scholarly journals Lower human defensin 5 in elderly people compared to middle-aged is associated with differences in the intestinal microbiota composition: the DOSANCO Health Study

GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Shimizu ◽  
Kiminori Nakamura ◽  
Mani Kikuchi ◽  
Shigekazu Ukawa ◽  
Koshi Nakamura ◽  
...  

AbstractRecently, aging is considered a risk factor for various diseases. Although changes in the intestinal microbiota along with aging are thought to associate with the increased disease risk, mechanisms that cause age-related transition of the intestinal microbiota remain unknown. This study aims to clarify relationships between the amount of human defensin 5 (HD5), a Paneth cell α-defensin, which is known to regulate the intestinal microbiota, and age-related differences of the intestinal microbiota composition. Fecal samples from 196 healthy Japanese (35 to 81 years old) were collected and measured HD5 concentration. HD5 concentration in the elderly group (age > 70 years old) was significantly lower than the middle-aged group (age ≤ 70 years old). Furthermore, individual age was negatively correlated with HD5 concentration (r =  − 0.307, p < 0.001). In β-diversity, the intestinal microbiota of the elderly showed a significantly different composition compared to the middle-aged. At the genus level, relative abundance of Collinsella, Alistipes, Peptococcaceae; unassigned, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Weissella, Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Megasphaera, and [Eubacterium] eligens group was significantly higher, and Lachnospiraceae; unassigned, Blautia, Anaerostipes, Fusicatenibacter, Dorea, and Faecalibacterium was significantly lower in the elderly compared to the middle-aged. In addition, HD5 concentration was negatively correlated with Alistipes, Peptococcaceae; unassigned, and Christensenellaceae R-7 group and positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae; unassigned and Dorea. These results provide novel insights into the immunosenescence of enteric innate immunity, indicating low HD5 is suggested to contribute to the age-related differences in the intestinal microbiota and may relate to increased risk of diseases in elderly people.

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Luszcz

Attitudes toward the elderly were considered in a life-span context relative to adolescents and the middle-aged. These groups were chosen based on theorized commonalities linking adolescents and the elderly in contrast to the middle-aged. Undergraduate students used a semantic differential to rate the extent to which adjectives corresponded to their conceptions of ideal, real, and typical adolescents, middle-aged, and elderly people. Four subscales of Autonomy, Instrumentality, Acceptability, and Integration were assessed. When students considered their ideal conceptions of each age group, no age-related differences were evidenced on any dimensions. Further, across age, typical individuals were considered to be less acceptable and less well-integrated than people known by students. However, autonomy and instrumentality varied with age as well as the type of individuals being rated. Typical old people as well as old people known to students were viewed to be less instrumental than adolescents. These elderly people were also viewed as less instrumental than real but not typical middle-aged people. Adolescents and the elderly alike were seen as less autonomous than real or typical middle-aged people. Results were discussed in terms of Chellam's notion of symmetry that suggests that balance, likeness, and oppositeness each characterize relations among adolescents, the middle-aged, and the elderly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba Farheen ◽  
Sudhanshu Agrawal ◽  
Swaleha Zubair ◽  
Anshu Agrawal ◽  
Fauzia Jamal ◽  
...  

During the last 2 years, the entire world has been severely devastated by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic (COVID-19) as it resulted in several million deaths across the globe. While the virus infects people indiscriminately, the casualty risk is higher mainly in old, and middle-aged COVID-19 patients. The incidences of COVID-19 associated co-morbidity and mortality have a great deal of correlation with the weakened and malfunctioning immune systems of elderly people. Presumably, due to the physiological changes associated with aging and because of possible comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular, and lung diseases, which are more common in elderly people, may be considered as the reason making the elderly vulnerable to the infection on one hand, and COVID-19 associated complications on the other. The accretion of senescent immune cells not only contributes to the deterioration of host defense, but also results in elevated inflammatory phenotype persuaded immune dysfunction. In the present review, we envisage to correlate functioning of the immune defense of older COVID-19 patients with secondary/super infection, increased susceptibility or aggravation against already existing cancer, infectious, autoimmune, and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Moreover, we have discussed how age-linked modulations in the immune system affect therapeutic response against administered drugs as well as immunological response to various prophylactic measures including vaccination in the elderly host. The present review also provides an insight into the intricate pathophysiology of the aging and the overall immune response of the host to SARS-CoV-2 infection. A better understanding of age-related immune dysfunction is likely to help us in the development of targeted preemptive strategies for deadly COVID-19 in elderly patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-100
Author(s):  
A. K. Iordanishvili ◽  
V. A. Guk ◽  
A. A. Golovko

