Body composition and aging: cross-sectional results from the INSPIRE study in people 20 to 93 years old.

Aging is characterized by several major changes, including altered body composition, which is associated with numerous negative clinical consequences such as sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and frailty. The study is to evaluate body composition parameters depending on age and sex in a population ranging from the young adult to the very old, and to identify break points in the association between body composition and age. In this cross-sectional study, we included the enrolment population of the French INSPIRE-T prospective cohort, accounting for 915 subjects (62% female). Age ranged from 20 to 93 years, median age (years) was 63 (IQR 27). Body composition (lean mass, fat mass, and bone mineral content) was assessed with dual-X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Different break points in the relationship between age and body composition variables in males and females were identified using a segmented regression analysis adjusted on physical activity, nutritional status, educational level, and comorbidities. Lean mass decreased from the age of 55 years for males (CI 95% 44-66) and 31 years for females (CI 95% 23-39). For fat mass, we observed a trend towards an increase with age for males. For females, we observed an increase with age up to age 75 (CI 95% 62-86), followed by a decreasing trend. In this study, we described the relationship between body composition and age as a function of sex, establishing a foundation for further studies on predictive biomarkers of age-related body composition alteration.

[Percutaneous aortic valve replacement: outcome of patients evaluated by EMG at Toulouse University Hospital preprocedure]. / Remplacement valvulaire aortique par voie percutanée : devenir des patients évalués par l'EMG au CHU de Toulouse en préprocédure.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation has become the preferred method of aortic valve replacement in the elderly. Preoperative standardized geriatric assessment (SGA) helps guide the decision to proceed, taking into account geriatric parameters not targeted by surgical risk scores. This is a descriptive, retrospective study of patients who underwent EGS at the Toulouse University Hospital, analyzing their length of stay and postoperative care pathway.

Retraction of: Identification of biological markers for better characterization of older subjects with physical frailty and sarcopenia.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2015-0009.].

Low lean mass and chemotherapy toxicity risk in the elderly: the Fraction study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Half of cancer cases occur in patients aged 70 and above. Majority of older patients are eligible for chemotherapy but evidence for treating this population is sparse and severe toxicities affect more than half of them. Determining prognostic biomarkers able to predict poor chemotherapy tolerance remains one of the major issues in geriatric oncology. Ageing is associated with body composition changes (increase of fat mass and loss of lean mass) independently of weight-loss. Previous studies suggest that body composition parameters (particularly muscle mass) may predict poor chemotherapy tolerance. However, studies specifically including older adults on this subject remain sparse and the majority of them study body composition based on computed tomography (CT) scanner (axial L3 section) muscle mass estimation. This method is to date not validated in elderly cancer patients. METHODS: This trial (Fraction) will evaluate the discriminative ability of appendicular lean mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to predict severe toxicity incidence in older cancer-patients treated with first-line chemotherapy. DXA is considered the gold standard in body composition assessment in older adults. Patient's aged ≥70 diagnosed with solid neoplasms or lymphomas at a locally advanced or metastatic stage treated for first-line chemotherapy were recruited. Patients completed a pre-chemotherapy assessment that recorded socio-demographics, tumor/treatment variables, laboratory test results, geriatric assessment variables (function, comorbidity, cognition, social support and nutritional status), oncological risk scores and body composition with DXA. Appendicular lean mass was standardized using evidence based international criteria. Participants underwent short follow-up geriatric assessments within the first 3 months, 6 months and a year after inclusion. Grade 3 to 5 chemotherapy-related toxicities, as defined by the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE) were assessed at each chemotherapy cycle. DISCUSSION: The finding that body composition is associated with poor tolerance of chemotherapy could lead to consider these parameters as well as improve current decision-making algorithms when treating older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02806154 registered on October 2016.

