geoffrey modest medical blogs

  A recent randomized clinical trial found that low-dose aspirin is associated with increased risk of serious falls in the elderly (see  aspirin elderly inc serious falls jama2022  in dropbox, or  doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.5028 )    Details :  -- the ASPREE-FRACTURE study was a sub-study of the Australian component of the larger   ASPREE study  -- 16,703 community-dwelling volunteers aged at least 70 were recruited  from 2010-2014;  all were free of cardiovascular disease, dementia, or physical disability at baseline -- median age of 74 (IQR 72-78), 50% were 70-74 years old, 46% 75-84 yo, 5% >84 yo; 55% women; 32% living at home alone, 68% living with family/friends/spouse; BMI 27  -- current smokers 3.4% , current alcohol use 84%, depression 24%, cancer history 20%, hypertension 75%, osteoarthritis 56%, history of a prior broken bone 38%  -- frailty (a s defined by the Fried criteria) :    not frail 62%/ pre-frail 36%/frail  2%, 98% reported no difficulty with walking or bathi

  Researchers developed a validated mortality prediction model for community-dwelling older adults with dementia (see   dementia mortality predictor JamaIntMed2022   in dropbox, or doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4326)   Details:  -- 4267 participants with probable dementia who were part of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a study of community-dwelling adults at least 65 years old, from 1998-2016 (this was the derivation cohort)      -- patients were interviewed every two years to assess changes and outcomes, with proxy interviews as needed with a spouse or other family member      -- probable dementia was defined by a previously validated algorithm, shown to have high accuracy when compared with the gold standard dementia diagnoses      -- mean age 82 (42% at least age 85), 69% female, 75% white/12% Black/10% Hispanic, BMI <18.5 in 7%, 18.5-25 in 47%, 25-30 in 29%, > 30 in 13%; 52% never smokers/41% former/7% current, 39% married or partnered, 38% live alone, at least one A