Publications by authors named "Alvaro Casas-Herrero"

Background: Physical behaviours (ie, physical activity and sedentary behaviour) might have a role in the development of sarcopenia, although the evidence is unclear. We aimed to explore the association of total and intensity-specific levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour with sarcopenia and its components (ie, muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance) in older adults.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to July 26, 2022, for peer-reviewed, observational studies or baseline data from randomised clinical trials conducted in older adults (ie, individual age ≥60 years or mean age ≥65 years) and published in English that reported on the association of physical activity or sedentary behaviour or both with sarcopenia (or its determinants: muscle mass or strength, and physical performance).

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Background: The objective of the present study is to analyze the epidemiological, clinical and functional characteristics of patients admitted to the University Hospital of Navarra due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the predictors of mortality, during the first wave of the pandemic caused by this virus.

Methodology: An observational, retrospective study was performed, including all hospitalized patients older than 75 years. Information has been obtained on multiple variables, among which it is worth mentioning previous geriatric syndromes or those that have appeared during hospitalization, or past medical history considered relevant in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Background: Older adults with cognitive impairment (CI) have higher multimorbidity and frailty prevalence, lower functional status and an increased likelihood to develop dementia, non-cognitive deficits, and adverse health-related events. +AGIL, a real-world program for frail older adults in a primary care area of Barcelona, is a pragmatic, multi-component and integrated intervention implemented since 2016. It includes physical activity, nutrition, sleep hygiene, revision and adequacy of pharmacological treatment, detection of undesired loneliness and screening for CI; to improve physical function in community-dwelling older adults.

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Introduction: The World Health Organisation recently defined the construct of intrinsic capacity (IC), a function-based marker of older adult's health encompassing all mental and physical capacities of the individual. Multicomponent physical exercise (MCE) is a potential intervention capable to maintain/increase IC at older age; however, evidence is scarce on the effects of MCE on IC in cognitively impaired pre-frail/frail older adults.

Methods: Secondary analyses of a randomised clinical trial.

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Background: Falls represent important drivers of intrinsic capacity losses, functional limitations and reduced quality of life in the growing older adult's population, especially among those presenting with frailty. Despite exercise- and cognitive training-based interventions have shown effectiveness for reducing fall rates, evidence around their putative cumulative effects on falls and fall-related complications (such as fractures, reduced quality of life and functional limitations) in frail individuals remains scarce. The main aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness program combining an individualized exercise program and an executive function-based cognitive training (VIVIFRAIL-COGN) compared to usual care in the prevention of falls and fall-related outcomes over a 1-year follow-up.

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Background: Physical exercise is an effective strategy for preserving functional capacity and improving the symptoms of frailty in older adults. In addition to functional gains, exercise is considered to be a cornerstone for enhancing cognitive function in frail older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia. We assessed the effects of the Vivifrail exercise intervention for functional capacity, cognition, and well-being status in community-dwelling older adults.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) produces severe respiratory symptoms such as bilateral pneumonia associated to a high morbidity and mortality, especially in patients of advanced age. Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in several chronic conditions associated with increased inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system. Vitamin D in modulates immune function too.

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The aim of this article is to present the research protocol for a study that will evaluate the feasibility of implementation of Health Arcade prototype multidomain intervention based on physical and cognitive training using gamification technologies at improving care for older people hospitalized with an acute illness. A total of 40 older people will be recruited in a tertiary public hospital at Pamplona, Spain. The intervention duration will be four to nine consecutive days.

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Background: A classic consequence of short-term bed rest in older adults is the significant loss in skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength that underlies the accelerated physical performance deficits. Structured exercise programmes applied during acute hospitalization can prevent muscle function deterioration.

Methods: A single-blind randomized clinical trial conducted in an acute care for elders unit in a tertiary public hospital in Navarre (Spain).

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Background: Exercise protocols applied during hospitalization can prevent functional and cognitive decline in older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual response of acutely hospitalized patients to usual care and to physical exercise on functional capacity, muscle strength, and cognitive function and to assess the relationship with mortality at 1 year post-discharge.

