of Science Core Collection in March 2020. Additional searches were performed in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, DART Europe, and Google Scholar, followed by citation tracking of included studies. REVIEW METHODS: Two researchers independently identified eligible studies. Two researchers then assessed the methodological quality of the studies and quality of measurement properties, using the Consensus-based Standards for selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. A best-evidence synthesis for each instrument was performed. RESULTS: From the 5035 citations, 17 studies were included that concerned 13 instruments using different administration methods (i.e., performancebased or self-report), medication type (i.e., prescribed or nonprescribed) and context of use (i.e., clinical or community settings). Very low- to moderate-quality evidence supported satisfactory content validity regarding relevance and comprehensibility, while comprehensiveness remained inconsistent. Other measurement properties were less frequently examined and were supported by moderate-quality evidence (i.e., structural validity) to low- or very low-quality evidence (i.e., internal consistency, reliability, construct validity). The bestvalidated instrument is the unidimensional 14-item Medication Literacy in Spanish and English assessment tool (MedLitRxSE), based on direct testing of participant performance regarding four hypothetical scenarios on medication use. Nine instruments have the potential to be recommended but require additional research, while for others, their psychometric soundness is too limited and they require content revisions. CONCLUSION: This is the first systematic review to identify instruments for medication literacy. None of the identified instruments had all measurement properties properly assessed and none reported measurement invariance, measurement error and responsiveness of the instrument. Further research is necessary for a better theoretical understanding of medication literacy in order to assist health professionals in identifying patient needs for education, regimen simplification, assistance and/or medication aids. Such research will help conceptualise new instruments that not only cover relevant domains dedicated to specific populations (e.g., polymorbid and/or older individuals), but also exhibit satisfactory measurement properties.

[Analysis of the impact of a medication reconciliation toolkit in the hospital-community interface]. / Analyse de l'impact d'un outil de conciliation médicamenteuse dans l'interface hôpital-ville.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of a medication reconciliation toolkit (OCM) which details all the treatment at the admission, intra-hospital therapeutic adjustment and their justifications, on the transmission and quality of extra-hospital follow-up of prescribing recommendations. METHODS: The OCM was fulfilled with the prescriptions of patient aged ≥75 years admitted to a geriatric short-stay unit and sent to general practitioners (GPs) upon discharge. Drug discrepancies (DD) and exposure to polypharmacy after intra-hospital medication conciliation and the ambulatory repeat prescribing (1 month after discharge) were measured. GPs' satisfaction was investigated. RESULTS: The medication list of 173 patients (1242 molecules; median 8 molecules/day) were reconciled, optimized, and transmitted using the OCM to the 89 GPs of the 103 patients who were returned home. Intra-hospital conciliation identified 779 DD (4.6 ± 2.3) of which 39.0% were missed treatment additions. After renewal of the discharge order, only 1.6 ± 1.6 DD were measured. Between admission, discharge, and repeat prescribing, exposure to polypharmacy was reduced from 83.2 to 74.6 and 67.7% (p<0.05). Despite a 31.5% response rate to the mail questionnaire, 79.3% of physicians thought the OCM facilitated continuity of care and 75.5% wanted it generalized. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the OCM is a useful tool and of interest for documenting the process of intra-hospital therapeutic optimization and in the rapid transmission and the follow-up of recommendations by partners in the community.

Effect of high-intensity interval training and continuous endurance training on peak oxygen uptake among seniors aged 65 or older: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Ageing is intrinsically associated with a progressive decline in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as measured by peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak ). Improving CRF through physical activity contribute to better and healthy ageing. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a potent method of improving CRF among seniors, yet comparisons between this type of training and traditional endurance training (ET) are equivocal especially among older adults. PURPOSE: To analyse the effects of HIIT and ET on the VO2peak of seniors aged 65 years or older when compared with controls and also when the two types of training were compared with one another. METHODS: A comprehensive, systematic database search for manuscripts was performed in Embase, Medline, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science using key words. Two reviewers independently assessed interventional studies for potential inclusion. Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included totalling 480 seniors aged 65 years or over. Across the trials, no high risk of bias was measured. RESULTS: In pooled analysis of the RCTs, the VO2peak was significantly higher after ET sessions compared with controls (mean difference-MD = 1.35; 95% confidence interval-CI: 0.73-1.96). Furthermore, VO2peak was found significantly higher not only when compared HIIT with controls (MD = 4.61; 95% CI: 3.21-6.01), but also when compared HIIT with ET (MD = 3.76; 95% CI: 2.96-4.56). CONCLUSION: High-intensity interval training and ET both elicit large improvements in the VO2peak of older adults aged 65 or over. When compared with ET, the gain in VO2peak was greater following HIIT. Nevertheless, further RCTs are therefore needed to confirm our results in senior's population.

