Search results for " Geriatrics"
showing 10 items of 158 documents
Sexual activity and life satisfaction in older adults
2018
Aim Based on the concept of successful ageing and research reports on the benefits of maintaining sexual activity in mid- to late life, the purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between global life satisfaction and sexual satisfaction in adults older than 60 years. The study also analyzed the relationship between various forms of sexual activity (genital and non-genital) and both types of satisfaction. Methods Thirty-three men and 50 women (N =83) were interviewed by using two structuralized questionnaires. Global life satisfaction was measured with Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale, whereas sexual satisfaction and preferences regarding various intimate behaviours…
HFE p.H63D polymorphism does not influence ALS phenotype and survival.
2015
It has been recently reported that the p.His63Asp polymorphism of the HFE gene accelerates disease progression both in the SOD1 transgenic mouse and in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We have evaluated the effect of HFE p.His63Asp polymorphism on the phenotype in 1351 Italian ALS patients (232 of Sardinian ancestry). Patients were genotyped for the HFE p.His63Asp polymorphism (CC, GC, and GG). All patients were also assessed for C9ORF72, TARDBP, SOD1, and FUS mutations. Of the 1351 ALS patients, 363 (29.2%) were heterozygous (GC) for the p.His63Asp polymorphism and 30 (2.2%) were homozygous for the minor allele (GG). Patients with CC, GC, and GG polymorphisms did not significa…
Effects of a dynamic balance training protocol on podalic support in older women. Pilot Study
2009
Background and aims: The foot provides the only direct contact with supporting surfaces and therefore plays an important role in all postural tasks. Changes in the musculoskeletal and neurological characteristics of the foot with advancing age can alter plantar loading patterns and postural balance. Several studies have reported that exercise training improves postural performance in elderly individuals. The aim of our study was to investigate the effectiveness of a dynamic balance training protocol performed for 5 weeks on the support surface, percentage distribution of load in both feet, and body balance performance in healthy elderly women. Methods: Ten subjects (68.67±5.50 yrs old; 28.1…
Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Osteoarthritis in Older People: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Study.
2015
Recent work has shown that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels are associated with the presence of osteoarthritis (OA), but these studies focused on radiographical changes of OA, investigated only one joint, and did not consider the association with OA-related pain. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between 25OHD levels and any presence of OA and pain in a cohort of older people. This study was part of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A), a population-based cohort study in older people. In this cross-sectional work, we considered 2756 subjects (1102 males and 1654 females) with a mean age of 74.2 ± 7.1 years. OA and OA-related pain were defined using a standardized al…
Choice and Outcomes of Rate Control versus Rhythm Control in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Report from the REPOSI Study
2018
Background: Among rate-control or rhythm-control strategies, there is conflicting evidence as to which is the best management approach for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients. Design: We performed an ancillary analysis from the ‘Registro Politerapie SIMI’ study, enrolling elderly inpatients from internal medicine and geriatric wards. Methods: We considered patients enrolled from 2008 to 2014 with an AF diagnosis at admission, treated with a rate-control-only or rhythm-control-only strategy. Results: Among 1114 patients, 241 (21.6%) were managed with observation only and 122 (11%) were managed with both the rate- and rhythm-control approaches. Of the remaining 751 patie…
An Initial Study of Alexithymia and Its Relationship With Cognitive Abilities Among Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mild Alzheimer's Disease, and Healthy …
2018
The present study examined the degree to which alexithymia is greater in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) relative to healthy volunteers (healthy comparison [HC]), and investigated relationships between alexithymia and cognition. Eighty-five participants (MCI = 30, AD = 21, HC = 34) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination and completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Relative to HC, MCI and AD reported greater alexithymia total scores and higher scores on the TAS factor difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF). The remaining two factors, difficulty in describing feelings (DDF) and externally oriented thinking showed no signif…
Elder Mistreatment in an Italian Population: Prevalence and Correlates
2019
This study aimed to examine the prevalence of elder mistreatment (EM) in an Italian population and to determine the risk factors. The sample consisted of 393 older adults ( Mage = 77.07; standard deviation = 9.45) of whom 60.1% were females. The prevalence of EM was of 20.1%. Older elders who were separated, divorced, with a poor state of health, and problems of autonomy were more likely to experience EM. The most common forms of EM were physical/sexual (9.9%) and emotional mistreatment (9.9%). The most common perpetrators were paid caregivers and members of the victim’s family. A path analysis model suggested that limited autonomy and poor perceived health status appeared to be predictors…
An Expert Opinion From the European Society of Hypertension–European Union Geriatric Medicine Society Working Group on the Management of Hypertension…
2016
Two years after the publication of the 2013 guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC),1 the ESH and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society have created a common working group to examine the management of hypertensive subjects aged >80 years. The general term hypertension in the elderly is not sufficiently accurate because it mixes younger old patients (60–70 years) with the oldest old. Our group believes that the management of hypertension in individuals aged ≥80 years should be specifically addressed. Although arbitrary, this cutoff value identifies a population that is expanding …
Unmet care needs are common among community-dwelling older people with memory problems in Finland
2019
Aims: Ageing in place has become a policy priority. Consequently, residential care has been reduced, and more older people with multiple care needs reside at home with the help of informal care and home care services. An increasing share of these people has memory disorders. We examined the extent to which memory problems, in addition to other individual characteristics, are associated with unmet care needs among community-dwelling older people. Methods: The study employed cross-sectional survey data from community-dwelling people aged 75+ collected in 2010 and 2015, analysed using binary logistic regression analysis. The study population consisted of people who had long-term illnesses or …
Individual and environmental factors underlying life space of older people – study protocol and design of a cohort study on life-space mobility in ol…
2012
Abstract Background A crucial issue for the sustainability of societies is how to maintain health and functioning in older people. With increasing age, losses in vision, hearing, balance, mobility and cognitive capacity render older people particularly exposed to environmental barriers. A central building block of human functioning is walking. Walking difficulties may start to develop in midlife and become increasingly prevalent with age. Life-space mobility reflects actual mobility performance by taking into account the balance between older adults internal physiologic capacity and the external challenges they encounter in daily life. The aim of the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) p…