Latest news with #frailty
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Skinny is back in fashion – but it's a trend that could prove deadly to the over-60s
In case you hadn't noticed, skinny is back. Sigh. Both the jeans and the Twiggy physique to slip into them. But while the glossies are full of suggestions on how to style your denim, there's a bit of an information gap when it comes to shedding the midlife pounds without damaging your long-term health. Fail to lose enough and you won't fit into that Hobbs summer dress. Shed too many and you could really be storing up trouble. As we age we lose muscle as well as fat and that places individuals at risk of becoming frail. I thought it was just an adjective, but frailty is actually a medical condition, which is common in older people. Symptoms include reduced muscle strength, fatigue, slower walking pace, lower activity levels, weight loss and increased vulnerability. Research by The Royal College of Anaesthetists and the University of Nottingham has just revealed that frail patients stay an average of three days longer in hospital after an operation than patients who are fit for surgery. Those who are severely frail remain on wards for six days longer. They are also three times more likely to suffer from complications and three times more likely to die in the first year after surgery. No wonder then that experts have called for all surgical patients over the age of 60 to be screened for frailty as standard practice to bolster recovery and slash extended stays in hospital. It sounds like an eminently sensible idea, but it might be better if more emphasis were placed on prevention rather than cure. In the age of the fat jab, a great many older people are reaching for Ozempic and Mounjaro to reduce their appetite and silence the food noise that has plagued them for most of their lives. But it's all too easy to get hooked. Photos of early adopter Sharon Osbourne are enough to put the wind up anyone. The 72-year-old wife of erstwhile hellraiser Ozzy was among the first celebrities to publicly confirm using the diabetes drug Ozempic in December 2022. She lost three stone in four months, but had subsequently admitted it was 'too much'. Her gaunt 'Ozempic face' caused concern among her fans and so she set about gaining a little of her old weight back. But to her consternation, she discovered she couldn't. The pendulum – or its metabolic equivalent – had swung too far. And although she's been off the drug for a while, she remains a shadow of her former self. Then, just last month, Dame Patricia Hewitt, 76, who was health secretary in Tony Blair's government, urged the NHS to tell slim elderly patients to maintain a higher 'buffer weight'. This came after she became severely ill on holiday in Australia, spending six weeks in hospital, during which time her weight plunged 'absolutely catastrophically' to below seven stone. She has since been advised to gain two stone to protect her health in the future. It might sound counter intuitive, but science has identified a 'longevity paradox' in that overweight, older adults are less prone to fragility and actually outlive those who are underweight, especially among women. Supermodel Kate Moss once observed that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. She's 51 and sylph-like as ever. But perhaps any day now she'll conclude that tastes change over time and future-proofing her body is the most delicious treat of all.
Medscape
3 days ago
- General
- Medscape
UK Hospitals Missing Frailty Screening for Surgery Patients
Nearly three-quarters of UK hospitals are not routinely screening older surgical patients for frailty, despite known risks of adverse outcomes. A study by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and the University of Nottingham found that 71% of hospitals do not assess frailty in patients over 60. The research, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, shows that 1 in 5 surgical patients in this age group are living with frailty. This condition significantly increases the risk of complications, extended hospital stays, delirium, and death. Largest UK Study on Frailty in Surgical Patients The findings are from the RCoA's third Sprint National Anaesthesia Project (SNAP3), the UK's most comprehensive study on frailty and multimorbidity in surgical patients. Researchers collected data from 7129 patients aged over 60 across 214 NHS hospitals. Data was gathered over five consecutive days in March 2022. The observational study found that older patients living with frailty: Stay an average of three days longer in hospital post-surgery. Stay six days longer if they are severely frail. Are three times more likely to experience complications. Are four times more likely to develop post-operative delirium. Are three times more likely to die within a year of surgery. Lack of Awareness Among Clinicians The researchers identified limited clinician awareness about the impact of frailty and multimorbidity on postoperative outcomes as a key barrier to improving outcomes. The researchers recommended routine frailty assessments for all patients over 60 before surgery. This would allow for tailored care, with input from geriatricians where appropriate. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a ssimple assessment tool that clinicians can use to identify frailty and guide appropriate referrals, the RCoA said. Improving Patient Recovery Dr Claire Shannon, president of the RCoA, said universal frailty screening could significantly improve patient recovery. 'With older people accounting for an increasing proportion of surgical patients, implementing effective screening for frailty is becoming ever more necessary,' she said. 'Universal adoption of frailty assessments will not only help patients recover better from surgery but also help improve efficiency by avoiding extended lengths of stay in hospital.' Iain Moppett, chief investigator of SNAP3 and professor at the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine, said screening supports better decision-making. 'Identifying frailty is straightforward and should lead to open and honest discussions with patients,' he said. 'Good teamwork between the right specialists — surgeons, anaesthetists, and geriatricians — helps to get patients living with frailty as fit and well as possible before surgery, make the right decisions, and get the best care after surgery.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
