Geriatrics

No Effect of Multivitamins on Cognition

Sue Hughes December 17, 2013 Taking a daily multivitamin was not associated with cognitive benefits over a 12-year treatment period in male doctors aged 65 years or older in the large-scale Physicians’ Health Study II (PHS II). The study, published online December 17 in Annals of Internal Medicine, was conducted by a group led by […]

Spinal Manipulative Therapy and Exercise for Seniors with Chronic Neck Pain

Michele Maiers, DC, MPH The Spine Journal: Available online 16 November 2013: In Press Abstract Background Context Neck pain, common among the elderly population, has considerable implications on health and quality of life. Evidence supports the use of spinal manipulative therapy and exercise to treat neck pain; however, no studies to date have evaluated the […]

Comparison of radicular symptoms caused by lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly

Rainville J, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Jul 1;38(15):1282-7. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02120, USA. jrainvil@nebh.org Abstract STUDY DESIGN: Comparative study using combined data from 2 prospective cohort studies. OBJECTIVE: To expose the differences between the clinical characteristics of neurogenic claudication from magnetic resonance image-documented lumbar spinal […]

Blood Sugar Tied to Cognitive Function

This cross-sectional study of non-diabetic German adults revealed modest but significant associations between hemoglobin A1C levels and cognitive parameters.

Chiropractic Use and Changes in Health Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries

A Comparative Effectiveness Observational Study Paula A.M. Weigel Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Volume 36, Issue 9 , Pages 572-584, November 2013 Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chiropractic on 5 outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries: increased difficulties performing activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs (IADLs), and […]

COPD Linked to Cognitive Impairment and Memory Loss

Laurie Barclay, MD December 12, 2013 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was associated with increased odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and memory loss in a cross-sectional, population-based study. The study, published in the November issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, also showed a dose–response relationship with COPD duration and increasing risk for cognitive […]

Aerobic Exercise Improves Memory, Brain Function, Physical Fitness

Science Daily Full Story:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131112105024.htm Nov. 12, 2013 — A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas published online in the open-access journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that engaging in a physical exercise regimen helps healthy aging adults improve their memory, brain health and […]

Exercise most effective lifestyle choice for preventing dementia, researchers say

Monday 09 December 2013 Taking regular exercise is the most effective single lifestyle choice people can make to reduce their risk of dementia, according to one of the most extensive studies yet into people’s long-term health outcomes. The 35-year investigation, carried out by researchers at Cardiff University, found that consistently following just four out of […]

Tai Chi and Exercise Keep Seniors Upright

Neil Osterweil November 05, 2013 Full Story (may require free registration): http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/813844 BOSTON — The gentle art of tai chi, as well as strength and flexibility exercises, can help seniors avoid potentially serious falls through conditioning and a gain in self-confidence, according to several new studies. “Seniors who do tai chi become less dependent on their […]

Exercise May Prevent Injuries Caused by Falls

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that fall prevention exercise programs reduced falls in older adults and had other beneficial effects.

Active Leisure Helps Seniors’ Metabolic Health

Final analysis showed that, over the follow-up period, people who reported high levels of NEPA had a 27% lower risk for having a cardiovascular disease event compared with people who reported low levels of NEPA, and were at a 30% lower risk for all-cause mortality — even after excluding events and deaths from the first 3 years of follow-up.

Exercise Frequency, Health Risk Factors, and Diseases of the Elderly

Wolfgang Kemmler, PhD Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Volume 94, Issue 11 , Pages 2046-2053, November 2013 Abstract Objective To determine the effect of exercise frequency on various diseases and risk factors of the elderly. Design Retrospective analysis of a randomized controlled 18-month exercise trial. Setting University ambulatory group setting. Participants Community-dwelling women aged […]

The effect of soybean-derived phosphatidylserine on cognitive performance in elderly with subjective memory complaints: a pilot study.

Richter Y, et al. Clin Interv Aging. 2013;8:557-63. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S40348. Epub 2013 May 21. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of soybean-derived phosphatidylserine (SB-PS) (300 mg/day) in improving cognitive performance in elderly with memory complaints, following a short duration of 12 weeks’ SB-PS administration. METHODS: SB-PS was administered daily for 12 weeks to […]

Low Vitamin D Status Is an Independent Predictor of Increased Frailty and All-Cause Mortality in Older Men

The Health in Men Study Abstract Context and Objective: Hypovitaminosis D and frailty are common in the older population. We aimed to determine whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations are associated with frailty and mortality. Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study. Setting and Participants: Participants included 4203 older men aged 70–88 years in Perth, Western […]

Vitamin D Status Is Associated With Functional Limitations and Functional Decline in Older Individuals

E. Sohl The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism September 1, 2013 vol. 98 no. 9 E1483-E1490 Abstract Context: Vitamin D is known to influence muscle health. A reduction in muscle mass increases the risk of functional limitations among older individuals. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between vitamin D […]

Physical Activity Keeps Seniors Sharp

Published: Sep 24, 2013 By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/WCN/41829 Action Points This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. This longitudinal study of patients with white matter changes revealed that […]

Homocysteine, Depression and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

So what can we recommend to keep the homocysteine level low?

Vitamin D No Help for High BP in Older Adults

08.12.2013 Action Points Note that this randomized trial failed to demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation improves blood pressure in older adults. Be aware that prior observational findings demonstrating an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and systolic blood pressure are unlikely to represent a causal link in the light of this new evidence. Supplementation with […]

Cocoa May Boost Brain Function in Seniors

08.07.2013 by Charles Bankhead Staff Writer, MedPage Today Older people with impaired neurovascular coupling at baseline who drank two cups of cocoa a day for a month had significant improvement in cognitive function and blood flow in the brain, investigators reported. Among patients with impaired neurovascular coupling (NVC, a measure of cerebral blood flow), performance […]

Spinal posture in the sagittal plane is associated with future dependence in activities of daily living

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Jul;68(7):869-75. doi: 10.1093/gerona/gls253. Epub 2013 Jan 28. Spinal posture in the sagittal plane is associated with future dependence in activities of daily living: a community-based cohort study of older adults in Japan. Kamitani K1, Michikawa T, Iwasawa S, Eto N, Tanaka T, Takebayashi T, Nishiwaki Y. Author information Abstract BACKGROUND: Accumulated evidence shows how […]