Clinical Interventions in Aging

Background Previous studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and frailty. However, the association of mean pulse oxygen saturation (MSpO2) with frailty among OSA patients remains unconfirmed. This study aimed to explore this potential association using data from a multicenter, prospective cohort. Methods A total of 1006 elderly patients diagnosed with OSA through polysomnography (PSG) from January 2015 to October 2017 were enrolled. Patients were stratified into four groups according to their MSpO2 levels to assess differences in frailty onset. Multivariate Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves, restricted cubic splines, and subgroup analyses were employed to evaluate variations in frailty onset across different MSpO2 levels. Results Over a median follow-up period of 52 months, 275 patients developed frailty. Analysis using restricted cubic splines revealed a U-shaped trend between MSpO2 and frailty risk (non-linear p-value = 0.028). Patients in the lowest quartile (MSpO2 < 91.6%) exhibited a higher risk of frailty (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.97, P = 0.029) compared to those in the third quartile (MSpO2 93–95%). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the U-shaped relationship. Conclusion There is a U-shaped association between MSpO2 and frailty among patients with OSA. Enhancing MSpO2 levels may mitigate the risk of frailty and improve prognosis in this population.

Background Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), as neuropsychiatric manifestations within dementia, constitute core features of dementia. However, there remains a gap in understanding the recognition of BPSD in China. Our current study was to explore the clinical awareness and treatment approaches for BPSD in China, focusing especially on the perspectives of neurologists and psychiatrists. Methods A multicenter national survey was designed and a semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals including doctors and nurses across all provinces of China. The questionnaire incorporated either closed (yes/no) and multiple-choice questions. The questions centered on the following areas: the perceived global frequency and relevance of BPSD; the assessment tools employed for evaluating BPSD; pharmacological approaches for addressing psychosis, apathy, agitation, aggression, depression, anxiety, sleep, and nutrition disorders; drug-related side effects; non-pharmacological treatment strategies. The anonymity of questionnaire responses was maintained to encourage participants to candidly express their viewpoints. Results The majorities of respondents recognized the importance of BPSD. There were apparent differences in the perception of BPSD between neurologists and psychiatrists, encompassing variances in symptoms recognition, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies. A notable high percentage of neurology (27.8%) and psychiatry staff (23.6%) would not choose non-pharmacological interventions. Meanwhile, antipsychotics was overused in China. For aggression and agitation, more than half of neurologist and psychiatrist preferred antipsychotics. For psychosis, more than 80% of doctors chose antipsychotics. Nearly one-third of the medical staff expressed a preference for traditional Chinese medicine including ginkgo biloba extract. Conclusion In summary, this study in China has shed light on the features related to perception, recognition, management, treatment options, and observed side effects associated with BPSD. Our findings have the potential to significantly enhance the understanding of BPSD characteristics among medical practitioners and offering valuable insights into improved management and treatment strategies of neuropsychic symptoms of dementia in China.

Objective To investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on preoperative characteristics, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), intraoperative variables, surgical outcomes and postoperative complications. Methods This is a retrospective observational study including 891 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients who underwent GreenLight Laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) between 2014 and 2020. Clinical characteristics, uroflowmetry parameters, and surgery related parameters were extracted from electronic health records. Patients were categorized into different weight groups based on Taiwanese populations’ BMI criteria. Statistical analyses, involving descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and independent t-tests, were employed to examine associations between BMI and relevant variables. Results Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated a negative correlation between BMI (r = −0.172, p < 0.001) and age, and positive correlations with total prostate volume (TPV) (r = 0.123, p < 0.001) and transition zone volume (TZV) (r = 0.083, p = 0.017). Obese patients were found to be younger (p=0.007) and have larger TPVs (p=0.010) but showed no significant differences in International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS) scores when compared to non-obese patients. Notably, obese patients had lower preoperative and postoperative post-void residual (PVR), whereas non-obese patients exhibited a more significant PVR reduction post-surgery. BMI did not significantly affect surgical parameters or postoperative complications. Conclusion In BPH patients treated with PVP, obese individuals were younger with larger prostates but had similar IPSS scores compared to non-obese patients. Obese patients had lower pre and post-surgery PVR, while non-obese patients saw greater PVR improvements. BMI plays a nuanced role BPH patients’ characteristics.