The 3 simple at-home tests to check how well YOUR brain is really ageing
WHILE it's impossible to predict your exact lifespan, experts have developed simple tests over the years to gauge how well (or how badly) a person is ageing. The sit-to-stand test has gained popularity in recent years, with the aim to measure how many times a person can rise from a seated position to a standing position and back within 30 seconds. 3 The test can be a predictor of frailty and mortality - lower scores may indicate a higher risk of falls and reduced mobility. But if you want to really understand how well you're ageing, it's important to look beyond physical health. Mental sharpness, emotional resilience and social connection matter just as much, says Marco Arkesteijn, a lecturer in sport and exercise biomechanics at Aberystwyth University. Writing for The Conversation, he advises a better way to test how well you're ageing is to assess your cognitive fitness, which includes skills like attention, memory and flexibility. Three tests he recommends are the Trail Making Test, the Stroop Task, and Dual-task Challenge. He says: "These kinds of tasks test how well your brain handles competing demands – a key ability that becomes even more important as we age. "This skill is known as cognitive flexibility, and it helps you adapt to changing situations, switch between tasks and manage distractions." Trail Making Test 3 The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test used to assess visual attention, task switching, and executive function. It involves connecting dots in a specific order. A subject is given a sheet containing the dots (numbers and letters) and a pencil. 10 second one leg stand test For part A, the subject is instructed to connect the numbers in numerical order as quickly as possible. For part B, the subject is instructed to connect the alternating numbers and letters in the correct sequence. The time taken to complete each part is recorded. Part A measures psychomotor speed and visual search. Part B measures executive function, including set-shifting and inhibition. Time difference between part A and part B can indicate difficulties with task switching and executive function. As well as being a test for ageing you can do at home, the TMT is used in various clinical settings, including evaluating brain injury, identifying early signs of dementia, and tracking progress after brain injuries and other neurological conditions. Stroop Task The Stroop task is a psychological experiment designed to measure cognitive interference, specifically the interference between reading a word and naming the colour it's written in. Participants are presented with colour words, and the task is to name the colour of the ink the word is printed in, even when the word itself contradicts that colour. The word "RED" might be printed in blue ink, creating a conflict between the word's meaning and the ink colour. Signs of difficulty with the Stroop task include slower reaction times, increased errors, and finding it hard to override the automatic tendency to read the word rather than identify the colour. In clinical settings, the Stroop task can be used to assess attention deficits and cognitive flexibility, such as evaluating individuals with ADHD or other neurological conditions. Dual-task Challenge 3 A Dual-task Challenge involves simultaneously performing two tasks, often a motor task and a cognitive task, to assess the impact of one task on the performance of the other. This approach is used to study how attention and cognitive resources are allocated and how multitasking can affect performance, particularly in areas like gait and balance. Common dual-task scenarios include walking while talking, counting while performing a physical exercise, or paying attention to a conversation while walking. Struggling with dual-task challenges can manifest in various ways. You might experience decreased performance in either or both tasks, increased reaction times, or changes in physical movement like reduced walking speed or balance issues. Specifically, you could notice difficulties with tasks requiring cognitive flexibility, executive function, memory, attention, and processing speed. In some cases, people may also report increased falls or a fear of falling due to the challenges of dual-tasking, especially when combined with occupational demands. Dual-task training is used in rehabilitation, particularly for individuals with neurological conditions or injuries, to improve balance and gait, and it's also used in research to understand how cognitive abilities influence physical performance. But the most important thing to do when doing these tests is to complete them a few times at the start, then retest yourself once a month. That way you can track improvements or deterioration. Arkesteijn says: "Cognitive changes may be slower to notice than physical ones, so regular checks can help reveal progress over time." But he adds: "There's no single test or score that can capture how well you're ageing. Think of it more like a jigsaw puzzle. "Physical health, mental agility, emotional balance, social connection - they all matter, and they all interact. "And of course, even if you perform well now, some changes inthe future may be beyond your control. "No test can fully predict what lies ahead."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Frailty of older patients ‘not being assessed in majority of hospitals'
