Prof Andrew Street PhD , Laia Maynou PhD , Joanna M Blodgett PhD , Prof Simon Conroy PhD
{"title":"Association between Hospital Frailty Risk Score and length of hospital stay, hospital mortality, and hospital costs for all adults in England: a nationally representative, retrospective, observational cohort study","authors":"Prof Andrew Street PhD , Laia Maynou PhD , Joanna M Blodgett PhD , Prof Simon Conroy PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Studies have shown that the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) is significantly associated with length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and costs in people aged 75 years and older. However, its applicability to hospitalised adults of all ages is unclear. We aimed to examine the association between the HFRS and these three outcomes in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 years and older, admitted for emergency hospital care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The analytical sample comprised 1 478 554 emergency hospital admissions for 653 294 patients—a 5% random sample of all emergency admissions for those aged 18 years and older to any English National Health Service acute hospital between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2019. Admissions were categorised into zero (HFRS=0), low (0< HFRS <5), intermediate (5≤ HFRS ≤15), or high (HFRS <em>></em>15) frailty risk categories. We analysed the association between these categories and three outcomes: length of stay (Poisson model), in-hospital death (probit model); and hospital costs (generalised linear model). Models controlled for patient characteristics and temporal effects and were run separately across nine age groups (18–24 years, 25–34 years, 35–44 years, 45–54 years, 55–64 years, 65–74 years, 75–84 years, 85–94 years, and ≥95 years).</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The prevalence of high frailty risk increased with age, from 210 (0·2%) of 96 296 admissions for those aged 18–24 years to 9414 (42·0%) of 22 431 admissions for those aged 95 years and older. There were significant associations between frailty risk and both length of stay and costs across all age groups; the magnitude of the associations increased with age. For example, for those aged 18–24 years with high frailty risk, length of stay was 4·5 days (95% CI 3·8–5·3) longer and costs were £1217 higher (796–1638) than for someone with a zero frailty risk. For those aged 95 years and older with high frailty risk, length of stay was 15·3 days (13·5–17·1) longer and costs were £2557 higher (2234–2880) than for someone with a zero frailty risk. The association between frailty risk and in-hospital mortality increased up to age 65–74 years—those in this age group with high frailty risk had a probability of dying in hospital that was 2·3% greater (1·99–2·61) than those with zero frailty risk. This association decreased for older age groups.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Although designed for people aged 75 years and older, the HFRS was significantly associated with length of stay, in-hospital death, and hospital costs for all adults admitted to hospital, with a greater magnitude of effect with increasing age. Frailty dashboards that use the HFRS for older people could be extended to all people aged 18 years and older, offering the potential for holistic, frailty attuned interventions for younger people, such as earlier life course interventions to delay or prevent frailty and","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100740"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment with extensive patient coaching for improving quality of life in older patients with solid tumours receiving systemic therapy (G-oncoCOACH): a multicentre randomised controlled trial","authors":"Cindy Kenis PhD , Lien Peeters MScN , Lore Laethem BSc , Jessie De Cock MSc , Nathalie Compté MD , Prof Johan Flamaing MD , Prof Koen Milisen PhD , Katleen Fagard MD , Jean-Pierre Lobelle MSc , Annouschka Laenen PhD , Prof Lore Decoster MD , Prof Hans Wildiers MD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has demonstrated numerous benefits in older patients with cancer, and is internationally recommended, but more data are needed on its impact on quality of life (QoL). The aim of the G-oncoCOACH study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CGA on QoL in older patients with solid tumours receiving systemic therapy by integrating a geriatric team for implementing geriatric assessment (GA)-based recommendations and offering extensive patient coaching compared with standard of care in oncology.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The G-oncoCOACH study was a multicentre randomised controlled trial conducted in two academic hospitals in Belgium. Patients aged 70 years or older with solid tumours initiating systemic therapy with curative or non-curative intent, and physician-estimated life expectancy of at least 6 months, were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the control group (standard oncology care; receiving GA-based recommendations implemented by the oncology team) or the intervention group (receiving GA-based recommendations implemented by a geriatric team and intensive patient coaching). There was no masking of participants, physicians, or study personnel. The primary outcome was change in global health status (GHS) from baseline to 6 months, measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire (ie, QoL GHS). Linear mixed models were used for data analysis. Exploratory analyses evaluated predictors for change in QoL GHS. The trial is registered with <span><span>ClinicalTrials.gov</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> (<span><span>NCT04069962</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>), and is completed.