Cardiovascular events are not associated with MTHFR polymorphisms, but are associated with methotrexate use and traditional risk factors in US veterans with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have been associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) events in non-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) populations. We investigated potential associations of MTHFR polymorphisms and use of methotrexate (MTX) with time-to-CV event in data from the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) registry.

Methods: VARA participants were genotyped for MTHFR polymorphisms.

Preoperative cognitive dysfunction is related to adverse postoperative outcomes in the elderly.

Background: Preoperative risk stratification is commonly performed by assessing end-organ function (such as cardiac and pulmonary) to define postoperative risk. Little is known about impaired preoperative cognition and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of baseline impaired cognition on postoperative outcomes in geriatric surgery patients.

Accumulated frailty characteristics predict postoperative discharge institutionalization in the geriatric patient.

Background: Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to health-related stressors and can be measured by summing the number of frailty characteristics present in an individual. Discharge institutionalization (rather than discharge to home) represents disease burden and functional dependence after hospitalization. Our aim was to determine the relationship between frailty and need for postoperative discharge institutionalization.