Geriatric syndromes associated with long-term mortality in adults aged 90 years and older

This study examines the impact of geriatric syndromes on the mortality of nonagenarians, a group often underrepresented in research. Conducted as a cohort study in hospital, it included nonagenarians who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessments between November 2016 and January 2019. Mortalities were tracked using the National Death Notification System until May 1, 2022. This cohort study included 235 nonagenarians who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment, which evaluated multiple geriatric syndromes, functional status, and chronic diseases. Participants were followed up for a median of 29 months, with mortality data obtained from the National Death Notification System. In unadjusted analyses, polypharmacy, dementia, delirium, and malnutrition were significantly associated with reduced life expectancy. After adjusting for age, gender, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke, dementia, delirium, and the cumulative number of geriatric syndromes remained independent predictors of mortality. Comprehensive geriatric assessments are crucial for identifying individuals at higher risk of mortality due to specific geriatric syndromes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions tailored to conditions such as dementia, delirium, and polypharmacy to improve mortality and quality of life.