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Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of negative and positive life events on the development of social frailty., Design: Population-based longitudinal study., Setting and Participants: This study was set in the Japanese community cohort and included 2174 adults aged ≥65 years without social frailty at baseline., Methods: We assessed the experiences of 6 negative and positive life events (increase in economic difficulties, illness or injury of spouse, death of family or friends, marriage of children or grandchildren, birth of grandchildren or great-grandchildren, and making new friends) in the 15 months after baseline. We followed the social frailty status of the participants and identified the development of social frailty 48 months after the baseline. Social frailty was operationally defined as having 2 or more of Makizako's 5 items (going out less frequently, rarely visiting friends, not feeling helpful to friends or family, living alone, and not talking to someone daily)., Results: Among 2174 participants without social frailty at baseline, 161 (7.4%) developed social frailty after 48 months. Multivariate logistic regression models on each life event and development of social frailty showed that illness or injury of spouse was significantly associated with a higher risk of subsequent social frailty [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.74; 95% CI, 1.10-2.74] and making new friends was significantly associated with lower risk of subsequent social frailty (adjusted OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.27-0.54). No significant ORs of social frailty were found for other life events., Conclusions and Implications: Life events in later life have both positive and negative impacts on the development of social frailty, depending on the nature of the event. To prevent social frailty, it may be important to monitor negative life events and promote positive life events in later life., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The combined effect of physical frailty and social isolation on the need to make use of long-term care insurance (LTCI) among older adults remains unknown. Thus this study investigates the association between physical frailty, social isolation, and the use of LTCI among older adults in Japan., Study Design: This is a prospective observational study., Main Outcome Measures: Physical frailty is defined as limitations in strength, mobility, and physical activity, as well as exhaustion and weight loss. People with one or two indicators were categorized as pre-frail. Participants with a score of 1 point or more on the social isolation scale were defined as being socially isolated. Participants were followed up monthly for two years to check whether incident certification of care had been required., Results: Data on 4576 community-dwelling independent older adults (mean age, 73.9 ± 5.5 years, 2032 men, 2544 women) were analyzed. A time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that individuals with pre-frailty without social isolation (hazard ratio [HR] 2.02, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.40-2.91), pre-frailty with social isolation (HR 2.36, 95 % CI 1.62-3.43), frailty without social isolation (HR 2.98, 95 % CI 1.83-4.85), and frailty with social isolation (HR 3.19, 95 % CI 2.07-4.91) had significantly higher risks of needing to make use of LTCI than those with no frailty and without social isolation. This higher risk was non-significant among individuals with no frailty and social isolation (HR 1.28, 95 % CI 0.78-2.10)., Conclusion: Combined frailty and social isolation among older adults should be addressed to prevent adverse health outcomes, including use of LTCI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although overlapping frailty and fear of falling (FoF) are likely to increase with population aging, the combined effect of frailty and FoF on incident disability is not yet well understood., Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine whether frailty combined with FoF increased the risk of incident disability in older adults. Our secondary purpose was to clarify the synergistic effect of frailty and FoF on incident disability., Methods: This is a prospective study. Participants were 9372 older adults (mean age 73.5 years). Frailty status was assessed using the Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study index, and FoF was measured using two closed questions. Incident disability was prospectively monitored by their long-term care insurance records., Results: During the follow-up period (mean duration 23.4 months), 487 (5.2%) participants developed disability. The proportion of incident disability linearly increased according to FoF level regardless of baseline frailty status. Frail participants with FoF had a higher risk of incident disability than those with frailty only or neither (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95-3.54). Frailty in combination with excessive FoF further increased the risk of incident disability (adjusted HR 4.30, 95% CI 2.56-7.23) although no synergistic effect was observed (relative excessive risk due to interaction 1.69, 95% CI - 0.55, 3.93)., Conclusion: The overlapping status of frailty and FoF, especially excessive FoF, increases the risk of incident disability in older adults., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objectives: To develop a questionnaire-based Active Mobility Index (AMI) to assess going-out behavior with physical and social activity among older adults, and to assess the criterion-related and predictive validity of the AMI., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting and Participants: General community setting. Participants comprised 4432 older adults [mean age: 75.9 ± 4.3 (70-96) years; 2100 men (47.4%)]., Methods: AMI assessed life-space and activities in each life-space (distance from the respondent's home: <1 km, 1-10 km, or >10 km) according to physical or social activity during the past 1 month by noting frequency, purpose, type of transportation, interaction with others, and physical activity. