Geriatrics
Review | Insomnia diagnosis and treatment across the lifespan
30 Mar, 2023 | 13:36h | UTCInsomnia diagnosis and treatment across the lifespan – Journal of Family Practice
Cohort Study | Evaluating 5 creatinine-based formulas for eGFR estimation in older patients
29 Mar, 2023 | 13:12h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
5 commonly-used creatinine-based equations provided different eGFR estimates in older adults in Sweden. BIS equation outperformed others in predicting 15-year mortality, but its accuracy was reduced in subgroups of low muscle mass and high age. https://t.co/DOJmp4HzZn
— JAMA Network Open (@JAMANetworkOpen) March 23, 2023
RCT | Fezolinetant for treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause
23 Mar, 2023 | 13:01h | UTCFezolinetant for treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause (SKYLIGHT 1): a phase 3 randomised controlled study – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
70% of women experience hot flushes or night sweats during #menopause.
A new study investigates the role Fezolinetant, a non-hormonal treatment, could play in reducing these symptoms. https://t.co/zv4b9WU03h
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) March 15, 2023
M-A | eHealth-based psychosocial interventions for adults with insomnia
23 Mar, 2023 | 12:31h | UTC
Review | Diseases affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals with trisomy 21
20 Mar, 2023 | 13:44h | UTC
Guidelines on male adult testosterone deficiency, with statements for practice
16 Mar, 2023 | 13:18h | UTC
SR | Yoga may improve frailty markers in older adults
15 Mar, 2023 | 15:08h | UTCEffect of Yoga on Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Annals Video Summary: Effect of Yoga on Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
News Release: Yoga may help to prevent frailty in older adults – American College of Physicians
Deprescribing strategies for opioids and benzodiazepines with emphasis on concurrent use: a scoping review
15 Mar, 2023 | 15:06h | UTCRelated:
RCT | A deprescribing intervention reduced medication burden among older adults in post-acute care
Deprescribing proton pump inhibitors – Australian Journal of General Practice
Antihypertensive Deprescribing in Older Adults: a Practical Guide – Current Hypertension Reports
Deprescribing in Palliative Cancer Care – Life
Less is More: Deprescribing Medications in Older Adults with Kidney Disease: A Review – Kidney360
Polypharmacy Management in Older Patients – Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan – Lown Institute
Common ED Medication Errors: Polypharmacy – emDocs
Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy – BMC Family Practice
Polypharmacy—an Upward Trend with Unpredictable Effects – Deutsches Ärzteblatt international
Clinical Consequences of Polypharmacy in Elderly – Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
SR | Environmental interventions can reduce falls in high-risk older adults
14 Mar, 2023 | 13:58h | UTCSummary: Falls and fall-related injuries are common among older adults and can have serious consequences, such as restricting activity or institutionalization. The Cochrane review aimed to assess the effects of environmental interventions, such as fall-hazard reduction, assistive technology, home modifications, and education, on preventing falls in older adults living in the community.
The review included 22 randomized controlled trials from 10 countries involving 8,463 community-residing older people. The study found that home fall-hazard interventions, which involve evaluating potential fall hazards and implementing safety adaptations or behavioral strategies, can reduce the rate of falls by 26% and the number of people who experience one or more falls by 11% in people at a higher risk of falling.
On the other hand, the study did not find any evidence of a decrease in the rate of falls when the interventions were not targeted toward individuals at higher risk. Additionally, the study suggests that these interventions are unlikely to have a significant impact on health-related quality of life, and there may be little or no difference in the risk of fall-related fractures, hospitalizations due to falls, or the rate of falls that require medical attention.
Summary: Reducing fall hazards within the environment – Cochrane Library
Commentary: Preventing falls in older people: new evidence on what helps – Evidently Cochrane
FDA panel endorses 2 RSV vaccines for older adults, but flag at potential increased risk of Guillain-Barre
8 Mar, 2023 | 14:27h | UTCPfizer vaccine:
In close vote, FDA advisers recommend Pfizer RSV vaccine for those 60 and older – CIDRAP
GSK’s vaccine:
FDA panel recommends GSK’s RSV vaccine for ages 60 and up – CIDRAP
FDA advisors recommend GSK’s RSV vaccine for older adults, but flag potential safety risks – CNBC
See also: Rare neurological condition is ‘important potential risk’ of Pfizer’s RSV vaccine, FDA says – CNN
BTS Clinical Guidance | Aspiration pneumonia
6 Mar, 2023 | 14:36h | UTCBTS clinical statement on aspiration pneumonia – Thorax
RCT | Antipsychotic association seems better than antidepressant switch in treatment-resistant geriatric depression
6 Mar, 2023 | 14:23h | UTCSummary:
This open-label randomized trial compared the benefits and risks of augmenting therapy vs. switching antidepressants in older adults with treatment-resistant depression. In the first step, 619 patients were randomly assigned to augmentation of existing antidepressant medication with aripiprazole (an antipsychotic), augmentation with bupropion, or a switch from existing antidepressant medication to bupropion. In step 2, 248 patients who did not benefit from or were ineligible for step 1 were randomly assigned to augmentation with lithium or a switch to nortriptyline.