Effect of 9 weeks continuous vs. interval aerobic training on plasma BDNF levels, aerobic fitness, cognitive capacity and quality of life among seniors with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that aerobic-type training confers physical benefits and appears to contribute positively to brain health. This study aims to compare the effect of 9-weeks continuous (CAT) to interval aerobic training (IAT) on brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma level, aerobic fitness, cognitive performance, and quality of life among senior with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: 52 participants were randomly allocated into three groups (CAT n = 14; IAT n = 17; and Controls n = 21). CAT and IAT consisted of 18 sessions of 30-min cycling, twice a week, over 9 weeks. During the same period, controls were engaged in interactive information sessions. Plasma BDNF level; aerobic fitness parameters (Metabolic equivalent task - METs; Maximal Tolerated Power - MTP); functional capacities (6-Minute Walk Test - 6MWT); cognitive performance (Mini Mental State Examination; Rey auditory verbal learning test; and digit span test) and quality of life (Quality Of Life of Alzheimer's Disease scale - QoL-AD) were measured in all participants at baseline and 9 weeks later. A third plasma BDNF level was quantified following a 4 weeks detraining. RESULTS: No significant change was measured in terms of plasma BDNF level and cognitive performance after interventions, in all groups compared to baseline. After 9 weeks, CAT and IAT significantly improved aerobic fitness parameters compared to controls (METs: + 0.6 and + 1.0 vs. + 0.4; MTP: + 16 watts and + 20 watts vs. + 10 watts; and functional capacities (6MWT: + 22 m and + 31 m vs. -40 m). Compared to controls, QoL-AD after CAT was improved (+ 2 points; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Neither aerobic exercise modalities significantly modified plasma BDNF levels and cognitive performances. CAT and IAT enhanced aerobic fitness and functional capacities in AD patients and CAT their QoL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov website (NCT02968875); registration date: 7 September 2016. "Retrospectively registered".

Chronic neurological disorders and related comorbidities: Role of age-associated physiological changes.

Current knowledge indicates that the physiological aging process starts with subclinical changes at the molecular and cellular level, which affect nearly all physiological systems. For example, the age-associated remodeling of the immune system (i.e., immunosenescence) and vascular aging per se can contribute to frailty and vulnerability among older adults. They are also described as being implicated in the pathophysiology of some major chronic comorbid conditions such as age-associated diseases of the central (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders) and peripheral (e.g., polyneuropathy) nervous systems. These neurologic disorders are also among the greatest contributors to geriatric syndromes, which refer to highly prevalent and chronic conditions among aged people of multifactorial origin, such as delirium, falls, incontinence, and frailty. Neurologic disorders can also occur in patients with one or more geriatric syndromes and thus further interfere with the quality of life, physical function, morbidity, and mortality. This chapter presents and discusses in three sections the complex interrelationships between the main determinants of aging with a specific focus on vascular aging, chronic neurologic disorders, and the specific clinical presentation of geriatric syndromes in older people.

Potential Statin Overuse in Older Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Using French Health Insurance Databases.

BACKGROUND: Although compelling evidence exists supporting statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) for secondary prevention in older patients with clinical atherosclerotic diseases, the same cannot be said for primary prevention. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to estimate the frequency of potential statin overuse in older patients, the potential drug cost savings if corrected, and the associated factors. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Alsace and Lorraine (France) from 1 January to 30 April 2017. All statin users aged 80 years or over living in the community (including nursing homes) and identified from the French health insurance database were analyzed. Potential statin overuse was defined according to the STOPP/START (Screening Tool of Older People's Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment) criteria. RESULTS: Among the 38,268 aged insured, 23,228 (60.7%) had potential statin overuse. Of those living in the community, 22,132 (60.0%) patients had potential statin overuse: 12,352 (55.8%) for primary and 9780 (44.2%) for secondary prevention. Among nursing home residents, 1096 (79.0%) had potential statin overuse: 394 (35.9%) for primary and 702 (64.1%) for secondary prevention. The potential drug cost savings associated with the adjustment of potential statin overuse were €924,100 for the study period. Living in nursing home [adjusted odds ratio (ORadjusted) 3.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.82-5.41] and being a female (ORadjusted 2.84, 95% CI 2.54-3.17) were the main risk factors associated with potential statin overuse. CONCLUSION: The frequency of potential statin overuse is very high among older people aged 80 years or over, highlighting the need to re-evaluate statin therapy and consider deprescribing, particularly for primary prevention and in nursing homes.

