EQUILIBRIO ACIDO-BASE E SQUILIBRI IDROELETTROLITICI NELL’ANZIANO

Impact of Mediterranean Diet on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and Longevity

The average life expectancy of the world population has increased remarkably in the past 150 years and it is still increasing. A long life is a dream of humans since the beginning of time but also a dream is to live it in good physical and mental condition. Nutrition research has focused on recent decades more on food combination patterns than on individual foods/nutrients due to the possible synergistic/antagonistic effects of the components in a dietary model. Various dietary patterns have been associated with health benefits, but the largest body of evidence in the literature is attributable to the traditional dietary habits and lifestyle followed by populations from the Mediterranean re…

TEST-AND-TREAT ANCHE PER LA POPOLAZIONE GERIATRICA CON HP-INFEZIONE?

PSICOTERAPIA CON PAZIENTI GERIATRICI: IL GRUPPO TERAPEUTICO COME STRUMENTO DI CAMBIAMENTO IN QUADRO DI UMORE DEPRESSO

ALTERAZIONI NUTRIZIONALI DELL’ANZIANO

Appropriateness of oral anticoagulant therapy prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized older people with atrial fibrillation

Aims: Although oral anticoagulants (OACs) are effective in preventing stroke in older people with atrial fibrillation (AF), they are often underused in this particularly high-risk population. The aim of the present study was to assess the appropriateness of OAC prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized patients aged 65 years or older. Methods: Data were obtained from the retrospective phase of Simulation-based Technologies to Improve the Appropriate Use of Oral Anticoagulants in Hospitalized Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (SIM-AF) study, held in 32 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. The appropriateness of OAC prescription was assessed, grouping patients …

USO DI IPOGLICEMIZZANTI ORALI SECRETAGOGHI E CADUTE IN PAZIENTI DIABETICI ANZIANI RICOVERATI IN UN REPARTO PER ACUTI

Altered ionized magnesium levels in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract. Magnesium deficiency is present in several chronic, age-related diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. The aim of the present study was to study magnesium homeostasis in patients with mild to moderate AD. One hundred and one elderly (≥65 years) patients were consecutively recruited (mean age: 73.4±0.8 years; M/F: 42/59). In all patients, a comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed including cognitive and functional status. Admission criteria for the AD group (diagnosed according to the DSM-IV and the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria) included: mild to moderate cognitive impairment (MM…

Il magnesio ionizzato negli anziani diabetici

Physiology of the aging bone and mechanisms of action of bisphosphonates.

Fragility fractures, a major public health concern, are expected to further increase due to aging of the world populations because age remains a cardinal, independent determinant of fracture risk. With aging the balance between bone formation and resorption during the remodeling process becomes negative, with increased resorption and reduced formation. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are widely prescribed anti-resorptive agents that inhibit osteoclasts attachment to bone matrix and enhance osteoclast apoptosis. BPs can be divided into nitrogen-containing (N-BPs) and non-nitrogen-containing BPs (non-N-BPs). Both classes induce apoptosis but they evoke it differently. Several studies have examined the …

ANEMIA NELL’ANZIANO: PREVALENZA IN UNA POPOLAZIONE DI SOGGETTI GERIATRICI OSPEDALIZZATI

Late-onset Sheehan's syndrome presenting with rhabdomyolysis and hyponatremia: a case report.

Abstract Introduction Hyponatremia associated with rhabdomyolysis is a rare event and a correct diagnostic approach is required to rule out this or other diseases as a primary cause and to avoid other complications resulting from a lack of appropriate treatment. Case presentation A 64-year-old Caucasian woman presented to our facility with worsening fatigue, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting, and high serum levels of creatine kinase and myoglobin together with hyponatremia. Normal arterial blood gas analysis results, normal serum potassium levels, increased urine sodium levels, urine specific gravity of >1003N/m3 and low urine volume suggested an endocrine etiology. Her low cortisol an…

DELIRIUM DURANTE LA DEGENZA OSPEDALIERA IN UN REPARTO GERIATRICO

Le lesioni da decubito: fra sofferenze individuali e costi sociali

Le ulcere/lesioni da pressione hanno una genesi multifattoriale e possono essere causa di svariate complicanze. Un aspetto troppo spesso dimenticato è il loro costo per il Sistema Sanitario Nazionale (SSN). I casi di due pazienti ricoverate presso il reparto di Geriatria e Lungodegenza dell’Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “Paolo Giaccone” di Palermo sono in proposito emblematici

IL RANK LIGANDO QUALE TARGET TERAPEUTICO NEL TRATTAMENTO DELLE PAZIENTI ANZIANE CON OSTEOPOROSI

Cortical and trabecular bone undergo a continuous and balanced remodeling process, which consists of a phase of resorption, mediated by osteoclasts, and a phase of neoformation mediated by osteoblasts. The activity of both, osteoblasts and osteoclasts, is regulated by the osteocytes, which are the most abundant cells in bone tissue. An imbalance of this process with an excessive resorption activity causes a loss of bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of the skeleton, with consequent reduction of bone strength and increased risk of fractures. The ligand for the “Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa- B” (RANK-L), a protein expressed by osteoblasts, plays a fundamental role in…

Serum ionized magnesium in diabetic older persons

Objective. Several alterations of magnesium metabolism have been associated with type 2 diabetes pathophysiology, a condition particularly frequent in older persons. We aimed to evaluate serum total (Mg-tot) and serum ionized magnesium (Mg-ion) in older persons with type 2 diabetes in order to explore clinically applicable methods for the detection of magnesium deficit. Material/Methods: Mg-tot and Mg-ion were measured in 105 fasting subjects with type 2 diabetes (mean age: 71.10.8 years; M/F: 45/60) and in 100 age-matched non-diabetic control persons (mean age: 72.20.8 years; M/F: 42/58). Results: Mg-ion concentrations were significantly lower in diabetic persons compared with controls (…

Appropriateness of oral anticoagulant therapy prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized older people with atrial fibrillation

Aims Although oral anticoagulants (OACs) are effective in preventing stroke in older people with atrial fibrillation (AF), they are often underused in this particularly high-risk population. The aim of the present study was to assess the appropriateness of OAC prescription and its associated factors in hospitalized patients aged 65 years or older. Methods Data were obtained from the retrospective phase of Simulation-based Technologies to Improve the Appropriate Use of Oral Anticoagulants in Hospitalized Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (SIM-AF) study, held in 32 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. The appropriateness of OAC prescription was assessed, grouping patients in…