by Em V. Adams  , Marieke Van Puymbroeck  , Brent L. Hawkins  and Arlene A. Schmid

Received: 19 August 2020;  Published: 22 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2004144

Using a qualitative approach, this study explored the perceived impacts of a therapeutic yoga intervention for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and examined the beneficial components of the intervention. Eighteen individuals with PD who completed an eight-week yoga intervention participated in focus groups to determine the general effects, transference of effects, and psychosocial impact of the intervention. Additionally, programmatic aspects of the intervention were explored. A conventional content analy [...]

by Zena Aldridge  and Karen Harrison Dening

Received: 15 February 2021;  Published: 21 April 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2102167

The United Kingdom’s (UK) older population is higher than the global average. Over the next 20 years, England will see an increase in the number of older people who have higher levels of dependency, dementia, and comorbidity many of whom may require 24-hour care. Currently It is estimated that 70% of residents in nursing and residential care homes either have dementia on admission or develop it whilst residing in the care home. The provision of high-quality care for this population is a challenge with a lack of con [...]

by Melanie J. Chandler  , Michelle Graff Radford  , Pauline Lucas  , Dona E.C. Locke  , Julia Crook  , Colleen Ball  , Maria Caselli  , Angela Lunde  , Vaishali Phatak  and Glenn E. Smith

Received: 30 August 2020;  Published: 04 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101147

Physical exercise has been demonstrated to help maintain cognition in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (pwMCI). We previously demonstrated yoga’s benefit in maintenance of memory related activities of daily living in pwMCI. Our research also has shown yoga helps sustain positive psychological well-being of care partners at 12 months. In this analysis, we sought to examine the impact of yoga training on physical performance in pwMCI and their care partners. In this multisite, randomized clinical trial, we enrol [...]

by Ian Macreadie  and Sudip Dhakal

Received: 05 May 2019;  Published: 17 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903064

The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the model eukaryote, has provided much understanding of molecular and cellular biology, as well as insights into many human diseases. In this paper we review how yeast studies are contributing to knowledge about the role of oxidative damage to cell health, and how one of the key players in Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid beta (Aβ) is linked to the reactive oxygen species response involving AHP1, which encodes an alkyl hydroperoxidase, Ahp1p, a protein involved in protect [...]

by Tatsuya Nogami  , Makoto Arai  and Koh Iwasaki

Received: 12 January 2022;  Published: 28 February 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2201191

Several countries have entered the super-aging era. In Japan, the recently reported average life expectancy is approximately 90 years. Kampo medicine (a form of traditional Japanese medicine) is a part of the official medical service in Japan and is widely used for treating various illnesses of older people. However, although general physicians often prescribe Kampo preparations, most Japanese general physicians do not have an intimate understanding of the iatrology of Kampo. Kampo is based on traditional Chinese m [...]

by Florence Durand  , Noomane Bouaziz  , Sonia Braha-Zeitoun  , Clémence Isaac  , Palmyre Schenin-King Andrian  and Dominique Januel

Received: 12 March 2018;  Published: 11 June 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1802005

Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment [MCI] is a transition stage between normal aging and dementia. It seems to be useful to treat MCI before the onset of early dementia, though no pharmacological treatment is recommended [1]. These case studies aimed to assess the efficacy of long-term repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation [rTMS] treatment on cognition, and clinical changes, in elderly MCI patients. Methods: Three patients with MCI were treated by rTMS with different parameters of stimulation, targeting th [...]

by Marco Barale  , Ruth Rossetto Giaccherino  , Ezio Ghigo  and Massimo Procopio

Received: 31 October 2018;  Published: 14 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901033

Background: It is well known that hypovitaminosis D has been associated with various cardio-metabolic disorders, though the pathogenetic link, if any, still remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate in elderly uncontrolled non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients with hypovitaminosis D, whether six-months vitamin D supplementation was able to improve glycemic control, lipid profile and blood pressure levels. Methods: In an open-label pilot study, thirty type 2 diabetic patients (age 71.5 ± 3.2 years, BMI [...]

by Neha P. Gothe  and Emily Erlenbach

Received: 13 August 2020;  Published: 06 November 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2004137

Feasibility studies play a critical role in determining whether the target population is likely to engage with larger scale efficacy and effectiveness trials. Feasibility data for yoga interventions designed and conducted with older adults is limited. In this paper we present feasibility and acceptability data from an 8-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted with middle aged and older adults. Participants n=118 (Mean age: 62.0 years) were randomized to either a Hatha yoga or Stretching Control group with [...]

