Blog and Commentary

What Can Digital Health do for Geriatric Oncology? – advancing equity and meaningful use

September 22, 2022

Nabiel Mir, MD

Geriatric Oncology Fellow

University of Chicago Medicine

Frailty in older adults with cancer is associated with poor outcomes such as mortality (Augustin et al., 2016; Soubeyran et al., 2012), functional decline (Hoppe et al., 2013) and toxicity from chemotherapy (Hurria et al., 2011). Major organizations like the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommend using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to identify vulnerabilities such as functional impairment, comorbidities, and cognition as well as institute CGA-driven interventions like exercise or nutritional rehabilitation (Mohile et al., 2018) that have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of high-grade toxicity without compromising survival in vulnerable cohorts with geriatric impairments (Mohile et al., 2020). Continue Reading

Frailty in LGBTQ+ Adults: notes from a conversation with Dr. Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen

June 27, 2022

Anthony L. Teano, MLA

Communications Specialist
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Recently, I asked Dr. Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work and Director of the Goldsen Institute, to share her thoughts about frailty in older LGBTQ+ adults. Dr. Fredriksen-Goldsen is a pioneer in research on LGBTQ+ aging. She led the nation’s first federally-funded longitudinal study of the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people over the age of 50, “Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study.” When I brought up the topic of frailty-specific insights in this population, Dr. Fredriksen-Goldsen noted that frailty was a significant problem for LGBTQ+ older adults: Continue Reading

The Pulmonary System, Frailty & COVID-19: Q&A's with Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos

April 25, 2022

Anthony L. Teano, MLA

Communications Specialist
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Exciting news! Our website has a new clinical section on Pulmonary Function and Frailty. As the field of Frailty Science is relatively young, research in specific specialties may be scarce—and this is true of the associations between the respiratory system and frailty. Consequently, we asked one of Johns Hopkins’ top experts in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine to review literature in this space, and compose this new section; we are grateful to Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, an Assistant Professor in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, for taking up this challenge. Continue Reading

Advances in wound care: valsartan nanofilament hydrogel promotes wound healing in a diabetic animal model

February 25, 2022

Lolita Nidadavolu, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Geriatric Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Beyond the substantial financial costs associated with chronic wounds (estimated to be between $28-96 billion dollars in Medicare costs in 2018; Nussbaum et al., 2018), the subsequent chronic inflammation and disability arising from such wounds are significant exacerbating factors that limit health-span in older adults. A recent study from a multidisciplinary wound center demonstrated that frailty prevalence, using the deficit accumulation model, was approximately 75% among their patients and wound healing rate was slower in frail individuals (Espaulella-Ferrer et al., 2021). Continue Reading

New AI/Technology & Aging Research Collaboratory: Pilot Proposals Due Feb. 18

February 01, 2022

Jeremy Walston, MD

Raymond and Anna Lublin Professor of Geriatric Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Older Americans Independence Center
Faculty Profile

The recently funded Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Aging Research (JH AITC; website) seeks to improve the health and well-being of older adults through novel uses of artificial intelligence and new technologies. Combatting frailty and its outcomes are important aims of this Collaboratory. Continue Reading

Dr. Judy Kasper: A Remembrance

January 13, 2022

The Frailty Science Team

The sudden passing of Dr. Judy Kasper, a prominent expert in the study of disability in later life and its implications for older adults, their loved ones, and health care policies, struck all who knew her with feelings of sadness and shock. To celebrate Dr. Kasper as both a stellar scientist and a wonderful colleague and friend, we asked some of her collaborators to reflect on their work with her and the impact she had on their careers and lives. We have also summarized Dr. Kasper’s important role in facilitating frailty research in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Continue Reading

Telehealth: remote assessments of physical function and frailty measures

January 04, 2022

Brian Buta, MHS

Project Administrator, Geriatric Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Faculty Profile

Objective measures of function are critical to both the clinical care of older adults and to research on healthy aging and physical frailty. While telehealth had already been on the rise in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic skyrocketed the use of remote and virtual assessments, creating an urgent need to adapt methods for patient care and research data collection to the new environments. Clinicians and investigators, struggling with the need to collect functional information remotely over video conferencing or by telephone, need guidance regarding the safety, feasibility and utility of various options and measures. Continue Reading

Johns Hopkins Frailty Science Researchers Contribute to a Global Frailty Seminar Series

December 02, 2021

Anthony L. Teano, MLA

Communications Specialist
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. Jeremy Walston and Dr. Karen Bandeen-Roche, Frailty Science’s co-PIs, are participating in a novel Frailty Seminar Series along with other influential aging and frailty researchers from around the world over the coming several months. The highly-informative Frailty Seminar Series is an 11-month program aimed at promoting scientific exchanging and sharing evidence-based practices and research advances about all aspects of frailty around the globe. Continue Reading

For World AIDS Day, December 1st: How does one face aging when they never planned to survive?

November 23, 2021

Jason Farley PhD, MPH, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, AACRN

Endowed Professor of Nursing Leadership and Innovation

Director | Center for Infectious Disease and Nursing Innovation

Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

Adult Nurse Practitioner | Infectious Diseases Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinical Core Co-Director | JHU Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)

The average age of people living with HIV in most care settings in the United States is 50 years of age or older. For many in this group, a diagnosis of HIV may have occurred decades ago and was accompanied, at the time, with the almost certain fate of disability and eventual death. Continue Reading

Family Caregiving: An Essential Resource for Older Adults

November 17, 2021

David L. Roth, PhD

Director, Center on Aging and Health
Professor of Medicine

It is estimated that somewhere between 18 million and 53 million Americans provide care to an older adult with a disability who needs some type of help with basic living needs. This care can include help with grooming, bathing, or dressing; assistance with mobility or preparing meals, or help with managing finances or medical appointments. Most older adults with dementia, limited physical capabilities, or major sensory problems depend on family members or close friends for this kind help on a regular basis. Continue Reading

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