scholarly journals Herpes zoster vaccination in the elderly subjects: improving awareness and uptake

2015 ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Giovanni Gabutti ◽  
Armando Stefanati ◽  
Nicoletta Valente ◽  
Silvia Lupi ◽  
Sara Previato ◽  
...  
Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2235
Author(s):  
Alyann Otrante ◽  
Amal Trigui ◽  
Roua Walha ◽  
Hicham Berrougui ◽  
Tamas Fulop ◽  
...  

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) maintain cholesterol homeostasis through the role they play in regulating reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), a process by which excess cholesterol is transported back to the liver for elimination. However, RCT can be altered in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as aging, which contributes to the increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) intake on the cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) of HDL, and to elucidate on the mechanisms by which EVOO intake improves the anti-atherogenic activity of HDL. A total of 84 healthy women and men were enrolled and were distributed, according to age, into two groups: 27 young (31.81 ± 6.79 years) and 57 elderly (70.72 ± 5.6 years) subjects. The subjects in both groups were given 25 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for 12 weeks. CEC was measured using J774 macrophages radiolabeled with tritiated cholesterol ((3H) cholesterol). HDL subclass distributions were analyzed using the Quantimetrix Lipoprint® system. The HDL from the elderly subjects exhibited a lower level of CEC, at 11.12% (p < 0.0001), than the HDL from the young subjects. The CEC of the elderly subjects returned to normal levels following 12 weeks of EVOO intake. An analysis of the distribution of HDL subclasses showed that HDL from the elderly subjects were composed of lower levels of large HDL (L-HDL) (p < 0.03) and higher levels of small HDL (S-HDL) (p < 0.002) compared to HDL from the young subjects. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between CEC and L-HDL levels (r = 0.35 and p < 0.001) as well as an inverse correlation between CEC and S-HDL levels (r = −0.27 and p < 0.01). This correlation remained significant even when several variables, including age, sex, and BMI as well as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and glucose levels (β = 0.28, p < 0.002, and β = 0.24, p = 0.01) were accounted for. Consuming EVOO for 12 weeks modulated the age-related difference in the distribution of HDL subclasses by reducing the level of S-HDL and increasing the level of intermediate-HDL/large-HDL (I-HDL/L-HDL) in the elderly subjects. The age-related alteration of the CEC of HDL was due, in part, to an alteration in the distribution of HDL subclasses. A diet enriched in EVOO improved the functionality of HDL through an increase in I-HDL/L-HDL and a decrease in S-HDL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 926.1-926
Author(s):  
M. Mrabet ◽  
S. Boussaid ◽  
S. Jemmali ◽  
H. Sahli ◽  
H. Ajlani ◽  
...  

Background:Tuberculosis is still endemic all over the world. The incidence of tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TS) is steadily increasing. Clinical features and outcomes of this affection are various and depending on various parameters, including age.Objectives:Our objective was to explore the differences in presentation and the results of further investigations and the prognosis of TS between young and elderly subjects.Methods:We conduct a retrospective and descriptive study in a single rheumatology department. Data were collected from files of patients hospitalized in the past 20 years (2000-2020) who have been diagnosed with TS. We carried out a comparative study concerning the clinical biological, imaging features and outcomes between young subjects and subjects aged over 65 years.Results:Fifty-two cases of TS were collected (37F/15M). The mean age of the population was 55.21 years ± 17.79 [19-91]. Thirty-three patients (69.2%) were classified as young versus 16 elderly patients (30.8%), with female predominance in both groups (69.4% and 75% respectively, p = 0.57). Young subjects was more frequently vaccinated (88.9%) by Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) (p < 0.001). A delayed diagnosis was noted in both groups (p = 0.24). Lumbar spine involvement was the most common (57.7%). In the two age ranges, the onset of the disease was progressive (p = 0.22), characterized by segmental spine stiffness (p = 0.57) and lumbar pain with general signs (p = 0.27), such as: impaired general condition, fever, night sweats and weight loss. Biological inflammatory syndrome and normochrome normocytic anemia were encountered in both cases (p = 0.08 and p = 0.2, respectively). Standard X-rays and Computed tomography were more performed in young subjects (94.4% and 69.4%, respectively; p < 0.001), unlike magnetic resonance imaging which was more common in elderly subjects but with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.22). Disc pinch, erosion of vertebral plateaus and vertebral collapse were the major signs (82.7%, 65.4% and 67.3%, respectively). Clinical, biological and imaging arguments contributed to positive diagnosis in both groups (p = 0.24). Common medical treatment was anti-tuberculosis: Isoniazid (H), Rifampicin (R), Pyrazinamide (Z), Ethambutol (E) and physical treatment such as immobilization witch was more common in the eldery (56.3%, p = 0.16). The evolution of the disease was characterized by a clear improvement of young subjects during the second week of treatment (p < 0.001). A more frequent clinical improvement in older subjects was during the fourth week but with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.13). The occurrence of immediate complications was more frequent in the elderly (p = 0.23) with a predominance for drug complications (56.3%) such as: hepatic cytolysis (12.5%), hyperuricemia (18.8%) and major intolerance to anti-tuberculosis (18.8%).Conclusion:TS is a frequent condition that needs to be treated rapidly. the clinical presentation of TS in the elderly is less noisy which leads to more frequent complications and mortality.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