RETRACTED: Association Between Frailty and Cognitive Impairment: Cross-Sectional Data From Toulouse Frailty Day Hospital.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors-in-Chief. The authors have plagiarized part of a paper that had already appeared in Samper-Ternent R, Al Snih S, Raji MA, et al. Relationship Between Frailty and Cognitive Decline in Older Mexican Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc 2008; 56(10): 1845-1852. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Sarcopenia Screened by the SARC-F Questionnaire and Physical Performances of Elderly Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Screening for sarcopenia in daily practice can be challenging. Our objective was to explore whether the SARC-F questionnaire is a valid screening tool for sarcopenia (defined by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health [FNIH] criteria). Moreover, we evaluated the physical performance of older women according to the SARC-F questionnaire. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Data from the Toulouse and Lyon EPIDémiologie de l'OStéoporose study (EPIDOS) on 3025 women living in the community (mean age: 80.5 ± 3.9 years), without a previous history of hip fracture, were assessed. MEASUREMENTS: The SARC-F self-report questionnaire score ranges from 0 to 10: a score ≥4 defines sarcopenia. The FNIH criteria uses handgrip strength (GS) and appendicular lean mass (ALM; assessed by DXA) divided by body mass index (BMI) to define sarcopenia. Outcome measures were the following performance-based tests: knee-extension strength, 6-m gait speed, and a repeated chair-stand test. The associations of sarcopenia with performance-based tests was examined using bootstrap multiple linear-regression models; adjusted R2 determined the percentage variation for each outcome explained by the model. RESULTS: Prevalence of sarcopenia was 16.7% (n = 504) according to the SARC-F questionnaire and 1.8% (n = 49) using the FNIH criteria. Sensibility and specificity of the SARC-F to diagnose sarcopenia (defined by FNIH criteria) were 34% and 85%, respectively. Sarcopenic women defined by SARC-F had significantly lower physical performance than nonsarcopenic women. The SARC-F improved the ability to predict poor physical performance. CONCLUSION: The validity of the SARC-F questionnaire to screen for sarcopenia, when compared with the FNIH criteria, was limited. However, sarcopenia defined by the SARC-F questionnaire substantially improved the predictive value of clinical characteristics of patients to predict poor physical performance.

The geriatric management of frailty as paradigm of "The end of the disease era".

The sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide is threatened by the absolute and relative increase in the number of older persons. The traditional models of care (largely based on a disease-centered approach) are inadequate for a clinical world dominated by older individuals with multiple (chronic) comorbidities and mutually interacting syndromes. There is the need to shift the center of the medical intervention from the disease to the biological age of the individual. Thus, multiple medical specialties have started looking with some interest at concepts of geriatric medicine in order to better face the increased complexity (due to age-related conditions) of their average patient. In this scenario, special interest has been given to frailty, a condition characterized by the reduction of the individual's homeostatic reserves and increased vulnerability to stressors. Frailty may indeed represent the fulcrum to lever for reshaping the healthcare systems in order to make them more responsive to new clinical needs. However, the dissemination of the frailty concept across medical specialties requires a parallel and careful consideration around the currently undervalued role of geriatricians in our daily practice.

Armonización de bases de datos para el estudio de la fragilidad en personas mayores: estudio INTAFRADE / Harmonisation of databases for the study of frailty in older people: INTAFRADE study

Objetivos. Valorar la factibilidad de armonizar la información disponible en una serie de bases de datos independientes con el fin de construir una base de datos integrada para el estudio de la fragilidad. Material y métodos. Este trabajo se basa en el proyecto europeo Integral Approach to the Transition between Frailty and Dependence on older adults: Patterns of occurrence, identification tools and model of care (INTAFRADE), desarrollado por 4 grupos, 3 en España y uno en Francia en el que cada socio aportaba sus bases de datos relacionadas con el estudio de la fragilidad. En un paso previo a la fusión de las 4 bases de datos se ha realizado un mapeo de las características y variables presentes en cada uno de los estudios, analizando su capacidad de ser armonizables. Resultados. Se identificaron 30 variables diferentes que correspondieron a 8 dimensiones: características sociodemográficas, sociales, de estado de salud, hábitos de vida, medidas antropométricas, otras medidas físicas, uso de servicios sanitarios y resultados adversos en salud. De ellas, 28 (93%) resultaron armonizables, aunque solo el 20% estaban presentes en todas las bases de datos y el 47% en 3 de ellas. Con respecto a los instrumentos de evaluación de fragilidad se observó que en ninguno de ellos se disponía de al menos el 50% de los ítems de cada instrumento. El proceso de armonización permitirá analizar de forma conjunta los datos de 2.361 sujetos. Conclusiones. El estudio europeo INTAFRADE permitirá profundizar en el estudio de la fragilidad, aportando la metodología necesaria para la armonización de la información de bases de datos heterogéneas (AU)