Purpose Frailty and cognitive impairment are closely associated with postoperative delirium. The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of screening tools assessing preoperative frailty and cognitive impairment to predict Postoperative delirium (POD) and the association with prevalence of postoperative complications, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and the hospital length of stay. Patients and Methods Two hundred and ninety-nine patients aged ≥60 years presenting for elective major thoracic or abdominal surgery were divided into preoperative frailty and no frailty groups or cognitive impairment and no cognitive impairment groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative delirium. The secondary outcomes included postoperative complications, ICU admission, and hospital lengths of stay. Results Frailty (25.6% VS 14.6%, P = 0.017) and cognitive impairment (32.7% VS 13.4%, P < 0.001) were associated with POD. However, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) between frailty (0.657 [95% CI 0.60–0.71]) and cognitive impairment (0.661 [95% CI 0.60–0.71]) for POD was not different (P = 0.9) and both lower than the integrated predictive model of age, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, duration of surgery, morphine equivalent, surgical risk, frailty and cognitive impairment (0.814 [95% CI 0.77–0.86], P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001). Besides, frailty (15.6% vs 6.3%, P = 0.010) and cognitive impairment (16.3% vs 8.0%, P = 0.029) was associated with the incidence of postoperative complications. Conclusion Preoperative frailty and cognitive impairment were associated with POD. However, preoperative frailty or cognitive impairment by themselves were comparably poor predictors of POD. A comprehensive predictive model including age, BMI, ASA status, duration of surgery, morphine equivalent, surgical risk, frailty and cognitive impairment was more useful to predict POD.

Purpose This study aimed to explore the mediating role of social support between depression and frailty in older adults with cancer and the regulatory role of the income level. Patients and Methods A convenient sampling method was used to select 448 older adults with cancer from the cancer-related departments of 3 hospitals in Bengbu City, Anhui Province, China. The sociodemographic and disease-related data were collected and examined using the frailty phenotype scale, social support scale, and older adults depression scale. We examined the mediating effects using Models 4 and 59 in the SPSS PROCESS 3.5 macro program. Results Depression was negatively correlated with social support and its various dimensions (P < 0.05, r = -0.249 to -0.100). Frailty was positively associated with depression (P < 0.01, r = 0.388). The frailty was negatively correlated with the total score of social support and objective support (P< 0.01, r= = -0.232 to –0.182). Social support partially mediated depression and frailty, with the mediating effect accounting for 15.74% of the total development. The income level regulated only the first stage path in the mediating model (B = -0.227, P<0.001), and the mediating effect of the income level displayed individual differences. Conclusion The frailty of older adults with cancer is associated with depression and social support. A good level of social support can alleviate depression and reduce the risk of frailty, while a low level of social support may exacerbate the vicious cycle between depression and frailty, with income levels playing a regulatory role in this process.

Background Several objective and comprehensive nutritional assessment methods have been used for predicting adverse outcomes in elderly patients with various diseases. However, their predictive value for long-term adverse outcomes in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. This study aimed to explore the prognostic significance of the four nutritional indices, namely Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT), and High-Sensitivity Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (HS-mGPS), in evaluating the long-term prognosis in elderly patients with AF. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a single center and included a total of 261 elderly patients with AF from December 2015 to December 2021. Patients were divided into all-cause death and survival groups based on the follow-up results. Kaplan–Meier analysis and COX regression were conducted to explore the relationship between all-cause mortality and nutritional scores. In addition, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the predictive value of the four nutritional screening tools for the endpoint event. Results During the follow-up period, 119 cases (45.59%) of all-cause mortality were recorded. The cumulative incidence of all-cause death was significantly higher in participants with a lower PNI, lower GNRI, higher CONUT, and higher HS-mGPS levels. And the low PNI (HR 1.325, 95% CI 1.032–2.857, P=0.025) and the high HS-mGPS (HR 2.166, 95% CI 1.281–4.326, P=0.023) groups were independently and significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause death analyzed by multivariate COX regression. Additionally, PNI showed the best area under the curve value (AUC: 0.696, 95% CI 0.632–0.760 P < 0.001) for the prediction of all-cause mortality compared with the other nutritional indices. Conclusion Among the four nutritional risk screening tools, PNI might be a simple and useful indicator in predicting the long-term prognosis of elderly patients with AF.

