Multimorbidity, Functionality, Socioeconomic and Behavioral Conditions Linked with Mortality in a Cohort of Adults: A Latent Class Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aging and multimorbidity (MM) are not enough to explain patient heterogeneity and outcomes. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of multimorbidity patterns and indicators of socioeconomic, behavioral, and functional dimensions on the risk of death in a cohort of people ≥50 years old. METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of 7,342 persons ≥50 years old from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), stratified by age groups (50-64, 65-84, ≥85 years old). MM was defined as the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases (CDs), and additional analysis included functional, socioeconomic, and behavioral indicators. Prevalence was estimated using descriptive analysis. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify MM patterns, and logistic regression models were performed to estimate the risk of death at two and 18 years of follow-up. RESULTS: The most prevalent conditions were chronic pain, depression, and hypertension, with 60% of the subjects exhibiting MM at the initial evaluation. In all three age groups, indicators of the functional dimension were identified as risk factors for death. Economic precariousness was an additional risk factor in the 65-84 age group while living without a partner was an added risk factor in the ≥85 age group. For the 50-64 age group, "poor" self-perception of health and lack of physical exercise were identified as long-term risk factors for death. CONCLUSION: MM is a complex phenomenon that requires the implementation of age-specific care models. Health, socioeconomic and behavioral conditions should be considered to mitigate the risk of premature death.

Trajectories of frailty and related factors of elderly people in Mexico.

Introduction: Frailty is an indicator of health status in old age and a common clinical syndrome in older adults that carries an increased risk of poor health outcomes, including falls, incidents of disability, hospitalization, and mortality. This study aimed to identify the different trajectories of frailty and the factors related to frailty among Mexican older adults over time. Methods: Data are from a four-wave panel composed of older Mexican adults from 2001 to 2015 of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Frailty is the accumulation of deficits using a frailty index. A multilevel analysis, using hierarchical models, was applied to know the changes of frailty trajectories and what factors are related to it. Results: Being female, older, being widowhood, and having a lower level of education were risk factors for having a high frailty index and lower financial satisfaction doing activities at home have adverse effects. Conclusion: The findings of this work present information about the prevalence of frailty considering the proportion of deficits that individuals possess and their main associated components in older Mexican adults. It is necessary to improve socioeconomic health conditions in phases before old age to avoid developing frailty in the future.

Introducción: La fragilidad es un indicador del estado de salud en la vejez y un síndrome clínico común en los adultos mayores que conlleva un mayor riesgo de resultados de salud deficientes, que incluyen caídas, incidentes de discapacidad, hospitalización y mortalidad. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las diferentes trayectorias de la fragilidad y los factores relacionados con ésta entre los adultos mayores mexicanos a lo largo del tiempo. Metodología: Los datos provienen de un panel de cuatro ondas compuesto por adultos mayores mexicanos de 2001 a 2015 del Estudio Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en México (ENASEM). La fragilidad es la acumulación de déficits utilizando un índice de fragilidad. Se aplicó un análisis multinivel, utilizando modelos jerárquicos, para conocer los cambios de trayectorias de fragilidad y qué factores se relacionan con ella. Resultados: Ser mujer, ser mayor, ser viuda y tener un menor nivel de educación fueron factores de riesgo para tener un índice de fragilidad alto y una menor satisfacción financiera o realizar actividades en el hogar tienen efectos adversos. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos de este trabajo presentan información acerca de la prevalencia de la fragilidad considerando la proporción de déficits que poseen los individuos y sus primordiales componentes asociados en adultos mayores mexicanos. Se requiere mejorar las condiciones socioeconómicas de salud en fases previas a la vejez para evitar desarrollar fragilidad en el futuro.

Differences by Sex in the Presentation of Multimorbidity: Longitudinal Study in Mexican Adults Living in the Community, 2001-2018.

Background: Multimorbidity represents a challenge for public health because as populations age, its prevalence increases. The objectives were to describe by sex the multimorbidity patterns from 2001 to 2018 in a cohort of people ≥50 years and in a subcohort with multimorbidity to describe the trajectories and transitions. Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of the cohort of adults ≥50 years in the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Sociodemographic, health, functionality, and mortality were analyzed. Descriptive analysis was performed, estimation of prevalence by sex and trajectories, and transitions of the multimorbidity patterns with alluvial diagrams. Results: In the full cohort, 53.3% were women and in the subcohort with multimorbidity 66.1%. In both sexes, more cases with multimorbidity were observed among people without schooling, without a job, with a fair or bad economic situation, and with fair or bad self-perception of their health. The chronic diseases (CDs) with the highest prevalence were diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and arthritis and the most prevalent multimorbidity patterns were HT+arthritis and DM+HT. Higher proportion of men transited early to death and the women to other patterns more complex. Conclusion: Women always had higher prevalence of multimorbidity from an early age and with more complex combinations of CDs, but men with multimorbidity died prematurely. It is important to analyze multimorbidity not only from a biological approach but also from a perspective that considers sex inequalities and allows for the development of specific interventions adapted to the particular needs of men and women.

Trayectorias de fragilidad y factores relacionados en la población de adultos mayores en México / Trajectories of frailty and related factors of elderly people in Mexico

Resumen Introducción: la fragilidad es un indicador del estado de salud en la vejez y un síndrome clínico común en adultos mayores; conlleva un elevado riesgo de resultados deficientes de salud que incluyen caídas, incidentes de discapacidad, hospitalización y mortalidad. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las diferentes trayectorias de la fragilidad y los factores relacionados con esta entre adultos mayores mexicanos a lo largo del tiempo. Metodología: los datos provienen de un panel de cuatro rondas compuesto por adultos mayores mexicanos y desarrollado de 2001 a 2015 por el Estudio Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en México (ENASEM). La fragilidad es la acumulación de déficits a partir de un índice de fragilidad. Se aplicó un análisis multinivel, utilizando modelos jerárquicos para conocer los cambios de trayectorias de fragilidad y qué factores se relacionan con ella. Resultados: ser mujer mayor, viuda y tener un bajo nivel educativo fueron factores de riesgo para un índice de fragilidad alto y una menor satisfacción financiera o realizar actividades en el hogar tienen efectos adversos. Conclusiones: se halló una prevalencia de la fragilidad según la proporción de déficits que poseen los individuos y sus primordiales componentes asociados. Se requiere mejorar las condiciones socioeconómicas de salud en fases previas a la vejez con miras a evitar la presencia de fragilidad en el futuro.

Abstract Introduction: Frailty is an indicator of health status in old age and a common clinical syndrome in older adults that carries an increased risk of poor health outcomes, including falls, incidents of disability, hospitalization, and mortality. This study aimed to identify the different trajectories of frailty and the factors related to frailty among Mexican older adults over time. Methods: Data are from a four-wave panel composed of older Mexican adults from 2001 to 2015 of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). Frailty is the accumulation of deficits using a frailty index. A multilevel analysis, using hierarchical models, was applied to know the changes of frailty trajectories and what factors are related to it. Results: Being female, older, being widowhood, and having a lower level of education were risk factors for having a high frailty index and lower financial satisfaction doing activities at home have adverse effects. Conclusion: The findings of this work present information about the prevalence of frailty considering the proportion of deficits that individuals possess and their main associated components in older Mexican adults. It is necessary to improve socioeconomic health conditions in phases before old age to avoid developing frailty in the future.