Leader: Francesco Landi (UNICATT); Other collaborator(s):
Based on the information generated in task 1.1 and Task 1.2, new data collection from suitable cohorts will be designed and implemented. Cohorts of interest will be selected from the ones identified in task 1.1 and will include subjects at high risk of developing adverse outcomes. Variables selected in task 1.2 and organized as a MDS will include clinical, functional and biological data.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results: In collaboration with WP4, the AROMA study was designed and launched. AROMA study aims at investigating the effect of a specific technology-assisted rehabilitation program compared with usual care (i.e., traditional rehabilitation techniques) in a population of older patients with multimorbidity and recent motor disability. The AROMA study received ethical approval on December 2023.
In addition, further longitudinal studies have been designed and launched to assess the trajectories of functional parameters in frail older adults with multimorbidity.
In this reporting period, research activities have been focused on two main tasks: the recruitment of frail older adults with multimorbidity to be followed over time, and the telephone follow-up (TFU) of older adults enrolled in the Longevity Check-up 8+ Project.
As for the first task, around 75 older adults (50% women; 74.8 years of age) were recruited and were administered a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Most of them were community-dwellers who attended either the geriatric outpatient clinic or an ad hoc “Longevity Outpatient Service” at the Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology at the Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS.
The recruitment of the cohort of older adults for the new longitudinal study is ongoing, TFUs have been conducted to assess the incidence of negative adverse events in older adults who were evaluated during the first waves of the Longevity Check-up (years 2015-2017). Seven hundred participants (and/or their relatives) were contacted and approximately 40% provided information about the onset of mobility disability, falls, hospitalizations, institutionalizations, or death. Further TFUs are ongoing.
During this period, our activities focused on the recruitment of participants for the AROMA study, the telephone follow-up of the Longevity Check-up project and the collection of data via an online survey to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors associated with unhealthy ageing in the general population. The items are part of those used in the in-person Longevity Check-up and will provide a very large database to assess the prevalence of these factors in the general population.
Between January and March 2025, the AROMA study and the Longevity Check-up project saw steady progress. Recruitment for the AROMA study continued at a solid pace, with successful participant screening and enrollment. Simultaneously, telephone follow-ups for the Longevity Check-up project were conducted to update clinical and demographic data. By January, the structure of an online survey, aligned with the in-person version, was finalized. In February and March, recruitment and follow-ups remained consistent. The online survey began receiving promising engagement across diverse age groups. By March, the first wave of telephone follow-ups was nearly completed, with high participant compliance. The ongoing influx of survey responses contributed to a growing dataset crucial for evaluating cardiovascular risk factors related to unhealthy aging in the general population.
The recruitment activity of subjects in the AROMA observational study, launched within the framework of the longitudinal studies of Spoke 3, WP1, has continued. In particular, in the month of July the cycle of baseline and follow-up cognitive assessments was completed on 35 subjects already included in the research protocol. This activity was both organizational in nature, for the coordination of visits and timelines, and operational, for the administration of the assessment tools and the accurate recording of data.
A dedicated data sheet was prepared for the input of the information collected within the Case Report Form (CRF). Furthermore, the activity of integrating the already available cognitive information with those derived from electronic medical records was initiated, with particular reference to socio-demographic, clinical and functional data. In line with the objectives of the project, this represented the basis for the creation of a multidimensional dataset. Finally, the data entry phase into the dedicated system started, based on the prepared data collection sheet. Data input was carried out in parallel with input control, correction and data cleaning activities.
Data cleaning and data quality management activities continued. Neurocognitive data were integrated with clinical and functional data into a single CRF system. Sensitivity analyses with the production of descriptive statistics were planned. The screening and recruitment activities of study participants in the treated and control groups were resumed, and the activities for the coming months were planned. A preliminary analysis was carried out with the production of interim results. In particular, data referring to 80 enrolled individuals were analyzed, 55 treated and 25 controls. Initial statistics were produced regarding the effectiveness of the proposed treatment in terms of functional and cognitive outcomes.
Pubblications
Disseminations
- Longevity Run – Longevity Check-up 8+ Events 2024 4-5 (May, Pistoia 18-19 May, Capodimonte (VT) 25-26 May, Treviso, 15-16 June, Gaeta (LT); 6-7 July, Pinzolo (TN); 17-18 August, Ovindoli (AQ); 9-11 September, San Gabriele di Piozzano (PC); 16-17 September, Pescara; 18-10 October, Rome