Objectives. The main objective of the present work is to evaluate the feasibility of harmonising the available information from different independent databases, in order to build an integrated database to study frailty. Material and methods. This work is based on the European project, Integral Approach to the Transition between Frailty and Dependence on older adults: Patterns of occurrence, identification tools and model of care (INTAFRADE), developed by 4 groups, 3 in Spain and one in France. Each partner provided their databases related to the study of frailty. As a previous step to the creation of an integrated database the characteristics and variables included in each study were mapped, specifying whether their harmonisation was possible or not. Results. A total of 30 different variables that corresponded to 8 dimensions were identified: Sociodemographic and social characteristics, health status, lifestyle habits, anthropometric measures, other physical measurements, use of health services, and adverse health results. Of them all, 28 (93%) variables were harmonisable, although only 20% were present in all databases, with 47% in 3 of them. In relation to the frailty instruments, all of them were lacking at least 50% of the items. The harmonisation process will allow us to jointly analyse information available on 2,361 people. Conclusions. The European INTAFRADE study will allow a deeper understanding of the frailty process in older people by harmonising information from heterogeneous databases (AU)

[Harmonisation of databases for the study of frailty in older people: INTAFRADE study]. / Armonización de bases de datos para el estudio de la fragilidad en personas mayores: Estudio INTAFRADE.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the present work is to evaluate the feasibility of harmonising the available information from different independent databases, in order to build an integrated database to study frailty. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This work is based on the European project, Integral Approach to the Transition between Frailty and Dependence on older adults: Patterns of occurrence, identification tools and model of care (INTAFRADE), developed by 4 groups, 3 in Spain and one in France. Each partner provided their databases related to the study of frailty. As a previous step to the creation of an integrated database the characteristics and variables included in each study were mapped, specifying whether their harmonisation was possible or not. RESULTS: A total of 30 different variables that corresponded to 8 dimensions were identified: Sociodemographic and social characteristics, health status, lifestyle habits, anthropometric measures, other physical measurements, use of health services, and adverse health results. Of them all, 28 (93%) variables were harmonisable, although only 20% were present in all databases, with 47% in 3 of them. In relation to the frailty instruments, all of them were lacking at least 50% of the items. The harmonisation process will allow us to jointly analyse information available on 2,361 people. CONCLUSIONS: The European INTAFRADE study will allow a deeper understanding of the frailty process in older people by harmonising information from heterogeneous databases.

Multimorbidity Patterns in Hospitalized Older Patients: Associations among Chronic Diseases and Geriatric Syndromes.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The clinical status of older individuals with multimorbidity can be further complicated by concomitant geriatric syndromes. This study explores multimorbidity patterns, encompassing both chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes, in geriatric patients attended in an acute hospital setting. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Unit of Social and Clinical Assessment (UVSS), Miguel Servet University Hospital (HUMS), Zaragoza (Spain). Year, 2011. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 924 hospitalized patients aged 65 years or older. MEASUREMENTS: Data on patients' clinical, functional, cognitive and social statuses were gathered through comprehensive geriatric assessments. To identify diseases and/or geriatric syndromes that cluster into patterns, an exploratory factor analysis was applied, stratifying by sex. The factors can be interpreted as multimorbidity patterns, i.e., diseases non-randomly associated with each other within the study population. The resulting patterns were clinically assessed by several physicians. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 82.1 years (SD 7.2). Multimorbidity burden was lower in men under 80 years, but increased in those over 80. Immobility, urinary incontinence, hypertension, falls, dementia, cognitive decline, diabetes and arrhythmia were among the 10 most frequent health problems in both sexes, with prevalence rates above 20%. Four multimorbidity patterns were identified that were present in both sexes: Cardiovascular, Induced Dependency, Falls and Osteoarticular. The number of conditions comprising these patterns was similar in men and women. CONCLUSION: The existence of specific multimorbidity patterns in geriatric patients, such as the Induced Dependency and Falls patterns, may facilitate the early detection of vulnerability to stressors, thus helping to avoid negative health outcomes such as functional disability.

Searching for a relevant definition of sarcopenia: results from the cross-sectional EPIDOS study.

