The shifts in intergenerational relations in Cameroon and their potential impact on the health of older adults.

INTRODUCTION: Africa is experiencing a gradual demographic shift due to rising life expectancy and increasing urbanisation. In sub-Saharan Africa, elderly individuals typically reside with their children. The rise in life expectancy by almost a decade and the prevalence of precarious living conditions raise concerns about the sustainability of the healthcare system, which has traditionally relied on intergenerational solidarity. METHODS: The research aims to analyse the evolving role of older adults in Cameroonian society and to examine the potential impact of this change on intergenerational relationships and the health of older adults. A qualitative methodology was employed, using intergenerational focus groups in Cameroon. RESULTS: Traditionally, older adults held a central role in knowledge transmission through discourse. However, the modernisation of society is challenging this position.The emergence of new technologies, particularly communication tools, is leading to a questioning of older adults' experiential knowledge. Societal changes are contributing to a decline in respect for older adults in discourse. Older adults deplore these societal changes and fear for their place in society while young people are questioning the central role of older people in society. DISCUSSION: These changes could reduce the sense of usefulness of older people, with negative consequences for their health. Several studies have highlighted the impacts of ageism on the health of older adults in industrialised countries. However, there are little data on the impact of the marginalisation of older adults on their health in industrialising societies. Further research is needed to study the impact on the health of older adults.

Decreasing hospitalizations through geriatric hotlines: a prospective French multicenter study of people aged 75 and above.

BACKGROUND: The Emergency unit of the hospital (Department) (ED) is the fastest and most common way for most French general practitioners (GPs) to respond to the complexity of managing older adults patients with multiple chronic diseases. In 2013, French regional health authorities proposed to set up telephone hotlines to promote interactions between GP clinics and hospitals. The main objective of our study was to analyze whether the hotlines and solutions proposed by the responding geriatrician reduced the number of hospital admissions, and more specifically the number of emergency room admissions. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter observational study from April 2018 to April 2020 at seven French investigative sites. A questionnaire was completed by all hotline physicians after each call. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 4,137 individuals who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 4,137 phone calls received by the participants, 64.2% (n = 2 657) were requests for advice, and 35.8% (n = 1,480) were requests for emergency hospitalization. Of the 1,480 phone calls for emergency hospitalization, 285 calls resulted in hospital admission in the emergency room (19.3%), and 658 calls in the geriatric short stay (44.5%). Of the 2,657 calls for advice/consultation/delayed hospitalization, 9.7% were also duplicated by emergency hospital admission. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the value of hotlines in guiding the care of older adults. The results showed the potential effectiveness of hotlines in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions or in identifying cases requiring hospital admission in the emergency room. Hotlines can help improve the care pathway for older adults and pave the way for future progress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered under Clinical Trial Number NCT03959475. This study was approved and peer-reviewed by the Ethics Committee for the Protection of Persons of Sud Est V of Grenoble University Hospital Center (registered under 18-CETA-01 No.ID RCB 2018-A00609-46).

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and components in rural, semi-urban and urban areas in the littoral region in Cameroon: impact of physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Living areas in developing countries impact seriously lifestyle by modifying energy consumption and energy expenditure. Thus, urbanization is associated with less practice of physical activity (PA), a leading cause of metabolic syndrome (MetS) which prevalence vary in African countries. The present study aimed to assess the effect of PA on MetS according to urbanization level in the littoral region, Cameroon. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three geographical settings (urban, semi-urban, and rural) in the littoral region in Cameroon. A total of 879 participants were included (urban: 372, semi-urban: 195 and rural: 312). MetS was defined according to the International Federation of Diabetes 2009. The level of PA was assessed using the Global Physical Activity questionnaire. RESULTS: Low level of PA was (P < 0.0001) reported in urban (54.5%), semi-urban (28.7%) and rural (16.9%) and high level in rural area (77.9%). The prevalence of MetS was higher in urban areas (37.2%), then rural (36.8%) and finally semi-urban (25.9%). Hyperglycemia (p = 0.0110), low HDL-c (p < 0.0001) and high triglyceridemia (p = 0.0068) were most prevalent in urban residents. Participants with low level of PA were at risk of MetS (OR: 1.751, 95% CI 1.335-2.731, p = 0.001), hyperglycemia (OR: 1.909, 95% CI 1.335-2.731, p = 0.0004) abdominal obesity(OR: 2.007, 95% CI 1.389-2.900, p = 0.0002), low HDL-c (OR: 1.539, 95% CI 1.088-2.179, p = 0.014) and those with moderate level of PA were protected against high blood pressure(OR: 0.452, 95% CI 0.298-0.686, p = 0.0002) and compared to those with high level of PA. Urban dwellers were at the risk of MetS compared to rural residents (OR: 1.708, 95% CI. 1.277-2.285, p = 0.003) and protected against high blood pressure (OR:0.314, 95% CI 0.212-0.466, p < 0.0001), abdominal obesity (OR: 0.570, 95% CI 0.409-0.794, p = 0.0009), and low HDL-c (OR: 0.725, 95% CI 0.534-0.983, p = 0.038) compared to rural residents. CONCLUSIONS: MetS was more prevalent in urban dwellers and was associated with a low level of PA.

