The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2015
Platelet-monocyte aggregate formation and mortality risk in older patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.
Aging-related changes in platelet and monocyte interactions may contribute to adverse outcomes in sepsis but remain relatively unexamined. We hypothesized that differential platelet-monocyte aggregate (PMA) formation in older septic patients alters inflammatory responses and mortality. ⋯ Increased PMA formation, and associated proinflammatory monokine synthesis, predicts mortality in older septic patients. Although larger studies are needed, our findings suggest that heightened PMA formation in older septic patients may contribute to injurious inflammatory responses and an increased risk of mortality.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2015
Strength and function response to clinical interventions of older women categorized by weakness and low lean mass using classifications from the Foundation for the National Institute of Health sarcopenia project.
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project developed data-driven cut-points for clinically meaningful weakness and low lean body mass. This analysis describes strength and function response to interventions based on these classifications. ⋯ Older women with clinically meaningful muscle weakness increased grip strength and SPPB, regardless of the presence of low lean mass following treatment with interventions for frailty. Thus, results suggest that muscle weakness, as defined by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project, appears to be a treatable symptom.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2015
Coadministration of co-trimoxazole with sulfonylureas: hypoglycemia events and pattern of use.
Coadministration of co-trimoxazole with sulfonylureas is reported to increase the risk of hypoglycemia. ⋯ Coadministration of co-trimoxazole with sulfonylureas is associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia, compared with noninteracting antibiotics. Such coadministration is prevalent among older diabetic patients in the United States, especially in patients without an identifiable primary care physician.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Nov 2014
Physical function assessment in a community-dwelling population of U.S. Chinese older adults.
This report describes the levels of physical function in U.S. Chinese older adults utilizing self-reported and performance-based measures, and examines the association between sociodemographic characteristics and physical function. ⋯ Utilizing self-reported and performance-based measures of physical function in a large population-based study of U.S. Chinese older adults, our findings expand current understanding of minority older adults' functional status.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Nov 2014
The neural basis of age-related changes in motor imagery of gait: an fMRI study.
Aging is often associated with modifications of gait. Recent studies have revealed a strong relationship between gait and executive functions in healthy and pathological aging. We hypothesized that modification of gait due to aging may be related to changes in frontal lobe function. ⋯ Besides demonstrating a general overlap in brain regions recruited in young and older participants, this study shows age-related changes in cerebral activation during mental imagery of gait. Our results underscore the importance of executive function (dorsolateral frontal cortex) and spatial navigation or memory function (hippocampus) in gait control in elderly individuals.