Yuri Sasaki, Kaori Yamaguchi, Yugo Shobugawa, Yuka Ohaku, Masaaki Otaga, Munehito Machida, Hiroko Miura, Reiko Hayashi, Hidenori Arai, Vira Tum, Tengku Aizan Hamid, Than Win Nyunt, Angely P. Garcia, Shelley Ann F. de la Vega, Nattadech Choomplan, Dararatt Anantanasuwong, Prasert Assantachai, Tomoko Kodama
{"title":"Availability and Quality of Long-Term Care Services for Older Adults in Five Southeast Asian Countries","authors":"Yuri Sasaki, Kaori Yamaguchi, Yugo Shobugawa, Yuka Ohaku, Masaaki Otaga, Munehito Machida, Hiroko Miura, Reiko Hayashi, Hidenori Arai, Vira Tum, Tengku Aizan Hamid, Than Win Nyunt, Angely P. Garcia, Shelley Ann F. de la Vega, Nattadech Choomplan, Dararatt Anantanasuwong, Prasert Assantachai, Tomoko Kodama","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70821","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70821","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study assessed the current status and quality of long-term care (LTC) services in five Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar, amid rising demand due to population aging.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A mixed-methods approach was used. First, the relationship between population aging and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was analyzed using demographic and health system data. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with key stakeholders involved in care provision for older adults, guided by seven evaluation domains identified through a comprehensive literature review.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Findings revealed a positive association between UHC progress and population aging. LTC organization and delivery varied across countries, reflecting disparities in healthcare infrastructure. Home-based care predominated; however, public service availability and care integration were inconsistent. Dementia care was largely unrecognized and typically managed within households or communities. Use of information and communication technology (ICT) in LTC was minimal or absent. Thailand showed notable progress in linking rehabilitation services to UHC, though workforce shortages and limited access persisted. Preventive care, including frailty prevention, remained underdeveloped.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Substantial variation exists in LTC definitions and delivery across Southeast Asia. While efforts are underway to strengthen home-based care, enhance dementia recognition, integrate ICT, and expand rehabilitation, significant challenges remain. Addressing these is vital to ensure equitable access to quality LTC for older populations in the region.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148905766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Hidden Dangers of Gabapentinoids in Older Adults: From Accelerated Cognitive Decline to Withdrawal-Induced Neurotoxicity","authors":"Takahiko Nagamine","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70832","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70832","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chronic gabapentinoid use in older adults may accelerate cognitive decline, while abrupt discontinuation can trigger a “glutamate storm.” This case of a 94-year-old female demonstrates that withdrawal-induced neurotoxicity manifests as severe hyperactive delirium, highlighting the need for cautious prescribing and ultra-slow tapering to protect vulnerable geriatric brains.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of High-Protein Food Intake on Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass Index in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A 3-Month Pre–Post Study","authors":"Keiko Motokawa, Takuya Shibasaki, Maki Shirobe, Misato Hayakawa, Masanori Iwasaki","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70786","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70786","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148891424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liu Hongyu, Liu Qilan, Zhang Shuqing, Yang Jing, Tao Ming
{"title":"Risk Prediction Model for Frailty in Older Chinese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review","authors":"Liu Hongyu, Liu Qilan, Zhang Shuqing, Yang Jing, Tao Ming","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70826","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70826","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To systematically evaluate frailty risk prediction models for older patients with diabetes in China, providing a reference for healthcare professionals in selecting or developing appropriate frailty risk prediction models for older patients with diabetes and offering evidence for the formulation of intervention strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, China Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, and Wanfang Database for studies related to frailty risk prediction models for older patients with diabetes. The search period covered from database inception to November 15, 2025. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by two researchers using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) and a data extraction form.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 14 studies involving 25 models were included, with outcome event incidence rates ranging from 10.1% to 51.2%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the models ranged from 0.703 to 0.975. All 14 studies showed good overall applicability but exhibited a high risk of bias. High-frequency predictors included age, polypharmacy, nutritional status, glycated hemoglobin, and ADL score.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Frailty risk prediction models for older patients with diabetes in China demonstrate good discriminative ability and applicability, but have significant methodological flaws and a high risk of bias. Future studies should strictly follow reporting guidelines for risk prediction models to develop and evaluate frailty risk prediction models for older patients with diabetes in China, and validate their feasibility in clinical practice to provide high-quality evidence for clinical decision-making.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hiroshi Yonekura, Tasuku Fujii, Yuki Okazawa, Koji Kawakami, Koichi Akiyama
