Falls are a major geriatric syndrome associated with substantial morbidity, functional decline, and loss of independence. Although sodium–glucose cot

Objectives: Falls are a major geriatric syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality in older adults. The Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index (MRPI) is a neuroimaging biomarker reflecting brainstem structural alterations; however, its role in fall risk among non-parkinsonian older adults remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the MRPI is independently associated with recurrent falls in older adults. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 250 adults aged ≥ 65 years who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and comprehensive geriatric assessment. Participants were categorised as fallers and non-fallers. MRPI values were calculated using segmentation-based measurements from three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the independent association between MRPI and recurrent falls after adjustment for potential confounders. Results: A total of 250 participants (171 women, 79 men) were included, of whom 103 (41.2%) had recurrent falls. MRPI values were higher in fallers than in non-fallers (13.22 vs. 12.74, p = 0.027). The MRPI was positively correlated with age, number of falls, number of medications, Timed Up and Go test time, and frailty, whereas it was negatively correlated with the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment score, grip strength, and functional status ( p < 0.05). The MRPI was independently associated with falls across all multivariable models, including the fully adjusted model (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.48; p = 0.031). Conclusion: The MRPI is independently associated with falls in non-parkinsonian older adults and may represent a novel neuroimaging biomarker for fall risk prediction.

Background and Aim: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy is commonly associated with skin toxicity, which may reflect treatment response. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of anti-EGFR-related skin toxicity in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving palliative chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 256 RAS wild-type mCRC patients treated with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies at Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey (June 2011–February 2024). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank comparisons. A landmark analysis at 2 months was performed to address guarantee-time bias. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results: The median PFS was 17 months in patients with grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity versus 8 months in those with grade < 2 skin toxicity (p < 0.001). The median OS was 32 and 21 months, respectively (p < 0.001). In the landmark-adjusted multivariate analysis, grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity was an independent prognostic factor for both PFS (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39–0.70, p < 0.001) and OS (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.37–0.68, p < 0.001). Additional independent factors for OS included albumin, LDH, peritoneal metastasis, age, tumor sidedness, and BMI. The objective response rates were 53.9% and 11.3% in the grade ≥ 2 and grade < 2 groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Grade ≥ 2 skin toxicity was significantly associated with longer PFS, OS, and a higher response rate, and was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. These findings suggest that skin toxicity may serve as a non-invasive marker of treatment efficacy. Prospective studies with time-dependent methodologies are needed to validate these results.