Results for PFS and overall survival favor combination of bevacizumab with either chemotherapy or erlotinib over chemotherapy alone in the second-line setting. No unexpected safety signals were noted. The rate of fatal pulmonary hemorrhage was consistent with previous bevacizumab trials. The toxicity profile of the bevacizumab-erlotinib combination is favorable compared with either chemotherapy-containing group.

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Background Frailty is the pre‐eminent exigency of aging. Although frailty‐related impairments are preventable, and multidomain interventions appear more effective than unimodal ones, the optimal components remain uncertain. Methods We devised multidomain interventions against physical and cognitive decline among prefrail/frail community‐dwelling ≥65‐year‐olds and evaluated these in complementary cluster‐randomized trials of efficacy and participant empowerment. The Efficacy Study compared ~3‐monthly telephone consultations vs. 16, 2 h sessions/year comprising communally partaken physical and cognitive training plus nutrition and disease education; the Empowerment Study compared the standard Efficacy Study multidomain intervention (Sessions 1–10) vs. an enhanced version redesigned to empower and motivate individual participants. Changes from baseline in physical, functional, and cognitive performance were measured after 6 and 12 months in the Efficacy Study and after 6 months in the Empowerment Study, with post‐intervention follow‐up at 9 months. Primary outcomes are as follows: Cardiovascular Health Study frailty score; gait speed; handgrip strength; and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Secondary outcomes are as follows: instrumental activities of daily living; metabolic equivalent of task (MET); depressed mood (Geriatric Depression Scale‐5 ≥2); and malnutrition (Mini‐Nutritional Assessment short‐form ≤11). Intervention effects were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. Results Efficacy Study participants (n = 1082, 40 clusters) were 75.1 ± 6.3 years old, 68.7% women, and 64.7% prefrail/frail; analytic clusters: 19 intervention (410/549 completed) vs. 21 control (375/533 completed). Empowerment Study participants (n = 440, 14 clusters) were 75.9 ± 7.1 years old, 83.6% women, and 56.7% prefrail/frail; analytic clusters: seven intervention (209/230 completed) vs. seven control (189/210 completed). The standard and enhanced multidomain interventions both reduced frailty and significantly improved aspects of physical, functional, and cognitive performance, especially among ≥75‐year‐olds. Standard multidomain intervention decreased depression [odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32, 0.99] and malnutrition (odds ratio 0.45, 95% CI 0.26, 0.78) by 12 months and improved concentration at Months 6 (0.23, 95% CI 0.04, 0.42) and 12 (0.46, 95% CI 0.22, 0.70). Participant empowerment augmented activity (4.67 MET/h, 95% CI 1.64, 7.69) and gait speed (0.06 m/s, 95% CI 0.00, 0.11) at 6 months, with sustained improvements in delayed recall (0.63, 95% CI 0.20, 1.06) and MoCA performance (1.29, 95% CI 0.54, 2.03), and less prevalent malnutrition (odds ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.18, 0.84), 3 months after the intervention ceased. Conclusions Pragmatic multidomain intervention can diminish physical frailty, malnutrition, and depression and enhance cognitive performance among community‐dwelling elders, especially ≥75‐year‐olds; this might supplement healthy aging policies, probably more effectively if part...

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Skeletal muscle mass was significantly associated with handgrip strength along with aging, but the association of skeletal muscle mass and walking speed was less significant. In sarcopenia diagnosis among Asian populations, ASM/ht(2) should be the most suitable index for skeletal muscle mass measurements, and physical performance should be measured universally beyond measurements of skeletal muscle mass.

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A decline in physical and/or cognitive function is a common feature of aging, and frailty has been shown to be associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. This study aimed to evaluate the association between dynapenia, sarcopenia, and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older people in Taiwan. Data from the I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study (ILAS) were retrieved for study. Global cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), whereas the Chinese Version Verbal Learning Test, Boston Naming Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Taylor Complex Figure Test, Digits Backward Test, and Clock Drawing Test were used to assess different domains of cognitive function. Association between sarcopenia and global cognitive function as well as all different dimensions of cognitive function were evaluated. Data from 731 elderly participants (mean age 73.4 ± 5.4 years, 53.8% males) were used for study analysis. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.8%, which was significantly higher in men (9.3% versus 4.1%, p < 0.05). The mean MMSE score was 23.4 ± 4.4 for all participants, and 10.3% of the study participants were cognitively impaired. Sarcopenia was not significantly associated with global cognitive function (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55, p = 0.317), but global cognitive impairment was significantly associated with low physical performance (OR = 2.31, p = 0.003) and low muscle strength (OR = 2.59, p = 0.011). Nonetheless, sarcopenia was significantly associated with impairment in the verbal fluency test (OR = 3.96, p = 0.006) after adjustment for potential confounders. Dynapenia was significantly associated with cognitive impairment in multiple dimensions and global cognitive function, but sarcopenia was only associated with an impaired verbal fluency test. Reduced muscle strength and/or physical performance related to non-muscle etiology were strongly associated with cognitive impairment. More longitudinal studies are needed.

BackgroundAssociation of frailty with adverse clinical outcomes has been reported in Western countries, but data from the Asian population are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of frailty among community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly population and to explore its association with musculoskeletal health in Taiwan.MethodsI-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study (ILAS) data were retrieved for this study. Frailty was defined by the Fried’s criteria; a comparison of demographic characteristics, physical performance, and body composition, including skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral density (BMD), as well as recent falls, history of hip fractures and the functional status of subjects with different frailty statuses were accomplished.ResultsOverall, the data of 1,839 participants (mean age: 63.9±9.3 years, male 47.5%) were obtained for analysis. The prevalence of pre-frailty was 42.3% in men and 38.8% in women, whereas the prevalence of frailty was 6.9% and 6.7% in men and women, respectively. Frailty was significantly associated with older age, the male gender, larger waist circumference, lower skeletal muscle index, lower hip BMD, poorer physical function, poorer nutritional status, and poorer cognitive function. Also, frailty was significantly associated with osteoporosis (OR: 7.73, 95% CI: 5.01–11.90, p<0.001), history of hip fractures (OR: 8.66, 95% CI: 2.47–30.40, p = 0.001), and recent falls (O.R: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.35–4.76, p = 0.004).ConclusionsFrailty and pre-frailty, in Taiwan, was closely associated with recent falls, history of hip fractures and osteoporosis among community-dwelling people 50 years of age and older. Furthermore, frailty intervention programs should take an integrated approach towards strengthening both and muscle mass, as well as prevention of falls.