Table 1.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Cohorts
| Characteristic | Young (N=291) | Healthy elderly (N=611) | High-Risk (N=537) | Hospitalized (N=1386) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yr (mean ± SD) | 33±5 | 75±6 | 70±11 | 75±12 |
| % Female | 84 | 58 | 46# | 55 |
| Race | ||||
| White | 82 | 97 | 94 | 85# |
| Black | 11 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| Hispanic | 5 | <1 | <1 | 5 |
| Living situation | ||||
| Alone | 2 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| With adults only | 11 | 72 | 67 | 65 |
| With children | 88 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Chronic illnesses | ||||
| Any cardiac disease | 0 | 17 | 48 | 55 |
| Lung disease | 10 | 2 | 65 | 59 |
| Diabetes | 1 | 10 | 16 | 29 |
| Smoking (current or past) | 33 | 55 | 82 | 74 |
| Influenza Vaccine | 38 | 90 | 90 | 78# |
| IADL score * | 0.03±0.4 | 0.31±1.1 | 1.2±2.2 | 3.8±4.1 |
| No. of illnesses | 314 | 525 | 519 | 1471 |
*
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) are functional assessments based on a 12-point scale, with 0 representing total independence and 12 total dependence.
#
significantly different compared to the other groups of older subjects (P < .001)