Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, Hebrew SeniorLife / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, shares an overview of the Successful Aging after Elective Surgery (SAGES) studies. SAGES I was an innovative 5-year prospective cohort study that aimed to elucidate novel risk factors and examine the contribution of delirium to long-term cognitive and functional decline. First launched in 2010, more than 560 older adults were recruited who had no dementia at baseline and were undergoing elective major surgery. The first major findings published in 2016 showed that 24% of participants developed delirium post-operatively. These individuals had longer hospital stays, higher rates of discharge into institutional settings, and worse physical recovery after discharge. At 36 months, patients who developed delirium had a significantly accelerated trajectory of cognitive decline. More recently, the SAGES II study has been launched, which aims to examine novel biomarkers and increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of delirium and its associations with dementia. The 5-year study will enroll around 400 older persons prior to scheduled surgery. Detailed assessments will be carried out, including cognitive testing, MRI and PET imaging, electroencephalography, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker assessment. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022 in San Diego, CA.
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