title: The challenge of maintaining successful aging at 87 years old: the Octabaix study two-year follow-up.
abstract: Preserving physical and cognitive function is crucial to successful aging. The objective of this study is to determine how many 87-year-old community-dwelling subjects continued to age successfully, according to a definition using a quantitative approach, and to assess the predictive value of certain factors evaluated 2 years previously. A total of 162 participants were assessed. Sociodemographic variables, the Barthel Index (BI), the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC), the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Charlson Index, the Gait Rating Scale, social risk, quality of life, prevalent chronic diseases, and chronic drug prescription were collected. All subjects with scores over 90 points on the BI and above 23 points on the MEC were compared with the rest of the participants. A multiple regression analysis was performed. With the selected criteria, 90 (61.6%) community-dwelling subjects continued to age successfully. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the following were significantly associated with continued successful aging: A higher level of studies (p<0.02, odds ratio [OR] 3.223, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.158-8.975), better MEC scores (p<0.01, OR 1.204, 95% CI 1.046-1.386) and Tinetti gait scale scores (p<0.01, OR 1.433, 95% CI 1.013-2.027), and fewer chronic drug prescriptions (p<0.001, OR 0.768, 95% CI 0.655-0.899). In conclusion, more than half of the individuals continued to age successfully. In subjects aged 87 years, the factors associated with continued successful aging were longer schooling, better cognition scores, lower risk of falls, and fewer chronic drug prescriptions at baseline evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. fformiga@bellvitgehospital.cat
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formiga
authors.forename: Assumpta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alburquerque
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández-Quevedo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Royo
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pujol
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013030:Spain