Association between hematologic parameters and functional impairment among geriatric inpatients: Data of a prospective cross-sectional multicenter study ("GeriPrävalenz2013").
OBJECTIVE
Objective of this study was to analyse the association between impairment of Barthel Index items and hematologic parameters in geriatric inpatients.


METHODS
Patient recruitment of the "GeriPrävalenz2013" study has been described before.


METHODS
in-patient aged>=70years; exclusion criteria: actual cancer disease or cancer associated treatment. Anemia was defined according to WHO criteria. Physical impairment was assessed by Barthel Index (BI). Association between all 10 items of the BI and hematologic parameters was statistically evaluated.


RESULTS
Anemia prevalence was 55.1% (319/579) with BI impairment in 96.2% patients. T-test revealed significant lower BI in anemic patients (47.9 vs 54.3; p=0.004). Binary logistic regression revealed that growing age, reduced MCV, reduced iron levels and reduced Hb levels were associated with increased impairment of several items of the Barthel-Index. Interestingly, increased levels of albumin and folic acid (FA) were associated with increased impairment of BI items.


CONCLUSIONS
Anemia and lower levels of anemia related parameters showed a negative impact on ADL and physical performance based on BI items. An impaired total BI should result in an analysis of BI subitems, particularly if anemia related laboratory parameters are deviant. Reasons for the negative impact of elevated FA and albumin levels on BI remain speculative.
Ageing Clinical Research, Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Germany; St. Marien-Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: gabriele.roehrig@uk-koeln.de.
Gabriele
G
Röhrig
Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, Cologne, Germany.
Ingrid
I
Becker
St. Marien-Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Cologne, Germany.
Ralf-Joachim
RJ
Schulz
Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann gGmbh, Medical Department of Geriatrics, Postdam, Germany.
Romana
R
Lenzen-Großimlinghaus
Kliniken Essen Mitte, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Germany.
Peter
P
Willschrei
Dominikus Hospital, Geriatric Department, Berlin, Germany.
Sybille
S
Gebauer
Helios Kliniken Schwerin, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Germany.
Mirja
M
Modreker
St. Vinzenz-Hospital Dinslaken, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Dinslaken, Germany.
Martin
M
Jäger
St. Marien-Hospital Borken, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, Borken and Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
Rainer
R
Wirth
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
Anemia; Barthel index; Functional impairment; Geriatrics; Hamburg Classification Manual; Hematologic parameters