BACKGROUND: As the elderly population grows and increasing average life expectancy, medical needs and utilization by elderly people are rapid increase in recent years. It is thus essential that elderly people are included in clinical studies. There are also needed the standardization of age grouping and guideline of the elderly for the purpose of relative review between studies. And a study must include what age was used as a cut off value. So we set out to discover age grouping, cut off ages and guideline age of the elderly in two major Korean medical journals. METHODS: We examined all original research papers in all the issues of the Korean Journal of Medicine (KJM), and the Journal of The Korean Surgical Society (JKSS) between January 1995 and December 1997. We excluded animal works and papers concerned with special age (children, soldiers). Of the remaining 931 (386 KJM/545 JKSS) papers, we reviewed how many papers included elderly people in them, age grouping and regularity, age group intervals, cut off age, and of the specific to the elderly papers, what age was used as guideline age of the elderly. RESULTS: Of the reviewed 931 papers, included above 60-year were 701 (75.3%), excluded were 166 (17.8%), and no age limit was set in 64 (6.9%) papers. Of the 701 papers that included above 60 years, no age grouping were 349 (49.8%), and 352 (50.2%) had age grouping. Among them, 341 papers used regular intervals, while 11 papers used irregular intervals. Of the 341 regular age interval papers, five year interval were 4, ten year were 322, fifteen year were 2, and twenty year were 13. The cut off age as a specific value were 118, and cut off as a group of ages were 223. Ten papers were specifically about elderly people. Of these papers, the guidelines of the elderly were 60-year in 6, and 65-year in 4 papers. CONCLUSION: Many Korean medical papers included above 60-year people. But near half of them had no age grouping, and no age limit sets were 6.9%. And there were mixed use of 60 and 65 years for guideline of the elderly. So more elderly people should be included in future clinical studies. The standardization of age grouping and guideline of the elderly are also needed.
Aged* ; Animals ; Humans ; Life Expectancy

There are two ways to assess aging: to evaluate the function and to estimate the biological age. The biological age is estimated objectively by measuring the level of biological aging, taking apart with disease. It is measured with some biomarkers, which reflect the change of organ function and body with aging. It is, however, difficult to use in clinical practice. The evaluation of function is more practical and easier to clinicians. The parameters used include Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) to evaluate the level of cognitive function. Balance test, standing up from chair, and walking pace can be checked to evaluate the physical function. Each method has its own limitations in evaluating the degree of aging precisely.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aging* ; Biomarkers ; Walking

No abstract available.
Abortion, Habitual* ; Cytogenetics* ; Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Suicide, Attempted*

No abstract available.
Biopsy* ; Fatty Liver* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Liver*

For elderly patients with many chronic and degenerative diseases (multiple comorbidities) and geriatric syndromes, chronic and complex problems should be comprehensively evaluated. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is an evaluation of elderly patients in which clinical, medical, and functional evaluations are performed together.Current Concepts: Components of CGA include physical, psychological, and socioenvironmental content. In the physical aspect, the presence of various diseases, determination of the severity of each disease, multi-drug intake (polypharmacy), and vaccination records are evaluated. Geriatric syndromes should also be included in the evaluation. The functional evaluation comprises visual acuity, hearing, upper and lower extremity function, gait ability, balance, fall, urinary incontinence, weight change, oral health, nutritional status, and pain. In the psychological aspect, depression and cognitive function status are evaluated. The residential environment, degree of familial and social support, economic status, and advanced medical directives are evaluated in the socioenvironmental aspect.Discussion and Conclusion: Elderly patients with functional disabilities should be screened via the CGA for various problems and geriatric syndromes that the elderly are prone to developing. Problems found require further evaluation, treatment, and management. In this way, the health and quality of life of the elderly can be maintained and improved.

In older patients with chronic and degenerative diseases (multiple morbidities), geriatric syndromes, chronic and complex problems should be comprehensively evaluated. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) includes simultaneous clinical, medical, and functional evaluation of older patients. The components of CGA include physical, psychological, and socio-environmental content. Exhibiting multiple morbidities, disease severity, multidrug intake (polypharmacy), and vaccinations were evaluated from a physical perspective. Geriatric syndromes should also be evaluated. Functional evaluations included visual acuity, hearing, upper and lower extremity function, gait ability, balance, falls, urinary incontinence, weight change, oral health, nutritional status, and pain. Psychological aspects, such as depression and cognitive function status, were evaluated. The residential environment, degree of family and social support, economic status, and advanced medical directives were evaluated from a socio-environmental perspective. Older patients with functional disabilities should be screened through CGA for various problems and geriatric syndromes. However, these issues require further evaluation, treatment, and management. Thus, the health and quality of life of older adults can be maintained and improved.

In older patients with chronic and degenerative diseases (multiple morbidities), geriatric syndromes, chronic and complex problems should be comprehensively evaluated. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) includes simultaneous clinical, medical, and functional evaluation of older patients. The components of CGA include physical, psychological, and socio-environmental content. Exhibiting multiple morbidities, disease severity, multidrug intake (polypharmacy), and vaccinations were evaluated from a physical perspective. Geriatric syndromes should also be evaluated. Functional evaluations included visual acuity, hearing, upper and lower extremity function, gait ability, balance, falls, urinary incontinence, weight change, oral health, nutritional status, and pain. Psychological aspects, such as depression and cognitive function status, were evaluated. The residential environment, degree of family and social support, economic status, and advanced medical directives were evaluated from a socio-environmental perspective. Older patients with functional disabilities should be screened through CGA for various problems and geriatric syndromes. However, these issues require further evaluation, treatment, and management. Thus, the health and quality of life of older adults can be maintained and improved.

In older patients with chronic and degenerative diseases (multiple morbidities), geriatric syndromes, chronic and complex problems should be comprehensively evaluated. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) includes simultaneous clinical, medical, and functional evaluation of older patients. The components of CGA include physical, psychological, and socio-environmental content. Exhibiting multiple morbidities, disease severity, multidrug intake (polypharmacy), and vaccinations were evaluated from a physical perspective. Geriatric syndromes should also be evaluated. Functional evaluations included visual acuity, hearing, upper and lower extremity function, gait ability, balance, falls, urinary incontinence, weight change, oral health, nutritional status, and pain. Psychological aspects, such as depression and cognitive function status, were evaluated. The residential environment, degree of family and social support, economic status, and advanced medical directives were evaluated from a socio-environmental perspective. Older patients with functional disabilities should be screened through CGA for various problems and geriatric syndromes. However, these issues require further evaluation, treatment, and management. Thus, the health and quality of life of older adults can be maintained and improved.

In older patients with chronic and degenerative diseases (multiple morbidities), geriatric syndromes, chronic and complex problems should be comprehensively evaluated. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) includes simultaneous clinical, medical, and functional evaluation of older patients. The components of CGA include physical, psychological, and socio-environmental content. Exhibiting multiple morbidities, disease severity, multidrug intake (polypharmacy), and vaccinations were evaluated from a physical perspective. Geriatric syndromes should also be evaluated. Functional evaluations included visual acuity, hearing, upper and lower extremity function, gait ability, balance, falls, urinary incontinence, weight change, oral health, nutritional status, and pain. Psychological aspects, such as depression and cognitive function status, were evaluated. The residential environment, degree of family and social support, economic status, and advanced medical directives were evaluated from a socio-environmental perspective. Older patients with functional disabilities should be screened through CGA for various problems and geriatric syndromes. However, these issues require further evaluation, treatment, and management. Thus, the health and quality of life of older adults can be maintained and improved.