Predicting survival in oldest old people

Abstract

Objective: Measures of physical performance are regarded as useful objective clinical tools to estimate survival in elderly people. However, oldest old people, aged 85 years or more, are underrepresented in earlier studies and frequently unable to perform functional tests. We studied the association of gait speed and survival in a cohort of oldest old people and the association of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living by questionnaire and survival as an alternative prognostic marker of survival. Methods: The Leiden 85-plus Study was used, a prospective population-based study with a follow-up period of 12 years. The study comprised 599 participants all aged 85 years at baseline. Survival ra..