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 Axel Ferreira  , Filipa Guimarães  and Paulo Simões Coelho

Received: 29 September 2020;  Published: 24 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2004145

We present a case of a 74-year-old woman with deep intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and probable antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Due to the high hemorrhagic risk, it was decided not to use anticoagulants. In a period of three months, she had two separate cerebral ischemic events and died of stroke-related complications. The use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) in this patient is neither supported nor contra-indicated by current literature, even though past medical history su [...]

by Julia M. Robertson  and Barbara E. Kingsley

Received: 16 February 2020;  Published: 23 June 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2002124

The ability to situate individuals within social categories provides an important social function, allowing people to navigate problems of survival and reproduction within highly complex social structures. This categorization of people with apparently shared characteristics is facilitated by various cues, one of the most important being facial information. There has been a wealth of literature that reports on perceptions of characteristics informed by faciometrics (or the measurement of facial features and associat [...]

by Melodee Harris  , Priya Mendiratta  , Gohar Azhar  , Ruofei Du  and Jing Jin

Received: 24 November 2020;  Published: 15 June 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2102172

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) occur in almost all persons living with dementia. Antipsychotic medications are often prescribed inappropriately for persons living with dementia who experience NPS. Adverse side effects of antipsychotic medications include falls, sedation, cognitive dysfunction, prolonged QTc interval, extrapyramidal side effects, cerebrovascular events, metabolic changes, infection, and mortality. The purpose of this descriptive quality improvement project was to test the feasibility and preliminar [...]

by Ushma J Patel  , Madeline K Moureau  , Joan M Neuner  and Heidi W Brown

Received: 12 May 2023;  Published: 05 October 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2304252

More than 60% of adult women in the United States have urinary incontinence (UI), with the prevalence increasing to over 80% in women over age 65. Despite its high prevalence, most patients do not seek care and few clinicians screen for UI. The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey queries patients about satisfaction with their provider’s discussion and management of UI, but formal recommendations about screening, diagnosis, and treatment are lacking. This review presents a practical algorithm for primary care providers [...]

by Ali Al-Ragawi  , Sergey Zyryanov  , Elena Ushkalova  , Olga Butranova  and Anton Pereverzev

Received: 10 October 2018;  Published: 05 March 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901038

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in the elderly and often have serious clinical and economic consequences. Prediction of ADRs is a valuable tool to improve pharmacotherapy and outcomes in this category of patients. Objective: Prediction of ADRs in patients ≥ 65 years old, based on GerontoNet risk score with emphasis on polypharmacy. Methods: Pharmacoepidemiological retrospective study of medical records of patients admitted to the Russian Gerontology Clinical Research Center (RGCRC) between 1 [...]

by Filomena Papa  , Bartolomeo Sapio  and Enrico Nicolò

Received: 31 October 2018;  Published: 04 January 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1901028

Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to promote healthy aging and increase the quality of life of older adults. However, several barriers like access, performance, psychological, and privacy issues still exist against fully deploying ICT solutions for older adults. To determine useful methods to overcome such barriers, this work investigated the possible factors that prevent elders from directly accepting ICT services based on three field studies. Methods: The Unified The [...]

by James S. Powers  , Barbara Clinton  , Kayse Martin  , Margaret A. Genendlis  and Grace S. Smith

Received: 26 October 2018;  Published: 13 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804024

Background: The majority of long-term care provided to older adults and persons with disabilities is provided by unpaid family caregivers and friends. Employers have a stake in long-term care services as well since 60% of caregivers are employed outside the home, 49% have gone in late, left early, or taken time off during the day to deal with caregiving issues, and 15% have taken a prolonged leave of absence. Additionally, 87% of employed caregivers make telephone calls for caregiving from work. Presenteeism, the s [...]