Relevance. The success of treatment of periodontal diseases directly depends on the patient’s response to the therapy, therefore, the characteristics of the person’s personal characteristics can affect both the effectiveness of treatment and the prevention of relapse of the disease.Purpose. To study the features of the internal picture of the disease in the process of complex treatment of adult patients suffering from chronic generalized periodontitis.Materials and methods. The generally accepted comprehensive treatment of chronic generalized periodontitis in 69 middle-aged and elderly men was carried out taking into account the personal response of patients Solovyov «Psychosensory-anatomical-functional maladaptation syndrome».Results. When patients were discharged from the hospital, there was a difference in the phenomena of maladaptation among the elderly and middle-aged: in middle-aged people, sufficient adaptation to the conditions of existence was determined; in elderly people, due to the existing comorbid pathology, a state of maladaptation was diagnosed, which was caused by the presence of complaints of defects in the dentition.Conclusion. In elderly people, as soon as possible after completion of treatment in a hospital, dental rehabilitation cannot be considered completed, which requires the adoption of organizational measures for their timely provision of dentures.


Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
George Howard ◽  
Mary Cushman ◽  
Maciej Banach ◽  
Brett M Kissela ◽  
David C Goff ◽  
...  

Purpose: The importance of stroke research in the elderly is increasing as America is “graying.” For most risk factors for most diseases (including stroke), the magnitude of association with incident events decreases at older ages. Potential changes in the impact of risk factors could be a “true” effect, or could be due to methodological issues such as age-related changes in residual confounding. Methods: REGARDS followed 27,748 stroke-free participants age 45 and over for an average of 5.3 years, during which 715 incident strokes occurred. The association of the “Framingham” risk factors (hypertension [HTN], diabetes, smoking, AFib, LVH and heart disease) with incident stroke risk was assessed in age strata of 45-64 (Young), 65-74 (Middle), and 75+ (Old). For those with and without an “index” risk factor (e.g., HTN), the average number of “other” risk factors was calculated. Results: With the exception of AFib, there was a monotonic decrease in the magnitude of the impact across the age strata, with HTN, diabetes, smoking and LVH even becoming non-significant in the elderly (Figure 1). However, for most factors, the increasing prevalence of other risk factors with age impacts primarily those with the index risk factor absent (Figure 2, example HTN as the “index” risk factor). Discussion: The impact of stroke risk factors substantially declined at older ages. However, this decrease is partially attributable to increases in the prevalence of other risk factors among those without the index risk factor, as there was little change in the prevalence of other risk factors in those with the index risk factor. Hence, the impact of the index risk factor is attenuated by increased risk in the comparison group. If this phenomenon is active with latent risk factors, estimates from multivariable analysis will also decrease with age. A deeper understanding of age-related changes in the impact of risk factors is needed.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Tariq ◽  
Shekhar Khanpara ◽  
Eliana Bonfante Mejia ◽  
Liang Zhu ◽  
Christy T Ankrom ◽  
...  