1983 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Cotter ◽  
K. O'Malley

1. Neutrophils from drug-free elderly subjects produced approximately 50% less cyclic AMP in response to isoprenaline than did neutrophils from young subjects. A significant difference in basal cyclic AMP levels was also evident (elderly 2.8 ± 0.37; young 4.9 ± 0.36 pmol of cAMP/107 cells; P < 0.05). 2. With a range of anti-neutrophil monoclonal antibodies no evidence of age-related neutrophil population heterogeneity was found. 3. These findings indicate that the age-related decline in β-adrenoceptor responsiveness is not due to changes in the neutrophil population. 4. The present results support the hypothesis that there is a generalized decline in β-adrenoceptor-mediated responsiveness in the elderly.


1994 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope J. Neild ◽  
Denise Syndercombe-Court ◽  
W. R. Keatinge ◽  
G. C. Donaldson ◽  
M. Mattock ◽  
...  

1. Six elderly (66-71 years) and six young (20-23 years) subjects (half of each group women) were cooled for 2 h in moving air at 18°C to investigate possible causes of increased mortality from arterial thrombosis among elderly people in cold weather. Compared with thermoneutral control experiments, skin temperature (trunk) fell from 35.5 to 29.5°C, with little change in core temperature. 2. Erythrocyte count rose in the cold from 4.29 to 4.69 × 1012/l, without a change in mean corpuscular volume, indicating a 14% or 438 ml decline in plasma volume; increased excretion of water, Na+ and K+ accounted for loss of only 179 ml of extracellular water. 3. Plasma cholesterol and fibrinogen concentrations rose in the elderly subjects from 4.9 mmol/l and 2.97 g/l (control) to 5.45 mmol/l and 3.39 g/l in the cold, and in the young subjects from 3.33 mmol/l and 1.84 g/l (control) to 3.77 mmol/l and 2.07 g/l in the cold. Increases were significant for the elderly subjects, the young subjects and the group as a whole, except for cholesterol in the young subjects, and all were close to those expected from the fall in plasma volume. 4. Plasma levels of Protein C and factor X did not increase significantly in the cold in the elderly subjects, young subjects, or the group as a whole. 5. The results suggest that loss of plasma fluid in the cold concentrates major risk factors for arterial thrombosis, while small molecules, including protective Protein C, redistribute to interstitial fluid.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2464
Author(s):  
Sadayuki Ito ◽  
Hiroaki Nakashima ◽  
Kei Ando ◽  
Kazuyoshi Kobayashi ◽  
Masaaki Machino ◽  
...  

The ratio of human nonmercaptalbumin (HNA) and reduced albumin (HMA) may be a new marker for oxidative stress. Locomotive syndrome (LS) is reduced mobility due to impairment of locomotive organs. We investigated whether the HNA/HMA ratio could be a new biomarker of LS. This study included 306 subjects (mean age 64.24 ± 10.4 years) who underwent LS tests, grip strength, walking speed, and tests for HNA and HMA. Oxidative stress was measured by the ratio of HMA (f(HMA) = (HMA/(HMA + HNA) × 100)), and the subjects were divided into normal (N group; f[HMA] ≥ 70%) and low (L group; f[HMA] < 70%) groups. There were 124 non-elderly (<65 years) and 182 elderly subjects (≥65 years). There were no significant differences in LS, grip strength, and walking speed between the L and N groups in the non-elderly subjects. However, significant differences were found in the elderly subjects. In logistic regression analysis, there was an association between f(HMA) and the LS severity at older ages. LS in the elderly is associated with a decline in HMA and, thus, an increase in oxidative stress. Thus, f(HMA) is a new biomarker of LS.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
L.L. Borger ◽  
S.L. Whitney ◽  
M.S. Redfern ◽  
J.M. Furman

Postural sway during stance has been found to be sensitive to moving visual scenes in young adults, children, and those with vestibular disease. The effect of visual environments on balance in elderly individuals is relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare postural sway responses of healthy elderly to those of young subjects when both groups were exposed to a moving visual scene. Peak to peak, root mean squared, and mean velocity of the center of pressure were analyzed under conditions combining four moving scene amplitudes ( 2 . 5 ∘ , 5 ∘ , 7 . 5 ∘ , 10 ∘ ) and two frequencies of scene movement (0.1 Hz, 0.25 Hz). Each visual condition was tested with a fixed floor and sway referenced platform. Results showed that elderly subjects swayed more than younger subjects when experiencing a moving visual scene under all conditions. The elderly were affected more than the young by sway referencing the platform. The differences between the two age groups were greater at increased amplitudes of scene movement. These results suggest that elderly are more influenced by dynamic visual information for balance than the young, particularly when cues from the ankles are altered.