Older patients who have surgery are not screened to assess their frailty in most hospitals, a study has suggested. Frail patients are more likely to face longer recovery times after an operation and are at greater risk of complications, research by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and the University of Nottingham found. Experts have called for all surgical patients over the age of 60 to be screened for frailty as standard practice to bolster recovery and slash extended stays in hospital. Professor Iain Moppett, from the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine and chief investigator for the RCoA's third Sprint National Anaesthesia Project, said: 'Identifying frailty is straightforward and should lead to open and honest discussions with patients about what can be offered, what they want and what they can expect if they choose to have surgery. 'Good teamwork between the right specialists – surgeons, anaesthetists and geriatricians – helps to get patients living with frailty as fit and well as possible before surgery, make the right decisions and get the best care after surgery.' Frailty is a medical condition that is common in older people, with symptoms such as reduced muscle strength, fatigue, slower walking pace, lower activity levels, weight loss and increased vulnerability. Clinicians can assess how frail a patient is by using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), which gives a score between one and nine based on factors such as a patient's ability to walk and manage daily tasks. A score of more than five indicates the patient should be referred to specialist care. The analysis includes data from 7,129 patients over five days in March 2022 across 214 NHS hospitals, and found 71 per cent were not routinely screening surgical patients aged 60 and over for frailty. The research also highlighted the risks associated with frail patients who undergo operations. Patients with the condition stay an average of three days longer in hospital after an operation than patients who are fit for surgery. Severely frail people stay six days longer, and are three times more likely to suffer from complications. Frail patients are also four times more likely to experience delirium, a condition that causes confusion, and are also three times more likely to die in the first year after surgery. Dr Claire Shannon, the RCoA's president, said: 'There is huge potential to improve patient outcomes by assessing all those over 60 for frailty as standard practice so that their care can be managed appropriately, with involvement from a geriatrician. 'With older people accounting for an increasing proportion of surgical patients, implementing effective screening for frailty is becoming evermore necessary. 'Universal adoption of frailty assessments will not only help patients recover better from surgery but also help improve efficiency by avoiding extended lengths of stay in hospital.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Frailty of older patients ‘not being assessed in majority of hospitals'
Older patients who have surgery are not screened to assess their frailty in most hospitals, a study has suggested. Frail patients are more likely to face longer recovery times after an operation and are at greater risk of complications, research by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) and the University of Nottingham found. Experts have called for all surgical patients over the age of 60 to be screened for frailty as standard practice to bolster recovery and slash extended stays in hospital. Professor Iain Moppett, from the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine and chief investigator for the RCoA's third Sprint National Anaesthesia Project, said: 'Identifying frailty is straightforward and should lead to open and honest discussions with patients about what can be offered, what they want and what they can expect if they choose to have surgery. 'Good teamwork between the right specialists – surgeons, anaesthetists and geriatricians – helps to get patients living with frailty as fit and well as possible before surgery, make the right decisions and get the best care after surgery.' Frailty is a medical condition that is common in older people, with symptoms such as reduced muscle strength, fatigue, slower walking pace, lower activity levels, weight loss and increased vulnerability. Clinicians can assess how frail a patient is by using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), which gives a score between one and nine based on factors such as a patient's ability to walk and manage daily tasks. A score of more than five indicates the patient should be referred to specialist care. The analysis includes data from 7,129 patients over five days in March 2022 across 214 NHS hospitals, and found 71 per cent were not routinely screening surgical patients aged 60 and over for frailty. The research also highlighted the risks associated with frail patients who undergo operations. Patients with the condition stay an average of three days longer in hospital after an operation than patients who are fit for surgery. Severely frail people stay six days longer, and are three times more likely to suffer from complications. Frail patients are also four times more likely to experience delirium, a condition that causes confusion, and are also three times more likely to die in the first year after surgery. Dr Claire Shannon, the RCoA's president, said: 'There is huge potential to improve patient outcomes by assessing all those over 60 for frailty as standard practice so that their care can be managed appropriately, with involvement from a geriatrician. 'With older people accounting for an increasing proportion of surgical patients, implementing effective screening for frailty is becoming evermore necessary. 'Universal adoption of frailty assessments will not only help patients recover better from surgery but also help improve efficiency by avoiding extended lengths of stay in hospital.'
