Human ; Time ; Aging ; Healthy Aging

BACKGROUND

Aging is an inevitable aspect of life, and to create a plan for healthy aging, it is crucial to determine the prevalence of geriatric syndromes. This information is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality and to develop tailored intervention programs.

To determine the clinical utility of the 10-minute Geriatric Screener as a screening tool at the Outpatient Department in Southern Philippines Medical Center; and to determine the prevalence of geriatric syndrome and its associated risk factors.

Prospective cross-sectional study design. The study was conducted in the Southern Philippines Medical Center Outpatient Department. This study evaluated 170 geriatric patients at the Southern Philippines Medical Center.

There were 110 cases (164.71%) classified as a low-risk level and 60 (35.29%) as high-risk. Sex does not significantly dictate a pattern of geriatric syndrome classification (X2=0.006; p=0.936). However, a marginal significance was seen for civil status, where widowed patients have a high risk of geriatric syndrome (X2=7.506; p=0.057). Patients with a high risk of geriatric syndrome are significantly older (69+5.91 vs. 65+.98; t=4.014; pCONCLUSION

Those patients aged more than 70 years old, widowed, visually impaired, and with physical disability will more likely be classified as high-risk geriatric syndrome. These findings underscore the complex interplay of age and specific health conditions in determining risk profiles, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and further investigation into the nuanced factors influencing health risks in similar populations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The built environment or physical environment consists of surroundings and conditions constructed by human activity. It includes urban design, neighborhoods, transportation, and smaller scale structures like the design and layout of rooms within buildings. The built environment can affect the physical, social, and functional wellbeing of older adults, both within their own homes and in the neighborhoods in which they live, and additionally plays a part in promoting healthy aging. This narrative review of the literature aims to present the ways in which the built environment can influence the functional ability of community-dwelling older adults, and affect their ability to live independently and age in place.

Narrative literature review and inductive thematic analysis.

Forty-five full-text, English language publications from peer-reviewed sources were selected for this review, with the majority (35) presenting quantitative research findings and originating from North America (28). Older adults in rural and developing countries were underrepresented in the literature, despite acknowledgement that health of the aging population is a worldwide problem. Three major themes emerged. First, the built environment affects older adults in the most fundamental way at home through design considerations, modifications, and technological advances promoting aging in place and accessibility. Secondly, built environments outside the home can affect older adults’ physical activity and overall function with regard to mobility, transportation, and activities of daily living. The majority (22 of 45 publications) focused on this theme. Finally, the built environment in neighborhoods can affect older adults’ perception of social support, their social participation, and quality of life.

As the built environment is created by humans and can be substantially modified, it possesses considerable potential for enhancing functional ability, social participation, and overall quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. It is possible to design a better person-environment fit, promoting safety, independence, optimal health, and quality of life. In order to support healthy aging, improvements in the built environment need to be accompanied by appropriate health and social policies, systems, and services. These changes require political will, as well as material resources that may not be readily available especially in the global South. A socioecological approach with adequate resources directed to older adults’ health and healthcare is necessary in order to achieve the ultimate goal of healthy aging in this population.

healthy subjects were compared via the Mann-Whitney U test. Other risk factors for AMD were identified via a logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: Estimated MPOD decreased significantly with increasing age in the general population. In the simple regression analysis, a statistically significant linear regression model was observed, and the estimated values of MPOD decreased by −0.005 as age increased by 1 year. Aged (> 50 years) showed lower MPOD than younger (30–49 years) subjects. But, in the healthy population, the estimated MPOD values exhibited a decreasing trend with age, but there were no significant differences according to age, after excluding patients with AMD. MPOD was significantly lower in patients with AMD than in aged healthy controls. Furthermore, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking were identified as risk factors for AMD.CONCLUSION: MPOD measured with MPSII® reflects the MP density in healthy individuals and patients with dry AMD. Aging was not significantly associated with low MPOD in healthy population, but the presence of dry AMD was significantly associated with low MPOD. Then, low MPOD may be a risk factor for development of dry AMD. Furthermore, routine screening with MPS II® for ages 50 and older is thought to help detect early low MPOD and identify individuals who should take supplements.]]>
Aging ; Dyslipidemias ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Macular Degeneration ; Macular Pigment ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Photometry ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: To let the early elderly live well, understanding how lifestyle and psychosocial factors related to a decline in competence in daily living is important. METHODS: We investigated the associations between lifestyle and psychosocial factors at age 64 years and a decline in the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence score of ≥ 2 points at age 70 years among the participants in comprehensive medical check-ups living in a city in Japan. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed separately for men and women. RESULTS: Of the 1113 eligible men and 1203 eligible women, 110 men and 80 women showed a deteriorated competence in daily living during the 6 years. In men, risk was increased with ≥ 2 nighttime awakenings (multivariable odds ratio [mOR] 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-3.86) and living alone (mOR 4.68, 95% CI 1.22-18.0), whereas risk was significantly decreased with a medium or fast gait (mOR 0.37 and 0.21, 95% CI 0.21-0.67 and 0.08-0.58) and high academic achievement (mOR 0.32 and 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-0.53 and 0.25-0.72). In women, risk was decreased with high life satisfaction (mOR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.91) and participation in community activities (mOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29-0.86) but increased with depressive mood (mOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.09-3.18). CONCLUSION Living alone for men and low life satisfaction for women at age 64 years were markedly associated with the risk of a subsequent declining competence in daily living.
Activities of Daily Living ; psychology ; Aged ; Cohort Studies ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Healthy Aging ; Humans ; Independent Living ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Japan ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physical Functional Performance ; Protective Factors ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Suppression head impulse paradigm (SHIMP) in video head impulse test is now newly used to test vestibular function. The aim of this study was to analyze normative values of SHIMP for healthy Korean subjects in each decade of life. METHODS: SHIMP and HIMP responses were measured with the video head impulse test in 70 healthy subjects. Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain and anticompensatory saccade were analyzed and compared at each decade of life. RESULTS: All subjects produced anticompensatory saccades in SHIMP. Gain values did not vary significantly with age. Gain values in SHIMP were lower than gain values in HIMP. The gain values of rightward impulse were higher than the gain values of leftward impulse. CONCLUSIONS: Gain values and anticompensatory saccades in SHIMP were consistently equal in each decade of life. Normative values of SHIMP seems largely unaffected by aging.
Aging ; Head ; Head Impulse Test ; Healthy Volunteers ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Saccades

