European Geriatric Medicine (2019) 10:995–998 https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-019-00238-5 BRIEF REPORT Highlights of the 14th International Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society Karolina Piotrowicz1 · Katrin Fähling2 · Claire Roubaud‑Baudron3 · Dolores Sánchez‑Rodríguez4,5,6,7,8 · Jürgen Bauer9,10 · Jerzy Gąsowski1 Received: 18 July 2019 / Accepted: 30 August 2019 / Published online: 9 September 2019 © The Author(s) 2019 Key summary points Aim To report the most important messages of the 2018 EuGMS Congress in Berlin. Findings From social issues to nutrition, from cardiovascular aspects to new definition of sarcopenia, the congress has informed more than 1800 participants on the hottest issues of geriatric medicine of today. Message The EuGMS congress brings together both bench-to-bedside knowledge and clinical practice, which is of paramount importance in the further development of geriatric medicine in Europe. Abstract Purpose To report the most important messages of the 2018 EuGMS Congress in Berlin. Methods Review based on an on-site attendance in the sessions by the European Academy for Medicine of Aging graduates. Results The 14th Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society which took place in Berlin, Germany, from 10 to 12 October 2018, addressed the issue of challenges and opportunities associated with a fast changing modern world. Covering among other topics social issues, new technologies and the much-awaited new European definition of sarcopenia, the meet- ing streamed with important information. Conclusions Attended by more than 1800 participants from Europe and from across the world, it was one of the most suc- cessful geriatric events in 2018. In the following text, in preparation to the next, 15th Congress in Kraków, Poland, we briefly describe the highlights of the Berlin Congress. Keywords EuGMS · Geriatric medicine · Congress · Berlin · Kraków Karolina Piotrowicz, Katrin Fähling, and Claire Roubaud-Baudron are the members of the European Academy for Medicine of Aging (EAMA), and equally contributed to this report. 6 * Karolina Piotrowicz Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain zona3@interia.pl; karolina.piotrowicz@uj.edu.pl 7 Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain 1 8 Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Faculty Division of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Economics, WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Śniadeckich 10 Str., 31‑531 Kraków, Poland Aspects of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging, University 2 of Liège, CHU Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium Agaplesion Bethesda Klinik Ulm and Geriatrisches Zentrum 9 Ulm, Zollernring 26, 89073 Ulm, Germany Center for Geriatric Medicine and Network Aging Research, 3 Heidelberg University, Rohrbacher 149, 69126 Heidelberg, University of Bordeaux, CHU de Bordeaux, Pôle de Germany Gérontologie, Place Amélie Raba Léon, 33000 Bordeaux, 10 France President of the 2018 EuGMS Congress, Berlin, Germany 4 Geriatrics Department, Centre Forum, Hospital Del Mar, Parc Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain 5 Rehabilitation Research Group, Hospital Del Mar Medical Research Institute, Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain 13 Vol.:(0123456789) 996 European Geriatric Medicine (2019) 10:995–998 It was in 1999 that the pioneering idea of building a scien- acknowledged as a disease with an ICD code, should be tific society solely devoted to geriatric medicine was born. managed according to the clinical algorithm designed for No later than in June 2000, the European Union Geriatric sarcopenia case-finding, diagnosis and confirmation, and Medicine Society (EUGMS) was formally established and based on the assessment of its severity [2]. the first large-scale congress was held in Paris in 2001. The design of ‘Pros and Cons session’ was applied to Henceforth, regular scientific meetings of the EuGMS have introduce the topic of current definitions of frailty and mal- been organized [1]. nutrition to the audience. In essence, the new criteria for The mission and vision of the EuGMS—since 2017 the diagnosis of malnutrition consented by the European called the European Geriatric Medicine Society—are to Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and foster geriatric medicine across Europe, raise public aware- the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), ness and support the development of health-care services combining phenotypic and etiological aspects both for diag- dedicated to older adults, and promote research and educa- nosis and severity assessment, were presented by Tommy tion in the field [1]. Cederholm from Sweden and discussed further jointly with ‘Advancing Geriatric Medicine in a Modern World’ was Marjolein Visser from the Netherlands [3]. Despite some the leading topic of the last EuGMS Congress that took nuisance in defining instruments to assess frailty and malnu- place in Berlin from 10 to 12 October 2018. With more than trition, and to separate the impact of frailty from the impact 1800 participants from 65 countries, 340 speakers and chair- of disease, the speakers illustrated that nutrition and frailty persons, and 1070 scientific abstracts submitted, the 14th are clearly linked, with some evidence that nutritional sup- EuGMS Conference proved to be one of the biggest events plementation might lead to improvement in mobility. As in the geriatric field last year, addressing the challenges and shown by Cornel Sieber from Germany, the Mediterranean the opportunities for older individuals in a modern world diet is associated with a lower risk of being or becoming (Fig. 1). frail [4]. We present results of a review based on an on-site attend- A new geriatric syndrome, osteosarcopenia, was pre- ance in the sessions by the European Academy for Medicine sented by Anette Hylen Ranhoff from Norway as the coex- of Aging (EAMA) graduates (KP, KF, CRB). istence of osteoporosis or osteopenia and sarcopenia. In the group of older patients with hip fracture, she demonstrated the need for a consensus definition and further studies with New concepts osteosarcopenia as an outcome predictor. The pathophysiol- ogy of the syndrome reflects the impact of muscle perfor- The revised European consensus on the diagnosis and defi- mance on bone healing (so called ‘the bone–muscle cross nition of sarcopenia, presented on behalf of the European talk’), with hip fractures being interpreted as an “end-stage Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) osteosarcopenia”. for the first time in public during the Berlin congress, was indisputably one of the most awaited lectures in the field of geriatric medicine last year. As presented by Alfonso New technology Cruz-Jentoft from Spain, sarcopenia, being ultimately Ultrasonography has turned out to be a novel technology for a reliable muscle mass assessment. Introduced in detail during the Special Interest Group (SIG) on Sarcopenia meeting and during a hands-on interactive workshop, the evidence-based systematic review by Stany Perkisas from Belgium provided a scientific base for a standardized, quick and efficient ultrasonographic measurement of muscle in old age [5]. Teaching and training in geriatric medicine can be improved by new approaches, technologies and tools. A session: ‘Advancing the Teaching of Geriatric Medicine: @ The Edge of Tomorrow’s Possibilities!’ enabled participants to further develop their practical skills in teaching geriatric medicine with interactive methods. One of the examples was the “M&M’s®”-candy game by Susanne S. Hernes from Fig. 1  Words cloud built by the EAMA students answering to the Norway: after a lecture on polypharmacy in older patients, question “what does a modern world mean for you?” students received a pack of candies imitating pills, with an 13 European Geriatric Medicine (2019) 10:995–998 997 instruction how to use them. Their task was then to follow ‘When should we speed up, but also when should we slow the regimen, experience the difficulties of adherence to the down’, might be a paraphrased title of a lecture given by treatment and to share it with the group with further discus- Athanase Benetos from France on the need for different ther- sion on how to improve management of polypharmacy in apeutic targets for hypertension in various subpopulations of older patients. Some other examples of modern, interactive older people. Starting with a brief overview of clinical trials teaching methods that increase students’ engagement and for hypertension treatment in old age and its applicability for facilitate a deeper learning process were given during the the oldest olds with multimorbidity and geriatric syndromes session by Regina Roller-Wirnsberger from Austria and Esa [6], he presented a scientifically justified, geriatric approach Jämsen from Finland. for ‘visual’ evaluation of old hypertensive patients and treat- In the ‘Information and Communication Technology- ment adaptation, accordingly [9, 10]. Based Training in Geriatric Patients’ session, Kamiar Amin- ‘Choosing with Care in a Context of Uncertainty’ is ian from Switzerland, Christopher Todd from the UK and another challenge not only in geriatric medicine, but also Jorunn Helbostad from Norway introduced some aspects of the subtitle in the session ‘Discontinuing treatment near Information and Communication Technology (ICT) dedi- the