Background: While tPA may be safe in the elderly, increasing age appears to augment risk of post-tPA symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) are associated with increased sICH. Patients evaluated for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) via telestroke (TS) may not have access to MRI to allow incorporation of microbleeds in tPA decisions. We assessed if increased CT-based ARWMC was associated with increased sICH in elderly patients. Methods: Patients 80 years and older who received tPA for AIS at spoke hospitals were selected from our TS network registry from 9/2015 to 12/2018. TS spoke CT scans from patient presentation were reviewed by three of the authors for periventricular white matter (PWMC) and deep white matter (DWMC) changes. Total ARWMC score, based on the Fazekas score, was collected. Total ARWMC score was either mild (0-2), moderate (3-4), or severe (5-6). PWMC and DWMC were either mild (0-1) or moderate-severe (2-3). Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, NIHSS and premorbid mRS was used to analyze relationship of ARWMC scores with sICH and patient-outcomes. Results: Of 241 patients, median age overall was 86 years (IQR 83-90), and 66% were female. The overall median ARWMC score was 3 (IQR 2-5). Regression analysis showed that more severe ARWMC scores did not lead to higher frequency of post-tPA ICH (moderate OR 0.57, CI 0.19-1.71; severe OR 1.32, CI 0.48-3.65) including sICH (moderate OR 0.78, CI 0.21-2.94; severe OR 2.09, CI 0.62-7.02). Similarly, severe PWMC and DWMC were not associated with increased risk of post-tPA ICH (PWMC OR 1.31, CI 0.51-3.38; DWMC OR 1.25, CI 0.52-3.01), including sICH (PWMC OR 1.61, CI 0.51-5.08; DWMC OR 1.81, CI 0.65-5.01). In our cohort, older patients had no difference in hemorrhage (ICH OR 0.93 CI 0.85-1.00: sICH OR 0.95 CI 0.86-1.04), and patients with less severe stroke were more likely to have hemorrhage (ICH OR 1.06 CI 1.02-1.10; sICH OR 1.08 CI 1.03-1.13). IRR among the CT scan readers was moderate (k=0.504). Conclusions: ARWMC scores were not associated with post-tPA ICH in the elderly. Our analysis lends support for the use of tPA despite severity of white matter disease. ARWMC should not be used to assist in tPA decision-making in elderly patients via telestroke.


Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 580-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Diego Naranjo ◽  
Jenna L. Dziki ◽  
Stephen F. Badylak

Sarcopenia is a complex and multifactorial disease that includes a decrease in the number, structure and physiology of muscle fibers, and age-related muscle mass loss, and is associated with loss of strength, increased frailty, and increased risk for fractures and falls. Treatment options are suboptimal and consist of exercise and nutrition as the cornerstone of therapy. Current treatment principles involve identification and modification of risk factors to prevent the disease, but these efforts are of limited value to the elderly individuals currently affected by sarcopenia. The development of new and effective therapies for sarcopenia is challenging. Potential therapies can target one or more of the proposed multiple etiologies such as the loss of regenerative capacity of muscle, age-related changes in the expression of signaling molecules such as growth hormone, IGF-1, myostatin, and other endocrine signaling molecules, and age-related changes in muscle physiology like denervation and mitochondrial dysfunction. The present paper reviews regenerative medicine strategies that seek to restore adequate skeletal muscle structure and function including exogenous delivery of cells and pharmacological therapies to induce myogenesis or reverse the physiologic changes that result in the disease. Approaches that modify the microenvironment to provide an environment conducive to reversal and mitigation of the disease represent a potential regenerative medicine approach that is discussed herein.


Author(s):  
Betsy Szeto ◽  
Chris Valentini ◽  
Anil K Lalwani

ABSTRACT Background The elderly are at increased risk of both hearing loss (HL) and osteoporosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) has been putatively linked to HL. However, the roles of serum calcium concentrations and vitamin D status have yet to be elucidated. Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between vitamin D status, parathyroid hormone (PTH), total calcium, BMD, and HL in a nationally representative sample of elderly adults. Methods Using the NHANES (2005–2010), audiometry and BMD data of 1123 participants aged ≥70 y were analyzed in a cross-sectional manner. HL was defined as pure tone averages &gt;25 dB HL at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz (low frequency); 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz (speech frequency); and 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz (high frequency) in either ear. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relation between HL and total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], PTH, total calcium, and BMD, adjusting for covariates. Results In multivariable analyses, total 25(OH)D &lt; 20 ng/mL was found to be associated with greater odds of low-frequency HL (OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.28, 3.19) and speech-frequency HL (OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.44). A 1-unit decrease in femoral neck BMD (OR: 4.55; 95% CI: 1.28, 16.67) and a 1-unit decrease in total spine BMD (OR: 6.25; 95% CI: 1.33, 33.33) were found to be associated with greater odds of low-frequency HL. Serum PTH and total calcium were not found to be associated with HL. Conclusions In the elderly, low vitamin D status was associated with low-frequency and speech-frequency HL. Low vitamin D status may be a potential risk factor for age-related HL.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Fithriyani Fithriyani ◽  
Miko Eka Putri