Purpose To investigate the role of Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) in predicting postoperative complications in older patients (≥75 years) undergoing lumbar fusion surgery. Patients and Methods Patients who had undergone posterior lumbar fusion surgery between June 2019 and September 2021 were enrolled. Those with an MNA-SF score of 12 or higher were categorized as the Nourished group, while those with a score less than 12 were placed in the Malnutrition-Risk group. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables between groups were compared. Patients were then re-classified based on the presence of major complications, univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for major complications. Results A total of 240 patients were enrolled, with 182 in the Nourished group and 58 in the Malnutrition-Risk group. The Malnutrition-Risk group exhibited a higher incidence of major complications (46.6% vs 23.1%, p = 0.001) and comprehensive complications index (18.42 ± 18.00 vs 12.65 ± 15.87, p = 0.021), Oswestry Disability Index (27.52 ± 23.44 vs 20.45 ± 20.42, p = 0.029) and longer recovery times (12.53 days vs 10.15 days, p =0.033). Length of stay (LOS) were also increased in the Malnutrition-Risk group (19.22 ± 10.67 vs 16.04 ± 7.69, p = 0.014). Multiple regression analysis identified nutritional risk and malnutrition, as assessed by MNA-SF, as independent factors associated with postoperative major complications (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.42–5.53, p = 0.003). Conclusion Preoperative nutritional risk or malnutrition is an independent risk factor for major complications among older patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion surgery. The MNS-SF emerges as a convenient and effective tool for promptly screening the nutritional status of older patients, prompting subsequent nutritional evaluation or intervention before surgery.

Background Early supported discharge (ESD) facilitates early discharge from acute hospitals with continued rehabilitation in the home environment from a multi-disciplinary team at the same intensity as would be received in the inpatient setting. Emerging evidence suggests it can have a positive impact on the care of older adults on discharge from the acute hospital setting to home. This study aims to characterize an inreach model of ESD for older adults discharged from four hospitals in the Mid-West of Ireland and describe its impact on clinical and process outcomes at 30 and 180 days. Methods Consecutive older adults referred for ESD from four hospitals were recruited over six-months. Baseline assessments were carried out on initial review, and patients were followed up at 30 and 180 days by an independent outcome assessor. Outcomes measured include functional status, frailty, health related quality of life, mortality, and healthcare utilization. Results One hundred and thirty older adults (mean age 76.62 years, SD 9.81 years) were recruited, 44 for surgical complaints and 86 for medical complaints. The ESD service was provided over a median of 31 (medical) - 44 (surgical) days, primarily by physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The incidence of functional decline was 16.41% at 30 days and 27.5% at 180 days. There was a significant improvement in the self-reported function from index visit 72.94 (19.50) mean standard deviation (SD) to 30 days 84.05 (21.08) mean (SD) which was maintained at 180 days 80.53 (30.93) mean (SD). Frailty was independently associated with incidence of functional decline at 30 days (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.39 to 3.06) and 180 days (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.24). Conclusion An ESD model of care can have significant effects on patient outcomes for older adults admitted to hospital at 30 and 180 days, without increasing the risk of unscheduled Emergency Department re-presentation. Future research should explore the impact of an ESD model of care on specific older adult cohorts.

Purpose To investigate the relationship between intravenous tirofiban, the number of retrieval attempts and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in patients with successful EVT. Patients and Methods We used the data from the Endovascular Treatment With versus Without Tirofiban for Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke (RESCUE BT) Trial. The primary outcome was sICH, which was defined according to the Heidelberg Bleeding Classification. The association between the number of retrieval attempts and the rate of sICH was investigated using multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 866 patients were included in our analysis. In overall cohort, tirofiban (OR: 1.853, 95% CI: 1.039–3.307) and more than 2 passes (3 versus 0–1: OR: 2.482, 95% CI: 1.124–5.481; 2 versus 0–1: OR: 0.813, 95% CI: 0.389–1.696) were significantly associated with the occurrence of sICH. A significant interaction between the use of tirofiban and the increasing number of attempts was found (p for interaction = 0.02), whereby the presence of sICH was significantly associated with tirofiban (OR: 5.534, 95% CI: 1.586–19.315) in the subgroup of multiple passes (>2 passes group), while none was seen in the subgroup of 0–2 passes. The results of the sensitivity analysis also showed that more than 2 passes (3 versus 1: OR: 2.841, 95% CI: 1.102–7.323; 2 versus 1: OR: 0.852, 95% CI: 0.346–2.097) were significantly associated with the occurrence of sICH in the tirofiban group but not in the placebo group. Conclusion In patients with multiple attempts, intravenous tirofiban may increase the risk of sICH. Further research and individualized risk assessment are necessary to determine the most appropriate strategy of intravenous tirofiban for EVT patients, especially considering details of thrombectomy procedures. Registration : URL: http:// www.chictr.org.cn; Unique identifier: ChiCTR-INR-17014167.

