0000000000092782
AUTHOR
Elena Debora Toffanello
showing 16 related works from this author
Body mass index as a predictor of all-cause mortality in nursing home residents during a 5-year follow-up.
2013
Background: Body mass index (BMI) is considered a short-term mortality predictor, but a consensus has not been reached on its role and that of other nutritional parameters in predicting long-term mortality in nursing home residents. Objectives: To correlate BMI, Mini Nutritional Assessment scores, and serum albumin levels with the 5-year mortality rate in institutionalized elderly subjects. Methods: A total of 181 nursing home residents aged ≥70 years were included in a 5-year longitudinal study. Data were collected on all participants' nutritional, health, cognitive, and functional status by means of a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Data on the participants' vital status were obtained…
Vitamin D deficiency predicts cognitive decline in older men and women: The Pro.V.A. Study
2014
Objective: To test the hypothesis that hypovitaminosis D is associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline over a 4.4-year follow-up in a large sample of older adults. Methods: This research was part of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.), an Italian populationbased cohort study of 1,927 elderly subjects. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were measured at the baseline. Global cognitive function was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); scores lower than 24 were indicative of cognitive dysfunction, and a decline of 3 or more points on the MMSE over the follow-up was considered as clinically significant. Analyses were adjusted for relevant confounders, includin…
Serum uric acid and incident osteoporotic fractures in old people: The PRO.V.A study
2015
Purpose: Although high serum uric acid (SUA) levels are associated with negative outcomes in older people, recent studies reported that hyperuricemia could help protect against the onset of bone fractures. We consequently examined whether baseline SUA levels were associated with risk of incident osteoporotic fractures in a representative group of elderly people with no fractures or other bone-modifying conditions or drugs at the baseline. Methods: Among 3099 people aged ≥ 65. years initially involved in the PRO.V.A. study, 1586 participants with no prior diagnosis of osteoporotic fractures, and no conditions or medication affecting bone metabolism at the baseline were followed up for 4.4. ±…
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and the onset of late-life depressive mood in older men and women: the Pro.V.A. study.
2014
Depression is a debilitating chronic condition, and its diagnosis and treatment in elderly people are often challenging. Because depressive mood seems to follow a seasonal pattern, peaking in summer and winter (1), it has recently been suggested that, through its action on the hypothalamus (which is involved in mood regulation), vitamin D might account for the link between seasonal changes in photoperiod and seasonal mood swings (2). Acting as a neurosteroid hormone, vitamin D may regulate human and animal neurotransmission, neuroprotection, and neuroimmunomodulation (3), and nuclear vitamin D receptors have been located in the human cortex and hippocampus (4). Although an association betwe…
Vitamin D deficiency and leisure time activities in the elderly: are all pastimes the same?
2014
Background Optimal vitamin D status is important for overall health and well-being, particularly in the elderly. Although vitamin D synthesis in the skin declines with age, exposure to sunlight still seems to help older-aged adults to achieve adequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels. Elderly people would therefore benefit from outdoor leisure activities, but the effects of different types of pastime on serum 25OHD levels have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Aims To assess the association of different pastimes with 25OHD deficiency in elderly subjects. Methods A sample of 2,349 community-dwelling elderly individuals (1,389 females and 960 males) enrolled in the Progetto Veneto An…
Orthostatic changes in blood pressure and mortality in the elderly: The Pro.V.A study
2015
BACKGROUND An extensive, albeit contrasting literature has suggested a possible role for orthostatic hypotension as a risk factor for cardiovascular (CVD) and non-CVD mortality, while no data are available for orthostatic hypertension. We investigated whether orthostatic changes in blood pressure (BP) were associated with any increased risk of all-cause, CVD or non-CVD mortality in a group of elderly people. METHODS Two thousand seven hundred and eighty six community-dwelling older participants were followed for 4.4 years. Participants were grouped according to whether they had a drop ≤20mm Hg in systolic, or ≤10mm Hg in diastolic BP (orthostatic hypotension), an increase in mean orthostati…
Association between dietary folate intake and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in healthy old women
2013
Abstract Objective High serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) seem to coincide with higher rates of some types of cancer and the risk of all-cause mortality in old people. Eating vegetables seems to reduce IGF-1 levels because they are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins. This study investigates the possible association between vitamin intake and IGF-1 levels in a representative group of healthy elderly women with Mediterranean dietary habits. Design This cross-sectional study included 124 healthy women with a mean age of 71.3 ± 4.2 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.37 ± 3.48 kg/m 2 attending a mild fitness program twice a week at public gyms in Padova. The mai…
Effect of oral magnesium supplementation on physical performance in healthy elderly women involved in a weekly exercise program: A randomized control…
2014
Background: Magnesium deficiency is associated with poor physical performance, but no trials are available on how magnesium supplementation affects elderly people’s physical performance. Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate whether 12 wk of oral magnesium supplementation can improve physical performance in healthy elderly women. Design: In a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial, 139 healthy women (mean 6 SD age: 71.5 6 5.2 y) attending a mild fitness program were randomly allocated to a treatment group (300 mg Mg/d; n = 62) or a control group (no placebo or intervention; n = 77) by using a computer-generated randomization sequence, and researchers were blinded to their …
High serum uric acid levels increase the risk of metabolic syndrome in elderly women: The PRO.V.A study
2015
Background and aims: Serum uric acid (SUA) is the end-product of purine metabolism in humans, and its levels often increase in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Despite several studies demonstrating a relationship between increased SUA levels and the prevalence of MetS, prospective data on SUA as a predictor of the incidence of MetS in the elderly are limited. Our aim was to conduct a prospective study on the association between SUA concentrations and the onset of MetS in an elderly Italian cohort. Methods and results: This is a cohort study (Progetto Veneto Anziani Pro.V.A.) involving community-dwelling subjects aged ≥65 years and followed up for a mean 4.4 years. We included 1128 p…
Association Between Short Physical Performance Battery and Falls in Older People: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Study.