by Arlene A. Schmid  , Marieke Van Puymbroeck  , Christine A. Fruhauf  , Laura A. Swink  and Jennifer D. Portz

Received: 29 September 2019;  Published: 25 November 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904087

Background: Falls are relatively common in older adults and are associated with chronic pain. Chronic pain may even be a predictor of falls in older adults. However, this relationship has not been studied in adults

by Robert Zheng

Received: 05 October 2018;  Published: 25 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804026

The current article addresses the working memory constraints experienced by older people in caregiving training. Two different approaches aiming to free the older people’s working memory space were discussed. They include multi-modal visual processing and Gc activation. The emphasis was on the theoretical underpinnings of both approaches with empirical evidence from the research and literature to demonstrate their effectiveness in older people’s caregiving training. Further discussion was made with respect to the t [...]

by Francisca S. Rodriguez

Received: 19 June 2018;  Published: 31 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804017

Background: Cognitive reserve describes the capacity for cognitively normal functioning despite brain damage. Previous research on cognitive reserve outlined how characteristics of the brain promote good cognitive functioning, although it is not yet clear what cognitive processes help individuals to maintain good cognitive functioning in the face of brain damage. Methods: Narrative review of relevant articles identified in literature searches for cognitive and/or psychometric characteristics of cognitive reserve. R [...]

by Lindy A. Kilik

Received: 30 July 2019;  Published: 29 September 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903076

The current paper introduces the “Priming/Timing/Miming” Model of Behavioural Care Planning for persons with Dementia. This simple heuristic provides a quick, easy and systematic way to select from the vast number of behavioural strategies offered in the BPSD literature and to organize these in a way that can be incorporated into an individualized Behaviour Care Plan to deliver personal care to persons with dementia and also to develop a larger plan of care. An entire care plan is captured on one double-sided sheet [...]

by Éilish A. Burke  , Rachael Carroll  , Angela W. Ding  , Melisa Yaman  , J. Bernard Walsh  , Philip McCallion  and Mary McCarron

Received: 23 June 2021;  Published: 08 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104182

Globally between 30-40% of all osteoporotic fractures occur among men, with a quarter of all hip fractures, the most serious complication of osteoporosis, occurring in men. Among men of 50 years of age or older, osteoporotic fracture risk reaches an alarming 20%. What is of great concern is that associated mortality is greater among men when compared with women. For hip fractures specifically, mortality for men is two to three times that in women which may be attributed to the fact that osteoporosis is often consid [...]

by Susan Kane Patton  , Jennifer Vincenzo  , Holly B. Bennett  , Michelle Gray  , Leah Jean Henry  , Alishia Ferguson  , Ro Dibrezzo  , Christopher S. Walter  and Maryalice Kelly

Received: 15 August 2019;  Published: 29 October 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904084

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate faculty and student perceptions of a fall risk assessment and prevention activity for older adults offered in multiple community settings by health professional faculty and students. Background: In the US, the percentage of adults 65 and older who fell was more than 29% in 2018. Among states, Arkansas ranks 48th with 35.2% of older adults reporting a fall (CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2018). Methods: Four senior centers in Northwest Arkansas hosted a [...]

by Aline Duarte Folle  , Kimberly C Paul  , Cynthia D Kusters  , Jeff M Bronstein  , Adrienne M Keener  and Beate Ritz

Received: 30 June 2020;  Published: 26 August 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003131

Insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness are the most common sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease. This study aims at better understanding how severity of PD motor and non-motor features and dopaminergic treatments contribute to these sleep symptoms in the first decade of PD. Data from a community-based cohort of PD patients was used to model cross-sectional PD-related risk factors for insomnia and EDS sleep scores using linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, and PD duration. Longitudinal changes [...]

by Horst J. Koch

Received: 06 August 2019;  Published: 04 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904091

The prevalence of Late-life Depression (LLD) has been estimated between 10% and 15%. Therefore, it is a considerable worldwide problem. The psychopathology is not substantially different from that of depressive episodes in young adults but somatic complaints in combination with end-of-life perspective leave an imprint on emotional experience. The frequent suicidal tendency, especially in old unmated men, remains a particular challenge. It is important to combine psychiatric and somatic diagnostics using modern meth [...]

