scholarly journals Pathobiology of aging and age-related diseases is the official journal of the Geropathology Research Network

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1593786
Author(s):  
Warren Ladiges
Author(s):  
Honor Young ◽  
Sara Jayne Long ◽  
G J Melendez-Torres ◽  
Hyun Sue Kim ◽  
Gillian Hewitt ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study examines the prevalence of dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimization, perpetration and joint victimization and perpetration, and associations between DRV and socio-demographic characteristics. Methods Cross-sectional self-report data from 74 908 students aged 11–16 from 193 schools across Wales were collected and analysed using generalized estimating equations to examine prevalence and predictors of emotional and physical DRV victimization, perpetration and joint victimization and perpetration. Results More girls reported emotional victimization (28%) and perpetration (18%) than boys (20% and 16%, respectively). More girls (8%) than boys (7%) reported physical perpetration. However, boys (17%) reported more physical victimization than girls (12%). Age-related trajectories of DRV victimization and perpetration were stronger in girls than in boys. Students from single or step parent homes, those in care, and certain ethnic minority groups had increased odds of DRV. No association was found between socioeconomic status and DRV. Conclusions Age-related trajectories and the lack of social patterning by socioeconomic status point to the value of early, universal interventions, while some evidence of ethnic patterning and family structure-related risk factors suggest areas for further research and targeted interventions. DRV continues to be a major public health problem for which little UK-specific intervention evidence exists.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S13-S13
Author(s):  
Lyndon Joseph ◽  
CarlV Hill

Abstract Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence and burden of diseases, mortality rates and causes of death that exist among population groups. Health disparities are associated with a broad, complex, and interrelated array of factors that influence health, accelerate aging and reduce life expectancy. NIA’s health disparities research goals are to understand environmental and sociocultural factors and related behavioral and biological mechanisms that diminish health and reduce life expectancy for vulnerable populations, explore the biological mechanisms through which disparities influence age-related change, and identify where disparities emerge in diagnosis, prognosis or treatment in geriatric conditions. Presentations will focus on whether structural-level discrimination may be a key factor in potentiating well known race-related health disparities especially those with an accelerated onset and may be associated with MRI-indicators of subclinical brain pathology; identifying biomarkers for early detection of cognitive and functional decline in high risk subpopulations and how ethnicity influences cerebral spinal fluid and imaging biomarkers link to early identification of cognitive and functional impairment ; effects of medication management and deprescribing among African American and Hispanic older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and multiple chronic conditions; examine the use of multi-level factors and technology to overcome the barriers to urban-rural health disparities in managing many chronic diseases such as hepatitis C virus infection and delivery of appropriate medical services; and understanding the racial and ethnic differences in the link between environmental exposures and auto-immune comorbid asthma.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 226-226
Author(s):  
Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili ◽  
Justine Sefcik ◽  
Katherine Clark ◽  
Kathleen Fisher ◽  
Jina Huh-Yoo ◽  
...  

Abstract The Cell2Society Aging Research Network at Drexel University is a university-wide, novel ecosystem for the pursuit of use-inspired aging research focused on topics from cellular to societal level. Our goals include: 1) Engaging stakeholders to jointly participate in age-related research; 2) Collaborating to build an infrastructure for age-related research through team science; 3) Develop and implement person-centered research that matters to older adults. We apply interdisciplinary, use-inspired approaches in three areas of relevance to older individuals, their families, healthcare and payment systems, communities and policy makers: (a) preventing and managing chronic conditions, (b) enhancing active and purposeful living, and (c) enabling aging in place in home and communities. Our initial qualitative study described facilitators and barriers experienced by community-based service providers (N=9) and payers/providers (N=5) in the greater Philadelphia area when engaging with academic investigators. We conducted three focus groups. Participants were mostly female (64%), white (64%) and were at their organization between 1-10 years (79%).Conventional content analysis revealed that successful research partnerships were facilitated by: 1) trusted investigators and academic institutions and 2) demonstrated collaborative qualities of investigators (e.g., good communication; provides staff education). Negative experiences engaging with academic-led research were related to: 1) research leaving the community (e.g., results never being shared) and 2) organizational limitations (e.g., lack of internal resources to complete projects). These findings will inform the development of stakeholder-academic partnerships from 2020 onward to design use-inspired aging research initiatives.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-417
Author(s):  
Pallavi Prathivadi ◽  
Chris Barton ◽  
Danielle Mazza

