Geriatrics

Evidence map: interventions for adults aged 80+ show concentrated biomedical studies and major gaps

This evidence and gap map identified 172 studies (36 systematic reviews, 120 RCTs, 16 qualitative studies) focused on adults aged 80 and over. Most trials target intrinsic capacity and biomedical outcomes; psychosocial outcomes and enabling environments are underrepresented. Notable gaps include end-of-life care and delivery models such as hospital-at-home and telehealth, limiting generalizability for service redesign. 1

Hospitalized older adults: frailty and complex multimorbidity strongly predict worse outcomes

In a prospective multicenter cohort of 369 hospitalized adults ≥65, high frailty occurred in 37.7% and complex multimorbidity in 34.2%. High frailty independently predicted 30-day mortality (aOR 5.68) and 90-day mortality (aOR 3.53) and longer length of stay. Complex multimorbidity independently predicted 30-day readmission (aOR 1.92) and increased 30- and 90-day mortality. 2

Nursing home residents: small rise in chronic meds, large drop in PIMs over one year

In Belgian nursing home residents (baseline n=8713; 1-year reassessments n=1691), mean chronic medications rose from 5.87 to 6.1 over one year. Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prevalence fell from 72.7% to 56.0%, with 24.5% discontinuations and 7.8% new starts. Most residents (70–88%) maintained baseline health status, and medication changes correlated with ADL, cognition, and behavioral changes. 3