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared by AMI score quartiles (highest: Q4). To examine the criterion-related validity of AMI, depressive symptoms, frailty, and cognitive function were assessed. During follow-up, incident disability was monitored by Long Term Care Insurance certification., Results: Lower scores (Q1-Q3 groups) were associated with more depressive symptoms, frailty, and cognitive impairment compared with the Q4 group (all P < .001). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed significantly higher odds ratios in the Q1 group in all health adverse outcomes compared with the Q4 group [depressive symptoms, odds ratio (OR) 3.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.95-5.28; frailty, OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.31-4.44; cognitive impairment, OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04-1.57]. Cox proportional hazards modeling indicated that the Q1 group had a higher risk of incident disability compared with the group (hazard ratio 1.53, 95% CI 1.24-1.88)., Conclusions and Implications: AMI to assess life-space with physical and social activity among older people was associated with depressive symptoms, frailty, and cognitive impairment. Lower AMI scores were associated with higher incident disability risk. Further studies are needed to elucidate whether AMI is causally associated with incident adverse health outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the association between driving status and disability in older adults depends on social frailty., Methods: This is a prospective study in a community setting. Participants were surveyed baseline conditions of social frailty and driving status (n = 4642, mean age: 71.7 years). Social frailty was defined according to criteria: going out less frequently, rarely visiting friends, feeling unhelpful to friends or family, living alone, and not talking with someone every day. Incident disability was prospectively followed up by their long-term care insurance records., Results: Of the participants, 3348 (72.1%) were current drivers. The occurrence of the social frail group, including pre-frail and frail conditions, was higher in the not driving group (55.3%) than the driving group (40.5%). The follow-up period was 60 months (mean: 56.0 months), during which 105 participants (2.3%) died, 58 participants (1.2%) moved out of the city, and 541 participants (11.7%) had incident disability. Both driving status and social frailty were associated with incident disability adjusted for covariates (not driving: hazards ratio [HR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.32; social frailty: HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.17-1.67). Driving status was associated with incident disability in the social frail group (not driving: HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.03-1.77) but not in the non-social frail group (not driving: HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.86-1.74)., Conclusions: Not driving and social frailty were independently associated with disability. Further, the association between driving status and disability depended on social frailty., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Physical frailty is a critical health problem that can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in older adults. Driving cessation has been associated with negative outcomes such as disability. However, the relationship between physical frailty and driving cessation remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether driving cessation is associated with physical frailty transition in community-dwelling older adults., Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed in a community setting in Japan. Participants were 2934 older Japanese adults, classified into two groups according to their driving status: a driving group (drivers at baseline who continued driving at a 4-year follow-up) and a driving cessation group (drivers at baseline who ceased driving by 4-year follow-up). We examined the association between physical frailty transition and driving cessation over a 4-year period, using logistic regression analysis before and after imputation., Results: In total, 3.9% of community-dwelling older adults had ceased driving by the 4-year follow-up. Rates for physical frailty transition in the driving and driving cessation groups were 4.6% and 17.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). In fully adjusted logistic regression analysis, when compared with driving, driving cessation independently affected physical frailty transition. The results were similar after multiple imputations., Conclusions: Our findings indicated driving cessation was an independent risk factor associated with physical frailty transition in older adults. As physical frailty in older adults can contribute to negative health outcomes, including increased disability and mortality, preventing frailty has important public health implications. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1047-1052., (© 2021 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Gait is one of the best measures of physical function in older adults. The study examined the association between spatiotemporal gait variables and mortality among older adults. The participants were 4,298 older adults in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology - Study of Geriatric Syndromes. At baseline we measured the following spatiotemporal gait variables: gait speed, stride length, cadence, and stride length variability. Demographic variables, medical conditions, cognitive function, and physical inactivity were also assessed at baseline. We obtained gait measurements over five trials using an electronic gait-measuring device mounted at the middle 2.4 m section of a 6.4 m straight and flat pathway, with 2 m allowed for acceleration and deceleration. Participants' usual gait speed was measured. Subsequent incident death was confirmed using administrative data. During follow-up (mean duration: 1,571 days), there were 185 incident deaths among participants. Low function on all gait variables increased risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], gait speed: 1.83 [1.31-2.56], stride length: 1.85 [1.31-2.62], cadence: 1.60 [1.17-2.18], stride length variability: 1.50 [1.09-2.06]). In addition, mortality risk increased with the number of variables showing low gait function compared with normal gait function (p < .05). Slower gait speed, shorter stride length, lower cadence, and higher stride length variability were associated with increased mortality. Multifaceted gait analysis could be useful for evaluating mortality risk., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: To examine the relationship of driving status and frailty with disability in older adults., Design: A prospective study., Setting and Participants: The study included 8533 participants (mean age: 72.0±6.1 years (range: 60-98 years), women: 54.1%) in a community setting., Measures: Driving status and frailty were assessed at baseline. The clinical definition of frailty was used according to the Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study index. Disability was prospectively determined using a record of Japanese long-term care insurance (LTCI)., Results: During the follow-up period (mean duration: 23.5 months), 58 (0.7%) participants were regarded as moving out of the city, 80 (0.9%) participants had died and 311 (3.6%) participants were certified by LTCI. The proportion of disability was 1.3% among the not-frail group and 5.3% among the frail group. The proportion of disability was 2.5% in participants who were currently driving and 7.5% in those not driving. Based on frailty status and driving, participants were further classified into four groups: not frail and currently driving (n=2945), not frail and not driving (n=642), frail and currently driving (n=3598) and frail and not driving (n=1348). Compared with older adults who are not frail and driving, the combined status of frail and not driving (adjusted HR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.47 to 3.52) and frail and driving (HR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.30-2.81) were risk factors for disability., Conclusions: Not driving and frail were associated with a risk of disability in community-dwelling older adults., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes, but few studies have determined associations between the frailty phenotype and measures of healthcare burden, including long-term care insurance (LTCI) costs, in older community-dwelling populations., Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between frailty status and subsequent LTCI costs in Japanese community-dwelling older adults., Methods: The prospective data were from a cohort study (National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Study of Geriatric Syndromes [NCGG-SGS]). The participants were community-dwelling older adults (mean age 71.8 years, women 50.7%) participating in an NCGG-SGS baseline examination held between August 2011 and February 2012 in Obu, Japan (N = 4,539). At baseline, we assessed the physical frailty phenotype using the Japanese version of the CHS criteria and categorized it as robust, pre-frail, or frail. We also ascertained care-needs certification and total costs using long-term care services in Japan's public LTCI system during the 29 months., Results: During the 29-month follow-up period, 239 participants (5.3%) required the LTCI system's care-needs certification and 163 participants (3.6%) used LTCI services. Participants classified as frail (odds ratio 5.85, 95% confidence interval 3.54-9.66) or pre-frail (2.40, 1.58-3.66) at the baseline assessment had an increased risk of requiring care-needs certification compared with robust participants. The mean total costs for LTCI services during the 29 months were ¥6,434 ($63.1) for robust, ¥19,324 ($189.5) for pre-frail, and ¥147,718 ($1,448.2) for frail participants (1 US dollar = 102 Japanese yen in July 2014). There were significantly higher costs associated with advancing frailty status. Individual frailty components (slowness, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and weight loss) were also associated with higher total costs for using LTCI services., Discussion/conclusion: Frail community-dwelling older adults had a higher risk of requiring the LTCI system's care-needs certification and the subsequent total LTCI costs., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: Low muscle mass frequently precedes or coexists with physical frailty in late life. This study aimed to examine whether comorbid physical frailty and low muscle mass increase the risk of incident disability in community-dwelling older adults., Study Design: A prospective cohort study., Methods: Participants were 9229 community-dwelling older Japanese adults (≥65 years). Longitudinal data on incident disability were collected for up to a maximum of 24 months from baseline. Physical frailty was defined as experiencing three or more of the following five symptoms: slowness, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and weight loss. Low muscle mass was identified based on the AWGS definition (<7.0 kg/m 2 for men and <5.7 kg/m 2 for women)., Results: During the follow-up period, 460 (5.0%) individuals had incident disability. The prevalence rates of low muscle mass, physical frailty, and comorbid physical frailty and low muscle mass were 12.0% (n = 1104), 6.8 % (n = 624), and 1.8 % (n = 167), respectively. Compared with non-physical frailty/normal muscle mass, physical frailty (hazard ratio (HR) 2.50, 95% confidential interval (CI) 1.97-3.18) and comorbid physical frailty and low muscle mass (HR 4.03, 95% CI 2.85-5.70) were significantly associated with incident disability after adjusting for the covariates., Conclusions: Although