2014
It is known that weakness in the lower limbs is associated with recurrent falls in old people. Among the tests routinely used to assess lower extremity strength, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is one of those used most often, but its relationship with recurrent falls is poorly investigated. We aimed to determine if SPPB scores are related to recurrent falling in a sample of 2710 older-aged people, and to ascertain which test in the SPPB is most strongly associated with a higher rate of falls. In this cross-sectional study, we demonstrated that participants scoring 0-6 in the SPPB were more likely to be recurrent fallers than those scoring 10-12 (odds ratio [OR]=3.46, 95% conf…
Factors Influencing Transitions Between Frailty States in Elderly Adults: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Longitudinal Study.
2017
Objectives: To investigate frailty state transitions in a cohort of older Italian adults to identify factors exacerbating or improving frailty conditions. Design: Population-based longitudinal study with mean follow-up of 4.4 years. Setting: Community. Participants: Individuals enrolled in the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) (N = 2,925; n = 1,179 male, n = 1,746 female; mean age 74.4 ± 7.3). Measurements: Frailty was identified at baseline and follow-up based on the presence of at least three Fried criteria; prefrailty was defined as the presence of one or two Fried criteria. Anthropometric, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics were assessed at baseline in a personal interview and…
Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate and Incident Depression in the Elderly: The Pro.V.A. Study
2015
Objective: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) appears to have a protective effect against depression, but contrasting findings are available. Therefore, we investigated whether high serum DHEAS levels were associated with any protective effect on incident depression and incident severe depression in a representative group of elderly men and women. Methods: In a population-based cohort longitudinal study in the general community, 789 older participants without depression and cognitive impairment at the baseline were included, among 3,099 screened subjects. Serum DHEAS levels were determined based on blood samples; incident depression and severe depression were diagnosed by means of the G…
Are the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Vitamins Appropriate for Elderly People?
2015
Background: An adequate vitamin intake is essential for a good nutritional status, especially in older women, who are more sensitive to nutritional deficiencies. The American, European and Italian Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) derive mainly from studies on adults, and it is not clear whether they also apply to elderly people. Comparing the RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women could help to clarify the real needs of elderly people. Objective: Our aim was to compare the American, European, and Italian RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Participants: The study included 286 hea…
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the incidence of peripheral artery disease in the elderly: The Pro.V.A study
2015
Aim: This study was conducted to examine whether low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (250HD) are associated with a higher risk of incident peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a representative group of elderly people. Methods: We followed 1568 community-dwelling elderly participants without PAD at the baseline among a sample of 2097 initially eligible over a mean of 4.4 years as part of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) study. The baseline serum 250HD levels were categorized as <24, 25-49, 50-74, >75 nmol/L, and incident PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index below 0.9. Results: At the baseline, there were no differences in known risk factors for PAD (BMI), waist circumfere…
Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Incidence of Diabetes in Elderly People: The PRO.V.A. Study
2014
Context: Increasing research has shown that low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (25OHD) predict the onset of diabetes, but no research is available on this issue in elderly people. Objective: Our objective was to examine whether low serum levels of 25OHD are associated with a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes over a lengthy follow-up in a representative group of elderly people. Design and Setting: This was a population-based cohort study as part of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) Study over a follow-up of 4.4 years in the general community. Participants: Participants included 2227 participants (1728 with follow-up visits and 499 died during the follow-up) over 65 years of ag…
Pre-Frailty and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Elderly Men and Women The Pro.V.A. Study
2015
Background Frailty is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the impact of early, potentially reversible stages of frailty on CVD risk is unknown. Objectives This study sought to ascertain whether pre-frailty can predict the onset of CVD in a cohort of community-dwelling, not disabled, elderly people. Methods A sample of 1,567 participants age 65 to 96 years without frailty or disability at baseline was followed for 4.4 years. Pre-frailty was defined as the presence of 1 or 2 modified Fried criteria (unintentional weight loss, low physical activity level, weakness, exhaustion, and slow gait speed), and incident CVD as onset of coronary artery diseases, heart failure,…