Relationship between moderate-to-vigorous, light intensity physical activity and sedentary behavior in a prospective cohort of older French adults: a 18-year follow-up of mortality and cardiovascular events ─ the PROOF cohort study.

Background: It is well documented that moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) is effective in the prevention of major chronic diseases. Even though the current international physical activity (PA) guidelines still mainly focus on MVPA, the topic of the most recent epidemiological studies has shifted from MVPA to light intensity physical activity (LPA), owing to the necessity of promoting all activities vs. sedentary behavior (SB). However, the evidence remains currently limited. Thus, the clarification of the effects of LPA and the close relationship with SB is crucial to promote public health. Method: PA and SB were assessed by a validated self-administered questionnaire (POPAQ) investigating 5 different types of PA during the 7 previous days. PA was measured in metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-h, which refers to the amount of energy (calories) expended per hour of PA. SB was measured in hour/day. Medical histories and examinations were taken during each clinical visit to determine clinical events. All-cause mortality was established using the same procedure and by checking local death registries. The relationships between the intensity of PA (light, moderate to vigorous) and mortality and between the periods of SB and mortality or CV events were analyzed by splines and COX models, adjusted for sex and year of birth. Results: From the 1011 65-year-old subjects initially included in 2001 (60% women), the last 18-year follow-up has been currently completed since 2019. A total of 197 deaths (19.2%, including 77 CV deaths) and 195 CV events (19.3%) were reported. Averages (standard deviation) of MVPA, LPA and SB were, respectively, 1.2 h/d (0.3), 5.8 h/d (1.1), and 6.6 h/d (2.3). For all-cause deaths, as well as CV deaths, the splines were significant for LPA (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01), and MVPA (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), but not for SB (p = 0.24 and p = 0.90). There was a significant reduction in CV events when SB was decreasing from 10.9 to 3.3 h/d. Conclusion: The PROOF cohort study shows a clear dose-response between the dose of LPA, MVPA, SB and risk of mortality. These findings provide additional evidence to support the inclusion of LPA in future PA guidelines.

Musculoskeletal pains among amateur and professional athletes of five disciplines in Senegal: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pains (MSPs) in sport are cause of poor performances and loss of competition in athletes. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of MSPs with regard to sport disciplines and athletic status. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 320 Senegalese professional and amateur athletes practicing football, basketball, rugby, tennis, athletics, and wrestling. Rates of MSPs in the past year (MSPs-12) and week (MSPs-7d) were assessed using standard questionnaires. RESULTS: Overall proportions of MSPs-12 and MSPs-7d were 70 and 74.2%, respectively. MSPs-12 were more frequently reported on shoulders (40.6%), neck (37.1%) and hips/thigh (34.4%), while MSPs-7d were predominant on hips/thigh (29.5%), shoulders (25.7%), and upper back (17.2%). Proportions of MSPs-12 and MSPs-7d varied significantly by sport disciplines, with highest values among basketball players. Again, highest MSPs-12 proportions on shoulders (29.7%, P = 0.02), wrists/hands (34.6%, P = 0.001), (40.2%, P = 0.0002), and knees (38.8%, P = 0.002) were seen among basketball players. High proportions of MSPs-7d were seen on shoulders (29.6%, P = 0.04) for tennis players, wrists/hands (29.4%, P = 0.03) for basketball and football players, and hips/thigh (38.8%, P < 0.00001) for basketball players. Football players had reduced risk of MSPs-12 by 75% on lower back (OR = 0.25; 95% CI. 0.10-0.63; P = 0.003) and by 72% on knees (OR = 0.28; 95% CI. 0.08-0. 95; P = 0.04). In contrast, tennis players were more at risk of MSPs-12 on shoulders (OR = 3.14; 95% CI. 1.14-8.68; P = 0.02), wrists/hands (OR = 5.18; 95% CI.1.40-11.13; P = 0.01), and hips/thigh (OR = 2.90; 95% CI. 1.1-8.38; P = 0.04). Professionals were protected from MSPs-12 on neck pain with a significant reduction of risk by 61% (OR = 0.39, 95% CI. 0.21-0.75, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: MSPs are a reality among athletes and their risk is modulated by sport disciplines, athletic status and gender.