by Joseph V. Pergolizzi, Jr.  and Jo Ann LeQuang

Received: 13 November 2018;  Published: 17 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1902047

As the 80 million “baby boomers” reach retirement, they bring their relaxed attitudes toward drug use to create a clinically significant population of geriatric drug abusers. Opioid use disorder (OUD) brings with it special considerations in the elderly population: age-related changes to drug disposition, brain changes in the elderly, polypharmacy, and the likelihood of comorbid conditions (such as cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases) and pain syndromes. Thirteen percent of patients in a New York city methadone cl [...]

by Jacqueline Lamond  and Charles L. Shapiro

Received: 07 December 2020;  Published: 05 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103173

Breast cancer and osteoporosis are both diseases of aging. The "one in eight" lifetime risks of breast cancer occur primarily in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth decades of life. One-third of postmenopausal women will experience an osteoporotic fracture. It is the coalescence of osteoporosis, breast cancer, and breast cancer treatments that, in some cases, increases the risks of osteoporotic fracture. That makes it imperative to assess risk factors, screen, and prevent or treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal w [...]

by Melissa M Howard  , Justin Phillips  , Stefan Henley  , Sarah E. Green  and Emily R. Rosario

Received: 01 November 2020;  Published: 07 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103175

Anterior cervical osteophytes are common in the geriatric population. Dysphagia can occur in individuals suffering from these spinal abnormalities. Surgical intervention is an uncommon course of treatment for these patients, but is often utilized as a last resort with the hope of swallow recovery. The purpose of this article is to highlight a unique case study documenting the required treatment course for dysphagia associated with osteophytes and subsequent osteophytectomy. We review current literature of both cons [...]

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 Noa Sylvetsky  , Chen Futeran Shahar  , Meir Frankel  and Gabriel Munter

Received: 01 April 2020;  Published: 02 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003126

Hospitalists are at risk for vitamin D deficiency during their active years due to indoor working conditions and insufficient sunlight exposure. The impairment of bone mineral density (BMD) in this group has not been studied. A total of 50 male hospitalists aged ≥ 65 years were enrolled. Their BMD was measured at the femoral neck (FN), lumbar spine (LS), and distal radius (DR), and their medical history and risk factors were assessed through a detailed questionnaire. The FRAX® (Fracture risk assessment tool) [...]

by Jeffrey M. Witkin  , Lalit K. Golani  , Rok Cerne  , Md. Toufiqur Rahman  , Guanguan Li  , Michael M. Poe  , James M. Cook  and Jodi L. Smith

Received: 05 May 2019;  Published: 26 August 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903073

Major depressive disorder is a highly-prevalent and debilitating disorder in the aged population. Accumulating clinical evidence suggests a key role for social support in helping to mitigate depression. Preclinical data are reviewed that indicate that selective negative allosteric modulation of α5-containing GABAA receptors, as with RY-080, might rapidly impact depression in patients. Further, preclinical data in transgenic mice modeling neurodegenerative diseases has suggested that this mechanism might also [...]

by Hsueh-Fen S. Kao  and Maria A. Amaya

Received: 19 May 2019;  Published: 07 August 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903065

Background: In 2016, Hispanic/Latino (H/L) Americans made up 8% of the older population (≥65) and 22.9% of the oldest population (≥85) in the United States. It is projected that the older H/L population will grow to 21% by 2060. Currently the older H/L population depends primarily on their families for care. Methods: Review published caregiving models for older adults in H/L populations. Results: Gradual and inevitable acculturation of H/L caregivers to U.S. social customs, and the mutual relationship within the [...]

by Omid Ranjbar Pouya  , Ahmad Byagowi  , Debbie M. Kelly  and Zahra Moussavi

Received: 20 August 2018;  Published: 27 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1902059

Background: Previous studies have reported that coordinate information (i.e. distance between any two objects in a specific direction) is encoded differently from Virtual Reality (VR) and physical scenes. However, the accuracy of encoding categorical information (i.e. relative positions of objects) from VR scenes has not been adequately investigated. During this study, we used a novel rotating visual scene to study the effects of aging, prior experience with VR, and dementia on the accuracy of encoding categorical [...]