BACKGROUND: The diversity of definitions proposed for sarcopenia has been rarely tested in the same population, and so far, their clinical utilities for predicting physical difficulties could not be clearly understood. Our objective is to report the prevalence of sarcopenia and the characteristics of sarcopenic community-dwelling older women according to the different definitions of sarcopenia currently proposed. We also assessed these definitions for their incremental predictive value over currently standard predictors for some self-reported difficulties in physical function and knee extension strength. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis included data from 3025 non-disabled women aged 75 years or older without previous history of hip fracture from the inclusion visit of the EPIDémiologie de l'OStéoporose study. A total body composition evaluation was available for 2725 women. Sarcopenia was defined using six different definitions of sarcopenia based on different muscle mass, gait speed, and grip strength cut-offs. Self-reported difficulties in physical function and knee extension strength were collected. Logistic regression and multiple linear regression models were built for each physical dysfunction, and the predictive capacity of sarcopenia (one model for each definition) was studied using the C-statistic, the net reclassification index, or adjusted R(2). RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 3.3-20.0%. Only 85 participants (3.1%) were identified having sarcopenia according to all definitions. All definitions were, to some degree, associated with self-reported difficulties in physical function and knee extension strength, but none improved the predictive ability of the self-reported difficulties in physical function. Conversely, all definitions accounted for a small but significant amount of explained variation for predicting knee extension strength. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of sarcopenia varies widely depending on the definition adopted. Based on this research, the current definitions for sarcopenia does not substantially increment the predictive value of clinical characteristics of patients to predict self-reported physical difficulties and knee extension strength.

Sarcopenia-related parameters and incident disability in older persons: results from the "invecchiare in Chianti" study.

BACKGROUND: Current operational definitions of sarcopenia are based on algorithms' simultaneous considering measures of skeletal muscle mass and muscle-specific as well as global function. We hypothesize that quantitative and qualitative sarcopenia-related parameters may not be equally predictive of incident disability, thus presenting different clinical relevance. METHODS: Data are from 922 elder adults (mean age = 73.9 years) with no activities of daily living (ADL) impairment recruited in the "Invecchiare in Chianti" study. Incident disability in ≥1 ADL defined the outcome of interest. The specific capacities of following sarcopenia-related parameters at predicting incident ADL disability were compared: residuals of skeletal muscle mass, fat-adjusted residuals of skeletal muscle mass, muscle density, ankle extension strength, ratio ankle extension strength/muscle mass, gait speed, and handgrip strength. RESULTS: During the follow-up (median = 9.1 years), 188 (20.4%) incident ADL disability events were reported. Adjusted models showed that only gait speed was significantly associated with the outcome in both men (per standard deviation [SD] = 0.23 m/s increase, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33-0.63; p < .001) and women (per SD = 0.24 m/s increase, HR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.50-0.82; p < .001). In women, the fat-adjusted lean mass residual (per SD = 4.41 increase, HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.65-0.96; p = .02) and muscle density (per SD = 3.60 increase, HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.61-0.93; p = .01) were the only other parameters that predicted disability. In men, several of the tested variables (except muscle mass measures) reported significant results. CONCLUSIONS: Gender strongly influences which sarcopenia-related parameters predict disability. Gait speed was a powerful predictor of disability in both men and women, but its nonmuscle-specific nature should impose caution about its inclusion in definitions of sarcopenia.

A self-reported screening tool for detecting community-dwelling older persons with frailty syndrome in the absence of mobility disability: the FiND questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The "frailty syndrome" (a geriatric multidimensional condition characterized by decreased reserve and diminished resistance to stressors) represents a promising target of preventive interventions against disability in elders. Available screening tools for the identification of frailty in the absence of disability present major limitations. In particular, they have to be administered by a trained assessor, require special equipment, and/or do not discriminate between frail and disabled individuals. Aim of this study is to verify the agreement of a novel self-reported questionnaire (the "Frail Non-Disabled" [FiND] instrument) designed for detecting non-mobility disabled frail older persons with results from reference tools. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data are from 45 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years. Participants were asked to complete the FiND questionnaire separately exploring the frailty and disability domains. Then, a blinded assessor objectively measured the frailty status (using the phenotype proposed by Fried and colleagues) and mobility disability (using the 400-meter walk test). Cohen's kappa coefficients were calculated to determine the agreement between the FiND questionnaire with the reference instruments. Mean age of participants (women 62.2%) was 72.5 (standard deviation 8.2) years. Seven (15.6%) participants presented mobility disability as being unable to complete the 400-meter walk test. According to the frailty phenotype criteria, 25 (55.6%) participants were pre-frail or frail, and 13 (28.9%) were robust. Overall, a substantial agreement of the instrument with the reference tools (kappa = 0.748, quadratic weighted kappa = 0.836, both p values<0.001) was reported with only 7 (15.6%) participants incorrectly categorized. The agreement between results of the FiND disability domain and the 400-meter walk test was excellent (kappa = 0.920, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The FiND questionnaire presents a very good capacity to correctly identify frail older persons without mobility disability living in the community. This screening tool may represent an opportunity for diffusing awareness about frailty and disability and supporting specific preventive campaigns.

