ArticleDiagnostic and prognostic research2025
Development and internal validation of a new life expectancy estimator for multimorbid older adults.
Article in Diagnostic and prognostic research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02986425 (OPERAM), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
OPERAM: OPtimising thERapy to Prevent Avoidable Hospital Admissions in the Multimorbid Older People: a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comorbidity-adjusted life expectancy using comprehensive summary measures of medical history: nationwide, population-based study in Sweden.European journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Cancer Screening Among Older Adults Above 75 Years of Age According to Health Status: A Population-Based Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAs populations are aging, the number of older patients with multiple chronic diseases demanding complex care increases. Although clinical guidelines recommend care to be personalized accounting for life expectancy, there are no tools to estimate life expectancy among multimorbid patients. Our objective was therefore to develop and internally validate a life expectancy estimator specifically for older multimorbid adults.
methodsWe analyzed data from the OPERAM (OPtimising thERapy to prevent avoidable hospital admissions in multimorbid older people) study in Bern, Switzerland. Participants aged 70 years old or more with multimorbidity (3 or more chronic medical conditions) and polypharmacy (use of 5 drugs or more for > 30 days) were included. All-cause mortality was assessed during 3 years of follow-up. We built a 3-year mortality prognostic index and transformed this index into a life expectancy estimator. Mortality risk candidate predictors included demographic variables (age, sex), clinical characteristics (metastatic cancer, number of drugs, body mass index, weight loss), smoking, functional status variables (Barthel-Index, falls, nursing home residence), and hospitalization. We internally validated and optimism corrected the model using bootstrapping techniques. We transformed the mortality prognostic index into a life expectancy estimator using the Gompertz survival function.
resultsEight hundred five participants were included in the analysis. During 3 years of follow-up, 292 participants (36%) died. Age, metastatic cancer, number of drugs, lower body mass index, weight loss, number of hospitalizations, and lower Barthel-Index (functional impairment) were selected as predictors in the final multivariable model. Our model showed moderate discrimination with an optimism-corrected C statistic of 0.70. The optimism-corrected calibration slope was 0.96. The Gompertz-predicted mean life expectancy in our sample was 5.4 years (standard deviation 3.5 years). Categorization into three life expectancy groups led to visually good separation in Kaplan-Meier curves. We also developed a web application that calculates an individual's life expectancy estimation.
conclusionA life expectancy estimator for multimorbid older adults based on an internally validated 3-year mortality risk index was developed. Further validation of the score among various populations of multimorbid patients is needed before its implementation into practice.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02986425. First submitted 21/10/2016. First posted 08/12/2016.
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