What obstacles to nursing home for Dependent older adults' entry? Analysis of 186 situations resulting from an Inter-Establishment Resident Orientation Commission / Quels freins à l'entrée en Établissement d'hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes ? Analyse de 186 situations issues d'une Commission d'orientation des résidents inter-établissement

The decision to admit an older adult with loss of autonomy to an institution is complex. There are many obstacles to the decision to be referred to an institution and it partly explain long hospital stays and inadequate health care spending. Several of these obstacles have been identified in the literature (medical complexity, psycho-behavioural disorders, social vulnerability, etc.). This work is based on an experiment that aimed at coordinating the players during an "inter-hospital consultation meeting" dedicated to the decision to admit older patients who cannot find a solution immediately. This work aim to identify the obstacles to the referral of patients to HITH services. This is a single-centre descriptive study. It analyses prospective data collected between January 2017 and the end of June 2019. The average length of hospitalisation before leaving the institution is relatively homogeneous according to the different complexity criteria defined, except for heavy dependence and obesity, where in these situations there are longer average lengths of hospitalisation. The absence of complexity criteria is not necessarily associated with a shorter hospital stay. The commission makes it possible to create synergies between players in the same gerontological basin and facilitates the admission of complex cases to hospital.

La décision d'entrée en établissement d'un sujet âgé en perte d'autonomie est complexe. Les freins à la décision d'orientation en établissement expliquent en partie des durées d'hospitalisation longues et à l'origine de dépense de santé inadéquates. Plusieurs de ces freins ont été identifiés dans la littérature (complexité médicale, troubles psycho-comportementaux, vulnérabilité sociale…). À partir d'une expérimentation qui vise la coordination des acteurs lors d'une « réunion de concertation inter-établissement ¼ dédiée à la décision d'entrée de patients âgés ne trouvant pas de solution dans l'immédiat, l'objectif de ce travail est d'identifier les freins à l'orientation des patients en Ehpad. Il s'agit d'une étude descriptive mono-centrique analysant des données prospectives recueillies entre janvier 2017 et fin juin 2019. Les durées moyennes d'hospitalisation avant le départ en institution sont relativement homogènes en fonction des différents critères de complexité définis sauf pour la dépendance lourde et l'obésité où dans ces situations il existe des durées moyennes d'hospitalisation plus longues. L'absence de critère de complexité n'est pas obligatoirement associée à un raccourcissement du séjour hospitalier. La CORIE permet de créer des synergies entre les acteurs d'un même bassin gérontologique et facilite l'entrée en établissement des cas complexes.

Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors among HIV-infected patients aged 50 years and older in Cameroon.

Background: Increasing the longevity of people living with HIV (PLHIV) around the world has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and morbidity. The impact of these trends on the epidemiology of CVD among PLHIV is less clear. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors for CVD, and to estimate these risks at 10 years in PLHIV aged 50 and above. Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study carried out at Mvog Ada District Hospital in Yaounde, Cameroon from January 2020 to January 2021. Descriptive bivariate analyses were used to present the data. The data are presented as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, and in terms of means and standard deviations for continuous variables where appropriate. The 10-year CVD risk score was calculated using two tools: the validated Framingham risk score (FRS) (low < 10%, moderate 10-20% and high ≥ 20%) and SCORE score (SSC) (low < 3%, moderate 3-4% and high ≥ 5%). Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to examine the respective relationships between the binary dependent variable high CVD risk (FRS ≥ 20%) and the population group, alcohol consumption (more than 10 glasses of beer per week, or more than 35.7 cl/day) and hypertriglyceridemia (independent variables). A p-value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 112 people aged 50 and above were enrolled in the study out of 180 people registered at the HIV care unit, that is a participation rate of 62.22%. The average age of the participants was 57.3 ± 6.4 years, and the female/male ratio was 1.6. The majority of participants (53.57%) had normal glycaemia levels (<1.10 g/L), 4.46% were diabetic and 46.40% had high blood pressure. The adherence rate for ARV treatment was 98.20%; most participants (77.20%) were alcohol consumers, and 28.10% of participants had hypertriglyceridemia. The estimates of overall cardiovascular risk in 10 years presented 50.90% of participants with low risk, 33% with moderate risk and 16.10% with high risk. Conclusions: Our study indicated an overall risk of cardiovascular events in 10 years is 16.10%, with the main conditional risk factor being hypertriglyceridemia and alcohol consumption, which appeared to triple the risk of CVD among PLHIV.