Abstract Background Over the last three decades, Australian opioid-prescribing rates and related morbidity and mortality have dramatically increased. Opioids are frequently prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) to manage chronic non-cancer pain, despite evidence-based recommendations from the Centre for Disease Control, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and World Health Organization widely cautioning their use. Little is known about the factors influencing the opioid prescribing decisions of Australian GPs, especially when not evidence based. Objective To explore the opioid prescribing knowledge, attitudes and practices of Australian GPs. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs recruited from the Monash University practice-based research network in metropolitan, southeastern Melbourne. Thematic analysis was used to identify emergent themes. Data were managed using QSR NVivo. Ethics approval was granted by Monash University. Results Three key themes emerged. GP attitudes towards opioid use for chronic pain varied by age of patient and goals for therapy. Use of opioids for elderly patients was positively perceived. GPs were reluctant to use opioids in younger patients due to fears of addiction and difficulty weaning. GPs felt obliged to prescribe opioids recommended by specialists, even if they believed the opioids were unsafe. Conclusion This study identified and described the patient-centred nature of GP opioid prescribing decisions. Patient age and perceived age-related opioid harm were important factors influencing prescribing decisions. Future work should inform interventions that value GP autonomy while still encouraging a collaborative inter-speciality approach to managing chronic pain patients with opioids.


2011 ◽  
Vol 05 (01) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
José Cunha-Vaz ◽  
Eberhart Zrenner ◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
...  

Loss of vision is a major threat for the ageing European society as its incidence quickly increases with age. While cataract is handled well by microsurgery, other blinding conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal dystrophies, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy cannot be treated well. On the other hand, knowledge about endogenous and exogenous factors increases rapidly in basic research, opening new pathways to therapy. It will be increasingly important to foster translational research to bring such new strategies in genetics, proteomics, metabolomics and new drug delivery systems for neuroprotection, stem cell research and optogenetics from bench to bedside. Adequate funding for this translational research has to be ensured. These goals are strongly supported by the European Vision Institute (EVI) and by the European Vision Institute Clinical Research Network (EVICR.net), a clinical research network that comprises more than 70 certified sites to perform clinical studies in the field of ophthalmology and by the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN). These developments, their aims and accomplishments are described here.


Author(s):  
W. Krebs ◽  
I. Krebs

Various inclusion bodies occur in vertebrate retinal photoreceptor cells. Most of them are membrane bound and associated with phagocytosis or they are age related residual bodies. We found an additional inclusion body in foveal cone cells of the baboon (Papio anubis) retina.The eyes of a 15 year old baboon were fixed by immersion in cacodylate buffered glutaraldehyde (2%)/formaldehyde (2%) as described in detail elsewhere . Pieces of retina from various locations, including the fovea, were embedded in epoxy resin such that radial or tangential sections could be cut.Spindle shaped inclusion bodies were found in the cytoplasm of only foveal cones. They were abundant in the inner segments, close to the external limiting membrane (Fig. 1). But they also occurred in the outer fibers, the perikarya, and the inner fibers (Henle’s fibers) of the cone cells. The bodies were between 0.5 and 2 μm long. Their central diameter was 0.2 to 0. 3 μm. They always were oriented parallel to the long axis of the cone cells. In longitudinal sections (Figs. 2,3) they seemed to have a fibrous skeleton that, in cross sections, turned out to consist of plate-like (Fig.4) and tubular profiles (Fig. 5).


