The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Nov 2010
Cognitive status and future risk of frailty in older Mexican Americans.
Because cognitive impairment and frailty share common risk factors (eg, high proinflammatory cytokines), we examined whether poor cognition predicts subsequent risk of frailty in initially nonfrail Mexican Americans aged 67 years and older. ⋯ Low Mini-Mental State Examination score was independently associated with increased risk of frailty over a 10-year period in older Mexican Americans. Low Mini-Mental State Examination score may be an early marker for future risk of frailty.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Oct 2010
ReviewMechanisms of vascular aging: new perspectives.
This review focuses on molecular, cellular, and functional changes that occur in the vasculature during aging; explores the links between mitochondrial oxidative stress, inflammation, and development of vascular disease in the elderly patients; and provides a landscape of molecular mechanisms involved in cellular oxidative stress resistance, which could be targeted for the prevention or amelioration of unsuccessful vascular aging. Practical interventions for prevention of age-associated vascular dysfunction and disease in old age are considered here based on emerging knowledge of the effects of anti-inflammatory treatments, regular exercise, dietary interventions, and caloric restriction mimetics.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Oct 2010
Executive function, memory, and gait speed decline in well-functioning older adults.
In community-dwelling older adults, global cognitive function predicts longitudinal gait speed decline. Few prospective studies have evaluated whether specific executive cognitive deficits in aging may account for gait slowing over time. ⋯ In this well-functioning cohort, several cognitive tasks were associated with gait speed cross-sectionally and predicted longitudinal gait speed decline. These data are consistent with a shared pathology underlying cognitive and motor declines but do not suggest that specific executive cognitive deficits account for slowing of usual gait in aging.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Sep 2010
Problem behavior of dementia patients predicts low-grade hypercoagulability in spousal caregivers.
Low-grade hypercoagulability might be one pathway to explain how the chronic stress of dementia caregiving increases cardiovascular disease risk, but the specific aspects of caregiver stress that elicit hypercoagulability are elusive. We hypothesized that dementia patients' problem behaviors and negative reactions of caregivers to these behaviors would relate to hypercoagulability in caregivers. ⋯ Alzheimer patients' problem behavior and their negative appraisal by the caregiver may contribute to the chronic low-grade hypercoagulable state in dementia caregivers.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Sep 2010
Contribution of musculoskeletal pain to postural balance in community-dwelling people aged 75 years and older.
Balance is among the most important prerequisites for safe and independent mobility. Whether musculoskeletal pain is related to standing balance impairment has received limited attention. The aim of this study was to examine the association of musculoskeletal pain with the control of balance in older people. ⋯ The findings demonstrate a direct relationship between the moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain and impaired postural balance. Pain seems to be an important target for the prevention of balance impairment and further mobility limitation among older people.