Subjective Age and Falls in Older Age: Evidence From Two Longitudinal Cohorts.

OBJECTIVES: Falls are a common and serious health problem. The present study examined the association between subjective age (i.e., feeling younger or older than one's chronological age) and falls in 2 large national samples. METHOD: Participants aged 65-105 years old were drawn from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Data on falls, subjective age, and demographic factors were available from 2,382 participants in HRS and 3,449 in NHATS. Falls were tracked for up to 8 (HRS) and 7 (NHATS) years. RESULTS: Cox regression analyses that included demographic covariates indicated that older subjective age increased the risk of falling in HRS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-1.27) and in NHATS (HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.00-1.13). When compared to people who felt younger, people who reported an older subjective age had a higher risk of fall (HRS: HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.33-2.04; NHATS: HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.15-1.79). The associations remained significant after accounting for depressive symptoms, handgrip strength, chronic diseases, and cognitive impairment in HRS only. DISCUSSION: These results confirm the role of subjective age as an important health marker in the aging population. Subjective age assessment can help identify individuals at greater risk of falls.

Prospective multicentered study describing the health pathway of a short-stay geriatric population hospitalised through geriatric telephonic hotline / Étude prospective multicentrique décrivant le parcours de soins d'une population gériatrique hospitalisée en court séjour via une hotline gériatrique

Rationale: The ARS finance geriatric hotlines in order to improve the articulation between town medicine and the hospital. The objective of our study is to describe the health status and the care pathway of subjects aged over 75 years hospitalised in a geriatric short stay hospital via a geriatric hotline. Materials and methods: This prospective multicentre study included 1,451 subjects over 24 months. The primary endpoint was the average length of stay. The secondary endpoints were medico-socio-demographic data. Results: The population hospitalised via a hotline is comparable to that usually found in geriatric short stay services. The length of stay is correlated with the lifestyle and the mode of discharge (p < 0.001). There was a significant excess risk of non-return to the previous place of residence according to age, average length of stay, comorbidities and degree of dependence. Conclusion: The care pathway for elderly people over 75 years old hospitalised through the hotline is optimised, with an average length of stay of 14 days, demonstrating a good link between town medicine and hospital. This approach allows for the early management of elderly subjects in the geriatric care system.

Rationnel: Les Agences régionales de santé (ARS) financent des hotlines gériatriques en vue d'améliorer l'articulation entre la médecine de ville et l'hôpital. L'objectif de notre étude est de décrire l'état de santé et le parcours de soin des sujets âgés de plus de 75 ans hospitalisés en court séjour gériatrique via une hotline gériatrique. Matériel et méthode: Cette étude multicentrique prospective a inclus 1 451 sujets sur 24 mois. Le critère de jugement principal est la durée moyenne de séjour (DMS). Les critères de jugements secondaires sont les données médico-socio-démographiques. Résultats: La population hospitalisée via une hotline est comparable à celle habituellement retrouvée dans les services de court séjour gériatrique. La DMS est corrélée au mode de vie et au mode de sortie (p < 0,001). Il existe un surrisque significatif de non-retour au lieu de vie antérieur selon l'âge, la durée moyenne de séjour, les comorbidités et le degré de dépendance. Conclusion: Le parcours de soins du sujet âgé de plus de 75 ans passant par la hotline est optimisé avec une durée moyenne de séjour à 14 jours, témoignant d'une bonne articulation entre médecine de ville et hôpital. Cette démarche permet de prendre en charge précocement les sujets âgés dans la filière gériatrique.

Associations between physical activity types and multi-domain cognitive decline in older adults from the Three-city cohort.