low muscle mass alone may not be associated with an increased risk of incident disability in community-dwelling older adults, comorbid physical frailty and low muscle mass had a significant impact on disability. Low muscle mass was a risk factor for disability in older adults with physical frailty., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Assessing the risk of disability in older adults is important for developing prevention and intervention strategies to decrease potential disability and dependency. The aim of this study was to examine the association between spatio-temporal gait variables and disability among older adults., Methods: We conducted a prospective study in a community setting. We collected data from 4121 subjects (≥ 65 years, mean age: 71.9 years). Gait speed, cadence, stride length, and stride length variability were measured at baseline. Participants were instructed to walk at their usual pace along a 6.4 m straight and flat path on which an electronic gait measuring device was mounted at mid 2.4 m. Subsequent disability was confirmed from long-term care insurance records., Results: During follow-up duration (mean: 49.6 months), 425 participants had incident disability. The cut-off value to detect high or low function in each gait variable was determined using the Youden index. Cox proportional hazard analysis adjusted for covariates showed that disability was significantly predicted by low function in each gait variable using the cut-off values: gait speed (hazard ratio [95% confidential intervals]: 2.06 [1.65-2.57]), stride length (2.17 [1.72-2.73]), cadence (1.49 [1.20-1.86], and stride length variability (1.46 [1.19-1.80]). The number of gait variables that scored in the low function category were also cumulatively related to subsequent disability (p < .001)., Conclusions: This study revealed that spatio-temporal gait variables had a significant predictive value for incident disability. Multifaceted and quantitative gait analysis can contribute to disability risk assessment.

Introduction: Age-related functional decline elevates the risk of car accidents. Whether specific cognitive impairments and physical frailty increase the risk of car accidents is still unclarified., Objective: This study examines the association between car accidents, frailty, and cognitive function, owing to an increase in car accidents related to older adults., Methods: Data were collected from 12,013 older adults (45.4% women, mean age: 71.7 years [min: 60, max: 96]) enrolled in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) - Study of Geriatric Syndromes. A 2-year self-reported history of car accidents was assessed. The Japanese cardiovascular health study index was used as the criterion and included the following components of frailty: shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slowness. "Frailty" was assigned a value of 1 or more based on these components. Cognitive function was assessed using the NCGG Functional Assessment Tool, and cognitive impairment was assessed using a standardized value., Results: Of the participants, 1,117 (9.3%) had a car accident history. The proportions of the frailty components' applicability were observed in the car accidents group compared to the non-car accidents group: shrinking (p = 0.006), exhaustion (p = 0.031), low activity (p = 0.034), and slowness (p = 0.030), but not weakness (p = 0.452). The proportion of cognitive impairment in executive function was also higher in the car accidents group (p = 0.011). A logistic regression analysis showed that both frailty (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43; p < 0.001) and cognitive impairment (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43, p < 0.001) are associated with car accidents., Discussion: This study's findings contribute to enhancing the utility of risk assessments for older drivers. Further study is required to clarify the risk of car accidents., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

We investigated the association between social frailty and Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence among community-dwelling older adults in Japan. A 53-month follow-up cohort study was conducted in Obu City, Japan. Participants comprised 3,720 community-dwelling older adults (mean age, 71.7 years; 48.4% men). The operational definition of social frailty comprised five items: going out infrequently, rarely visiting friends, feeling unhelpful to friends or family, living alone, and not always talking with someone each day. During follow-up, the cumulative AD incidence risk between socially robust, pre-frail, and frail groups was 4.1%, 5.5%, and 10.7%, respectively. In both crude (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.90-3.89, p < 0.001) and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.03-2.28, p = 0.035), social frailty was associated with a significantly higher AD incidence risk. The present study revealed that social frailty is strongly associated with AD incidence among Japanese older adults. Further research should elucidate whether social frailty prevention is effective for decreasing AD risk.