OBJECTIVE: Recent reports of hearing impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) have suggested that auditory dysfunction could be a non-motor manifestation of PD. These reports were based on observations of elderly patients for whom presbycusis may, to some extent, have contributed to hearing dysfunction. Therefore, we aimed to explore the auditory functions in younger patients with PD. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in a relatively younger (< 55 years of age at study time) population of PD patients and healthy volunteers to test whether auditory dysfunction is a significant non-motor dysfunction in PD. Pure tone audiometry (PTA) and brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) were performed in all participants. RESULTS: None of the patients or controls reported hearing deficits. Fifty-one patients with PD and 50 healthy volunteers who were age- and gender-matched to the patients participated. PTA-detected hearing impairment was found in 64.7% of patients and 28% of controls (p < 0.001) for both low-mid and/or high frequencies. Hearing impairment was more frequent in the younger subgroups of patients than age-matched controls, while the frequency of hearing impairment was similar in older groups of subjects. BERA was not different between patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic auditory dysfunction is a common non-motor manifestation of early-onset PD and more frequent in younger patients, indicating that it may be independent of aging. The mechanism underlying this dysfunction appears to be peripheral, although a central dysfunction cannot be ruled out based on the findings of this study.
Aged ; Aging ; Audiometry ; Audiometry, Evoked Response ; Brain Stem ; Case-Control Studies ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing ; Humans ; Parkinson Disease ; Presbycusis

Objectives: To describe the socio-demographic and psychological characteristics of self-rated successful agers among seniors 60 years old above in Quezon City Philippines. Methodology: The sample (N=346) was obtained from a random sampling of voluntary attendees invited to a mental health screening program scheduled in six districts spanning from June to October of 2017. Proposed psychosocial factors of healthy aging were assessed through demographics and the following scales:1)-Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test in Pilipino (MOCA-P), 2) Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale in Pilipino (HADS-P), 3) Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDR-10) and 4) World Health Organization Quality of Life using (WHOQOLBREF). Successful Agers were defined as participants who scored themselves seven or above (:2:7) in the Self-Rated Successful Aging (SRSA) scale. Results: Seventy percent (70%) of the respondents (N=238) considered themselves as successful agers. Among the demographic variables, being female and the frequency of social visits were related to successful aging. Self-reported successful agers (SRSA) had no dementia with (MOCA-P mean of 21). They were not depressed (HADS-D mean 1.8) or anxious (HADS-A mean 3.4); had good quality of life (WHOQOL mean 3.4) and positive perceived health (WHOQOL mean3.3). Successful Quezon City Filipino agers were not as resilient (CD-RISC) with a mean of 27. Conclusion Like most studies in successful aging, quality of life and perceived health and strong family support were related to self-rated successful aging in this group of Filipino senior citizens. There was no relationship with cognitive function and resilience, which may be due to the exclusion of cognitively impaired participants and the lack of a validated cut-off score for the Filipino translated resilience scale used.
Healthy Aging ; Quality of Life

The present study aims to analyze sperm concentration trends among young and healthy Chinese adults in Wuhan, Central China, from 2010 to 2015. Semen analysis data from 9357 participants were collected and analyzed using a general linear model and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. A significant decline was observed in sperm concentration (β [standard deviation]: -1.53 [0.16]; P < 0.001). In addition, a decline in sperm density was observed by stratifying student versus nonstudent sperm donors and by analyzing the year of birth or birth year cohort of the participants. Furthermore, the percentage of participants with sperm densities of over 40 × 10⁶ ml^-1 significantly decreased with year. Notably, a dramatic decline in sperm density was recorded over the first 5 years of study. This research reported a decline in sperm concentration among young adults in Wuhan, Central China, in 2010-2015.
Adult ; Aging ; China/epidemiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Tissue Donors ; Young Adult

In recent years, great effort has been made in the promotion of healthy aging in China. The core indicator of a country's healthy aging is the level of body health, mental health, social adaptation and quality of life (QOL) of the elderly. This paper summarizes the concept and the progress in the research of healthy ageing and the leading role of geriatric epidemiology. Articles on column "Pay attention to function and health of elderly" analyze the basic conditions affecting the QOL of the elderly, such as disability, comorbidity and Alzheimer disease prevalence, in the elderly in China and related risk factors to describe the severity of different health problems affecting the QOL of the elderly in different areas of China and provide essential data for developing effective health approaches and conducting targeted intervention foe healthy aging.
Aged ; Aging ; China ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatrics/trends* ; Health Status ; Healthy Aging ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Research/trends*