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Between Oct 30, 2019, and Aug 5, 2021, 217 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned, of whom 212 had QoL GHS available at baseline (107 in the control group, 105 in the intervention group). Among these 212 participants, the mean age was 76·7 years; 111 (52%) were female and 101 (48%) male. The three most common tumour types were lung cancer (41 [19%]), colorectal cancer (31 [15%]), and breast cancer (22 [10%]). The mean difference in QoL GHS score between the intervention group and the control group at 6 months was 10·9 points (95% CI 3·7–18·0; p=0·0030) in favour of the intervention group, and confirmed by a sensitivity analysis. Adherence to GA-based recommendations was higher in the intervention group (71 [65%] of 110 recommendations implemented) than the control group (67 [45%] of 148 recommendations implemented). Exploratory analyses revealed significant predictors for change in QoL GHS, such as low baseline QoL GHS and high comorbidity.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>The G-oncoCOACH study shows that CGA with the integration of a geriatric team for implementing GA-based recommendations and offering extensive patient coaching improves QoL GHS in older patients with cancer compared with standard of care in oncology.</div></div><div","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100743"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144862524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicholas R Jones DPhil , Margaret Smith PhD , Yaling Yang PhD , Prof F D Richard Hobbs FMedSci , Prof Clare J Taylor PhD
{"title":"Trends in mortality in people with heart failure and atrial fibrillation: a population-based cohort study","authors":"Nicholas R Jones DPhil , Margaret Smith PhD , Yaling Yang PhD , Prof F D Richard Hobbs FMedSci , Prof Clare J Taylor PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Atrial fibrillation and heart failure frequently coexist but the relative effect of atrial fibrillation on survival in people with heart failure, and vice versa, remains uncertain. We aimed to report contemporary estimates of mortality among people with atrial fibrillation and heart failure and analyse trends in mortality over time.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We did a retrospective cohort study of adults aged 45 years or older in England, using primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD dataset and linked secondary care data (Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics datasets), for a total follow-up period from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 31, 2018. We recorded incident cases of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in primary or secondary care during the study period, as well as pre-existing cases at the study index date. Individuals were categorised as having both heart failure and atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation only, heart failure only, or neither condition, with heart failure and atrial fibrillation included in analyses as time-varying covariates. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, as recorded in primary or secondary care. We report the incidence and hazard ratios for all-cause mortality by diagnosis status, median overall survival following diagnosis, and the cumulative probability of all-cause mortality from 3 months to 10 years of follow-up and by year of diagnosis to assess trends over time. Estimates of median survival and the cumulative probability of overall mortality were restricted to incident diagnoses during the study period, and calculated overall as well as by sex, age, and Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The cohort consisted of 2 381 941 people, including 100 132 initially diagnosed with heart failure only and 155 061 initially diagnosed with atrial fibrillation only by the study index date or during follow-up. By the end of follow-up, 74 470 people had been diagnosed with both conditions. 314 042 people died during follow-up, including 42 427 (57·0%) of those diagnosed with both heart failure and atrial fibrillation. In people diagnosed with both conditions during the study period (n=43 714), median overall survival was 3·15 years (95% CI 3·08–3·21), and the cumulative probability of mortality was 31·8% (95% CI 30·2–33·6) at 1 year, 61·4% (59·4–63·3) at 5 years, and 80·2% (78·3–82·1) at 10 years after both conditions had been diagnosed, representing significantly worse rates than for an initial diagnosis of either condition alone. Similarly, the risk-adjusted hazard of all-cause mortality was highest among people with both heart failure and atrial fibrillation. For the overall population, cumulative mortality probability estimates were unchanged over successive years of diagnosis for people with both heart failure and atrial fibrillation, while showing small improvements for people initia","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100734"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144862525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jo Dawes MPhil , Emmanouil Bagkeris PhD , Kate Walters PhD , Alexandra Burton PhD , Debra Hertzberg MSc , Rachael Frost PhD , Natasha Palipane MSc , Andrew Hayward MD