Aging is a natural process that can not be avoided, running continuously, and continuously. Based on population projection data the number of elderly people will increase where the most number is found at the age of 60-64 years 94,012 people. Increasing age decreases bodily functions, decreased organ function and changes in blood pressure, therefore the elderly are advised to check their blood pressure regularly. As they age, blood pressure in the elderly will increase so that there is a higher risk of developing hypertension. Hypertension is a major health problem throughout the world, causing a high prevalence and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Some things that need to be considered in an effort to control hypertension include regular exercise, adequate rest, medical, traditional, regulate diet and reduce salt consumption one teaspoon per day. The purpose of this study was to determine the determinants and factors associated with efforts to control hypertension in the elderly at PSTW Budi Luhur, Jambi City. The research method uses descriptive analysis design with cross sectional approach. Samples were conducted for the elderly with hypertension. The research instrument was in the form of questionnaire sheets by interview. The results obtained 40% of elderly people have a history of smoking, 45% are quite good in consuming food, 60% elderly with moderate activity and 60% elderly are good in controlling hypertension. The results of bivariate analysis showed that there was no correlation between determinant factors (smoking history, food consumption, physical activity) and hypertension control efforts in the elderly in PSTW Budi Luhur, Jambi City


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Tylutka ◽  
Barbara Morawin ◽  
Artur Gramacki ◽  
Agnieszka Zembron-Lacny

Abstract Background. The decrease in immunity with age is still a major health concern as elderly people are more susceptible to infections and increased incidence of autoimmunity. Consequently, there is an increasing interest in immunosenescence and changes in immunology cells like T cells. The aim of our study was to find a disproportion in subpopulation of T cells as well as CD4/CD8 ratio depending on the age, gender or comorbidities. Results. In the present study, a flow cytometry was used to indicate the differences between age, sex, disorders and fat content in the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells population divided into naïve and memory cells as well as CD4/CD8 ratio in people aged 71.9± 5.8 years (females n=83, males n=16) compared to young people aged 20.6 ± 1.1 years (females n=12, males n=19). The percentage of naïve CD4+ and CD8+ cells was found to be statistically significantly lower in the elderly compared to the young. In addition, gender was observed to play an important role in the outcomes in the analysed subpopulations and in female group, who live statistically longer than males, our older group of Polish women demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of naïve lymphocytes in both the CD4+ and CD8+ populations compared to men. The CD4/CD8 ratio increases with age, which can be considered one of the markers determining longevity. Elderly people with age-related diseases (hypertension) also show an increased level of CD4/CD8 ratio as well as CD4+. Conclusion. We demonstrated that changes in the T cells population, including naïve cell population as well as CD4/CD8 ratio, are important markers which can be predictive of healthy status. In order to accurately determine longevity, gender or age-associated diseases should be taken into account.


Designs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Yeh Po-Chan

Body function begins to decline in middle age, with changes becoming increasingly noticeable over time. With the popularization of educational and information technology, people know more about healthcare and are becoming accustomed to self-testing using health equipment. Technological changes are reflected in products, which present innovations including the switch from traditional to touch-controlled interface designs. This can cause difficulties in the interpretation and interface operation for older adults, who may be facing physiological and psychological alterations. Understanding users’ physiological limitations has become an important aspect of product design. This study explored the effects of physiological limitations on touch-screen operation in middle-aged and elderly people, specifically regarding button type, display position, and button size. A total of 64 participants were included in the study: 32 middle-aged people (aged 45–64 years) and 32 elderly people (65 years of age and older). Each participant was asked to complete 32 tasks (two button categories × four button sizes × four presentation positions). The results revealed no differences between the elderly and the middle-aged groups with regard to the interpretation of image buttons and text buttons; however, button size affected the operation and interpretation time. Middle-aged participants demonstrated good interpretation performance when the buttons were displayed in the upper or lower part of the screen, whereas elderly participants only had a good interpretation performance when the buttons were in the upper part. For both groups, the ideal image button size was 16 mm with a text font size of 22.


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