Effects of a short-term interval aerobic training program with recovery bouts on vascular function in sedentary aged 70 or over: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Interval aerobic training programs with active recovery bouts (IATP-R) are reported as being more adapted to seniors while improving cardiorespiratory and endurance parameters. Report of benefits on vascular function is still limited. PURPOSE: To measure the impact of IATP-R on vascular function among seniors. METHODS: Sedentary volunteers (≥70 years of age) were randomly assigned to either IATP-R (n = 30) or control group (n = 30). The IATP-R consisted of 2 weekly sessions of 30-min (6 × 4-min at first ventilatory threshold (VT1) intensity + 1-min at 40% of VT1) cycling exercise over 9.5-week. Controls remained their sedentary life over the same period. In all participants, the endothelial function was measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in brachial artery and arterial stiffness through the carotid/radial and carotid/femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured at baseline and 9.5 weeks later. RESULTS: Resulting from a planned interim analysis, IATP-R improved SBP (IATP-R: from 133.7 ± 9.8 to 122.6 ± 9.4 mmHg vs. Controls: from 128.9 ± 12.5 to 132.6 ± 14.7 mmHg), DBP (IATP-R: from 80.2 ± 7.0 to 74.1 ± 6.7 mmHg vs. Controls: from 77.1 ± 6.8 to 80.3 ± 7.5 mmHg), and FMD (IATP-R: from 6.7 ± 2.0 to 7.5 ± 2.7% vs. Controls: from 7.9 ± 2.7 to 7.5 ± 2.5%). No significant impact on PWV was measured. CONCLUSION: Although these findings resulted from an interim analysis, IATP-R might be effective in regulating BP and improving endothelial function among sedentary seniors.

Effects of a short-term Interval Aerobic Training Programme with active Recovery bouts (IATP-R) on cognitive and mental health, functional performance and quality of life: A randomised controlled trial in sedentary seniors.

BACKGROUND: Interval aerobic training programme with active recovery bouts (IATP-R) has shown to improve tolerance to IATP among seniors. However, data concerning its benefits for seniors' health are still limited. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of IATP-R on seniors' health status. METHODS: Sedentary volunteers (n = 60, aged ≥70 years) were randomly assigned to either IATP-R or maintained sedentary lifestyle for 9.5 weeks. IATP-R consisted of 30-minute cycling (6 × 4 minutes at first ventilatory threshold (VT1 ) intensity + 1 minute at 40% of VT1 ) twice a week. Cognitive and functional performances were assessed with the Trail Making Test (TMT-A; TMT-B); Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT); Timed Up and Go (TUG) test; 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT); one-leg balance test; and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) tests, respectively. QoL and anxiety/depression status were measured by the Short Form-12 and the Goldberg's Scale, respectively. All participants were assessed at baseline and 9.5 weeks later. RESULTS: Compared to controls, IATP-R improved cognitive functions (TMT-A: +1.5% vs -21.5%; TMT-B: +0.9% vs -13.3%; PASAT: +1.4% vs -14.6%; semantic fluency: -1.1% vs +11.7%), functional performance (TUG: +5.4% vs -16.5%; 6-MWT: -3.2% vs +11.5%; SPPB: -3.2% vs +14.6%; One-leg balance: -16.3% vs +25.0%); QoL (physical health: -13.3% vs +23.1%; mental health: -7.1% vs +8.2%); and depressive symptoms (+26.3% vs -42.8%). Significant impacts were measured neither on letter modality of fluency tasks nor on anxiety score. CONCLUSION: These data showed that IATP-R is an effective training programme to improve functional and cognitive performances, mental health and well-being in sedentary seniors. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02263573. Registered October 1, 2014.

Using a structured reconciliation medication form improves medication transition from hospital to community care and primary care physicians' adherence with medication adaptations and recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Hospital admission and discharge are weakness points in the transition of care. OBJECTIVE: To lower the risk of errors and improve medication information transfer to primary care physician (PCP), we conducted an experimental study using a structured medication reconciliation form (SMRF) in an Acute Care for Elders unit. RESULTS: 1242 drugs of 173 patients were reconciliated at admission, optimized during the stay, and transmitted via the SMRF to the 143 corresponding PCPs. While the optimization led to 779 adaptations from admission to discharge, of which 39.0% were omissions, exposure to polypharmacy was reduced from 83.2 to 74.6% (P < 0.05). One-month post-discharge, with an answer rate of 62.2% among PCPs, the adherence to recommendations was high (85.0%) and the exposure to polypharmacy was further decreased (67.7%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results provide elements to consider SMRF as an example of good practice for which the impact should be analyzed at larger scale.

