Multimorbidity represents a critical global public health challenge, particularly in aging populations. Older adults face heightened risks due to extreme cold climates and accelerated aging-related health decline. This study explores the prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults in China’s frigid zones, characterizes distinct disease clusters, and examines their associations with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, and mental health status. Data were drawn from five waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2020) and included adults aged ≥ 60 years. The analytical framework involved: (i) estimating survey-weighted prevalence of multimorbidity across 14 chronic diseases and comparing these estimates between frigid and non-frigid zones; (ii) applying latent class analysis to identify clinically meaningful multimorbidity patterns among older adults in the frigid zone; (iii) using the R3STEP approach to examine associations of multimorbidity patterns with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and mental health status. Survey-weighted multimorbidity prevalence among older adults in the frigid zone was 52.85
Rapid population aging has increased the need for brief, valid tools to identify older adults at risk of disability. The PRISMA-7 is a widely used screening instrument; however, no validated Persian version exists for use in Iran. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Persian PRISMA-7 and evaluate its psychometric properties in community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional methodological study was conducted between October 2025 and January 2026 in Sari, Iran. A total of 165 adults aged ≥ 60 years (mean age 70.3 ± 8.9; 58.8
Older adults with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are particularly vulnerable to multidimensional frailty. However, longitudinal evidence regarding patterns of frailty changes after antituberculosis treatment initiation and their associated factors remains limited. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of multidimensional frailty among older adults with pulmonary TB and to examine the associations of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and clinical characteristics with different frailty trajectories. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among 251 older adults with pulmonary TB. Multidimensional frailty was assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) at 1, 3, 9, and 12 months after initiation of antituberculosis treatment. At baseline, anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and insomnia was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Latent class growth analysis was used to identify distinct trajectories of multidimensional frailty. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was subsequently applied to select candidate variables, followed by multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with trajectory membership. Three distinct trajectories of multidimensional frailty were identified: high-frailty decreasing (13.1
To explore the impact of a multidisciplinary intervention model guided by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) concept on the prognosis of frail older patients undergoing gastrectomy and to provide clinical evidence for optimizing perioperative management strategies. A non‑randomized prospective cohort study with historical controls design was adopted. A total of 81 frail older patients who underwent elective gastrectomy in our hospital from January 2023 to June 2025 were selected and divided into a Intervention Group (n = 42) and a Conventional Group (historical control, n = 39) based on time of enrollment (before vs. after April 2023). The Conventional Group received the traditional perioperative management model, while the Intervention Group was subjected to a multidisciplinary collaborative ERAS intervention plan involving the surgical department, anesthesiology, nutrition, rehabilitation, geriatrics, and the nursing team. The postoperative complication rate, hospital stay, ICU stay, postoperative functional recovery, and 30-day readmission rate were compared between the two groups, and the clinical value of the multidisciplinary ERAS intervention was analyzed. Exploratory analyses showed that the total postoperative complication rate (χ² = 4.086, P = 0.043), postoperative hospital stay (7.1 ± 2.2 vs. 10.5 ± 3.4 days, P < 0.001), and ICU stay (0.98 ± 0.82 vs. 2.41 ± 1.45 days, P < 0.001) were lower in the Intervention Group than in the Conventional Group. At 7 days postoperatively, the 6-minute walk test distance was also better in the Intervention Group than in the Conventional Group (P < 0.001). The 30-day readmission rate was numerically lower in the Intervention Group (4.8
The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a simple and objective tool for assessing physical performance in older people. Although SPPB scores have been linked to all-cause mortality, their longitudinal association with incident dementia remains unclear. We used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), including 4927 adults aged ≥ 60 without dementia in 2012/2013. Baseline SPPB scores were categorized as high (10–12), moderate (7–9), low (4–6), and very low (0–3). Cox proportional hazards models estimated the association between different levels of physical performance and dementia risk, adjusting for demographic, health behaviors, and health status. Over a median 8.7-year follow-up, 252 (5.1