1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 662-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Fitzgibbons ◽  
Sandra Gordon-Salant

This study examined auditory temporal sensitivity in young adult and elderly listeners using psychophysical tasks that measured duration discrimination. Listeners in the experiments were divided into groups of young and elderly subjects with normal hearing sensitivity and with mild-to-moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss. Temporal thresholds in all tasks were measured with an adaptive forced-choice procedure using tonal stimuli centered at 500 Hz and 4000 Hz. Difference limens for duration were measured for tone bursts (250 msec reference duration) and for silent intervals between tone bursts (250 msec and 6.4 msec reference durations). Results showed that the elderly listeners exhibited diminished duration discrimination for both tones and silent intervals when the reference duration was 250 msec. Hearing loss did not affect these results. Discrimination of the brief temporal gap (6.4 msec) was influenced by age and hearing loss, but these effects were not consistent across all listeners. Effects of stimulus frequency were not evident for most of the duration discrimination conditions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-284
Author(s):  
Mariana Varkala Lanuez ◽  
Fernanda Varkala Lanuez ◽  
Eduardo Gunther Montero ◽  
Wilson Jacob Filho

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the effect of exercise on gait using two different programs: a group of aerobic exercises (Group A, n = 18) and a group of flexibility and balance exercises (Group B, n = 19). Methods: A casualized controlled study, in which each sample controlled itself, was undertaken. The sample comprised 37 male and female subjects, aged from 60 to 90 years, from the outpatient clinic of the Geriatrics Unit of Hospital das Clínicas of Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de São Paulo; the patients were sedentary and had not exercised regularly during the past six months. Results: Improvement of gait was seen mainly in the group that did specific exercises. Conclusion: The results of this study underline the importance of physical exercises in sedentary elderly subjects, but show the need for programming the exercises towards specific goals, which can optimize the results of this tool of health promotion for the elderly.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (6) ◽  
pp. E983-E989 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sial ◽  
A. R. Coggan ◽  
R. Carroll ◽  
J. Goodwin ◽  
S. Klein

We evaluated the effect of aging on fat and carbohydrate metabolism during moderate intensity exercise. Glycerol, free fatty acid (FFA), and glucose rate of appearance (Ra) in plasma and substrate oxidation were determined during 60 min of cycle ergometer exercise in six elderly (73 +/- 2 yr) and six young adults (26 +/- 2 yr) matched by gender and lean body mass. The elderly group was studied during exercise performed at 56 +/- 3% of maximum oxygen uptake, whereas the young adults were studied during exercise performed at the same absolute and at a similar relative intensity as the elderly subjects. Mean fat oxidation during exercise was 25-35% lower in the elderly subjects than in the young adults exercising at either the same absolute or similar relative intensities (P < 0.05). Mean carbohydrate oxidation in the elderly group was 35% higher than the young adults exercising at the same absolute intensity (P < 0.001) but 40% lower than the young adults exercising at the same relative intensity (P < 0.001). Average FFA Ra in the elderly subjects was 85% higher than in the young adults exercising at the same absolute intensity (P < 0.05) but 35% lower than the young adults exercising at a similar relative intensity (P < 0.05). We conclude that fat oxidation is decreased while carbohydrate oxidation is increased during moderate intensity exercise in elderly men and women. The shift in substrate oxidation was caused by age-related changes in skeletal muscle respiratory capacity because lipolytic rates and FFA availability were not rate limiting in the older subjects.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. G1-G3 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Lasch ◽  
D. O. Castell ◽  
J. A. Castell

Graded intraesophageal balloon distension (IEBD) has been utilized in the past to evaluate esophageal pain thresholds. With use of a technique that we have found to provide reproducible results for pain thresholds, two groups of normal individuals without esophageal symptoms or diabetes were studied. Group 1 included 10 "young" (age < 65 yr) individuals (mean age 27 yr, range 18-57 yr). Group 2 included 17 individuals age 65 yr or greater (mean age 72.5 yr, range 65-87 yr). Catheters with latex balloons (Wilson-Cook) were used in all 27 subjects with the balloon located 10 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter. Sequential inflations of 2-ml increments were performed until a total volume of 2 ml above the point of pain or to a maximum of 30 ml was reached. A series of two sequential inflations were performed on each subject on the day of the testing, and the mean value was taken to indicate pain threshold volumes for all 27 subjects. In the group of elderly volunteers, 5 subjects felt no pain even at the maximum inflatable volume of the balloon (30 ml) and were assigned a maximum threshold value of 30 ml. Mean pain threshold volumes for the young subjects was 17 +/- 0.8 ml of air (+/- SE) and for the elderly subjects was 27 +/- 1.4 ml (P < 0.01 and 95% confidence interval = 7.1-13.3). Our conclusion is that IEBD results in the esophagus indicate an age-related decrease in human visceral pain threshold.


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