{"title":"Prevalence of frailty and associated socioeconomic factors in people experiencing homelessness in England: cross-sectional secondary analysis of health needs survey data","authors":"Jo Dawes MPhil , Emmanouil Bagkeris PhD , Kate Walters PhD , Alexandra Burton PhD , Debra Hertzberg MSc , Rachael Frost PhD , Natasha Palipane MSc , Andrew Hayward MD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Frailty is a complex health state affecting multiple body systems, resulting in increased vulnerability to health stressors. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have poorer health, including higher prevalence of frailty, than the general population. This study aimed to calculate prevalence of frailty in PEH in England and explore associated sociodemographic characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional, secondary analysis study of health needs data collected from PEH in England created a frailty index by seeking expert input using a modified Delphi method and following published guidance for frailty index construction. Data were collected by Homeless Link in primarily urban areas through in-person, interviewer-administered surveys between 2012 and 2021 in three waves. Participants with data for at least 80% of frailty index variables were included. Descriptive statistics summarised the population. Among participants with sufficient frailty index data, the prevalence of frailty (frailty index scores of 0·25 or more) and pre-frailty (scores between 0·08 and 0·25) was calculated. Associations between frailty and sociodemographic characteristics were explored using multinomial logistic regression (adjusted for age; gender; accommodation at time of survey; engagement in employment, volunteering, and education; and immigration status).</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The study sample included 2288 PEH (2156 [94·2%] aged 18–59 years). Frailty was prevalent in 949 (41·5%) of the study population and pre-frailty in 1001 (43·8%). Frailty was identified in 210 of 789 (26·6%) PEH aged 18–29 years. PEH aged 50–59 years had over eight times higher risk of frailty compared with PEH aged 18–29 years (adjusted risk ratio 8·30, 95% CI 4·86–14·16). Women experiencing homelessness (2·30, 1·57–3·37), and PEH who were not engaged in employment, volunteering, and education (3·05, 1·97–4·71) also had higher risk of frailty than men experiencing homelessness and PEH who were engaged in these activities, respectively. PEH who were not UK nationals had lower risk of frailty than those who were UK nationals (0·20, 0·12–0·33). Sleeping outside conferred a lower likelihood of frailty compared with people who were previously homeless but now housed (0·36, 0·17–0·76). Similar patterns were observed with pre-frailty.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>To our knowledge, this is the largest study of frailty in PEH, offering valuable insights into the high levels of non-geriatric frailty in this vulnerable group, and can act as a starting point to guide service development and policy for this population.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>National Institute for Health and Care Research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100745"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hélio José Coelho-Júnior PhD , Emanuele Marzetti MD PhD
{"title":"Capturing what counts in muscle failure: a critical appraisal of the current operational models of sarcopenia","authors":"Hélio José Coelho-Júnior PhD , Emanuele Marzetti MD PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100756","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100756","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sarcopenia was originally conceptualised to describe a neuromuscular condition that could help to explain, at least partly, the effect of unsuccessful ageing on the ability of older adults (ie, those aged 60 years and older) to maintain independent mobility. Over time, international committees have standardised the definition and operationalisation of sarcopenia. However, a key issue in diagnosing sarcopenia remains as the current definitions are primarily based on expert opinion, with no clear explanation or description of the method used to prioritise the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, rather than on the integration of subjective methods (eg, expert opinion) with hierarchical evidence and advanced statistical methodologies. This issue has led to considerable variability in the reported prevalence rates of sarcopenia, inconsistent findings regarding sarcopenia as a predictor of adverse outcomes, and major challenges in the development of effective non-pharmacological (eg, physical exercise, nutrition), pharmacological therapies, or reliable biomarkers of disease status. The ambiguity on what is being measured under the present definitions of sarcopenia raises the fundamental question of whether these models truly represent the most accurate and clinically useful constructs of age-related muscle failure. In this Personal View, we critically examine the current state of sarcopenia research and highlight the need for a revised approach that integrates physiological face validity and clinical applicability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100756"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amy J Morgan PhD , Anna M Ross PhD , Sanne Oostermeijer PhD , Claire M Kelly PhD , Angela Nicholas PhD , Prof Jane Pirkis PhD , Prof Nicola J Reavley PhD
