Hospitalization Linked to More Cognitive Decline in Elderly

Fit older folks, in general, are hospitalized less.

Older adults have a 2.4-fold increase in the rate of cognitive decline after hospitalization, an increased risk that persisted after adjustment for severity of illness and length of hospital stay, according to a new study.

Because cognitive impairment is a major source of disability in older people, learning how cognition is linked to something as common as hospitalization is extremely important, the researchers say.

Better to be fit and not hospitalized than a guinea pig for why hospitalization is linked to cognitive decline.