Search results for "52"
showing 10 items of 1043 documents
Healthy aging in the context of the Mediterranean diet–health-environment trilemma
2021
Abstract Successful aging results from a lifetime of interaction between a range of factors, including those that are inherited (age, genetics), and those related to lifestyle (diet, exercise). In this brief communication, we examine the role of the Mediterranean-style diet in human health. Diet is one of the major pillars of healthy aging, and accumulating evidence supports the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. We also discuss the lifelong effect of exposure to environmental pollution. Thus, there is an intricate relationship between health, diet and environment, which together represent a trilemma that must be addressed with a holistic, life-course, population-level approach.
“Positive biology”: the centenarian lesson
2012
Abstract The extraordinary increase of the elderly in developed countries underscore the importance of studies on ageing and longevity and the need for the prompt spread of knowledge about ageing in order to satisfactorily decrease the medical, economic and social problems associated to advancing years, because of the increased number of individuals not autonomous and affected by invalidating pathologies. Centenarians are equipped to reach the extreme limits of human life span and, most importantly, to show relatively good health, being able to perform their routine daily life and to escape fatal age-related diseases. Thus, they are the best example of extreme longevity, representing select…
Understanding ageing: Biomedical and bioengineering approaches, the immunologic view
2008
Abstract During the past century, humans have gained more years of average life expectancy than in the last 10,000 years; we are now living in a rapidly ageing world. The sharp rise in life expectancy, coupled to a steady decline in birth rates in all developed countries, has led to an unprecedented demographic revolution characterized by an explosive growth in the number and proportion of older people. Ageing is a complex process that negatively impacts the development of the immune system and its ability to function. Progressive changes in the T and B cell systems over the life span have a major impact on the capacity to respond to immune challenge. These cumulative age-associated changes…
Predictors for Nursing Home Admission and Death among Community-Dwelling People 70 Years and Older Who Receive Domiciliary Care
2015
Original Research Article Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze which variables predicted nursing home admission (NHA) and death. Methods: 1,001 recipients of domiciliary care were assessed three times in a 3-year period. Through bivariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, associations between a covariate and the outcomes were analyzed. Results: Participants with dementia had a higher risk of NHA (odds ratio 3.88, 95% confidence interval 2.92-5.16) compared to participants without dementia. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory sub-syndrome psychosis, poorer functional impairment and age were associated with NHA. Female sex, age, worse medical health and functional i…
Improvement of quality of life in elderly after inguinal hernioplasty
2011
Background Inguinal hernia represents one of the most common diseases in the elderly. It causes aching and unsightly swelling affecting quality of life (QOL), with a concomitant risk of strangulation. Despite this, an assumption of the risks of surgery may lead clinicians, particularly non-surgeons, to advise elderly patients against the repair of hernia, especially if asymptomatic [1]. The aim of this study was to evaluate QOL by a short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire [2] in elderly patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty.
Quality of life in elderly patients after inguinal hernioplasty
2009
Background and aim Inguinal hernia is the most frequent abdominal wall her- nias in elderly population. Surgical treatment must be aware of the cardiovascular and respiratory disease these patients are often affected by. Inguinal hernia is responsi- ble to impair the quality of life (QoL). Aim of this study was to evaluate the QoL through the Short-Form (SF)-36 questionnaire in a cohort of elderly patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty. Materials and methods Fifteen male patients of age ≥75 years affected by sympto- matic unilateral uncomplicated inguinal hernia were included in this study. All patients undergoing inguinal hernioplasty in local anaesthesia according to the Liech- tenstei…
ETHICS AND AGING: FOCUS ON LIVING WILL FOR PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA
2017
Today dementia certainly represents a public health priority with a huge global impact on wordwide population. However, clinical and social issues related to dementia have long been marginalized. The actual high prevalence of dementias requires also to face issues from a bioethical perspective, regarding how to deal with demented patient’s disposition. There are currently no specific guidelines on the national territory regarding whether to draw up a living will by a patient with dementia, neither about the informative role of physicians during the progressive story of the disease.
Falls, Cognitive Function, and Balance Profiles of Singapore Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals : Key Risk Factors
2017
Objective: This study compared occurrence of falls, cognitive function, and balance profiles across participants in elderly age categories, investigating associations between the 3 aspects in a sample of Singapore’s elderly population. Method: Community-dwelling elderly individuals (N = 385) were randomly recruited and grouped into “young-old (65-74 years),” “medium-old (75-84 years),” and “oldest-old (above 85 years)” groups. The Fallproof Health and Activity questionnaire, adapted Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) tests were used to survey information related to falls, cognition, and balance profiles. Results: Findings revealed significant differences in M…
Does Commuting Reduce Wage Disparities?
2004
ABSTRACT This paper shows that in the Baltic countries, commuting reduces urban-rural wage and employment disparities and increases national output. To quantify the effect of commuting on wage differentials, two sets of earnings functions are estimated (based on Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian Labor Force Surveys) with location variables (capital city, rural, etc.) measured at the workplace and at the place of residence. We find that the ceteris paribus wage gap between capital city and rural areas, as well as between capital and other cities is significantly narrowed by commuting in some cases but remains almost unchanged in others. Different outcomes are explained by country-specific s…
Intraovarian regulation of gonadotropin-dependent folliculogenesis depends on notch receptor signaling pathways not involving Delta-like ligand 4 (Dl…
2013
Background In-situ hybridisation studies demonstrate that Notch receptors and ligands are expressed in granulosa cells (GCs) and in the theca layer vasculature of growing follicles. Notch signaling involves cell-to-cell interaction mediated by transmembrane receptors and ligands. This signaling pathway may represent a novel intraovarian regulator of gonadotropin-dependent follicular development to the preovulatory stage. We hypothesized that blocking Notch pathways would disrupt follicular maturation in the mouse ovary. Methods Hypophysectomized CD21 female mice were administered pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) for 3 days to stimulate follicular development. In one experiment, a pan…