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 119-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Carroll ◽  
Graeme Hewitt ◽  
Viktor I. Korolchuk

Autophagy is a process of lysosome-dependent intracellular degradation that participates in the liberation of resources including amino acids and energy to maintain homoeostasis. Autophagy is particularly important in stress conditions such as nutrient starvation and any perturbation in the ability of the cell to activate or regulate autophagy can lead to cellular dysfunction and disease. An area of intense research interest is the role and indeed the fate of autophagy during cellular and organismal ageing. Age-related disorders are associated with increased cellular stress and assault including DNA damage, reduced energy availability, protein aggregation and accumulation of damaged organelles. A reduction in autophagy activity has been observed in a number of ageing models and its up-regulation via pharmacological and genetic methods can alleviate age-related pathologies. In particular, autophagy induction can enhance clearance of toxic intracellular waste associated with neurodegenerative diseases and has been comprehensively demonstrated to improve lifespan in yeast, worms, flies, rodents and primates. The situation, however, has been complicated by the identification that autophagy up-regulation can also occur during ageing. Indeed, in certain situations, reduced autophagosome induction may actually provide benefits to ageing cells. Future studies will undoubtedly improve our understanding of exactly how the multiple signals that are integrated to control appropriate autophagy activity change during ageing, what affect this has on autophagy and to what extent autophagy contributes to age-associated pathologies. Identification of mechanisms that influence a healthy lifespan is of economic, medical and social importance in our ‘ageing’ world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-872
Author(s):  
Fernanda Borowsky da Rosa ◽  
Adriane Schmidt Pasqualoto ◽  
Catriona M. Steele ◽  
Renata Mancopes

Introduction The oral cavity and pharynx have a rich sensory system composed of specialized receptors. The integrity of oropharyngeal sensation is thought to be fundamental for safe and efficient swallowing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at risk for oropharyngeal sensory impairment due to frequent use of inhaled medications and comorbidities including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Objective This study aimed to describe and compare oral and oropharyngeal sensory function measured using noninstrumental clinical methods in adults with COPD and healthy controls. Method Participants included 27 adults (18 men, nine women) with a diagnosis of COPD and a mean age of 66.56 years ( SD = 8.68). The control group comprised 11 healthy adults (five men, six women) with a mean age of 60.09 years ( SD = 11.57). Spirometry measures confirmed reduced functional expiratory volumes (% predicted) in the COPD patients compared to the control participants. All participants completed a case history interview and underwent clinical evaluation of oral and oropharyngeal sensation by a speech-language pathologist. The sensory evaluation explored the detection of tactile and temperature stimuli delivered by cotton swab to six locations in the oral cavity and two in the oropharynx as well as identification of the taste of stimuli administered in 5-ml boluses to the mouth. Analyses explored the frequencies of accurate responses regarding stimulus location, temperature and taste between groups, and between age groups (“≤ 65 years” and “> 65 years”) within the COPD cohort. Results We found significantly higher frequencies of reported use of inhaled medications ( p < .001) and xerostomia ( p = .003) in the COPD cohort. Oral cavity thermal sensation ( p = .009) was reduced in the COPD participants, and a significant age-related decline in gustatory sensation was found in the COPD group ( p = .018). Conclusion This study found that most of the measures of oral and oropharyngeal sensation remained intact in the COPD group. Oral thermal sensation was impaired in individuals with COPD, and reduced gustatory sensation was observed in the older COPD participants. Possible links between these results and the use of inhaled medication by individuals with COPD are discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 892-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Allen Fox ◽  
Lida G. Wall ◽  
Jeanne Gokcen

This study examined age-related differences in the use of dynamic acoustic information (in the form of formant transitions) to identify vowel quality in CVCs. Two versions of 61 naturally produced, commonly occurring, monosyllabic English words were created: a control version (the unmodified whole word) and a silent-center version (in which approximately 62% of the medial vowel was replaced by silence). A group of normal-hearing young adults (19–25 years old) and older adults (61–75 years old) identified these tokens. The older subjects were found to be significantly worse than the younger subjects at identifying the medial vowel and the initial and final consonants in the silent-center condition. These results support the hypothesis of an age-related decrement in the ability to process dynamic perceptual cues in the perception of vowel quality.


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