0000000000530732
AUTHOR
Irma Nykänen
Association between Frailty and Dementia: A Population-Based Study
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Frailty is commonly considered as a syndrome with several symptoms, including weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed and physical inactivity. It has been suggested that cognitive impairment should be included in the frailty index, however the association between frailty and cognition has not yet been fully established. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To investigate cross-sectionally whether frailty is associated with cognitive impairment or clinically diagnosed dementia in older people. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The study included a total of<b> </b>654 persons aged 76-100 years…
Effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment-based individually targeted interventions on mobility of pre-frail and frail community-dwelling older people
Aim To assess the effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA)-based individually targeted interventions on the ability to walk 400 m in pre-frail or frail and non-frail community-dwelling older people. Methods A subgroups analysis of a population-based comparative study, the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) was carried out in the city of Kuopio, Finland, from 2004 to 2007. This study was based on data from 2005 to 2007. The present analysis included 605 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥76 years (mean age 80.9, 70% women), 314 in the intervention and 291 in the control group. Frailty status was assessed in 2005. Mobility was assessed b…
Physical activity at age of 20-64 years and mobility and muscle strength in old age: a community-based study.
Background. Physical activity in midlife has been related to lower mortality and better health in old age. The present study evaluated whether physical activity at age of 20–64 years was associated with mobility and muscle strength in old age. Methods. A random sample of 1,000 persons was extracted from all the ≥75-year-old people living in Kuopio, Finland, and 679 community-dwelling participants were included in the present analyses. Data on health status, ability to walk outside or 400 m, and physical activity level were obtained through structured interviews. Participants’ walking speed, grip strength, and knee extension strength were measured by physiotherapists. Relationship between ph…
Frailty as a predictor of all-cause mortality in older men and women
Aims To investigate the modifying effect of sex on the association between frailty and all-cause mortality, and to determine the effects of changes in frailty status on mortality. Methods This population-based study comprised 654 persons aged 76–100 years (mean age 82 ± 4.6 years). Frailty status was assessed at baseline in 2005, and reassessed in 2007 (n = 546) using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. Death dates were received from the official register until the end of 2009. The associations between frailty, changes in frailty and mortality were investigated using Cox regression models. Results At baseline, 93 (14%) participants were classified as frail, and 311 (48%) as pre-frail.…