Exercise is critical for health maintenance in late life. The COVID-19 shelter in place and social distancing orders resulted in wide-scale interruptions of exercise therapies, placing older adults at risk for the consequences of decreased mobilization. The purpose of this paper is to describe rapid transition of the Gerofit facility-based group exercise program to telehealth delivery. This Gerofit-to-Home (GTH) program continued with group-based synchronous exercise classes that ranged from 1 to 24 Veterans per class and 1 to 9 classes offered per week in the different locations. Three hundred and eight of 1149 (27%) Veterans active in the Gerofit facility-based programs made the transition to the telehealth delivered classes. Participants’ physical performance testing continued remotely as scheduled with comparisons between most recent facility-based and remote testing suggesting that participants retained physical function. Detailed protocols for remote physical performance testing and sample exercise routines are described. Translation to remote delivery of exercise programs for older adults could mitigate negative health effects.

Objective: In cases of oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor–associated acute major bleeding, several reversal strategies are available. Current guidelines recommend a dose of 50 U/kg if using 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC). A paucity of data exists with the use of 4F-PCC for FXa inhibitor reversal for acute major bleeding, specifically the most efficacious dosing regimens and safety data. The purpose of this case series is to describe the utilization of 4F-PCC for reversal of oral FXa inhibitor–associated acute major bleeding. Methods: This retrospective case series included all admitted patients 18 years and older who received 4F-PCC for oral FXa inhibitor–associated major bleeding. Major bleeding was defined using the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis definition for major bleeding in nonsurgical patients. The primary outcome was achievement of hemostasis. Results: A total of 31 patients met inclusion criteria, with 17 receiving rivaroxaban and 14 receiving apixaban. Intracranial hemorrhage was the most common type of bleeding occurring in 15 (55%) patients. The median dose of 4F-PCC was 37 U/kg. Of the patients evaluated in the primary end point analysis, 68% achieved effective hemostasis. Four (12.9%) patients experienced a documented thrombotic event within 7 days of receiving 4F-PCC. Conclusion: The use of 4F-PCC for FXa inhibitor–associated acute major bleeding was effective for the majority of patients. The rate of thrombotic events appears higher compared to previously published studies, although major confounders exist and larger studies are needed to fully evaluate the safety of 4F-PCC for this indication.

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Background: The life expectancy for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) has greatly increased over the last 50 years. Adults with SCD experience multiple complications such as cardiopulmonary disease, strokes, and avascular necrosis that lead to limitations that geriatric populations often experience. There are no dedicated instruments to measure functional decline and functional age to determine risk of future adverse outcomes in older adults with SCD. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of performing the Sickle Cell Disease Functional Assessment (SCD-FA).Methods: We enrolled 40 adults with SCD (20 younger adults age 18-49 years as a comparison group and 20 older adults age 50 years and older) in a single-center prospective cohort study. Participants were recruited from a single comprehensive sickle cell clinic in an academic center in the southeastern United States. We included measures validated in an oncology geriatric assessment enriched with additional physical, cognitive, and patient-reported measures at the intersection of sickle cell disease and geriatrics. The primary outcome was the proportion completing the assessment. Secondary outcomes were the proportion consenting, duration of the assessment, acceptability, and adverse events.Results: Eighty percent (44/55) of individuals approached consented, 91% (40/44) completed the SCD-FA in its entirety, and the median duration was 89 minutes (IQR 80-98). There were no identified adverse events. On the acceptability survey, 95% (38/40) reported the length as appropriate, 2.5% (1/40) reported a question as upsetting, and 5% (2/40) reported portions as difficult. Exploratory analyses of physical function showed 63% (25/40) had a slow usual gait speed (< 1.2 meter/second).Conclusion: The SCD-FA is feasible, acceptable, and safe and physical performance tests were useful in identifying functional impairments in adults with SCD. These findings will inform the next phase of the study where we will assess the validity of the SCD-FA to predict patient-important outcomes in a larger sample of adults with SCD.