Predictors of decline in walking ability in community-dwelling Alzheimer's disease patients: Results from the 4-years prospective REAL.FR study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to explore the predictors of decline in walking ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: The prospective REseau surla maladie ALzheimer FRançais (REAL.FR) study enrolled six hundred eighty four community-dwelling AD subjects (71.20% women; mean age 77.84 Standard Deviation, SD, 6.82 years, Mini-Mental State Examination 20.02, SD 4.23). Decline in walking ability was defined as the first loss of 0.5 points or more in the walking ability item of the Activities of Daily Living scale (ADL), where higher score means greater independence, during the four-years of follow-up. Demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, and level of education were reported at baseline. Disability, caregiver burden, cognitive and nutritional status, body mass index, balance, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, medication, hospitalization, institutionalization and death were reported every six months during the four years. Cox survival analyses were performed to assess the independent factors associated with decline in walking ability. RESULTS: The mean incident decline in walking ability was 12.76% per year (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 10.86 to 14.66). After adjustment for confounders, the risk of decline in walking ability was independently associated with older age (Relative Risk, RR = 1.05 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.08)), time from diagnosis of dementia (RR = 1.16 (1.01 to 1.33)), painful osteoarthritis (RR = 1.84 (1.19 to 2.85)), hospitalization for fracture of the lower limb (RR = 6.35 (3.02 to 13.37)), higher baseline ADL score (RR = 0.49 (0.43 to 0.56)), and the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (RR = 0.52 (0.28 to 0.96)). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of decline in walking ability is predicted by older age, increased dementia severity, poor functional score, and orthopedic factors and seems to be prevented by the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors medication.

Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment in elderly women: results from the EPIDOS cohort.

BACKGROUND: common pathophysiological pathways are shared between age-related body composition changes and cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: evaluate whether current operative sarcopenia definitions are associated with cognition in community-dwelling older women. DESIGN: cross-sectional analyses. SUBJECTS: a total of 3,025 women aged 75 years and older. MEASUREMENTS: body composition (assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) and cognition (measured by short portable mental status questionnaire) were obtained in all participants. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association of six operative definitions of sarcopenia with cognitive impairment. Gait speed (GS, measured over a 6-meter track at usual pace) and handgrip strength (HG, measured by a hand-held dynamometer) were considered additional factors of interest. RESULTS: a total of 492 (16.3%) women were cognitively impaired. The prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 3.3 to 18.8%. No sarcopenia definition was associated with cognitive impairment after controlling for potential confounders. To proof consistency, the analyses were performed using GS and HG, two well-established predictors of cognitive impairment. Low GS [odds ratio (OR) 2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72-3.40] and low HG (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.33-2.46) were associated with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: no significant association was evidenced between different operative sarcopenia definitions and cognitive impairment. The study suggests that the association between physical performance and cognitive impairment in not mediated by sarcopenia.

Clinical relevance of different muscle strength indexes and functional impairment in women aged 75 years and older.

BACKGROUND: Muscle mass index has long been used as a useful index to evaluate the risks of developing functional impairments. However, there is evidence that other indexes (particularly muscle strength-based indexes) may be more relevant. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the association between different indexes of muscle mass or strength with self-reported and measured functional performance to determine which index would be clinically relevant to detect individuals at risk of functional impairments. METHODS: Data are from 1,462 women aged 75 years and older recruited in the Toulouse EPIDémiologie de l'OStéoporose cohort. Body composition (assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), handgrip, and knee extension strength were assessed. Physical function was measured using the chair stand test as well as the usual and fast gait speed tests. Participants were also asked if they experienced any difficulty at performing functional tasks. RESULTS: Results showed that knee extension strength relative to body weight was the strongest correlate of physical function measures (.30 < r < .40). Women in the lowest quartile of knee extension strength relative to body weight were 5.9-, 24.7-, 12.1-, and 20.9-fold, respectively, more likely to present impairments at self-reported activities, chair stand test, and usual and fast gait speed compared with women in the highest quartile, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Knee extension strength relative to body weight appears to be well associated with self-reported difficulties and functional impairments. A threshold between 2.78 and 2.86 (knee extension strength [kPa]/body weight [kg]), determined using receiver operating characteristics curves analysis, may be a potential cut point to discriminate women presenting higher functional impairments.