Several studies suggest that physical activity improves cognitive functions and reduces cognitive decline, whereas others did not find any evidence of a neuroprotective effect. Furthermore, few cohort studies have analyzed the different physical activity types and particularly household activities. Our objective was to assess the association of two physical activity types with the decline in different cognitive domains in a large prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults from the Three-city study. Physical activity (domestic/transportation activities and leisure/sport activities) was assessed with the Voorrips questionnaire, specific for older adults. Baseline sociodemographic and health history variables as well as cognitive performance data at baseline and during the 8-year follow-up (Mini-Mental State Examination, Benton Visual Retention Test, Trail Making Tests A and B, Isaac's Set Test and Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test) were also available. Associations between physical activity scores and cognitive decline in different domains were tested using minimally- and multi-adjusted linear mixed models. The analysis included 1697 participants without dementia at baseline and with at least one follow-up visit. At baseline, participants with higher sub-scores for the two physical activity types had better cognitive performances. Interaction with time showed that decline in some cognitive scores (Trail Making Test B and Isaac's Set Test) was significantly less pronounced in participants with higher household/transportation activity sub-scores. No significant effect over time was found for leisure/sport activities. This study shows that during an 8-year follow-up, executive functions and verbal fluency were better preserved in older adults who performed household/transportation activities at moderate to high level. Participation in domestic activities and using adapted transport means could allow older adults to maintain specific cognitive abilities.

Physical activity types and risk of dementia in community-dwelling older people: the Three-City cohort.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity may decrease the risk of dementia; however, previous cohort studies seldom investigated the different types of physical activity and household activities. Our objective was to analyze the links between two physical activity types and dementia in older people. METHODS: The study used data from the prospective observational Three-city cohort and included 1550 community-dwelling individuals aged 72 to 87 without dementia at baseline. Physical activity was assessed with the Voorrips questionnaire. Two sub-scores were calculated to assess household/transportation activities and leisure/sport activities. Restricted cubic spline and proportional hazard Cox models were used to estimate the non-linear exposure-response curve for the dementia risk and the appropriate activity level thresholds. Models were adjusted for possible confounders, including socio-demographic variables, comorbidities, depressive symptoms and APOE genotype. RESULTS: The median age was 80 years, and 63.6% of participants were women. After a median follow-up of 4.6 years, dementia was diagnosed in 117 participants (7.6%). An inverse J-shaped association was found between household/transportation physical activity sub-score and dementia risk, which means that the risk is lowest for the moderately high values and then re-increases slightly for the highest values. The results remained significant when this sub-score was categorized in three classes (low, moderate, and high), with hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 0.55 (0.35-0.87) and 0.62 (0.38-1.01) for moderate and high activity levels, respectively. No significant effect was found for leisure/sport activities. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year risk of dementia was significantly and negatively associated with the household/transportation activity level, but not with the leisure and sport activity sub-score. This highlights the importance of considering all physical activity types in 72 years or older people.

Domestic Activities Associated With a Decreased Risk of Cognitive Disorders: Results of the "Fréle" Cohort.

Background: Previous cohorts studied the association of various types of physical activities with the incidence of cognitive disorders. The objective of this work was to analyze the association of leisure, domestic and professional physical activities with mild and moderate cognitive disorders in older people living in the community. Methods: We used retrospective data from the "FRéLE" (FRagilité: étude Longitudinale de ses Expressions) a longitudinal and observational study. Data collected included socio-demographic variables, lifestyle and health status. Cognitive disorders were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Two cut-offs of MoCA were used to analyze mild and moderate cognitive disorders. Physical activity was assessed by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) structured in three sections: leisure, household, and professional activities. Spline and logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk of cognitive disorders. Results: At baseline, 428 participants (for study of mild disorders) and 1,271 participants (for study of moderate disorders) without cognitive disorders were included in the analysis. The mean ages were 74 and 78 years, respectively. After a 2-year follow-up, we found mild cognitive disorders in 154 participants (36%) and 71 cases of moderate cognitive disorders (5.6%). In multi-adjusted logistic models, domestic activities were associated with cognitive disorders, but not leisure and professional activities. Conclusion: We found an inverse relation between domestic sub-score and cognitive disorders defined by MoCA < 18. With a specific questionnaire and quantitative information on the type of activities, this study contributed to the debate on the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognition.

[Interest of follow-up of recommendations over a period of 6 months for elderly subjects who have been screened for frailty]. / Intérêt du suivi des préconisations sur une période de 6 mois pour des sujets âgés ayant bénéficié d'un dépistage de la fragilité.

