by Meira Erel  , Esther-Lee Marcus  and Freda DeKeyser-Ganz

Received: 11 November 2020;  Published: 01 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101159

Decision-making by medical and health care staff forms the core of professional practice. Thought processes, including non-clinical considerations, significantly impact how clinical decisions are made. Such considerations become more relevant when addressing end-of-life care decisions for patients with advanced dementia (PAD). Though palliative care is recommended for this population, its implementation tends to vary. Given the medical staff’s significant influence in guiding clinical decisions, we examined thought [...]

by Aarthi Madhavan  , Isaac Sia  , Giselle Carnaby  and Michael Crary

Received: 29 October 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101158

Individuals with acute stroke on nonoral feeding regimens frequently develop pneumonia, questioning the long-held belief that pneumonia in stroke patients is a caused by food and liquid aspiration alone. Refluxate and colonized oral secretions are thought to contribute to an acidic oropharyngeal environment. If aspirated, these colonized oral secretions with increased acidity, can result in increased risk to the respiratory system. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pharyngeal acidity, dysphag [...]

by Komeil Mirzaei Baboli  and Sumeet K. Mittal

Received: 29 October 2020;  Published: 05 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101157

A 64-year-old, cachectic man with body mass index (BMI)

by Michael Fossel  and Kurt Whittemore

Received: 26 October 2020;  Published: 03 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101156

Telomere elongation is protective of genomic stability, whereas telomere shortening increases genomic instability and thereby increases cancer risk. Long telomeres lower the risk of clinical cancer, while short telomeres are part of a causal cascade of intracellular events that result in oncogenesis and, ultimately, clinical cancer. Telomerase therapy is not only unlikely to result in an increased risk of cancer but is likely to lower the risk of cancer compared to age-matched patients not treated with telomerase t [...]

by Tharshanah Thayabaranathan  , Jan Cameron  , Barbara Murphy  and Dominique A Cadilhac

Received: 06 August 2020;  Published: 28 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101155

Yoga is a form of movement-based mindfulness practice that enhances the mind-body connection to benefit overall health and well-being. Although the practices of yoga are ancient traditions in the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, scientific research regarding the impacts of yoga among people with poor cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health has only recently been undertaken. In this article, we highlight the current evidence on the potential impact of yoga on physical and psychological well-being for older adults [...]

by Namita A. Goyal  and Tahseen Mozaffar

Received: 11 November 2020;  Published: 21 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101154

Inclusion body myositis is one of the most common acquired myopathies seen in the aging population. The muscle weakness is of insidious onset, frequently starting in the legs, but over time gradually progresses to eventually involve all skeletal muscles of the limbs, face, swallowing and respiratory muscles, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Complications resulting from dysphagia are the leading cause of poor quality of life and mortality, while highly prevalent, are still underappreciated and underre [...]

by Renata Mancopes  , Pooja Gandhi  , Sana Smaoui  and Catriona M. Steele

Received: 24 November 2020;  Published: 19 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101153

Research suggests there are age-related changes in swallowing that do not constitute impairment (“presbyphagia”). The goal of this study was to explore the influence of age on quantitative measures of healthy swallowing by controlling for the effects of sex and sip volume in order to determine the specific characteristics of presbyphagia. Videofluoroscopy recordings of thin liquid swallows from 76 healthy adults (38 male), aged 21-82 were analysed. Blinded duplicate ratings of swallowing safety, efficiency, kinemat [...]

by Hansa Patel  , Hayley Denison  , Sana Zafar  , Paul Teesdale-Spittle  and Elaine Dennison

Received: 27 July 2020;  Published: 11 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101152

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem through its association with fragility fracture. Low peak bone mass (PBM) is a major contributor to later osteoporosis risk. Despite this, most studies concentrate on older people when the window of opportunity to impact PBM has passed. This study aimed to understand what adolescents and young adults understand about PBM, the risk of osteoporotic fracture and how lifestyle factors impact PBM. Such information may inform educational interventions to reduce future risk of [...]

by Barbara L. Fischer  , Allison J. Midden  , Aundrea Hoffmann  , Deborah Urben  , Lynn DeWitt  , Kathryne Kohlman  , Katherine Sherman  , Shannon Myers  , Lindy Clemson  and Jane E. Mahoney

Received: 14 September 2020;  Published: 08 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101151

Cognitive impairment significantly increases the risk of accidental falls in older adults, and falls outcomes are more severe in this population. However, few interventions exist to reduce falls among individuals with cognitive impairment. To address this gap, we developed Stepping Out, by modifying the evidenced-based falls prevention program, Stepping On, tailoring it to meet the cognitive needs of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at risk for falls. Our objectives were to determine whether [...]

by Carol Krucoff  , Kimberly Carson  and Mitchell Krucoff

Received: 13 August 2020;  Published: 07 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101150

Teaching yoga to seniors is often considered an entry-level job for a yoga instructor since older adults are unlikely to attempt complicated, “advanced” postures. Unfortunately, this ill-informed attitude puts the most vulnerable students with the least-trained instructors who may unknowingly put their students at risk. Even experienced yoga instructors often do not understand the vulnerabilities of older adults, and many commonly taught yoga poses may present risks for seniors. This could explain why participants [...]