Impact of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Comorbidities on Elderly Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine Wards: Data from the RePoSi Registry

Background: Currently, diabetes represents the seventh leading cause of death worldwide, with a significant economic burden. The number and severity of comorbidities increase with age, and are identified as important determinants that influence the prognosis. We aimed to investigate comorbidities and outcomes in a cohort of hospitalized elderly patients affected by diabetes. Methods: In this observational study, we retrospectively analyzed data collected from the REgistro dei pazienti per lo studio delle POlipatologie e politerapie in reparti della rete Simi (RePoSi) registry. Socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory findings were considered. The association between varia…

The magnesium global network (MaGNet) to promote research on magnesium in diseases focusing on covid-19

When the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began in early 2020, the global magnesium researcher community came together and noted the striking similarities between COVID-19 risk factors and conditions associated with magnesium deficit state in humans, reasoning that magnesium deficiency could worsen the course of COVID-19 [1-4]. This prompted establishment of a worldwide collaborative network with regular virtual meetings to brainstorm the associations between magnesium and COVID-19. We hypothesize that magnesium deficiency, a common but mostly unrecognized state in modern global societies, could be an important component of the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Consequently, restoring the …

Hyperglycemia at admission, comorbidities, and in-hospital mortality in elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards: data from the RePoSI Registry

Abstract Aims The association between hyperglycemia at hospital admission and relevant short- and long-term outcomes in elderly population is known. We assessed the effects on mortality of hyperglycemia, disability, and multimorbidity at admission in internal medicine ward in patients aged ≥ 65 years. Methods Data were collected from an active register of 102 internal medicine and geriatric wards in Italy (RePoSi project). Patients were recruited during four index weeks of a year. Socio-demographic data, reason for hospitalization, diagnoses, treatment, severity and comorbidity indexes (Cumulative Illness rating Scale CIRS-SI and CIRS-CI), renal function, functional (Barthel Index), and cog…

Validation of Abbreviated Form of the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI): The BRIEF-MPI Project

Alberto Cella,1 Nicola Veronese,2 Carlo Custodero,3 Alberto Castagna,4 Lisa A Cammalleri,1 Walter M Capitano,2 Luisa Solimando,2 Luca Carruba,2 Carlo Sabbà,3 Giovanni Ruotolo,4 Mario Barbagallo,2 Alberto Pilotto1,3 1Department of Geriatric Care, Orthogeriatrics and Rehabilitation, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Genova, Italy; 2Geriatric Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 3Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 4Geriatrics Unit, “Pugliese Ciaccio” Hospital, Catanzaro, ItalyCorrespondence: Alberto Pilotto, Via delle Mura Capuccine, 14, Genova, 16128, Italy, Tel +39 010 5634400, Fax +39 …

Pain and Frailty in Hospitalized Older Adults

Introduction Pain and frailty are prevalent conditions in the older population. Many chronic diseases are likely involved in their origin, and both have a negative impact on quality of life. However, few studies have analysed their association. Methods In light of this knowledge gap, 3577 acutely hospitalized patients 65 years or older enrolled in the REPOSI register, an Italian network of internal medicine and geriatric hospital wards, were assessed to calculate the frailty index (FI). The impact of pain and some of its characteristics on the degree of frailty was evaluated using an ordinal logistic regression model after adjusting for age and gender. Results The prevalence of pain was 24.…

Frequency of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), data on LVH, that is, prevalence and determinants, are inconsistent mainly because of different definitions and heterogeneity of study populations. We determined echocardiographic-based LVH prevalence and clinical factors independently associated with its development in a prospective cohort of patients with non-valvular (NV) AF. From the "Atrial Fibrillation Registry for Ankle-brachial Index Prevalence Assessment: Collaborative Italian Study" (ARAPACIS) population, 1,184 patients with NVAF (mean age 72 ± 11 yea…

Antihypertensive treatment changes and related clinical outcomes in older hospitalized patients

Background: Hypertension management in older patients represents a challenge, particularly when hospitalized. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the determinants and related outcomes of antihypertensive drug prescription in a cohort of older hospitalized patients. Methods: A total of 5671 patients from REPOSI (a prospective multicentre observational register of older Italian in-patients from internal medicine or geriatric wards) were considered; 4377 (77.2%) were hypertensive. Minimum treatment (MT) for hypertension was defined according to the 2018 ESC guidelines [an angiotensin-converting-enzyme-inhibitor (ACE-I) or an angiotensin-receptor-blocker (ARB) with a calciu…

Pattern of in-hospital changes in drug use in the older people from 2010 to 2016

Purpose: To assess the pattern of in-hospital changes in drug use in older patients from 2010 to 2016. Methods: People aged 65 years or more acutely hospitalized in those internal medicine and geriatric wards that did continuously participate to the REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana di Medicina Interna register from 2010 to 2016 were selected. Drugs use were categorized as 0 to 1 drug (very low drug use), 2 to 4 drugs (low drug use), 5 to 9 drugs (polypharmacy), and 10 or more drugs (excessive polypharmacy). To assess whether or not prevalence of patients in relation to drug use distribution changed overtime, adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) was estimated with log-binomial regression mo…

Clinical Severity, Age, and Sex Overcome Cardiometabolic Morbidities but Not Stroke as Predictors of Mortality in Elderly Inpatients: Data From the REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana di Medicina Interna Registry

Antipsychotic prescription and mortality in hospitalized older persons

Background: Recent scientific reports have shown that older persons treated with antipsychotics for dementia-related behavioural symptoms have increased mortality. However, the impact of these drugs prescribed during hospitalization has rarely been assessed. We aimed to investigate whether antipsychotics are associated with an increased risk of mortality during hospitalization and at 3-month follow-up in elderly inpatients. Methods: We analyzed data gathered during two waves (2010 and 2012) by the REPOSI (Registro Politerapie Società Italiana Medicina Interna). All new prescriptions of antipsychotic drugs during hospitalization, whether maintained or discontinued at discharge, were collect…

The Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have a disproportionate impact on people with dementia/mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to isolation and loss of services. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in people living with dementia/MCI. Two authors searched major electronic databases from inception to June 2021 for observational studies investigating COVID-19 and NPS in people with dementia/MCI. Summary estimates of mean differences in NPS scores pre- versus post-COVID-19 were calculated using a random-effects model, weighting cases using inverse variance. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed by the Newcastl…

Kidney Disease Management in the Hospital Setting: A Focus on Inappropriate Drug Prescriptions in Older Patients

Aging with multimorbidity and polytherapy are the most significant factors that could led to inappropriate prescribing of contraindicated medications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prescriptions of contraindicated drugs in older adults in CKD and to identify their associated factors in a hospital context. An observational retrospective study was carried out considering all patients ≥65 years with at least one serum creatinine value recorded into the REPOSI register into 2010–2016 period. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was applied to identify CKD. A descriptive analysis was performed to compare demographic and clinica…

Implementation of the Frailty Index in hospitalized older patients: Results from the REPOSI register

Abstract Background Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to stressors, associated to poor health outcomes. The aim of this study was to design and introduce a Frailty Index (FI; according to the age-related accumulation of deficit model) in a large cohort of hospitalized older persons, in order to benefit from its capacity to comprehensively weight the risk profile of the individual. Methods Patients aged 65 and older enrolled in the REPOSI register from 2010 to 2016 were considered in the present analyses. Variables recorded at the hospital admission (including socio-demographic, physical, cognitive, functional and clinical factors) were used to compute the FI. The prognostic impa…