The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Nov 2011
Body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of mortality in nonagenarians: the Vitality 90+ Study.
The associations of body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity with mortality among very old people are poorly known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of BMI, waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio with mortality in nonagenarians. ⋯ In nonagenarian men, low BMI and low WC predict increased mortality. In nonagenarian women, waist-to-hip ratio alone and adjusted for BMI is positively associated with mortality. The potential positive effects of overweight combined with WC warrant more detailed analyses in larger data. In all, future studies are needed to better understand the health and functional consequences of body composition among the oldest old.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Oct 2011
Race, socioeconomic resources, and late-life mobility and decline: findings from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study.
This study examines the relationship between race and mobility over 5 years in initially well-functioning older adults and evaluates how a broad set of socioeconomic status indicators affect this relationship. ⋯ Higher rates of mobility loss observed in older blacks relative to older whites appear to be a function of both poorer initial mobility status and existing health conditions particularly for women. Education may also play a role especially for men.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Jul 2011
ReviewHigh yield research opportunities in geriatric emergency medicine: prehospital care, delirium, adverse drug events, and falls.
Emergency services constitute crucial and frequently used safety nets for older persons, an emergency visit by a senior very often indicates high vulnerability for functional decline and death, and interventions via the emergency system have significant opportunities to change the clinical course of older patients who require its services. However, the evidence base for widespread employment of emergency system-based interventions is lacking. In this article, we review the evidence and offer crucial research questions to capitalize on the opportunity to optimize health trajectories of older persons seeking emergency care in four areas: prehospital care, delirium, adverse drug events, and falls.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Jan 2011
Musculoskeletal pain is associated with incident mobility disability in community-dwelling elders.
Identifying mobility disability risk factors may facilitate development of interventions promoting functional independence in older persons. We tested the hypothesis that musculoskeletal pain is associated with first occurrence of severe mobility disability. ⋯ In older persons, musculoskeletal pain is associated with incident mobility disability.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Dec 2010
Comparative StudyAn ACE unit with a delirium room may improve function and equalize length of stay among older delirious medical inpatients.
Patients with delirium, compared with those without, are at increased risk for loss of function, longer hospital stays, and increased mortality. We studied the effect that an Acute Care of the Elderly Unit, which includes a delirium room, has on patients with delirium. ⋯ Although this study sample was small, the results suggest that an Acute Care of the Elderly Unit with a delirium room may improve function among delirious patients and may equalize other outcomes compared with non-delirious patients.