Background The significant occurrence of oral frailty (OF) in older patients highlights the necessity of addressing this concern. OF is associated with complications and mortality in elderly patients. The objective of this study is to identify unfavorable outcomes in older patients with OF to increase awareness and mitigate risks. Methods This review employed specific MeSH terms to perform an extensive literature search on OF and its unfavorable outcomes across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. The review included English-language papers published from inception to March 31, 2024, focusing on individuals aged 60 and above, adverse outcomes related to OF, and studies employing cross-sectional or cohort designs. Results The review comprised 28 articles: 20 cross-sectional and 8 prospective cohort studies. Among these articles, 10 were rated as “Good” and 18 as “Fair”, reflecting the high quality of the literature. Next, 20 OF assessment tools were summarized, and the most frequently used methods for assessing OF were the methods of Tanaka et al and Oral Frailty Index-8 (OF-8). The most frequently unfavorable outcomes related to OF in the elderly were physical frailty, malnutrition, low dietary variety, social withdrawal, disability, and low gait speed. Conclusion High levels of OF significantly increase the risk of adverse outcomes in older adults, including physical frailty, malnutrition, low dietary variety, social withdrawal, disability, and low gait speed. Effective risk stratification and management are essential to reduce these outcomes.

Purpose Current scoring systems used to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) lack some key components and their predictive ability needs improvement. This study aimed to develop a more effective scoring system for predicting 3-year MACE in patients with AMI. Patients and Methods Our statistical analyses included data for 461 patients with AMI. Eighty percent of patients (n=369) were randomly assigned to the training set and the remaining patients (n=92) to the validation set. Independent risk factors for MACE were identified in univariate and multifactorial logistic regression analyses. A nomogram was used to create the scoring system, the predictive ability of which was assessed using calibration curve, decision curve analysis, receiver-operating characteristic curve, and survival analysis. Results The nomogram model included the following seven variables: age, diabetes, prior myocardial infarction, Killip class, chronic kidney disease, lipoprotein(a), and percutaneous coronary intervention during hospitalization. The predicted and observed values for the nomogram model were in good agreement based on the calibration curves. Decision curve analysis showed that the clinical nomogram model had good predictive ability. The area under the curve (AUC) for the scoring system was 0.775 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.728–0.823) in the training set and 0.789 (95% CI 0.693–0.886) in the validation set. Risk stratification based on the scoring system found that the risk of MACE was 4.51-fold higher (95% CI 3.24–6.28) in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. Notably, this scoring system demonstrated better predictive ability than the GRACE risk score (AUC 0.776 vs 0.731; P=0.007). Conclusion The scoring system developed from the nomogram in this study showed favorable performance in prediction of MACE and risk stratification of patients with AMI.

Objective To develop and externally validate a nomogram to predict elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels in older adults. Study Design This is a longitudinal Chinese cohort study. Methods A cohort of 2788 older adults was established at Huadong Hospital, followed-up for at least one year, and screened for risk factors for elevated SUA levels. A logistic regression model was built to predict elevated SUA, and its performance was validated. Results The risk prediction model showed good discrimination ability in both the development cohort (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.79~0.86) and the external validation cohort (AUC=0.76; 95% CI=0.70~0.82). The model was adequately calibrated, and the predictions correlated with the observed outcome (χ² = 6.36, P = 0.607). Men were more prone to elevated SUA levels than women were, and a baseline SUA level ≥360 μmol/L was a common risk factor for both males and females. Proteinuria status was an additional risk factor for males, whereas a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<60 mL/min·1.73 m² and diabetes status were additional risk factors for females. Conclusion The externally validated nomogram, which is predictive of elevated SUA in older adults, might aid in the detection of individual diseases, the development of preventive interventions and clinical decision-making.

