•In older fractured adults, creatinine was low at entry and decreased after surgery.•This might be influenced by loss of muscle mass during immobilization.•Creatinine may overestimate renal function ...and be unreliable in this setting.•Conversely cystatin c levels remained stable during hospitalization.•Cystatin c may be a more reliable marker of renal function in this population.
Muscle mass is frequently reduced in older patients experiencing injurious falls and may further reduce during hospitalization for bone fracture. In these patients, renal function may be overestimated, because it is usually calculated using serum creatinine, which is strictly related to muscle mass. We evaluated if creatinine levels change during hospitalization in older patients with fracture. We also assessed the role of cystatin C as a more appropriate marker of renal function, comparing estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) according to different formulas based on creatinine and/or cystatin C levels.
Patients aged 65+ years, consecutively hospitalized for fracture, were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Creatinine and cystatin C levels were measured at baseline and in the post-operative period; eGFR was calculated using six equations based on creatinine and/or cystatin C.
425 patients were enrolled (mean age 84 years, mean creatinine 0.97 mg/dL, mean cystatin C 1.53 mg/L). Creatinine levels significantly decreased after surgery (p<0.001), while cystatin C remained stable. According to creatinine-based formulas, eGFR was < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 in 29–30% at baseline and only in 17% participants in the post-operative period. Conversely, according to equations including cystatin C, eGFR was < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 in half to three-quarters of the sample at all assessments.
In older fractured patients, creatinine levels decline during hospital stay and may possibly overestimate renal function, whereas cystatin C remains stable. Whether cystatin C is a more reliable marker of renal function in this specific population should be further investigated.
Introduction
Despite high prevalence of hypertension, few studies have analysed the adverse effects (AEs) of antihypertensive medications, especially in older patients.
Aim
To investigate the ...prevalence and associated factors of antihypertensive-related AEs, focusing on the influence of age on treatment tolerability.
Methods
We retrospectively investigated antihypertensive-related AEs in patients evaluated at the Hypertension Clinic of Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy, between January 2017 and July 2020. Multivariable regression models were generated to analyse variables associated with AEs in the overall sample and in participants ≥75 years.
Results
Among 622 subjects (mean age 64.8 years, 51.4% female), the most frequently reported AEs were calcium-channel blockers (CCB)-related ankle swelling (26.8%) and ACEi-induced cough (15.1%). Ankle swelling was more common in older patients (35.7% vs 22.3%, p = 0.001; odds ratio OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.289-2.912) and was independently associated with Body Mass Index (BMI, adjOR 1.073) and angiotensin-receptor antagonists (adjOR 1.864). The association with BMI was confirmed in older patients (adjOR 1.134). ACEi-induced cough showed similar prevalence in younger and older patients (13.9% vs 15.6%, p = 0.634), being independently associated with female sex (adjOR 2.118), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, adjOR 2.488) and SNRI therapy (adjOR 8.114). The association with GERD was confirmed in older patients (adjOR 3.238).
Conclusions
CCB-related ankle swelling and ACEi-induced cough represent the most common antihypertensive-related AEs, also at old age. Older patients showed a two-fold increased risk of ankle swelling, that was also independently associated with BMI. ACEi-induced cough had similar prevalence at younger and old ages, being independently associated with GERD.
the association between renal function and delirium has not been investigated in older fracture patients. Creatinine is frequently low in these subjects, which may influence the association between ...delirium and renal function as estimated with creatinine-based formulas. Cystatin C could be a more reliable filtration marker in these patients.
to confirm the association between renal function and delirium in older fracture patients comparing creatinine- and cystatin-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
patients aged 65+ requiring surgery for traumatic bone fractures were included. Six equations were used to calculate eGFR, based on serum creatinine and/or cystatin C obtained within 24 h of admission: Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology (CKD-EPIcr, CKD-EPIcys, CKD-EPIcr-cys) and Berlin Initiative Study equations (BIS-1, BIS-2). Delirium was identified with a chart-based method.
571 patients (mean age 83) were enrolled. Delirium occurred in the 34% and was associated with a lower eGFR regardless of the equation used. In a multivariable model, the association between moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30–60 ml/min/1.73 m2) and delirium remained significant in patients aged 75–84 and only when estimated with cystatin-based or BIS-1 equations. Only dementia was significantly associated with delirium in subjects 85+.
in older fracture patients, moderate renal impairment was independently associated with delirium only among subjects aged 75–84, when eGFR was estimated with cystatin-based or BIS 1 equations, and not with the most commonly used equations (MDRD, CKD-EPIcr).
To date, few studies have investigated frailty in hypertensive individuals. This study aimed at identifying the prevalence of frailty in a sample of hypertensive older outpatients using six different ...identification tools. Clinical correlates of frailty and agreement between different frailty definitions were also investigated.
The HYPER-FRAIL pilot study recruited hypertensive patients aged at least 75 years from two geriatric outpatient clinics of Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy. Four frailty scales Fried Frailty Phenotype, Frailty Index, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Frailty Postal Score and two physical performance tests Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and usual gait speed were applied. The Cohen's kappa coefficient was calculated to assess agreement between measures. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify clinical features independently associated with frailty.
Among 121 participants (mean age 81, 60% women), frailty prevalence varied between 33 and 50% according to the tool used. Moderate agreement was observed between Fried Frailty Phenotype, Frailty Index and SPPB, and between Frailty Index and CFS. Agreement was minimal or weak between the remaining measures (K < 0.60). Use of walking aids and depressive symptoms were independently associated with frailty, regardless of the definition used. Frailty correlates also included dementia, disability and comorbidity burden, but not office and 24-h blood pressure values.
Frailty is highly prevalent among older hypertensive outpatients, but agreement between different frailty tools was moderate-to-weak. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the prognostic role of different frailty tools and their clinical utility in the choice of antihypertensive treatment.
•The study compared six frailty tools in older hypertensive outpatients.•Frailty predicted 1-year functional decline, independently of baseline function and comorbidities.•The CFS (score ≥4) ...predicted 1-year decline with 91 % negative predictive value.•CFS may help identify non-frail hypertensive patients at low risk of functional decline.
Few studies have evaluated frailty in older hypertensive individuals and the most appropriate tools to identify frailty in this population have yet to be identified. This study compared the performance of six frailty instruments in the prediction of 1-year functional decline in older hypertensive outpatients.
The HYPERtension and FRAILty in Older Adults (HYPER-FRAIL) longitudinal pilot study involved hypertensive participants ≥75 years from two geriatric outpatient clinics at Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy, undergoing identification of frailty with four frailty scales (Fried Frailty Phenotype, Frailty Index FI, Clinical Frailty Scale CFS, Frailty Postal Score) and two physical performance tests (Short Physical Performance Battery SPPB and gait speed). Prediction of 1-year functional decline (i.e. a ≥ 10-point Barthel Index decrease between baseline and follow-up) was examined based on ROC curve analysis and multivariable logistic regression.
Among 116 participants, 24 % reported functional decline. In the ROC curve analyses, FI (AUC=0.76), CFS (AUC=0.77), gait speed (AUC=0.73) and the SPPB (AUC=0.77) achieved the best predictive performance, with FI ≥0.21 and CFS ≥4 showing the highest sensitivity (82 %) and negative predictive value (91 %). Frailty identified with FI, CFS or physical performance tests was associated with an increased risk of 1-year functional decline, independently of baseline functional status and comorbidity burden.
FI, CFS and physical performance tests showed similar predictive ability for functional decline in hypertensive outpatients. The CFS and gait speed might be more suitable for clinical use and may be useful to identify non-frail individuals at lower risk of functional decline.
PDF
