International Journal of Aging Research

Background: A previous study has reported that calf circumference was useful in predicting sarcopenia in older adults with hip fractures. However, the relationship between sarcopenia and upper arm and forearm circumferences has not been well documented in older patients with hip fractures. This preliminary study aimed to determine whether upper arm and forearm circumferences are associated with sarcopenia in older patients with hip fractures. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 31 hospitalized older patients with hip fractures (femoral neck and trochanteric fractures). We classified patients based on the presence or absence of sarcopenia according to the criteria of the Asian working group for sarcopenia 2019. The upper arm and forearm circumferences were measured using a tape measure. Results: Upper arm and forearm circumferences in the non-sarcopenia group were significantly thicker than those in the sarcopenia group. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that upper arm and forearm circumferences were significant independent indicators of sarcopenia. We also set the cutoff values of upper arm and forearm circumferences for identifying sarcopenia. Conclusion: These findings suggest that upper arm and forearm circumferences could be useful methods for identifying sarcopenia in hospitalized older patients with hip fractures.

Background: Sarcopenic obesity causes a decline in the ability to perform activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living in older adults. Physical activity is defined as the movement of any body part derived from the work of skeletal muscle, which leads to energy consumption. Physical activity comprises not only exercise but also all activities of daily life and promotes benefits of health outcomes, with the shift from a sedentary lifestyle to that including physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) even leading to health benefits. Objective: The current study aims to review the associations of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and physical activity with body composition, physical performance, and activities of daily living in older adults with sarcopenic obesity, including older adults requiring assistance with the performance of activities of daily living. Results: Resistance and aerobic exercises could have positive effects on muscle mass, body fat, and physical performance in older adults with sarcopenic obesity. Besides, physical activity may reduce the risk of sarcopenic obesity in older adults. Conclusion: There has been a paucity of studies particularly on whether physical activity could still prevent the risk of sarcopenic obesity and improve muscle mass, body fat, physical performance, and the capacity for activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living in older adults with sarcopenic obesity, including older adults with sarcopenic obesity requiring care. Future studies need to additionally clarify whether physical activity affects the risk of sarcopenic obesity and promotes benefits in body composition, physical performance, and the capacity for activities of daily living in older adults and older adults with sarcopenic obesity requiring care.

The aim of this study was to measure the changes caused by biofortified milk enriched with selenium, vitamin E and/or improved fatty acid profile in biochemical parameters of institutionalized older people. 132 institutionalized older persons were divided into four groups who received the following treatments: C= Control milk with 3.98 µmol/l vitamin E, 0.37 µmol/l selenium, 2.24 mmol/l CLA; A= Biofortified milk with 5.05 µmol/l vitamin E, 3.63 µmol/l selenium, 6.57 mmol/l CLA; O= Biofortified milk with 4.28 µmol/l vitamin E, 0.20 µmol/l selenium, 5.71 mmol/l CLA and AO=5.21 µmol/l vitamin E, 4.42 µmol/l selenium, 6.85 mmol/l CLA for 12 weeks. Consumption of AO or O milk decreased total cholesterol in 6.8 % (p=0.0429) and LDL in 10.6 % (p=0.0292). Participants who consumed O milk had a higher HDL (42.6±1.2 mg/dl) than those who consumed A (37.7±1.2 mg/dl, p=0.0047). The consumption of biofortified milk with selenium, vitamin E and CLA, resulted in a better lipid profile and higher plasma antioxidant levels in institutionalized elderly.

A cross-sectional survey of older adults in independent living sought to find the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their physical activity, socialization, and nutrition. A sample of 115 consenting adults ages 60 and older living in independent senior neighborhoods completed a lifestyle behavior survey during the height of the pandemic. The survey probed self-reported changes in the respondent’s physical activity, socialization, and nutrition. Chi-square (X2) goodness of fit tests of sample demographics suggests the results were representative of the local population of seniors in independent living environments. Point-biserial correlations produced significant changes in physical activity, socialization, and nutrition based on dwelling type and education level. Cross tabulations revealed significant relationships between physical activity and socialization to participant age and dwelling type. Overall, the project finds changes in physical activity, socialization, and nutrition that can help identify needed programs, initiatives, and resources to improve the resilience of seniors aging in place during pandemics and disasters.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease leading to severe visual loss and legal blindness in the elderly population overall in cold countries. Its pathogenesis, likely multifactorial, involving a complex and dynamic interaction of metabolic, functional, genetic, and environmental factors, remains poorly understood. For these reasons currently used therapeutic approaches are way beyond to be effective. Two types of AMD are distinguished: the dry and the wet form. Main risk factors include advanced age, genetic predispositions, environmental determinants, history of exposure to intensive light and smoking. Till now, there is no approved therapy for dry AMD, although several agents/treatments are currently in clinical trials. Since upregulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a predominant proangiogenic factor in CNV. the wet AMD can be treated with intra-vitreous application of “anti-VEGF” agents; however, their clinical results are disappointing. In this article, we report clinical results of a novel approach, based in our discovery of the unsuspected intrinsic capacity of human being to transform the power of the sunlight into chemical energy, throughout the dissociation of the water molecule, like plants do it.