{"title":"Suicide prevention training in older men: a cluster randomised controlled trial of the Conversations about Suicide course in Australian Men’s Sheds","authors":"Amy J Morgan PhD , Anna M Ross PhD , Sanne Oostermeijer PhD , Claire M Kelly PhD , Angela Nicholas PhD , Prof Jane Pirkis PhD , Prof Nicola J Reavley PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Older men (aged ≥65 years) have high suicide rates relative to other ages and there are major gaps in understanding how to improve suicide prevention knowledge and skills as a potential pathway to reduce suicide risk in this group. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a suicide prevention training course in a community sample of older men.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the Mental Health First Aid Conversations about Suicide course, which teaches community members to recognise when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts and how to provide appropriate support. Australian Men’s Sheds(ie, community organisations that provide communal spaces for men to meet, socialise, learn new skills, and work on meaningful projects with other men) in the state of Victoria (from study onset) and additionally in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia (from Oct 31 2022) were randomised (1:1) in clusters (single sheds or groups of sheds, if fewer than eight men per shed)with minimisation to the course or a waitlist control and all shed members who were men were eligible to participate. The primary outcome was participant intended actions (recommended or not recommended) towards a suicidal person, measured at baseline, 1-month follow-up and 7-month follow-up (primary timepoint), analysed by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ANZCTR, ACTRN12621000756820.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Between July 14, 2021 and Sept 27, 2023, ten clusters were allocated to the intervention and ten to the control, with 19 clusters analysed as one intervention cluster withdrew before baseline. Following exclusion of participants who did not provide data or withdrew consent, 261 participants were included: 92 in the intervention group and 169 in the control group. The mean age of participants was 71·6 years (SD 8·8). For the primary outcome of intended actions to support a suicidal person, the intervention group showed a larger improvement than the control group on recommended actions at 1-month follow-up (mean difference 4·42, 95% CI 3·19 to 5·64, p<0·0001) and 7-month follow-up (3·31, 2·06–4·57, p<0·0001). For non-recommended actions, the intervention group showed small, non-significant reductions at both timepoints relative to the control group (1-month follow-up: –0·48, –1·20 to 0·24, p<0·19; 7-month follow-up: –0·58, –1·32 to 0·16, p<0·12).</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Delivering the Conversations about Suicide course in Men’s Sheds could improve the suicide prevention skills of older men in the community.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>Australian Medical Research Future Fund.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 8","pages":"Article 100741"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fridolin Haugg MS , Grace Lee MD , John He BS , Justin Johnson MS , Anna Zapaishchykova MS , Danielle S Bitterman MD , Benjamin H Kann MD , Prof Hugo J W L Aerts PhD , Raymond H Mak MD
{"title":"Imaging biomarkers of ageing: a review of artificial intelligence-based approaches for age estimation","authors":"Fridolin Haugg MS , Grace Lee MD , John He BS , Justin Johnson MS , Anna Zapaishchykova MS , Danielle S Bitterman MD , Benjamin H Kann MD , Prof Hugo J W L Aerts PhD , Raymond H Mak MD","doi":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronological age, although commonly used in clinical practice, fails to capture individual variations in rates of ageing and physiological decline. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed the estimation of biological age using various imaging techniques. This Review consolidates AI developments in age prediction across brain, chest, abdominal, bone, and facial imaging using diverse methods, including MRI, CT, x-ray, and photographs. The difference between predicted and chronological age—often referred to as age deviation—is a promising biomarker for assessing health status and predicting disease risk. In this Review, we highlight consistent associations between age deviation and various health outcomes, including mortality risk, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular prognosis. We also discuss the technical challenges in developing unbiased models and ethical considerations for clinical application. This Review highlights the potential of AI-based age estimation in personalised medicine as it offers a non-invasive, interpretable biomarker that could transform health risk assessment and guide preventive interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34394,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Healthy Longevity","volume":"6 7","pages":"Article 100728"},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144683303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}