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to identify risk factors for physical frailty and to understand the transitional status of frailty., Methods: The participants were 4676 older adults in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology - Study of Geriatric Syndromes. Physical frailty status was classified as robust, pre-frail and frail at baseline and 4-year follow up (mean follow up 47.9 ± 1.8 months). Data for demographic variables, medical conditions, fall, depressive symptoms and cognitive function were also collected. Multiple imputation was used to reduce selection bias and loss of information., Results: Progression occurred from a robust to frail status in 52 participants (2.6%) and from pre-frailty to frailty in 281 participants (12.0%). Mortality increased with frailty status at baseline: robust 46 (2.3%), pre-frail 112 (4.8%) and frail 54 (15.6%). In logistic regression analysis, age (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06-1.13), sex (men; OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46-0.95), body mass index (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.12]), fall (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.31-2.81), Geriatric Depression Scale (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.08-1.22), Mini-Mental State Examination (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.93) and education (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.98), were related with new incident frailty. Among participants in the pre-frail class at baseline, exhaustion (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.97-5.34), physical inactivity (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.94-4.93), lower muscle strength (OR 3.77, 95% CI 2.35-6.03) and lower mobility (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.57-4.10) were related to progression to frailty (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The results of the present prospective study provide key information on the transitional status of frailty and the risk factors for progression to frailty. A further study is required to determine the pathophysiological changes that underlie the transition to frailty. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1562-1566., (© 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background: Anorexia of ageing may be a precursor to various geriatric syndromes. We elucidated whether anorexia of ageing had a significant impact on incident disability and investigated whether anorexia of ageing had a direct association with future disability or an indirect association with disability via frailty., Methods: This study employed an observational, longitudinal, cohort design in a community setting. Participants were 4393 older adults (75.9 ± 4.3 years). Anorexia of ageing was assessed by a simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire. Frailty was operationalized as slowness, weakness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and weight loss. Participants who had none of these characteristics were considered robust, those with one or two characteristics were considered pre-frail, and those with three or more characteristics were considered frail. We examined sociodemographic variables (age, sex, and education), medical history (medication and chronic disease history), lifestyle factors (smoking and drinking habits and living arrangement), body mass index, blood nutrition data, depressive symptoms, physical functioning, and cognitive functioning., Results: The prevalence of anorexia of ageing was 10.7% (n = 468). The proportion of physical frailty, pre-frailty, and robustness were 8.4, 52.0, and 39.6%, respectively, in the without anorexia of ageing group, and 20.3, 57.7, and 22.0%, respectively, in the anorexia of ageing group (P < 0.001). During a 2-year follow-up, the prevalence proportion of disability was 5.6% in the without anorexia of ageing group and 10.7% in the anorexia of ageing group (P < 0.001). Adjusted for covariates (except for frailty status), the participants with anorexia of ageing had an independently associated higher risk of incident disability compared with those without anorexia of ageing (hazard ratio: 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.95, P = 0.03). However, adjusted for covariates (including frailty status), anorexia of ageing was not significantly associated with incident disability (P = 0.09). Structural equation models revealed that anorexia of ageing had no direct effect on disability; however, anorexia of ageing was associated with frailty., Conclusions: Older adults with anorexia of ageing had a higher proportion of frailty and a higher prevalence proportion of disability compared with those without anorexia of ageing. Although anorexia of ageing may not have a direct effect on incident disability, the structural equation model suggests an indirect relationship between anorexia of ageing and incident disability via frailty status., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Social frailty domains may play an important role in preventing physical decline and disability. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of social frailty as a risk factor for the future development of physical frailty among community-dwelling older adults who are not yet physically frail. A total of 1226 physically non-frail older adults were analyzed to provide a baseline. Participants completed a longitudinal assessment of their physical frailty 48 months later. Their baseline social frailty was determined based on their responses to five questions, which identified participants who went out less frequently, rarely visited friends, felt less like helping friends or family, lived alone and did not talk to another person every day. Participants with none of these characteristics were considered not to be socially frail; those with one characteristic were considered socially pre-frail; and those with two or more characteristics were considered socially frail. At the four-year follow-up assessment, 24 participants (2.0%) had developed physical frailty and 440 (35.9%) had developed physical pre-frailty. The rates of developing physical frailty and pre-frailty were 1.6% and 34.2%, respectively, in the socially non-frail group; 2.4% and 38.8%, respectively, in the socially pre-frail group; and 6.8% and 54.5%, respectively, in the socially frail group. Participants classified as socially frail at the baseline had an increased risk of developing physical frailty, compared with participants who were not socially frail (OR = 3.93, 95% CI = 1.02-15.15). Participants who were socially frail at the baseline also had an increased risk of developing physical pre-frailty (OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.30-4.80). Among independent community-dwelling older adults who are not physically frail, those who are socially frail may be at greater risk of developing physical frailty in the near future. Social frailty may precede (and lead to the development of) physical frailty., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between kidney function with concomitant diabetes or hypertension and frailty in community-dwelling Japanese older adults., Methods: The participants were 9606 residents (community-dwelling Japanese older adults) who completed baseline assessments. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) was determined according to the serum creatinine level, and participants were classified into four mutually exclusive categories: ≥60.0 (normal range), 45.0-59.9, 30.0-44.9 and <30.0 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Frailty status was defined using five criteria as described by Fried: slow gait speed, muscle weakness, low physical activity, exhaustion and unintentional weight loss. Participants who met three, four or five criteria satisfied the definition of having frailty. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between estimated glomerular filtration rate and frailty., Results: After multivariate adjustment, participants with lower kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30.0 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) were more frail (odds ratio [OR] 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-3.59). In addition, individuals with a history of diabetes (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.21-8.24) or hypertension (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.45-5.12) showed a significantly increased risk of frailty in the lower kidney function group, regardless of multivariate controls. Furthermore, the analyses showed an even greater increase in the risk of frailty in patients with a history of both diabetes and hypertension (OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.13-14.1) CONCLUSIONS: A lower level of kidney function was associated with a higher risk of frailty in community-dwelling Japanese older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1527-1533., (© 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the association between social frailty and cognitive and physical function among older adults., Design: This was a cross-sectional study., Setting: We examined community-dwelling adults in Japan., Participants: Participants comprised 4425 older Japanese people from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Study of Geriatric Syndromes., Measurements: Social frailty was defined by using responses to 5 questions (going out less frequently, rarely visiting friends, feeling unhelpful to friends or family, living alone, and not talking with someone every day). Participants showing none of these components were considered nonfrail; those showing 1 component were considered prefrail; and those showing 2 or more components were considered frail. To screen for cognitive deficits, we assessed memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed. Having 2 or more tests with age-adjusted scores of at least 1.5 standard deviations below the reference threshold was sufficient to be characterized as cognitively deficient. To screen for physical function deficits, we assessed walking speed (<1.0 m/s cut-off) and grip strength (<26 kg for men; <18 kg for women cut-off). Scoring below the cut-off point on 1 or more tests was sufficient to be characterized as physically deficient., Results: The prevalence of social frailty was the following: nonfrailty, 64.1% (N = 2835); social prefrailty, 24.8% (N = 1097); social frailty, 11.1% (N = 493; P for trend < .001). All cognitive function tests (word list memory, Trail Making Test parts A and B, and the symbol digit-substitution task) significantly varied between social frailty groups; physical function (gait speed and grip strength) also varied between social frailty groups (all Ps for trend <.001). Referred to social nonfrailty, social frailty was independently associated with each cognitive deficit (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.13-2.30) and deficits in physical function (odds ratio = 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.57-2.52) after adjusting for covariates., Conclusions: This study revealed that social frailty is associated with both cognitive and physical function among Japanese older adults. And social frailty status was also negatively associated with physical function. Further studies are needed to elucidate if a casual association exists between social frailty and cognitive and physical function., (Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The gait variables that are related to the risk of incident dementia have not yet been clarified. To examine whether quantitative gait variables can predict incident dementia in older adults. A prospective study. A community setting. The study included 4011 participants (54% women; mean age 72.2 years). Gait speed, stride length, and stride length variability were measured at baseline. Dementia was prospectively confirmed from monthly updated medical records. The mean follow-up duration was 42.8 months, and there were 245 incident cases of dementia. A receiver operating characteristic curve showed the cut-off value for each gait variable against incident dementia during follow-up using the Youden index (gait speed: 1.12 m/s; stride length: 1.15 m; stride length variability: 3.67%). Based on these cut-off values, Cox proportional hazards regression models showed that after adjusting for covariates, dementia was significantly related to slow gait speed [hazard ratio (HR) 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.01, P =.011], short stride length (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.29-2.41, P <.001), and high stride length variability (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.20-2.08, P =.001). Similarly, in a subanalysis stratified by sex, all gait variables were significantly related to the rate of incident dementia during follow-up in both men