Purpose Vascular cognitive impairment(VCI) ranks as the second most prevalent type of dementia.Increasing evidence has shown that inflammation and multi-faceted neuro-immune interactions integrate systemic and central inflammatory pathways, thereby inducing vascular tissue injury and contributing to the development of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI).V-type immunoglobulin-like suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) is an Negative checkpoint regulators(NCR) that is associated with CNS homeostasis, interactions with peripheral immunity and CNS inflammation.The primary objective of this study was to seek the correlation between VISTA and VCI in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.Our secondary objective was to explore the potential of VISTA as a biomarker for VCI. Patients and Methods We enrolled individuals with cardiovascular risk factors in this cross-sectional study research and categorized them into two groups: without cognitive impairment (control) and with cognitive impairment (VCI). VISTA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was analyzed using relative quantitative polymerase chain reaction. VISTA expression was identified in monocyte subsets using flow cytometry. We use Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to detect inflammatory factors in serum. Results In PBMC in patients with VCI, the expression of VSIR was significantly reduced. In contrast to controls, fasting glucose, fibrosis, and the levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in VCI patients were noticeably higher, and uric acid levels were significantly lower. Vsir mRNA expression in PBMCs correlated negatively with IL-6 levels, Trail Making Test B scores, and Hachinski scores and positively with Boston Naming Test scores. In intermediate monocytes, flow cytometry showed reduced Vsir expression, which was connected with VCI. The percentage of intermediate monocytes, uric acid, and the VISTA mean fluorescence intensity on intermediate monocytes were shown to be independent factors to VCI by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Decreased VISTA promotes the occurrence of VCI in patients with cardiovascular risk factors by promoting monocytes toward the proinflammatory intermediate monocyte subset. VISTA may serve as a potential biomarker for distinguishing VCI in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors.

Background and Purpose Many patients who gained successful recanalization by endovascular treatment (EVT) with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) did not have the favorable outcome. The study aimed to assess the association between H-type hypertension and clinical prognosis in patients with LVO after receiving EVT. Methods Our study enrolled patients from the Endovascular Treatment With versus Without Tirofiban for Stroke Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion (RESCUE BT) Trial. H-type hypertension is defined as patients with hypertension and homocysteine (Hcy) ≥10µmol/L. The primary outcome was a favorable functional outcome, defined as a score of 0–2 on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. The secondary outcomes were mortality, successful recanalization, futile recanalization, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Results The plasma homocysteine level was recorded for 215 patients with hypertension in our study. Among those patients, 172 patients (80%) were founded with Hcy ≥10µmol/L (H-type hypertension), and 43 patients (20%) with Hcy <10µmol/L (non-H-type hypertension). The probability of favorable outcome decreased with homocysteine increasing in patients with hypertension. H-type hypertension was associated with a low probability of favorable outcome (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.38 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18–0.80]; p = 0.01) at 90 days. The effects of H-type hypertension on mortality (aOR, 1.90 [95% CI, 0.67–5.39]; p = 0.23) and sICH (aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.13–2.29]; p = 0.41) were not significant. Conclusion Our findings suggest that patients with H-type hypertension have a lower likelihood of achieving favorable outcomes but do not have an increased mortality rate within 90 days.

Purpose Postinduction hypotension (PIH), occurring between anaesthesia induction and surgical incision, is particularly concerning in older adults undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) due to their multiple comorbidities and age-related cardiovascular changes. This study aimed to assess the relationship between PIH and postoperative adverse events in TAVR patients. Patients and Methods A total of 777 patients underwent TAVR at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2023. Four thresholds of MAP were defined, including two absolute thresholds (<65, <60 mmHg) and two relative thresholds (20% and 30% lower than baseline). The relationships between PIH and the composite outcome, which included all-cause in-hospital mortality, stroke, acute kidney injury (AKI), and myocardial infarction (MI), were examined using unadjusted analysis, 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM), and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results A total of 643 older adults were included in the study ultimately. The composite outcome incidence was significantly greater in patients with PIH than in those without PIH (relative risk [RR]: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.66–3.73 for MAP <60 mmHg; RR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.14–2.46 for a >30% decrease from baseline). PIH was significantly associated with stroke (RR: 5.22, 95% CI: 1.98–17.75) and AKI (RR: 2.82, 95% CI: 1.73–4.79) with a MAP <60 mmHg. Conclusion PIH significantly increases the risk of composite outcomes, especially stroke and AKI, in TAVR patients.