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Background Nearly 95% of individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) live to become adults (age ≥ 18 years). As individuals with SCD age, they acquire both SCD and age-related complications leading to functional decline. There is a growing need for stragies to improve their function and quality of life.The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a sickle cell disease functional assessment (SCD-FA) in both younger and older adults with SCD. Methods We enrolled 20 younger adults (age 18-49 years) and 20 older adults (age ≥ 50 years) in a prospective cohort study. We included measures previously validated in functional geriatric assessment for oncology patients enriched with additional physical and cognitive functional measures. We monitored physical activity for 7 days using the Actigraph wT3X-BT. The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects who complete the assessment. Secondary endpoints were duration of the SCD-FA, proportion who completed activity monitoring and biospecimen collection, and acceptability. Results Eighty percent (44/55) of adults approached for the study consented, and 91% (40) of consented participants completed the SCD-FA. The median duration of the assessment was 89 minutes (IQR 80-98 minutes), and there were no adverse events. A comparison of characteristics of younger and older participants is shown in Table 1. The mean usual gait speed (GS) was similar between younger and older adults, 1.10 m/s and 1.14m/s, respectively (p = 0.57). Both males and females in each age group had a GS similar to non-SCD adults over the age of 80 (Table 2). There was no difference detected in GS between participants with and without avascular necrosis (AVN) (1.12 m/s vs 1.13 m/s, respectively, p = 0.89) nor between severe SCD genotypes (HbSS and HbSß0) and less severe genotypes (HbSC and HbSß+) (1.08 m/s vs 1.18 m/s, respectively, p =0.13). There was no correlation between hemoglobin and GS (ρ = 0.22, p = 0.17). Young and old exhibited similar performance on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) with a mean time of 9.2 seconds for younger adults and 10.1 seconds for older adults (p = 0.14). Younger adults walked farther on the six-minute walk test (6MWT) compared to older adults (546 meters vs 482 meters p = 0.04). There was no difference in 6MWT between participants with and without AVN (499 meters vs 537 meters, p = 0.22), and no correlation between hemoglobin and distance on 6MWT (rs = 0.20, p = 0.21). Younger adults had a better performance on the 30-second chair stand test (30sCST) with a mean of 14 (range 4-22) vs 11 (range 3-16) in older adults, p = 0.02. There was no difference in 30sCST in people with or without avascular necrosis (12 vs 14, respectively, p = 0.24). Nearly all participants (95%) completed activity monitoring (18 younger adults and 18 older adults). Younger adults wore the monitors for a mean of 8 days (range 4-12) and older adults wore it for a mean of 7 days (range 4-10). The median step count for younger adults was 9253 steps/day (IQR 6449-10546) and the median step count for older adults was 6839 steps/day (IQR 6304-8144) (p = 0.44). The majority of both younger and older adult's activity was sedentary (42-44% of weartime) or light (47-48% of weartime). On the acceptability survey, 95% (38/40) reported that the length of the assessment was appropriate and particiants even had suggestions for additional questions to add. One participant found a question upsetting, about a history of drug use. 5% (2/40) reported portions as difficult to understand. When asked about feedback on removing items from the SCD-FA, 10% (4/40) recommended removing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment due to difficulty. Conclusions The SCD-FA was feasible, acceptable, and safe in both older and younger adults with SCD. There was no difference in GS in older and younger adults with SCD. Similar to older adults with SCD, younger adults had a mean GS similar to non-SCD adults over the age of 80. Younger adults did have significantly a better performance on the 6MWT and 30sCST compared to older adults, which may suggest better aerobic endurance and lower body strength. GS is one of the most powerful predictors of morbidity and mortality in non-SCD geriatric populations but its role in SCD awaits larger longitudinal samples. In future studies we will explore the role of GS and other components of the SCD-FA in predicting patient-important outcomes and mortality. Disclosures Strouse: Takeda: Research Funding.

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