The aripiprazole-augmentation group showed significant improvement in well-being compared to the switch-to-bupropion group. Remission occurred in 28.9% of patients in the aripiprazole-augmentation group, 28.2% in the bupropion-augmentation group, and 19.3% in the switch-to-bupropion group. In step 2, similar remission rates occurred in the lithium-augmentation group (18.9%) and the switch-to-nortriptyline group (21.5%).
Article: Antidepressant Augmentation versus Switch in Treatment-Resistant Geriatric Depression – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary on Twitter
#AAGPAM23: In a pragmatic trial involving older persons with treatment-resistant depression, augmentation of existing antidepressants with aripiprazole was better than augmentation with bupropion or a switch to bupropion. Full results of the OPTIMUM trial: https://t.co/2OPOxH67Qx pic.twitter.com/g0AtrYGhKV
— NEJM (@NEJM) March 3, 2023
An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effect of medication interventions targeting polypharmacy for frail older adults
3 Mar, 2023 | 14:07h | UTCSummary: This overview of published systematic reviews examined the effectiveness of medication reviews on managing polypharmacy in frail older adults. The overview identified 10 systematic reviews, which included 154 studies. Medication reviews were the most common intervention, and the evidence suggests that they help reduce inappropriate medication use in frail older adults, but their impact on frailty scores and hospital admission is unclear. Pharmacist-led medication interventions were the most common, reducing inappropriate prescriptions in various settings. Tools, such as clinical decision-making computer support tools, were also found to be effective. The evidence quality ranged from moderate to critically low, highlighting the need for further research to establish if interventions directed at polypharmacy could have an impact on frailty syndromes.
Related:
RCT | A deprescribing intervention reduced medication burden among older adults in post-acute care
Deprescribing proton pump inhibitors – Australian Journal of General Practice
Antihypertensive Deprescribing in Older Adults: a Practical Guide – Current Hypertension Reports
Deprescribing in Palliative Cancer Care – Life
Less is More: Deprescribing Medications in Older Adults with Kidney Disease: A Review – Kidney360
Polypharmacy Management in Older Patients – Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan – Lown Institute
Common ED Medication Errors: Polypharmacy – emDocs
Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy – BMC Family Practice
Polypharmacy—an Upward Trend with Unpredictable Effects – Deutsches Ärzteblatt international
Clinical Consequences of Polypharmacy in Elderly – Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
Cohort Study | Association between a healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults
3 Mar, 2023 | 13:44h | UTCSummary: This study examined the association between a healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults over a 10-year period. The study included 29,072 participants aged 60 or older with normal cognition and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping at baseline. Six healthy lifestyle factors were assessed: a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, active social contact, active cognitive activity, never or former smoker, and never drinking alcohol. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their lifestyle factors: favorable, average, and unfavorable. The results showed that participants in the favorable group had slower memory decline than those in the unfavorable group, even in the presence of the APOE ε4 allele. These findings have important implications for public health initiatives to protect older adults against memory decline.
Editorial: Healthy lifestyles for dementia prevention – The BMJ
News Release: Healthy lifestyle linked to slower memory decline in older adults – BMJ Newsroom
Commentary: Healthful Lifestyle May Slow Memory Loss, Even for APOE Gene Carriers – JAMA
Commentary on Twitter
A healthy lifestyle is associated with slower memory decline, even in the presence of the [high risk] APOE ε4 allele.