[Which alternative to benzodiazepines, Z-pills and other hypnotics for aged people ? Melatonin, valerian, or clomethiazole]. / Quelle alternative aux benzodiazépines, Z-pills et autres hypnotiques pour les personnes âgées ?: Mélatonine, valériane ou clométhiazole.

Sleep disorders are a recurrent complaint in geriatrics. Of multifactorial origin, they have a significant impact on health and quality of life. However, the answer is (too) often the prescription of benzodiazepines or related-drugs (Z-pills), sedative antidepressant, or another psychotropic medication. More recently, melatonin, valerian and, in Switzerland, clomethiazol are widely considered as effective and more suitable alternatives for aged people. We present a systematic review of the literature on the efficacy and tolerance of these molecules, of which the main objective is to demonstrate that non-pharmacological approach must remain the first-line therapy of insomnia in geriatrics.

Les troubles du sommeil sont une plainte récurrente en gériatrie. D'origine multifactorielle, ils ont un retentissement significatif sur la santé et la qualité de vie. Cependant la réponse est (trop) souvent la prescription de benzodiazépines ou apparentés (Z-pills), d'un antidépresseur sédatif ou d'un autre psychotrope. Plus récemment, la mélatonine, la valériane et, en Suisse, le clométhiazole sont largement utilisés car considérés comme des alternatives efficaces et plus adaptées aux personnes âgées. Nous présentons une revue systématique de la littérature sur l'efficacité et la tolérance de ces molécules dont l'objectif principal est de montrer que les mesures non pharmacologiques doivent rester le traitement de première intention des insomnies en gériatrie.

Effects of Interval Aerobic Training Program with Recovery bouts on cardiorespiratory and endurance fitness in seniors.

Interval aerobic training programs (IATP) improve cardiorespiratory and endurance parameters. They are, however, unsuitable to seniors as frequently associated with occurrence of exhaustion and muscle pain. The purpose of this study was to measure the benefits of an IATP designed with recovery bouts (IATP-R) in terms of cardiorespiratory and endurance parameters and its acceptability among seniors (≥70 years). Sedentary healthy volunteers were randomly assigned either to IATP-R or sedentary lifestyle. All participants performed an incremental cycle exercise and 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) at baseline and 9.5 weeks later. The first ventilatory threshold (VT1 ); maximal tolerated power (MTP); peak of oxygen uptake (VO2peak ); maximal heart rate (HRmax ); and distance walked at 6-MWT were thus measured. IATP-R consisted of 19 sessions of 30-minute (6 × 4-min at VT1  + 1-minute at 40% of VT1 ) cycling exercise over 9.5 weeks. With an adherence rate of 94.7% without any significant adverse events, 9.5 weeks of IATP-R, compared to controls, enhanced endurance (VT1 : +18.3 vs -4.6%; HR at baseline VT1 : -5.9 vs +0.2%) and cardiorespiratory parameters (VO2peak : +14.1 vs -2.7%; HRmax : +1.6 vs -1.7%; MTP: +19.2 vs -2.3%). The walk distance at the 6-MWT was also significantly lengthened (+11.6 vs. -3.1%). While these findings resulted from an interim analysis planned when 30 volunteers were enrolled in both groups, IATP-R appeared as effective, safe, and applicable among sedentary healthy seniors. These characteristics are decisive for exercise training prescription and adherence.

Interventions to restore appropriate immune function in the elderly.

Advanced age is one indicator of likely immune dysfunction. As worldwide, the global population contains progressively more and more older individuals there is likelihood of an increased prevalence and incidence of infectious diseases due to common and emergent pathogens. The resultant increase in mortality and morbidity would be matched by the risk of functional decline and disability. Maintaining immune function at a plateau throughout life may therefore be associated with considerable cost savings. The aim of improving immune function in older individuals may be achieved through considering a therapeutic approach to rejuvenate, stimulate or support the indigenous immune system to perform in a more optimal manner. In terms of cost effectiveness a therapeutic approach may prove difficult because of issues associated with; identifying those who would benefit the most from this treatment, identifying the type of treatment which would suit them and identifying whether the treatment was successful. The alternative of supporting or providing a stronger stimulus through vaccination, whilst more cost effective, may be a more valuable option in the short term. Both approaches will be addressed in this review.