PURPOSE:The purpose of this nurse-led project was to increase the number of interprofessional Tai Chi instructors for veterans through a 5-week (32 hours) training of trainers (ToT) course led by a Tai Chi master trainer.METHODS:This project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of using the ToT model to increase the availability of Tai Chi to veterans. To understand how well the ToT course met learners' needs, a two-phase course evaluation was conducted.RESULTS:Fifteen interprofessional employees enrolled in and completed the course. Most learners were white (67%) females (67%) with a median age of 50 years. All agreed that the training provided the skills, materials, and confidence to lead Tai Chi classes. Most (93%) indicated experiencing positive health benefits from the training and none experienced any negative effects. The 3-month follow-up evaluation indicated that 10 (67%) were teaching veterans in individual or group classes with two others assisting. Twelve instructors taught more than 150 veterans.CONCLUSIONS:Overall, learners evaluated this ToT course positively and indicated their needs were met and felt prepared to teach Tai Chi despite being inexperienced. The course was a success with 80% of new instructors teaching or coteaching Tai Chi to veterans.

An elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in known to be an important prognostic indicator in patients with end-stage heart or kidney disease or certain other life-threatening illnesses. However, it is less certain as to whether an elevated BUN is an independent predictor of long-term mortality risk in less seriously ill patients. To address this issue, we examined the relationship between BUN and long-term mortality after adjusting for potential confounders and other indicators of health status/disease severity, in a select population of older medically stable Veterans.

Objectives Determine if the muscle mRNA levels of three growth factors (insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF1], ciliary neurotropic factor [CNTF], and vascular endothelial growth factor-D [VEGFD]) are correlated with muscle size and strength gains from resistance exercise while piloting a training program in older adults taking medications and supplements for age-associated problems. Design Single-arm prospective study. Setting US Veterans Affairs hospital. Participants Older (70±6 yrs) male Veterans (N=14) of US military service. Intervention Thirty-five sessions of high-intensity (80% one-rep max) resistance training including leg press, knee curl, and knee extension to target the thigh muscles. Measurements Vastus lateralis biopsies were collected and body composition (DEXA) was determined pre- and post-training. Simple Pearson correlations were used to compare training outcomes to growth factor mRNA levels and other independent variables such as medication and supplement use. Results Average strength increase for the group was ≥ 25% for each exercise. Subjects averaged taking numerous medications (N=5±3) and supplements (N=2±2). Of the growth factors, a significant correlation (R>0.7, P≤0.003) was only found between pre-training VEGFD and gains in lean thigh mass and extension strength. Mass and strength gains were also correlated with use of α-1 antagonists (R=0.55, P=0.04) and pre-training lean mass (R=0.56, P=0.04), respectively. Conclusions Muscle VEGFD, muscle mass, and use of α-1 antagonists may be predisposing factors that influence the response to training in this population of older adults but additional investigation is required to determine if these relationships are due to muscle angiogenesis and blood supply.

As part of a quality improvement initiative to increase the time patients spend ambulating while hospitalized, a high resolution real-time locating system (RTLS) was installed on one hospital wing to provide the clinical staff with accurate assessments of the effectiveness of their interventions. The system, which is comprised of multiple sensors mounted near the ceiling and active tags attached to wheelchairs or worn as wristbands by patients, has a resolution to within 20 cm. After detailed validation testing, the clinical staff began utilizing the system to produce comprehensive reports on their patients’ activity level including movement trails, gait speed, time ambulating, sedentary, and in bed, and distance traveled by day or shift. We describe how we link this system to a second bed monitoring system, the types and accuracy of the data produced, different methods utilized to differentiate ambulatory from non-ambulatory movement, and how the system reports inform clinical decision-making.

OBJECTIVES:To determine the relationship between prealbumin, nutrient intake, and indicators of inflammation for recuperative and rehabilitative care patients. DESIGN:Prospective cohort. SETTING:Recuperative Care Unit within a Veterans Administration Nursing Home Care Unit. PARTICIPANTS:One hundred eleven men (100 white; mean age 80, range 64-93). MEASUREMENTS:Prealbumin and seven markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and their soluble receptors) were measured at admission and discharge (median length of stay 23 days, interquartile range 15-40 days). Detailed calorie counts were performed daily, and intake was expressed as a percentage of estimated requirements for protein (1.5 g/kg body weight per day) and energy (Harris-Benedict equation). The study objective was examined using least-squares regression analysis. RESULTS:Discharge prealbumin and the change in prealbumin were positively correlated with protein and energy intake and inversely correlated with markers of inflammation, particularly CRP and IL-6. When all covariates were included in a multivariable regression analysis, the markers of inflammation predominantly accounted for the variance in prealbumin change (56%), whereas discharge protein intake accounted for 6%. CONCLUSION:For older recuperative care patients, prealbumin and its change during hospitalization are positively associated with protein intake, but inflammation or changes in inflammation appear to exert a much more-powerful influence on prealbumin concentration. Given the potential confounding effects of inflammation, monitoring the change in prealbumin is not an adequate substitute for a more-detailed nutritional assessment in this population.