{"title":"Association Between Preoperative Frailty and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury, Complications, and Resource Utilization in Older Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery.","authors":"Hiroshi Yonekura, Tasuku Fujii, Yuki Okazawa, Koji Kawakami, Koichi Akiyama","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70834","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hip fractures are a major public health burden in older adults. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is among the most frequent complications following hip fracture surgery and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. We investigated the relationship between preoperative frailty and postoperative complications, including AKI, using a nationwide electronic medical records database in Japan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We identified patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent hip fracture surgery between April 2005 and December 2021. Frailty was measured using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), with scores ≥ 5 indicating frailty. The primary outcome was AKI within 7 days postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included 30-day major adverse kidney events (MAKE30), cardiac, pulmonary, and delirium complications, postoperative transfusion, and length of stay. Restricted cubic spline analysis assessed associations using HFRS as a continuous variable.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 29 684 patients, 17 656 (59.5%) were frail. Adjusted odds ratios (frail vs. non-frail) were 0.97 (95% CI 0.83-1.14; p = 0.72) for AKI, 1.07 (0.80-1.44; p = 0.65) for MAKE30, 1.11 (0.73-1.70; p = 0.62) for cardiac complications, 1.68 (1.39-2.02; p < 0.001) for pulmonary complications, and 1.35 (1.13-1.62; p < 0.001) for postoperative delirium. Frail patients also had higher transfusion use and longer hospital stay. Restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated increasing risks of pulmonary complications, delirium, and transfusion with higher HFRS.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Preoperative frailty was not associated with postoperative AKI or MAKE30. In contrast, frailty was significantly associated with increased risks of pulmonary complications, delirium, higher transfusion requirements, and longer hospital stay.</p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":"e70834"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13562981/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148929746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ward-Level Variation and Clinical Correlates of Low Serum Zinc Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents: A Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Norifumi Kudeken","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70816","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70816","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zinc deficiency is common among older adults and may contribute to frailty, immune dysfunction, and nutritional vulnerability. However, longitudinal evidence describing zinc status among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) remains limited. This retrospective cohort study analyzed annual health examination data from 141 residents registered at baseline in 2021 at a long-term care facility in Okinawa, Japan, with follow-up data available through 2025. Serum zinc concentrations were measured yearly at the same clinical laboratory using consistent analytical methods. Demographic and laboratory variables including age, sex, albumin, hemoglobin, estimated glomerular filtration rate, long-term care insurance care-need level, enteral tube feeding, and polaprezinc use were collected. Serum zinc levels remained persistently low during the 5-year observation period. Among residents in Wards 1 and 2, 38.2% of measurements showed serum zinc levels below 50 μg/dL and 78.4% were below 60 μg/dL. Zinc levels differed across wards, reflecting differences in resident case-mix and care needs. Ward 2 included residents with higher care needs, including five residents with care-need level 4; all 10 residents receiving enteral tube feeding were also in Ward 2, whereas Ward 3 included residents with lower care needs and support-level care. Among residents in Wards 1 and 2, mean zinc levels did not significantly differ across years (ANOVA, p = 0.39), indicating persistent low zinc levels without significant improvement. In multivariable analyses, serum albumin levels were strongly associated with zinc levels. Persistent zinc deficiency was therefore common among LTCF residents during the study period. These findings suggest that routine assessment of zinc status may help identify nutritional vulnerability among institutionalized older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":"e70816"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13559517/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148919260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Initial Phase Angle Is Independently Associated With Functional Independence at 6 Months After Stroke.","authors":"Daisuke Ishiyama, Yoichiro Aoyagi, Miho Ohashi, Tatsuya Iwasawa, Tomonari Saito, Yuki Sakamoto, Junya Aoki, Kazumi Kimura","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70837","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70837","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the associations of initial sarcopenia and phase angle (PhA) with functional independence at 6 months after stroke onset.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This observational study included 129 patients (median age, 74 years; 32.6% female) who experienced acute stroke and were admitted to the stroke unit of a tertiary care hospital between June 2022 and May 2023. The Barthel Index (BI) was assessed 6 months after stroke onset. Sarcopenia and PhA were evaluated during the acute phase. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between failure to achieve full independence (BI < 100) at 6 months and sarcopenia or PhA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The incidence of failure to achieve full independence at 6 months was 27.1%, with a sarcopenia prevalence of 34.1%. The mean (standard deviation) PhA was 5.7 (1.0°) in males and 5.1 (0.9°) in females. After adjusting for age, sex, and NIHSS score, PhA was significantly associated with failure to achieve full independence at 6 months (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.83; p = 0.012). In contrast, although sarcopenia showed a tendency toward association with the outcome, the association did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio, 2.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-7.46; p = 0.063).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Initial PhA was independently associated with failure to achieve full independence at 6 months after stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":"e70837"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13561573/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148929737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qian Yu, Min Ding, Hongyan Yu, Fusheng Di, Guoyu Jia
{"title":"Free Fatty Acids and Sarcopenia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes: Insights From SHAP Analysis.","authors":"Qian Yu, Min Ding, Hongyan Yu, Fusheng Di, Guoyu Jia","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70835","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70835","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sarcopenia is a prevalent and disabling complication of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which significantly elevates the risks of falls, fractures, institutionalization, and all-cause mortality. Lipotoxicity mediated by circulating free fatty acids (FFA) is crucial in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related sarcopenia, but the independent association and dose-response pattern between serum FFA levels and sarcopenia risk in T2DM patients remain poorly clarified.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center cross-sectional study enrolled 299 patients with T2DM. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in accordance with the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Fasting serum FFA levels were measured by enzymatic colorimetry. Sequential multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAPs) analysis were applied to explore the association and predictive value of FFA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 23.4%. After full adjustment for confounders, log-transformed FFA remained an independent risk factor for sarcopenia (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.31-5.70, p = 0.007). RCS analysis identified a significant nonlinear relationship with a threshold at 0.6 mmol/L; sarcopenia risk declined slightly with increasing FFA below this threshold, but rose steeply and linearly when FFA exceeded 0.6 mmol/L. FFA showed excellent predictive performance with an AUC of 0.852, satisfactory calibration and significant clinical net benefit. SHAP analysis confirmed FFA as the core predictive feature, and the association was consistent across all prespecified subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Serum FFA levels are independently and nonlinearly associated with sarcopenia risk in T2DM patients, with a clinically actionable threshold of 0.6 mmol/L. FFA can serve as a simple, accessible, and cost-effective biomarker for early risk stratification of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM.</p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":"e70835"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13583366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148982612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Partner- and Mode-Specific Social Contact and Poor Mental Health Among Older Adults in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the 2024 JACSIS Study.","authors":"Kazumi Kubota, Miya Aishima, Yukiko Matsumura, Takeshi Miura, Takahiro Tabuchi","doi":"10.1111/ggi.70840","DOIUrl":"10.1111/ggi.70840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To examine whether social contact frequency is differentially associated with poor mental health by interaction partner and contact mode among older adults in Japan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed the 2024 Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS; December 2024-January 2025). All respondents aged ≥ 65 years in the analysis-ready dataset were included; no analytic variables had missing values. Poor mental health was defined as ≥ 1 versus 0 poor mental health days in the past 30 days (CDC Healthy Days item). Eight past-month partner-mode exposures (family or friends by in-person, phone, email/messages, or video call) were categorized as none, 1-3 times/month, or ≥ 1 time/week. Logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographic, health, lifestyle, physical activity, employment, education, and household income. False discovery rate control was applied across 16 prespecified contrasts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 6786 older adults (mean age 72.7 years; 50.4% men), 11.8% reported ≥ 1 poor mental health day. In fully adjusted models, more frequent in-person contact was associated with lower odds of poor mental health for friends/acquaintances (vs none: 1-3/month OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.84; ≥ 1/week 0.59, 0.48-0.73) and non-cohabiting family/relatives (0.84, 0.71-0.99; 0.71, 0.57-0.89). Remote modes were not clearly associated. After multiplicity control, weekly in-person family contact and both friend in-person frequencies remained significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Frequent in-person contact, especially with friends, was associated with lower odds of poor mental health, whereas most remote modes were not, even after adjustment for education and household income.</p>","PeriodicalId":12546,"journal":{"name":"Geriatrics & Gerontology International","volume":"26 9","pages":"e70840"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13572026/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148963176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}