Introduction: The elderly, because they are more susceptible to develop chronic diseases, seek health services and medications more often, which predisposes this population to the problems related to them. Add to this the possibility of illiteracy, which may compromise understanding and lead to incorrect use of the drug. Objective: To evaluate the understanding of drug therapy by the elderly who are in a situation of polypharmacy. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out with individuals ≥ 60 years old who used 2 or more drugs in two communities in Recife-PE, from August to October 2016. The method used followed the principle of analysis, which verifies the agreement between the respondent’s response and the information contained in the medical prescription, and classifies the users through scores: less than six points – level of insufficient understanding; from six to eight – regular; above eight points, good level. Results: The elderly had low levels of schooling, 28% were illiterate. The two communities are made up of 72% and 48% of the elderly with insufficient understanding. Conclusion: The importance of the pharmacist as a member of the multidisciplinary team, who should guide and ensure that information is passed on to the user in a safe and efficient manner, through educational actions that promote knowledge about the use of medicines.

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease is a more common neurodegenerative disease, affecting 25 million people worldwide, or accounting for about 60 to 70% of all dementia cases. There is currently no exact mechanism to explain the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, however, cascading metabolic amyloid and post-translational review of tau protein are used as major hypotheses. Objective: To demonstrate in the literature new approaches in the development of Alzheimer’s disease modifiers. Methodology: This is a literature review study with a 5-year time frame, developed from the research of scientific articles published in international journals, through online databases such as “PubMed” and “Science Direct”. Results: Alzheimer’s disease-modifying drugs are not yet available, but many patients may, however, develop phase III clinical trials and are intended to modify as pathological stages leading to the disease. As disease-modifying therapies under study, these changes also affect Aβ and tau protein and also cause inflammation and oxidative damage. The results obtained in the clinical trials performed were positive and promising and are still under study. The results show that there is still a long way to go in the development of Alzheimer’s disease modifying drugs. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that there is still a long way to go in the development of Alzheimer’s disease modifying drugs, but nevertheless levels at the research level should be continued in order to improve the pathophysiology of the disease and find an effective treatment for this disease the same.

Population of older person are growing globally, in Africa and Nigeria. The WHO stated that this demographic change has implications on health care systems and on achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and universal health coverage (UHC). However, programs to adjust to population aging is still lacking in countries like Nigeria. This project proposal aims to implement and evaluate, with goal of scaling up, community geriatric program on achieving SDGs and UHC among older persons in Nigeria. Intervention approach will include home based management of older persons through seven geriatric case management processes, service provisions by trained case managers across four intervention domains, instituting and supporting health geriatric clinics and drug banks, enrollment of beneficiaries into national health insurance program and supporting system strengthening (on geriatric care) for service providers and hospitals. Data collection and entry will be done using expert data capturing tools and geriatric data management information system (GDMIS), while data analysis will be done through comparison of pre and post intervention indices. Review of literatures and anecdotal data show paucity of geriatric projects for care of older persons whose population is exponentially increasing in Africa. This project proposal that aims to implement and evaluate effect of a novel and innovative community health programs on achieving SDGs and UHC goals among older persons in Nigeria will share its result, conclusion, and recommendations, which will be disseminated for adaption and adoption for geriatric programing in the African context.

Objectives: To determine the ability of handgrip strength combined with body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) to estimate body fat percentage (BF%) in middle-aged and older Asian adults. Methods: Middle-aged and older Asian adults (n=459, males=197) were randomly divided into a validation and model development group (n=303) and cross-validation group (n=156). A whole-body scan using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measured BF%. Bland-Altman plots, standard error of the estimates, total errors and mean absolute errors were used to compare prediction equations. Stepwise regression analysis was used to determine a new prediction equation for middle-aged and older Asian adults. Right and left handgrip strength, age, sex and BMI were included in the analysis. Results: A previously developed prediction equation that included handgrip strength poorly predicted BF% in our current sample with the mean difference being -6.0 ± 4.2%. Predicted BF% values were significantly lower than measured BF% values (22.7% vs. 28.7%, p

The first report of patients with the SARS-CoV-2 was in Wuhan on December 2019. In few months the virus was disseminated around the world and has caused millions of deaths. A striking and recurrent finding was the more severe disease and increased numbers of fatal cases in old adults. Vaccines were developed in a record period of time and since then a massive program of vaccination has been installed in several countries. Nevertheless, the decrease in the levels of specific antibody after six months of the first dose in young adults and the reports of fatal cases in vaccinated older patients have suggested that a 3rd dose of vaccine is required. From the first report until now it has been clear that the immune system plays an important role in the disease development and patient outcome. Our group showed recently that healthy old individuals present changes in the immune system that have been reported as immunosenescence and inflammageing. Therefore, our aim was to correlate the findings obtained in healthy old adults with cases of COVID-19 from literature in order to identify possible common factors. The further understanding of how the changes occurring in the immune system during the ageing process can affect the response to SARS-CoV-2 virus could contribute for the development of vaccines or more specific therapies to the aged population.