Associations between a laboratory frailty index and adverse health outcomes across age and sex. Aging medicine (Milton (N.S.W)) OBJECTIVE:Early frailty may be captured by a frailty index (FI) based entirely on vital signs and laboratory tests. Our aim was to examine associations between a laboratory-based FI (FI-Lab) and adverse health outcomes, and investigate how this changed with age. METHODS:Up to 8988 individuals aged 20+ years from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohorts were included. Characteristics of the FI-Lab were compared to those of a self-reported clinical FI. Associations between each FI and health care use, self-reported health, and disability were examined in the full sample and across age groups. RESULTS:Laboratory-based FI scores increased with age but did not demonstrate expected sex differences. Women aged 20-39 years had higher FI scores than men; this pattern reversed after age 60 years. FI-Lab scores were associated with poor self-reported health (odds ratio[95% confidence interval]: 1.46[1.39-1.54]), high health care use (1.35[1.29-1.42]), and high disability (1.41[1.32-1.50]), even among those aged 20-39 years. CONCLUSION:Higher FI-Lab scores were associated with poor health outcomes at all ages. Associations in the youngest group support the notion that deficit accumulation occurs across the lifespan. FI-Lab scores could be utilized as an early screening tool to identify deficit accumulation at the cellular and molecular level before they become clinically visible. 10.1002/agm2.12055

Sarcopenia and coexistent risk factors detected using the 'Yubi-wakka' (finger-ring) test in adults aged over 65 years in the public annual health check-up in Tama City, Tokyo: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open OBJECTIVES:To examine the positive rate of sarcopenia using the 'Yubi-wakka' (finger-ring) test and associated risk factors among adults aged 65 years and older. DESIGN:Cross-sectional study. SETTING:We used the Yubi-wakka test, which has been developed and validated as a predictor of sarcopenia, frailty, disability and mortality. A positive test result is indicated by a smaller calf circumference than the finger-ring. The test was administered during annual health check-ups among residents of Tama City, Japan. PARTICIPANTS:During the 2019 fiscal year, 12 894 individuals aged 65 years and older underwent the Yubi-wakka test at primary care clinics. INTERVENTIONS:Examinees conducted the test themselves in a seated position. They formed a ring around their calf using both thumbs and index fingers and judged whether their calf was larger, the same or smaller than their finger-ring. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:We compared anthropometric and serological data between the positive (smaller calf) and negative (larger calf) test result groups. RESULTS:The positive rate was 15.4% among men and 18.5% among women. The prevalence of a positive result was higher in those aged ≥80 years than in younger age groups in both sexes (men: 22.8%; women: 28.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was a risk factor for detecting a positive test result in women aged 65-74 years (OR 3.445; 95% CI 1.44 to 8.29) and ≥75 years (OR 3.37; 95% CI 1.97 to 5.78). CONCLUSIONS:Because the Japanese population is healthy and lives long, interventions against sarcopenia are important, especially for older adults aged >75 years. The presence of metabolic syndrome may be a risk factor for sarcopenia (as detected by the Yubi-wakka test) and future frailty, and requires closer attention, especially among women. 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061613

Truncal Fat and Frailty Are Important Predictors of Cognitive Performance among Aging Adults with Obesity. The journal of nutrition, health & aging OBJECTIVES:To explore associations among cognition, frailty, and obesity in older adults. DESIGN:Descriptive, secondary analysis of baseline data from two related lifestyle intervention trials. SETTING:Clinical study open to civilian population through the Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, TX. PARTICIPANTS:One hundred eight community-dwelling adults with obesity, aged 65 or older, recruited consecutively from two lifestyle intervention trials. MEASUREMENTS:Cognition was assessed using Composite Age-Adjusted Scale Score from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery: Obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and also by truncal fat mas via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Frailty was assessed using the Physical Performance Test. RESULTS:A significant linear regression model for cognition revealed frailty as the strongest predictor, followed by sex, and then truncal fat (R2=0.340, p<0.001). CONCLUSION:Cognition among community-dwelling older adults with obese BMI may worsen with greater truncal fat mass. Frailty appears to be an important predictor of cognitive performance in this population. 10.1007/s12603-022-1776-x