Most to least impactful: diet, cognitive activity, physical exercise, active social contact, never/former smoking, & never drinking.https://t.co/j21cH2wyo6 pic.twitter.com/6qgd9bJ2Gr
— Joseph C. Watso, PhD (@Joseph_Watso) January 27, 2023
Under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ license
Study shows sudden cardiac arrest during sports activity is rare among older adults
3 Mar, 2023 | 13:38h | UTCSudden Cardiac Arrest During Sports Activity in Older Adults – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries:
Sports-related sudden cardiac arrest is rare in older adults – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Risk of Sports-Related Sudden Cardiac Arrest Low in Older Adults – TCTMD
RCT | Efficacy of Fezolinetant in moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause
3 Mar, 2023 | 13:28h | UTC
Cohort Study | Lifetime traumatic brain injury and cognitive domain deficits in late life
2 Mar, 2023 | 12:45h | UTCLifetime Traumatic Brain Injury and Cognitive Domain Deficits in Late Life: The PROTECT-TBI Cohort Study – Journal of Neurotrauma (link to abstract – you can try this link for full-text)
News Release: Three or more concussions linked with worse brain function in later life – University of Exeter
M-A | Efficacy of brief behavioral therapy for insomnia in older adults with chronic insomnia
1 Mar, 2023 | 13:55h | UTC
Virtual wards: a rapid evidence synthesis and implications for the care of older people
1 Mar, 2023 | 13:52h | UTC
RCT | Physician-led medication reviews in polypharmacy patients with Type 2 DM treated with at least 12 medications
1 Mar, 2023 | 13:36h | UTC
Cohort Study | Aggressive end-of-life care is still common among older adults with metastatic cancer in the US
27 Feb, 2023 | 13:11h | UTCSummary: The study aimed to compare the markers of aggressive end-of-life (EOL) care between older adults with metastatic cancer who are nursing home (NH) residents and those who live in community settings. The study analyzed data from 146,329 patients who died from metastatic breast, colorectal, lung, pancreas, or prostate cancer between 2013 and 2017, and found that aggressive EOL care was more common among NH residents than community-dwelling residents (63.6% vs. 58.3%). More than one hospital admission in the last 30 days of life and death in the hospital were the key markers associated with a higher prevalence of aggressive EOL care. The authors suggest that interventions targeting these factors could improve the quality of end-of-life care.
RCT | Effects of globus pallidus focused ultrasound ablation in Parkinson’s disease
27 Feb, 2023 | 13:02h | UTCSummary: The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of unilateral focused ultrasound ablation of the internal segment of globus pallidus in patients with Parkinson’s disease and dyskinesias or motor fluctuations. The randomized controlled trial involved 94 patients who were either assigned to undergo ultrasound ablation or a sham procedure. The study found that unilateral pallidal ultrasound ablation resulted in a higher percentage of patients who improved motor function or reduced dyskinesia than a sham procedure over a period of 3 months but was associated with adverse events. The study suggests the need for longer and larger trials to determine the effect and safety of this technique in persons with Parkinson’s disease.
Article: Trial of Globus Pallidus Focused Ultrasound Ablation in Parkinson’s Disease – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Focused ultrasound reduces physical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease – Health Imaging
Video Summary: Focused Ultrasound Ablation for Parkinson’s Disease | NEJM
Cluster RCT | Effect of an antibiotic stewardship intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing for suspected UTI in older adults
24 Feb, 2023 | 13:58h | UTCSummary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of a multifaceted antibiotic stewardship intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing for suspected urinary tract infections (UTI) in frail older adults. The study was a pragmatic, parallel, cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in four European countries and included 1041 frail older adults aged 70 or older. The intervention involved a decision tool for appropriate antibiotic use, supported by a toolbox with educational materials. The control group provided care as usual. The primary outcome was the number of antibiotic prescriptions for suspected UTI per person year, and secondary outcomes included incidence of complications, hospital referrals, admissions, and mortality. The results showed that the intervention group had a lower rate of receiving an antibiotic prescription for a suspected UTI (0.27 per person year) compared to the control group (0.58 per person year), with no increase in complications or adverse events.
Commentary: Trial: Stewardship intervention cuts antibiotic prescribing for suspected urinary infections – CIDRAP
Related:
Case-Control Study | Current pyuria cut-offs may promote inappropriate UTI diagnosis in older women
USPSTF Recommendation Statement: Screening for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Adults
Injurious falls before, during and after dementia diagnosis: a population-based study
24 Feb, 2023 | 13:31h | UTC
M-A | Global and regional prevalence of multimorbidity in the adult population in community settings
22 Feb, 2023 | 12:47h | UTCSummary: The article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of surveys that estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity among adults in community settings. The study analyzed data from 126 peer-reviewed studies, including nearly 15.4 million people from 54 countries worldwide. The overall global prevalence of multimorbidity was 37.2%, with South America having the highest prevalence, followed by North America, Europe, and Asia. The study also found that females have a higher prevalence of multimorbidity than males, and that more than half of the adult population worldwide above 60 years of age had multimorbid conditions.
Related:
Costs of multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analyses – BMC Medicine
Systematic review of high-cost patients’ characteristics and healthcare utilization – BMJ Open
Multimorbidity: a priority for global health research – The Academy of Medical Sciences
The global burden of multiple chronic conditions: a narrative review – Preventive Medicine Reports
Redesigning Care for High-Cost, High-Risk Patients – Harvard Business Review
Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management – NICE Guideline
Richard Smith: The challenge of high need, high cost patients – The BMJ Blogs
Better Care for People with Complex Needs – Institute for Healthcare Improvement