Geriatric Syndromes and Mortality Among Hospitalized Older Adults

What is the prevalence and cumulative burden associated with geriatric syndromes at hospital admission among older adults, and is the number of syndromes independently associated with 90-day mortality?In this cohort study of 2556 adults aged 65 years or older, patients had a median prevalence of 5 geriatric syndromes. A stepwise increase in mortality, from 8.4% (0-2 syndromes) to 47.0% (≥11 syndromes), was observed, and each additional syndrome was associated with a 22% higher adjusted hazard of death within 90 days.These findings suggest that a simple count of geriatric syndromes obtained through multidomain assessment may improve prognostic information and help identify at-risk patients, guide interventions, and inform care planning.

Corresponding Author: Thiago J. Avelino-Silva, MD, PhD, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois St, Floor 8, UCSF Box 1265, San Francisco, CA 94158 (thiago.silva@ucsf.edu).

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