The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Sep 2013
Symptoms of depression in survivors of severe sepsis: a prospective cohort study of older Americans.
To examine if incident severe sepsis is associated with increased risk of subsequent depressive symptoms and to assess which patient characteristics are associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. ⋯ The prevalence of substantial depressive symptoms in severe sepsis survivors is high but is not increased relative to their presepsis levels. Identifying this large subset of severe sepsis survivors at increased risk for major depression, and beginning interventions before hospital discharge, may improve outcomes.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Aug 2013
Characteristics and comorbid symptoms of older adults reporting death ideation.
To determine whether death ideation in late life is associated with markers of elevated risk for suicide, or reflects normal psychological processes in later life. ⋯ Our results indicate a heterogeneous presentation of older adults who report death ideation, with some presenting with acute distress and suicidal thoughts, and others presenting with low distress but histories of serious suicidal ideation. The presence of death ideation is associated with markers of increased risk for suicide, including "worst point" active suicidal ideation.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Aug 2013
Observational StudyMeasures of anticholinergic drug exposure, serum anticholinergic activity, and all-cause postdischarge mortality in older hospitalized patients with hip fractures.
To assess possible associations between anticholinergic drug exposure and serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) and their capacities to predict all-cause mortality in older hospitalized patients. ⋯ Cognitive impairment and n-NA, but not ADSSs, are independently associated with SAA in older hospitalized patients. The ARS score, together with cognitive impairment, in-hospital delirium, place of residence, and length of hospital stay, predicts all-cause mortality in this group.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jul 2013
Unhealthy lifestyles do not mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status and incident depressive symptoms: the Health ABC study.
The relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms is well described, also in older persons. Although studies have found associations between low SES and unhealthy lifestyle factors, and between unhealthy lifestyle factors and depressive symptoms, not much is known about unhealthy lifestyles as a potential explanation of socioeconomic differences in depressive symptoms in older persons. ⋯ In generally healthy persons aged 70-79 years, lifestyle factors do not explain the relationship between SES and depressive symptoms.