Identifying sarcopenia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present review describes and discusses the currently available definitions for sarcopenia from consensus studies. RECENT FINDINGS: Different sarcopenia definitions have been proposed in these last years. Six main approaches to an operative definition of sarcopenia have been identified. Although the first definitions were solely based on the assessment of the amount of muscle mass, current definitions seem to consistently recognize a bi-dimensional nature of sarcopenia. So, these approaches imply the need of simultaneously assessing both age-related quantitative (i.e. amount of muscle mass) and qualitative (i.e. muscle strength and function) declines of skeletal muscle. SUMMARY: Although current consensus exists about a bi-dimensional nature, the proposed approaches to measure sarcopenia are characterized by methodological differences. The majority of the operative definitions proposes to assess muscle mass as an index of appendicular muscle mass divided by squared height (evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), assess strength using hand-held dynamometers, and assess function by evaluating gait speed at habitual pace over a short distance. Nevertheless, the clinically relevant thresholds and how to combine the three aspects in an operative definition in order to identify sarcopenia are heterogeneous. A main drawback is that supportive empirical data are missing for these conceptual definitions regarding the risk-assessment of different clinically significant adverse outcomes.

Gait speed, body composition, and dementia. The EPIDOS-Toulouse cohort.

BACKGROUND: Slow gait speed (GS) predicts dementia, but this association might be mediated by body composition parameters like total fat mass (TFM) or total lean mass (TLM). The aim of the study was to evaluate whether GS, TLM, and TFM were associated factors with an increased risk for subsequent dementia in community-dwelling older women. METHODS: A case-control study was nested in the EPIDemiologie de l'OStéoporose cohort. GS (at usual pace more than 6 m), TLM, and TFM (assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) were measured at baseline. Cognitive performance was evaluated at baseline and at 7 years of follow-up. The presence of dementia was assured by two blinded memory experts based on best practice and validated criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association of GS, TLM, and TFM with dementia risk. RESULTS: Of the initial 1,462 women, 75 years old and older, 647 (43.4%) were cognitively intact at baseline and had a full cognitive assessment at 7 years (145 of them developed dementia). Controlled for covariates (demographics, physical activity, self-reported disabilities, and comorbidities), GS was an independent associated factor for subsequent dementia as a continuous variable (odds ratio [OR] 2.28, 95% CI: 1.32-3.94) and as a categorized variable (OR 2.38, 95% CI: 1.28-4.43 highest vs lowest quartile). Neither interaction with GS nor a statistically significant association with dementia risk was found for TLM and TFM. CONCLUSIONS: GS was an independent associated factor for subsequent dementia not mediated by TLM or TFM.

Weight loss and rapid cognitive decline in community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Weight loss is a frequent complication of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in patients suffering from this disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether weight loss was a predictor of rapid cognitive decline (RCD) in AD. Four hundred fourteen community-dwelling ambulatory patients with a diagnosis of probable AD and a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score between 10 and 26 from the REAL.FR (REseau sur la maladie d'ALzheimer FRançais) cohort were studied and followed up during 4 years. Patients were classified in 2 groups according to weight loss defined by a loss of 4% or more during the first year of follow-up. RCD was defined as the loss of 3 points or more in MMSE over 6 months. The incidence of RCD was determined among both groups over the last 3 years of follow-up. MMSE, Katz's Activity of Daily Living scale, Mini-Nutritional Assessment scale, co-morbidities, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, medication, level of education, living arrangement, and caregiver's burden were assessed every 6 months. Eighty-seven patients (21.0%) lost 4% or more of their initial weight during the first year. The incidence of RCD for all patients was 57.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 51.6-64.8) per 100 person-year (median follow-up of 15.1 months). In Cox proportional hazards models, after controlling for potential confounders, weight loss was a significant predictor factor of RCD (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.04-2.17). In conclusion, weight loss predicted RCD in this cohort. Whether the prevention of weight loss (by improving nutritional status) impacts cognitive decline remains an open question.