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 Yoko Moriyama  , Timothy Bolt  , Marilyn Luptak  and Nanako Tamiya

Received: 19 February 2019;  Published: 09 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903061

Background: Many informal caregivers providing at-home care to older family members want to continue serving as the primary caregiver if they get sufficient support. A key service enabling continued at-home care is access to unplanned respite care facilities for temporary institutional care on short notice and in emergencies. Methods: This study used city government survey results on service user satisfaction with the Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) system for a mid-sized, Japanese city. From this a range [...]

by Terence Seedsman

Received: 01 August 2021;  Published: 15 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2201195

While increases in life expectancy along with extended longevity can be seen as a success story, there remains the central issue surrounding the health and quality of life for increasing numbers of older people. As populations live longer the idea that older people should be empowered to remain active and productive citizens will be paramount. Questions concerning the meaningfulness, purpose and desirability of living longer present an existential challenge for all and sundry. It is clear, that the speed of populat [...]

by Giuseppe Cocco

Received: 05 September 2020;  Published: 10 September 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003132

Covid-19 pandemic has been infecting a substantial portion of the world population, thereby revealing quality deficits in health care in the majority of the countries around the globe. Severe illness and mortality from Covid-19 infection are present predominantly in minorities; especially they are more frequent in geriatric patients. Unfortunately, our knowledge is limited about what accounts for the variability in immune response from one person to another. This question is far from being merely academic, and find [...]

by Lisa M. Manderino  , Mary Beth Spitznagel  , Divya Yogi-Morren  , John P. Kirwan  , Sangeeta Kashyap  and John Gunstad

Received: 01 August 2018;  Published: 05 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804023

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome are linked to pathological changes in the brain and increased likelihood of cognitive impairment. 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency is commonly found in this population and is associated with cognitive dysfunction in other patient groups. This preliminary study sought to examine whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are is associated with cognitive deficits in this population. Methods: Twenty individuals with T2DM and metabolic syndrome (n = 20, aged 45 to 72) [...]

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 Hanneke van der Wal- Huisman  , Henk Groen  , Erik Heineman  and Barbara L. van Leeuwen

Received: 08 April 2020;  Published: 01 July 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2003125

Postoperative pain has a negative influence on physical and mental recovery and may result in a variety of postoperative complications. Listening to recorded music has been revealed to reduce pain, but in addition to that, live bedside music further offers the possibility to interact with the patient, respond to their emotions, and help them in adapting their conditions. It, therefore, seems appropriate for older surgical patients. This study examines the effect of live bedside music on postoperative elderly patien [...]

by Nathan S. Jiang  , Byron Newton  and Xuezhi Jiang

Received: 28 June 2021;  Published: 19 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104181

Osteoporosis is one of the most common disorders around the world. Osteoporotic fracture especially hip fracture are associated with an increased mortality rate in elders. However, elders with osteoporosis or at high risk of fractures remain largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. The screening, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis must be improved to maintain pace with its fast-growing prevalence. This review will cover risk factors of osteoporosis, screening and diagnosis tools, newfound advancements, curren [...]

by Giuseppe Cocco  and Philipp Amiet

Received: 05 February 2020;  Published: 19 March 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2001111

The present article summarizes the current state of understanding in geriatric cardiology in terms of the main developments in the field. The focus of the present review is on the therapeutics, into the specific characteristics of the elderly pa­tients dealing with the prevention of arterial hypertension, bradycardic arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery syndromes, valve heart diseases, and heart failure. Progress in the field of medicine has rendered possible to treat lethal cardiac diseases in the [...]

by Morisaki Naoko

Received: 23 October 2020;  Published: 28 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103177