Background Chronic hypertension is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and worsens prognosis. However, the level of blood pressure control in hypertensive patients with severe intracranial stenosis is controversial. Purpose To investigate the effect of different levels of blood pressure on cerebral perfusion in patients with middle cerebral artery severe stenosis or occlusion. Materials and methods A total of 105 patients with isolated steno-occlusive middle cerebral artery (MCA) diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were enrolled, and PWI was compulsory. Relative risk factors were obtained by intergroup analysis in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine whether hypertension was independently associated with PWI values. Next, the effects of different levels of blood pressure levels on cerebral perfusion as a whole and subgroup were further compared. Results The hypertension (HT) group (Am 1.04±0.05, Lm 1.07±0.06, Pm 1.07±0.05) demonstrated lower cerebral perfusion pressure at a larger rMTT (p=0.0001, 0.004, 0.006) than the nonhypertension (NHT) group (Am 1.01±0.21, Lm 1.04±0.04, Pm 1.04±0.04). After adjustment for age, diabetes, and fibrinogen (FIB), HT was independently associated with the rMTT of Am, Lm, and Pm (P=0.015, 0.001, 0.022). Significant differences were observed with HT+SBP<140 (p=0.035, 0.048, 0.049) and HT+DBP<80 (p=0.034, 0.045, 0.055) in rMTT compared with NHT. Conclusion Chronic hypertension might damage cerebral perfusion. Strictly control of blood pressure (<140/80mmHg) in hypertensive patients with intracranial artery stenosis will further reduce ipsilateral cerebral perfusion.

Introduction This study aims to assess the impacts of the Fast Access to Surgery in Emergency (FASE) strategy on (1) the workflow of multidisciplinary team (MDT) during hospitalization; (2) the clinical outcomes of geriatric femoral neck fracture (FNF) patients. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in a single trauma center to evaluate the clinical data of geriatric FNF patients admitted through emergency from July 2017 to June 2022. The FASE strategy was implemented since Jan 1st 2020, and patients were categorized into the FASE group or the control group according to the time of admission (before/after the initiation timepoint of FASE strategy). Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to limit confounding bias between the two groups. Results Finally, 344 patients were included after a one-to-one matching. The FASE strategy resulted in a slightly prolonged duration in emergency (6.02±5.99 h vs 2.72±4.22 h, p<0.001) but was meanwhile associated with significant decreases in time to surgery (61.16±38.74 h vs 92.02±82.80 h, p<0.001), actual surgery delay (67.18±39.04 h vs. 94.25±84.41 h, p<0.001) and total length of hospital stay (10.57±4.93 h vs 12.50±4.73 h, p <0.001). Besides, despite the consistency of transfusion rate between the two groups, improved blood management was achieved in the FASE group, as evidenced by a smaller drop in hemoglobin levels (−20.49±17.02 g/L vs −25.28±16.33 g/L, p = 0.013) in patients without preoperative or intraoperative transfusion. However, no significant differences were observed regarding the overall clinical outcomes such as mortality or postoperative complications. Conclusion The Fast Access to Surgery in Emergency (FASE) for geriatric FNF patients effectively optimized the preoperative evaluation workflow, which significantly shortened time to surgery and length of hospital stay, and reduced perioperative blood loss. FASE strategy improved the surgical workflows and turnover efficiency of geriatric FNF patients, therefore could play an important role in the optimal MDT co-management for geriatric FNF patients.

Introduction As research on cognitive training methods for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progresses, fully immersive virtual reality cognitive training (fi-VRCT) has shown promise in enhancing cognitive function. However, its effectiveness in improving instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and fostering independence is still unclear. This study aims to address these uncertainties by developing and validating a fi-VRCT program focused on IADL, with the goal of enhancing both cognitive function and IADL performance in older adults with MCI. Methods and Analysis This mixed methods program evaluation study consists of three phases: feasibility, intervention, and extension. In the feasibility phase, we will implement fi-VRCT in real-world community settings and invite 20 older adults with MCI to participate in a single training session. Participants will provide feedback through questionnaires and individual interviews. The intervention phase will involve a double-blind, cluster-randomized controlled trial with 52 older adults with MCI, who will be randomly assigned to either the fi-VRCT or control groups. Both groups will complete 16 sessions over eight weeks, with cognitive and functional performance assessed at various intervals. During the extension phase, feedback will be gathered from 26 participants who underwent fi-VRCT through focus group interviews and ongoing questionnaires. Quantitative and qualitative findings will be synthesized to refine the fi-VRCT program and elucidate training outcomes. Ultimately, fi-VRCT has the potential to enhance cognitive and functional abilities in older adults with MCI in community settings. Ethics and Dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at National Taiwan Normal University (202312EM009). The research findings will be disseminated through reputable, peer-reviewed journals and professional international conferences to engage and inform academic and clinical audiences. Trial Registration NCT06392412.