Frailty is a partially reversible geriatric syndrome. Its prevention requires a structured screening, and is a major public health issue given the increasing life expectancy of the population. The observance of the recommendations made after a screening of the frailty patients is not well known. The objective of our research was to describe the characteristics of patients evaluated in a frailty-day-hospital and followed up recommendation adherence at 3 and 6 months. METHODS: patients aged over 65 years old with an ADL score of at least 5 out of 6, were evaluated according to the Fried score to classify patients into pre-frailty or frailty patients. According to the standardized geriatric assessment, recommendations were prescribed for each medico-social situation according to HAS recommendations. A follow-up assessment of these measures was carried out at home basis at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: 82 patients were included, with mean age of 83.7±5.7 years. 99% were pre-frail or frail and received an average of 3.7±1.7 recommendations. At 3 months, there is an inverse correlation between number and follow-up compliance (r=-0.340, p=0.008), as well as at 6 months (r=-0.352, p=0.006). Between 3 and 6 months, there is a significant increase recommendation number followed (r=0.707, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: at 6 months, 74.3% recommendations were realized, with a significant increase of recommendation number between the 3rd and 6th month. This result is encouraging by showing the benefit of home support in recommendations follow-up.

Exercise Frequency Determines Heart Rate Variability Gains in Older People: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that exercise training improves cardiac autonomic drive in young and middle-aged adults. In this study, we discuss the benefits for the elderly. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to establish whether exercise still increases heart rate variability (HRV) beyond the age of 60 years, and to identify which training factors influence HRV gains in this population. METHODS: Interventional controlled and non-controlled studies were selected from the PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane and Google Scholar databases. Only interventional endurance training protocols involving healthy subjects aged 60 years and over, and measuring at least one heart rate global or parasympathetic index, such as the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), total frequency power (Ptot), root mean square of successive differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD), or high frequency power (HF) before and after the training intervention, were included. HRV parameters were pooled separately from short-term and 24 h recordings for analysis. Risks of bias were assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies and the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A random-effects model was used to determine effect sizes (Hedges' g) for changes, and heterogeneity was assessed using Q and I statistics. RESULTS: Twelve studies, seven of which included a control group, including 218 and 111 subjects, respectively (mean age 69.0 ± 3.2 and 68.6 ± 2.5), were selected for meta-analysis. Including the 12 studies demonstrated homogeneous significant effect sizes for short-term (ST)-SDNN and 24 h-SDNN, with effect sizes of 0.366 (95% CI 0.185-547) and 0.442 (95% CI 0.144-0.740), respectively. Controlled study analysis demonstrated homogeneous significant effect sizes for 24 h-SDNN with g = 0.721 (95% CI 0.184-1.257), and 24 h-Ptot with g = 0.731 (95% CI 0.195-1.267). Meta-regression analyses revealed positive relationships between ST-SDNN effect sizes and training frequency ([Formula: see text] = 0.000; [Formula: see text] = 0.000; p = 0.0462). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates a positive effect of endurance-type exercise on autonomic regulation in older adults. However, the selected studies expressed some risks of bias. We conclude that chronic endurance exercise leads to HRV improvements in a linear frequency-response relationship, encouraging the promotion of high-frequency training programmes in older adults.

Predictive performance of four frailty screening tools in community-dwelling elderly.

BACKGROUND: This study compares the performance of four frailty screening tools in predicting relevant adverse outcome (disability, institutionalization and mortality) in community-dwelling elderly. METHODS: Our study involved a secondary analysis of data from the FréLE cohort study. We focused on the following four frailty screening tools: the abbreviated Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (aCGA), the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI), the Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13) and the Fried scale. We used the Barberger-Gateau scale to assess disability. For comparison, we determined the capacity of these tools to predict the occurrence of disability, institutionalization or death using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We also determined the threshold at which an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity was reached. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to compare the risk of adverse outcome in the frail versus non-frail groups. RESULTS: In total, 1643 participants were included in the mortality analyses; 1224 participants were included in the analyses of the other outcomes (74.5% of the original sample). The mean age was 77.7 years, and 48.1% of the participants were women. The prevalence of frailty in this sample ranged from 15.0% (Fried) to 52.2% (VES-13). According to the Barberger-Gateau scale, 643 (52.5%) participants were fully independent; 392 (32.0%) were mildly disabled; 118 (9.6%) were moderately disabled; and 71 (5.8%) were severely disabled. The tool with the greatest sensitivity for predicting the occurrence of disability, mortality and institutionalization was VES-13, which showed sensitivities of 91.0%, 89.7% and 92.3%, respectively. The values for the area under the curve (AUC) of the four screening tools at the proposed cut-off points ranged from 0.63 to 0.75. The odds (univariate and multivariate analysis) of developing a disability were significantly greater among the elderly identified as being frail by all four tools. CONCLUSION: The multivariate analyses showed that the VES-13 may predict the occurrence of disability, mortality and institutionalization. However, the AUC analysis showed that even this tool did not have good discriminatory ability. These findings suggest that despite the high number of frailty screening tools described in the literature, there is still a need for a screening tool with high predictive performance.