BACKGROUND:Although weight change in older persons has proven prognostic significance, it is not known whether monthly weights obtained by the clinical staff in long-term care institutions are reliable enough to be useful in identifying at-risk residents. The objective of this study was to determine whether an association exists between mortality risk and the intraresident variation in weight in long-term care institutions.METHODS:For this study, 900 nursing home residents with a recently identified nutritional problem from 96 long-term care facilities in 8 states were randomly selected. At study entry, nutritional, health status, and demographic data were extracted from the nursing home chart or the Minimum Data Set. Weights obtained by the nursing home staff were recorded at baseline and during each of the subsequent 6 months. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess relationships between weight parameters and mortality risk during the 7 months of observation.RESULTS:During the study, 435 (48%) participants had at least 1 monthly weight that differed from the previous month's weight by > or =5%; 163 (18%) participants had this magnitude of a 1-month weight change more than once. By controlling for the linear trend (i.e., slope) of each residents' weight change between the first to the last weight, the average month-to-month residual variability in the resident's weights was calculated. This residual variability or "average random fluctuation" in weight from 1 month to the next was > or =2% in 229 (25%) participants and > or =3% in 82 (9%) participants. Despite the large random fluctuation in the residents' weights, weight loss was an important prognostic indicator. Those who lost > or =5% in any month had a 10-fold increased risk for death compared with those who gained weight (adjusted relative risk, 10.6; 95% confidence interval, 3.2 to 35.5). The average random fluctuation in weight was associated with an increased risk for death only at the upper 10th percentile for the population.CONCLUSIONS:Many nutritionally compromised elderly nursing home residents experience significant bidirectional fluctuations in their weight from month to month. How much of this variability is due to measurement error is not known. However, a weight loss of > or =5% in any month has important prognostic implications.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic significance of weight change in frail elderly patients.Design: Prospective study.Setting: The general medical or surgical wards of a university-affiliated Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.Participants: Six hundred sixty randomly selected subjects aged 65 or older.Measurements: At admission and discharge, each subject completed a standardized diagnostic evaluation, including demographic variables, and basic medical, functional, and nutritional assessments. Weights were recorded from hospital or clinic visits in the year before admission, during the current hospitalization, and after discharge for a median of 5.6 years. Average yearly intraindividual weight change was calculated using least-squares regression. Associations between intraindividual weight change and mortality were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression.Results: During the study, 314 subjects (48%) died. A U-shaped association between weight change and mortality was observed. Those who were relatively weight stable (+/-1 kg/y) had the lowest mortality (28%). Compared with this group, the adjusted relative risks (ARR) of death for those who lost 1 or more to less than 3 kg/y and 3 or more kg/y were 2.14 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.52-3.00) and 3.59 (95% CI=2.58-4.99), respectively. The ARR associated with a weight gain of 1 or more to less than 3 kg/y and 3 or more kg/y was 1.38 (95% CI=0.91-2.10) and 3.73 (95% CI=2.34-5.94), respectively. The amount of bidirectional weight fluctuation (estimated using coefficient of variance) was not significantly associated with mortality.Conclusion: For reasons that are not clear, elderly patients who gain 3 or more kg/y after hospital discharge are at nearly the same risk of mortality as those who lose this amount of weight.

A consecutive series of 96 septuagenarians (mean age, 74) and 24 octogenarians (mean age, 83) underwent coronary artery bypass (CAB) and valve operations using hypothermia and hyperkalemic cardioplegia in a 45-month period; there was a mean of 2.6 grafts per patient. Most patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV (57% of the septuagenarians and 88% of the octogenarians) preoperatively. The early deaths were 19% for septuagenarians and 37% for octogenarians; late deaths were 9% and 6%, respectively, after a mean of 25 months. Of 92 survivors, 78% of the septuagenarians and 87% of the octogenarians improved by one or more NYHA class postoperatively. Of 58 patients with combined CAB and aortic valve replacement, 12 (21%) died; of 38 with combined CAB and mitral valve replacement 19 (50%) died; 2 of 9 (22%) with combined CAB and double valve replacement died; and 2 of 11 (18%) with CAB and MV repair died. In comparison, of patients with isolated valve replacement in the same period, 2 of 30 (7%) in the AVR group died, 5 of 17 (29%) died in the MVR group, 2 of 7 (33%) in the DVR group died.The risk of combined valve procedures and bypass surgery was significantly increased in the elderly and may warrant a less aggressive procedure, especially in the mitral position.

BACKGROUND:The importance of undernutrition as a determinant of postdischarge mortality among hospitalized elderly people remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate this issue.METHODS:The study included 660 elderly patients (85% white, 98% men, average age 73 +/- 6 years) discharged from a university-affiliated Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital, who were followed for 1 year. Associations between patient characteristics at hospital discharge and mortality were identified utilizing Cox Proportional Hazards Regression analysis.RESULTS:In the year following hospital discharge, 85 subjects (13%) died. After adjusting for illness severity (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score) and functional status (Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living score), a body mass index (BMI) </=20 kg/m(2) was strongly associated with mortality (adjusted relative risk, [95% confidence interval] 1.83 [1.17-2.85]), as was more than 10% weight loss in the prior year (2.31 [1.35-3.94]), and weight as percent of usual weight (WPU) </=85% (1.78 [1.14-2.77]). Albumin </=30 g/l was only weakly associated with mortality (1.10 [0.67-1.81]). When all of the putative nutrition variables were included in a multivariable analysis with the two control variables, only BMI followed by WPU </=85% entered the model. Utilizing this model, the predicted probabilities of death at 1 year were calculated for the study subjects and for a hypothetical group of patients who were identical to the study subjects except they were assigned a BMI of 28 kg/m(2) and their WPU was 100%. Compared to 24% of the actual subjects, only 7% of the hypothetical well-nourished patients would have been classified as being at high risk for mortality (a 71% relative reduction).CONCLUSIONS:Older patients who have evidence of chronic body mass depletion are at significantly increased risk of mortality within the year following hospital discharge.