and women (all P <.05). Reduced gait function was related to incident dementia, and this association was independent of sex. Quantitative and multifaceted gait variables are valuable for assessing dementia risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the association between each type of frailty status and the incidence rate of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting General communities in Japan. Participants Participants comprised 3538 older Japanese adults. Measurements We assessed our participants in terms of frailty status (physical frailty, cognitive impairment, and social frailty), depressive symptoms (geriatric depression scale ≥6), and other covariates, and excluded those who showed evidence of depression. Then, after a 4-year interval, we again assessed the participants for depressive symptoms. Physical frailty was defined by the Fried criteria, showing 1 or more of these were physical frailty. To screen for cognitive impairment, receiving a score below an age-education adjusted reference threshold in 1 or more tests was cognitive impairment. Finally, social frailty was defined using 5 questions, and those who answered positively to 1 or more of these were considered to have social frailty. Results After multiple imputations, the incidence rate of depressive symptoms after 4 years of follow-up was 7.2%. The incidence rates of depressive symptoms for each frailty status were as follows: 9.6% for physical frailty vs 4.6% without, 9.3% for cognitive impairment vs 6.5% without, and 12.0% for social frailty vs 5.1% without. Finally, through the application of multivariable logistic regression analysis, the incidence of depressive symptoms was found to have a significant association with social frailty (odds ratio 1.55; 95% confidence interval 1.10–2.20) but not with physical frailty or cognitive impairment. Conclusions This study revealed that social frailty, in comparison with physical frailty and cognitive impairment, is more strongly associated with incidences of depressive symptoms among elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study examined the association between anorexia of aging and physical frailty among older people.Study Design: An observational, cross-sectional cohort design was used with a sample of 4417 elderly Japanese citizens living in a community setting.Main Outcome Measures: Frailty was operationalized as the following frailty components: slowness, weakness, exhaustion, low level of physical activity, and weight loss. Participants were grouped as non-frail, pre-frail, and frail, and categorized as anorexic or not using questionnaire cutoff scores. Measured covariates were as follows: sociodemographic variables, medical history, life style, body mass index, blood nutrition data, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function.Results: The prevalence of anorexia of aging in each group was as follows: non-frail, 7.9%; pre-frail, 14.8%; frail, 21.2% (P for trend<0.001). After adjusting for all covariates, independent associations were identified between anorexia of aging and slowness (OR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.14-1.75, P=0.002), exhaustion (OR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.11-1.74, P=0.004) and weight loss (OR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.05-1.79, P=0.019), but not weakness or low level of physical activity.Conclusions: Anorexia of aging is importantly associated with frailty and the following frailty components: slowness, exhaustion, and weight loss. Future research should prospectively examine frailty's causal connection with anorexia of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disability is a crucial health problem in aging. Identifying a biological contributory factor would be useful. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays an important role in the endocrine system and is associated with frailty. However, there is no consensus about the relationship between IGF-1 and disability. This study aimed to examine whether IGF-1 related to incident disability among older adults.Methods: The study included 4,133 older adults (mean age, 71.8±5.4 years) who were participants in the "Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly" cohort study. We collected information on demographic variables, measured gait speed, Mini Mental State Examination score, and serum IGF-1 at baseline. During follow-up, incident disability was monitored by Long-Term Care Insurance certification.Results: Disability was observed in 212 participants during a mean follow-up duration period of 29.2 months. A log rank test indicated that lower levels of serum IGF-1 were related to incident disability (p = .004). A Cox hazard regression showed a lower quartile in IGF-1 related to disability compared with the highest quartile (Q4), even when adjusting for covariates including gait speed and Mini Mental State Examination score (Q1: hazard ratio = 1.72, 95% confidence intervals: 1.06-2.81; Q2: hazard ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence intervals: 0.99-2.71; Q3: hazard ratio = 1.31, 95% confidence intervals: 0.76-2.25). In the analysis, stratified by sex, there was also significant relationship between IGF-1 and disability among women, but not men.Conclusions: Lower serum IGF-1 was independently related to disability among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a high risk of conversion to dementia and gait dysfunction is also a risk for dementia. The goal of the study was to examine if co-occurrence of MCI and slow gait (SG) increases the risk of dementia. Methods A prospective study was conducted in 3937 older adults who did not have dementia at baseline. Participants were classified into groups based on status of MCI and SG: without MCI and SG (control), without MCI and with SG (SG), without SG and with MCI in a single domain (sMCI) or multiple domains (mMCI), sMCI and SG (sMCI + SG), and mMCI and SG (mMCI + SG). Incident dementia was followed monthly. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate the hazard ratio for incident dementia in each group. Results During a mean follow-up period of 43 months, 182 subjects had incident dementia. MCI was a risk factor for dementia and SG increased the risk, even after adjusting for covariates (SG: HR = 1.31 (0.81–2.14), 95% CI = 0.276, sMCI: HR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.21–2.88, p  = .005; mMCI: HR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.98–5.71, p  < .001; sMCI + SG: HR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.92–5.77, p  < .001; mMCI + SG: HR = 5.02, 95% CI = 2.75–9.14, p  < .001). Conclusions Co-occurrence of MCI and SG has a high risk of dementia compared to that of each condition alone. Evaluation of both gait and cognition is useful in risk assessment of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine social frailty status using simple questions and to examine the association between social frailty and disability onset among community-dwelling older adults. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Japanese community. Participants A total of 4304 adults age ≥65 years living in the community participated in a baseline assessment from 2011 to 2012. They were followed monthly for incident certification of care needs during the 2 years after the baseline assessment. Measurements Care-needs certification in the national long-term care insurance system of Japan; a self-reported questionnaire including 7 items to define social frailty status, adjustment for several potential confounders such as demographic characteristics; and Kaplan-Meier survival curves for disability incidence by social frailty. Results During the 2 years, 144 participants (3.3%) were certified as requiring long-term care insurance in accordance with incident disability. Five of the 7 items in the self-reported questionnaire were significantly associated with disability incidence. In the adjusted model including potential covariates, participants who were defined as having social frailty (≥2/5) (hazard ratio 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.00–2.74) and prefrailty (=1/5) (hazard ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.02–2.531), based on 5 items at the baseline assessment, had an increased risk of disability compared with nonfrail participants (=0/5). Conclusions Social frailty, assessed using simple questions regarding living alone, going out less frequently compared with the prior year, visiting friends sometimes, feeling helpful to friends or family, and talking with someone every day, has a strong impact on the risk of future disability among community-dwelling older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To identify the differences of incidence of disability between frail older persons with and without slow walking speed. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Japanese community. Participants A total of l4,081 older adults aged ≥65 years living in the community, participated in a baseline assessment and were followed for incidence of disability for 29.5 months. Measurements Care-needs certification in the national long-term care insurance system of Japan, physical frailty (slow walking speed, muscle weakness, exhaustion, low activity, weight loss), adjusted for several potential confounders such as demographic characteristics; Kaplan-Meier survival curves for incident disability by physical frailty with and without slow walking speed. Results During the follow-up period, 198 participants (4.9%) were certified as requiring long-term care insurance in accordance with incident disability. Participants who had prefrailty without slow walking speed (hazard ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.19–2.92), prefrailty with slow walking speed (3.62, 2.19–5.96), frailty without slow walking speed (4.33, 2.00–9.39), and frailty with slow walking speed (4.68, 2.72–8.05) at the baseline assessment had an increased risk of incident disability compared with nonfrail participants. In stratified analyses, frail older men and frail participants with low cognitive performance had the highest risk of incidence of disability. Conclusion The presence of frailty or even prefrailty when older adults showed slow walking speed increased the risk of future disability in community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether frailty is an important and independent predictor of incident depressive symptoms in elderly people without depressive symptoms at baseline. Design Fifteen-month prospective study. Setting General community in Japan. Participants A total of 3025 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 years or over without depressive symptoms at baseline. Measurements The self-rated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess symptoms of depression with a score of 6 or more at baseline and 15-month follow-up. Participants underwent a structural interview designed to obtain demographic factors and frailty status, and completed cognitive testing with the Mini-Mental State Examination and physical performance testing with the Short Physical Performance Battery as potential predictors. Results At a 15-month follow-up survey, 226 participants (7.5%) reported the development of depressive symptoms. We found that frailty and poor self-rated general health (adjusted odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.30–2.66, P < .01) were independent predictors of incident depressive symptoms. The odds ratio for depressive symptoms in participants with frailty compared with robust participants was 1.86 (95% confidence interval 1.05–3.28, P = .03) after adjusting for demographic factors, self-rated general health, behavior, living arrangements, Mini-Mental State Examination, Short Physical Performance Battery, and Geriatric Depression Scale scores at baseline. Conclusions Our findings suggested that frailty and poor self-rated general health were independent predictors of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]