Objective: The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between oral exercise and oral function among older adults requiring care in the nursing facilities of Japan. Methodology: The subjects were adults aged 65 years or above, requiring care and admitted to the nursing facilities for older adults in Japan. The subjects performed the assigned oral exercises, which included the exercises focused on the neck, shoulder, upper limbs, tongue, lips, cheek movement, vocalization, and deep breathing, in groups und [...]

by Giuseppe Cocco  and Philipp R. Amiet

Received: 16 January 2021;  Published: 28 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103178

Atrial fibrillation is very common in most old patients who need an adapted therapy due to their comorbidities. Before initiating an antiarrhythmic therapy, possible adverse effects, especially iatrogenic proarrhythmia, and extracardiac side-effects, must be considered. In geriatric patients with atrial fibrillation, heart rate control is the most frequent therapy. Oral anticoagulation plays a vital role in the therapy, but anticoagulation in old patients, who had a bleeding or stroke event, is challenging. Availab [...]

by Ami Rokach

Received: 09 November 2022;  Published: 17 May 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2302236

Social support has been shown to have many positive effects on our lives, health, and ability to grow and flourish. Lack, or diminished social support results in loneliness. This thematic review focuses on the elderly, and the loneliness that is part of the life of many of them. The review highlights the social connections and the expectations that the elderly may have of them, and how being connected to others may alleviate, loneliness. Loneliness is known to negatively affect one’s health, social life, familial r [...]

by Jeanneane Wood-Nartker  , Emily Beuschel  and Denise Guerin

Received: 28 August 2019;  Published: 16 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904095

As people age, environments supporting changing needs can potentially impact their quality of life. Aging often leads to a decrease in the ability of people to interpret sensory cues within their environment. Using Pastalan's Empathic Model as a framework, a list of guidelines for the physical environment was established to address the extrinsic risk factors affecting falls. Attention to these items may not prevent all falls but will mitigate some of the external risks that cause falls for older adults. It is the g [...]

by Sylvia Kirchengast

Received: 23 June 2019;  Published: 08 October 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904077

Background: All over the world we are confronted with an absolute and relative increase in the proportion of older people. In order to develop strategies to keep older people healthy and independent as long as possible, analyses of factors influencing health related quality of life (HRQL) during old age are necessary. The aim of this review is to present the results of three projects carried out in Austria by the author focusing on the impact of social contact and physical activity on HRQL. Methods: The standardize [...]

by Melissa Sandler  , Sulaiman Almohaish  and Gretchen M. Brophy

Received: 11 February 2021;  Published: 16 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101161

Pharmacological management of intracerebral hemorrhage in adult patients over 65 years of age requires special considerations due to differing clinical presentations, underlying organ dysfunction, and more complex medical histories and medication profiles. A literature review of articles focusing on the age-specific pharmacological management of intracerebral hemorrhage was conducted. Treatment approaches and clinical outcomes specific to older adults were evaluated and therapeutic considerations for this populatio [...]

by Emily Roberts  , Greg Clare  , Mahendran Balasubramanian  and Quinn Button

Received: 19 July 2022;  Published: 27 December 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2304264

The global population of adults 65 years of age and older will increase dramatically over the next several decades, presenting economic and social challenges requiring sustainable solutions. Aging is a process in which everyone is already involved, it is a lifelong experience not just a later life occurrence. Changing world demographics illustrate that people are living longer, among the world’s young people, survival to age 80 is expected to be commonplace. This new found “longevity dividend” needs to be maximized [...]

by Adolfo Toledano-Díaz  , Ma Isabel Álvarez  and Adolfo Toledano

Received: 18 December 2019;  Published: 09 May 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2002117

Neurons, from the time of their birth until their death, are always accompanied by neuroglial cells, maintaining very close morphological and functional relationships among themselves. Classically three main neuroglial families have been considered within the central nervous system (CNS): astroglia, oligodendroglia, and microglia. However, using morphological and immuno-cytochemical criteria, several different types/subtypes of neuroglial cells have been identified, each exerting specific physiological and patholog [...]

by Yoram Barak  and Paul Glue

Received: 04 October 2018;  Published: 26 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804021

Patients with AD have shortened life expectancy than the general older population is well established. Loneliness may be another risk factor to consider if we wish to understand and improve the premature mortality of AD.