end of life’. Various prognostic indices have not shown cated for older adults. As older people are usually less active to be much more reliable than the ‘surprise question’, the than recommended, it is important to evaluate whether ICT- gut feeling or Oscar the cat [11], while doctors and patients based training could be useful for this particular population. systematically overestimate the benefits and underestimate ICT-based measurements are improving over time with more the harms of medical services near the end of life. Lucas sensitive metrics, higher precision and more comfortable Morin from Sweden showed the importance of good com- devices. munication as a way to offer goal concordance care, person- Many psychological barriers and misbeliefs (e.g., “no alized care to meet the patient’s preferences, and presented time”, “no transport”, “bad weather”, “no motivation”, a European expert consensus on adequate, questionable and “not sure what to do”) can affect physical activity in older inadequate drug prescribing for older adults at the end of adults. It is important to identify these barriers and individu- life [12]. ally define the starting level of physical exercise, propose Management of malnutrition as a demanding team work actions and goals, combining the ICT-based devices that can was discussed during three very inspiring talks delivered improve behavior, adherence and outcomes [6]. at the European Academy for Medicine of Aging (EAMA) panel [13] by Regina Roller-Wirnsberger from Austria, and the former EAMA students—Maria Dolores Sanchez- New challenges Rodriguez from Spain and Hanna Maria Kerminen from Finland. Four main steps should be employed: screening, ‘The world is waking up and smelling the demographics assessment, management and follow-up. Goals of malnutri- […]’ was one of the viral quotes of the opening lecture of the tion managed should be individualized with consideration 14th EuGMS Congress, held by John W. (Jack) Rowe from for patients’ profile. Columbia University from the USA. In his lecture, he intro- duced the audience to the rationale of the John A. Hartford Index of Societal Aging, a multidimensional comparison of Conclusion societies’ adaptation to societal aging, with its five domains: productivity and engagement, well-being, equity, cohesion The 14th EuGMS Congress was an excellent opportunity and security [7]. for sharing professional knowledge and experience, building The next of the three outstanding keynote lectures cov- community and promoting geriatric medicine in the national ered one of the challenges of geriatric medicine: osteoporo- and international arena. The Berlin congress was clearly one sis therapy beyond the age of 80 years. Cyrus Cooper from of the most important international events in the field of the UK not only presented the evidence concerning drugs geriatric medicine in the last year. Even before its closure, with proven efficacy for fracture prevention, but also high- the work has begun to prepare the next, 15th Congress in lighted the importance of screening for high-risk fracture Kraków, Poland, to which we cordially invite all health- patients as a means of reducing osteoporotic fractures, and care professionals with interest in geriatric medicine. Please subsequently closing the treatment gap for this high-risk find the information on the upcoming events (including the population [8]. He also confirmed that sarcopenia was a 15th EuGMS Congress in Kraków in September 2019) at relevant therapeutic target to reduce fracture risk, thus pro- the EuGMS website and social media accounts (Facebook, viding a cross-link to the third keynote lecture on the new Twitter). EWGSOP2 consensus on sarcopenia. 13 998 European Geriatric Medicine (2019) 10:995–998 Compliance with ethical standards 6. Schwenk M, Bergquist R, Boulton E et al (2019) The adapted lifestyle-integrated functional exercise program for preventing functional decline in young seniors: development and initial evalu- Conflict of interest On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author ation. Gerontology. https​://doi.org/10.1159/00049​9962 states that there is no conflict of interest. 7. Chen C, Goldman D, Zissimopoulos J et al (2018) Multidimen- sional comparison of countries’ adaptation to societal aging. Proc Ethical approval This study does not contain any studies with human Natl Acad Sci USA 115:9169–9174 participants performed by any of the authors. 8. Fuggle N, Curtis E, Ward K et al (2019) Fracture prediction, imag- ing and screening in osteoporosis. Nat Rev Endocrinol. https:​ //doi. Informed consent For this type of study formal consent is not required. org/10.1038/s4157​4-019-0220-8 9. 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