Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of study population
| Variables | Youngest old (61–70 years; n = 34) | Middle old (71–80 years; n = 53) | Oldest old (≥81 years; n = 40) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 64.00 ± 2.37 | 73.74 ± 2.51a | 87.83 ± 4.22a | <0.001 |
| Sex, male (%) | 27 (79.4%) | 42 (79.2%) | 32 (80.0%) | 0.996 |
| PASE scores | 176.08 (84.88–201.25) | 140.20 (64.60–153.90)a | 25.50 (17.07–66.58) a,b | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.74 ± 2.63 | 23.03 ± 2.61 | 22.15 ± 2.31 a | 0.003 |
| Hospitalization duration (days) | 10.00 (4.75–14.25) | 11.00 (5.00–17.00) | 18.00 (12.25–24.50)a,b | <0.001 |
| Smoking (%) | 12 (35.3%) | 16 (30.2%) | 11 (27.5%) | 0.765 |
| Drinking (%) | 9 (26.5%) | 11 (20.8%) | 5 (12.5%) | 0.311 |
| Chronic medical illness | ||||
| Hypertension (%) | 13 (38.2%) | 27 (50.9%) | 25 (62.5%)a | 0.115 |
| Diabetes (%) | 7 (20.6%) | 14 (26.4%) | 12 (30.0%) | 0.652 |
| Cardiovascular disease (%) | 16 (47.1%) | 26 (49.1%) | 20 (50.0%) | 0.968 |
| Cerebrovascular disease (%) | 9 (26.5%) | 14 (26.4%) | 11 (27.5%) | 0.992 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (%) | 6 (17.6%) | 4 (7.5%) | 9 (22.5%)b | 0.118 |
| Chronic liver disease (%) | 3 (8.8%) | 1 (1.9%) | 2 (5.0%) | 0.329 |
| Chronic kidney disease (%) | 4 (11.8%) | 3 (5.7%) | 7 (17.5%) | 0.187 |
| Severe infection (%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | — |
| Medications at admission | ||||
| Antihypertensive drugs | 13 (38.2%) | 24 (45.3%) | 22 (55.5%) | 0.345 |
| Hypoglycemic agents/insulin | 7 (20.6%) | 13 (24.5%) | 11 (27.5%) | 0.788 |
| Statins | 11 (26.8%) | 18 (34.0%) | 17 (42.5%) | 0.601 |
| Anti-thrombotic agents | 13 (38.2%) | 19 (35.8%) | 20 (50.0%) | 0.363 |
| Oral antibiotics | 1 (2.9%) | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (2.5%) | 0.949 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, median (interquartile range), and frequency (percentage). P-value was calculated among the three groups and statistically significant P-values are marked in bold. BMI, body mass index; PASE, physical activity scale for the elderly.
a P < 0.05 compared with the youngest-old group.
b P < 0.05 compared with the middle-old group.