Just like a tightrope walker on a wobbly wire, elderly individuals with hypertension who experience falls may also be at risk for cognitive frailty. In a recent study conducted in a Chinese community, researchers found that there is a correlation between falls and cognitive frailty in this population. Cognitive frailty refers to the combination of physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment without a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. The study interviewed over 300 elderly individuals with hypertension and found that those who reported falling in the previous year were more likely to have cognitive frailty. The risk factors for falls included old age, being female, experiencing depression, and having cognitive frailty. These findings suggest that cognitive frailty is an important factor to consider when addressing fall risk in elderly individuals with hypertension. To learn more about this study and its implications, check out the full article!
BackgroundCognitive frailty refers to the presence of both physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment without simultaneous diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. Epidemiological studies have confirmed the correlation between falls and cognitive frailty, but no study has investigated the relationship between fall risk and cognitive frailty in hypertensive elderly Chinese individuals.MethodsFrom December 2020 to March 2021, during face-to-face interviews, community-dwelling elderly individuals with hypertension aged 60~89 in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, were evaluated for cognitive frailty, fall history, and depression, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected. Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between falls and cognitive frailty.ResultsA total of 305 elderly people were investigated in this study, and 173 (56.7%, 95% CI =51.2%~62.2%) reported falling once or more in the previous year. Cognitive frailty is closely related to falls and was an independent risk factor for falls (OR = 2.661, 95% CI = 1.063~6.659). Other risk factors included old age (OR = 4.306, 95% CI = 1.852~10.013), female sex (OR = 1.988, 95% CI = 1.185~3.335) and depression (OR = 2.936, 95% CI = 1.069~8.060).ConclusionCognitive frailty is an important risk factor for falls in elderly individuals with hypertension in Chinese communities.
Dr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Human Potential, where he leads the charge in pioneering Self-Enhancement Science for the Success of Society. With a keen interest in exploring the untapped potential of the human mind, Dr. Lowemann has dedicated his career to pushing the boundaries of human capabilities and understanding.
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