A screening tool with five risk factors was developed for fall-risk prediction in community-dwelling elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple clinical screening tool for community-dwelling older adults. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective multicenter cohort study was performed among healthy subjects of 65 years and older, examined in 10 health examination centers for the French health insurance. Falls were ascertained monthly by telephone for 12-month follow-up. Multivariate analyses using Cox regression models were performed. Regression coefficients of the predictors in the final model were added up to obtain the total score. The discriminative power was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Thousand seven hundred fifty-nine subjects were included. The mean age was 70.7 years and 51% were women. At least one fall occurred among 563 (32%) participants. Gender, living alone, psychoactive drug use, osteoarthritis, previous falls, and a change in the position of the arms during the one-leg balance (OLB) test were the strongest predictors. These predictors were used to build a risk score. The AUC of the score was 0.70. For a cutoff point of 1.68 in a total of 4.90, the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 72.0% and 72.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A screening tool with five risk factors and the OLB test could predict falls in healthy community-dwelling older adults.

[Alcohol, tobacco and colorectal adenomas and cancer. Case-control study in a population with positive fecal occult blood tests]. / Le tabac et l'alcool augmentent le risque d'adénomes et de cancers colorectaux. Etude comparant 3292 cas avec 5456 témoins dans une population à risque moyen ayant eu un test de dépistage de sang dans les selles positif.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the associations between lifestyle factors and colorectal adenomas or cancers in a population 50-74 years old. METHOD: The study population underwent colonoscopy after positive fecal occult blood test in Health examination centers of the French general health insurance. The two sets of cases (n= 674 cancers, n=2618 adenomas) were compared with controls (n=5456). Associations between risk of colorectal disease and health data (mainly tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical activity, obesity, and laboratory test results) were analyzed with logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios. RESULTS: The probability of colorectal cancer or adenoma was statistically associated with age (60 years or older in men and women). A significant relation between these diseases was observed with smoking (in both smokers and ex-smokers) and with alcohol consumption, with odds ratios above 1.30. The other risk factors studied were not significantly associated with these colorectal diseases. CONCLUSION: This result provides still more evidence of the need for actions against these risk behaviors.

Colorectal cancer screening in Health Examination Centers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the results of colorectal cancer screening performed in the Health Examination Centers of the French general health insurance system. METHODS: The population consisted of 1,262,833 subjects (52.6% men) aged 50 to 74 years old who attended periodic health consultations from 1998 to 2003 in 89 Health Examination Centers in France. Subjects with increased risk for colorectal cancer and subjects with a positive fecal occult blood test (Hemoccult II') were invited to undergo colonoscopy. Subsequent follow-up and diagnostic data were collected. RESULTS: Prior screening practices for colorectal cancer (recent colonoscopy or fecal occult blood test, local screening campaign) were noted in 18% of the subjects attending Health Examination Center consultations. High risk for colorectal cancer (familial or personal factor) without ongoing surveillance or prior screening was observed in 3% of the study population. A fecal occult blood test was proposed to 79% of the population and of them, 89% effectively performed the test: 3.2% of tests were positive. A follow-up protocol was initiated for 63,357 subjects. A colonic exploration was performed in 69% of high-risk subjects and enabled detection of cancer in 85 and adenomas in 1683. A colonic exploration was performed in 88% of subjects with a positive fecal occult blood test and enabled detection of 674 cancers (positive predictive value of fecal occult blood test (PPV)=4.7%) including 174 Dukes A, and 2618 adenomas (PPV=18%) including 776 adenomas measuring more than 10 mm (PPV=5.4%). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the importance of implementing organized screening practices within Health Examination Centers before undertaking a generalized screen campaign targeting the entire French population.