Methods: In a single-blind randomized clinical trial, 370 hospitalized patients [56.

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Background: Acute illness requiring hospitalization frequently is a sentinel event leading to long-term disability in older people. Prolonged bed rest increases the risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia in acutely hospitalized older adults. Exercise protocols applied during acute hospitalization can prevent functional decline in older patients, but exercise benefits on specific cognitive domains have not been previously investigated.

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Background: The benefit of physical exercise in ageing and particularly in frailty has been the aim of recent research. Moreover, physical activity in the elderly is associated with a decreased risk of mortality, of common chronic illnesses (i.e.

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Acute illness requiring hospitalization is a sentinel event leading to functional decline and frequently, long-term disability in older adults. Although functional decline has become a key outcome during and after hospitalization, there is currently no gold standard for measuring functional impairment. The purpose of this study was to compare gait characteristics and muscle performance endpoints of hospitalized older adults based on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score (0-12 points) obtained at admission, and to determine the association underlying the gait impairment.

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Frailty is a medical, dynamic and multifactorial syndrome characterised by a decreased functional reserve and an increased vulnerability to suffer adverse events. It is a different concept than comorbidity and disability and is potentially reversible. Assessment is also multifactorial and measurements of functional capacity, as gait velocity and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), are very useful in the diagnostic process and in the monitoring treatment´s efficacy.

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Acute medical illness requiring hospitalization usually is a critical event in the trajectory leading to disability in older adults. Functional decline frequently occurs during hospitalization, resulting in a loss of Independence in activities of daily living after discharge. The aim of the study was to assess the functional decline in different ADLs of hospitalized elderly patients in an Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) unit incorporating a body-worn inertial sensor and accompanying custom algorithms.

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Objectives: To evaluate the effects of an exercise intervention on physical function, maximal muscle strength, and muscle power in very old hospitalized patients.

Design: In a randomized controlled trial, 130 hospitalized patients were allocated to an exercise intervention (n = 65) or a control group (n = 65). The intervention consisted of a multicomponent exercise training program performed during 5-7 consecutive days (2 sessions/d).

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Aim: Older patients admitted to acute geriatric units (AGU) frequently use many medications and are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events, so specific interventions in this setting are required. In the present study, we describe a new medicine optimization strategy in an AGU, and explore its potential in reducing polypharmacy and improving medication appropriateness.

Methods: The present prospective study included patients aged ≥75 years who were admitted to an AGU in a tertiary hospital.

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Importance: Functional decline is prevalent among acutely hospitalized older patients. Exercise and early rehabilitation protocols applied during acute hospitalization can prevent functional and cognitive decline in older patients.

Objective: To assess the effects of an innovative multicomponent exercise intervention on the functional status of this patient population.

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Purpose: Frailty, polypharmacy, and underprescription are considered a major matter of concern in nursing homes, but the possible relationships between them are not well known. The aim is to examine the possible association between medication underprescription, polypharmacy, and frailty in older people living in nursing homes.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis from a concurrent cohort study, including 110 subjects ≥ 65 years living in two nursing homes.

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Background And Objective: The identification of frail individuals has been recognized as a priority for the effective implementation of healthy aging strategies. Only a limited number of studies have examined frailty in nursing homes, and there is a big heterogeneity in the methods used. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and feasibility of different frailty screening tools in nursing homes as well as its relationship with multimorbidity and disability.

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Cognitive impairment has a harmful effect on quality of life, is associated with functional limitations and disability in older adults. Physical activity (PA) has shown to have beneficial effects on cognition but the results and conclusions of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are less consistent. Update of knowledge was necessary to examine the effects on cognitive function of new training modalities developed in recent years, such as multicomponent exercise training.

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The purpose of this study was to compare the vascular calcification in thoracic aorta (TAC), abdominal aorta (AAC), iliac arteries (IAC), and femoral arteries (FAC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae between frail and robust nonagenarians, as well as to verify the associations between vascular calcification with BMD, muscle tissue quality, and quantity in both groups. Forty-two elderly subjects participated in this study: 29 institutionalized frail (92.0 ± 3.

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