%0 Journal Article %J Am J Geriatr Cardiol %D 1998 %T Factors Associated With Hospital Utilization in the Elderly: From the Cardiovascular Health Study. %A Robbins, J. A. %A Yanez, D. %A Powe, N. R. %A Savage, P. J. %A Ives, D. G. %A Gardin, J. M. %A Lyles, M. %X

OBJECTIVE: Analyze clinical, accepted biochemical, physiologic, and socioeconomic risk factors and correlate them with hospital utilization in an elderly population. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study in a defined, randomly recruited population. PARTICIPANTS: 5201 Medicare participants enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). METHODS: Medicare recipients were randomly assigned to participate in an observational study. Baseline data were compared to hospital admissions and days of hospitalization over four years. DATA ANALYSIS: Data were grouped by type of risk factor and analyzed by Tobit analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: Baseline variables associated with hospital use (p is less than 0.0001) were history of CHF, stroke, angina, hypertension, ln (timed walk), ln (blocks walked/week), age, gender, and clinic site. Factors not entering the model (p is greater than 0.05) were income, education, smoking, diabetes, weight, dietary fat, marital status, depression, and measures of mental function. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, existing health status is the major determinant of hospitalization and overwhelms many classic "risk factors" for morbidity.

%B Am J Geriatr Cardiol %V 7 %P 27-35 %8 1998 May %G eng %N 3 %1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11416456?dopt=Abstract