scholarly journals Loneliness, Circulating Endocannabinoid Concentrations, and Grief Trajectories in Bereaved Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minhi Kang ◽  
Luisa Bohorquez-Montoya ◽  
Timothy McAuliffe ◽  
Stacy A. Claesges ◽  
Nutta-On Blair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Clinical Assessments ◽  
Symptom Trajectories ◽  
Depressive Symptom Severity

Background: Loneliness is one of the most distressing grief symptoms and is associated with adverse mental health in bereaved older adults. The endocannabinoid signaling (ECS) system is stress-responsive and circulating endocannabinoid (eCB) concentrations are elevated following bereavement. This study examined the association between loneliness and circulating eCB concentrations in grieving older adults and explored the role of eCBs on the association between baseline loneliness and grief symptom trajectories.Methods: A total of 64 adults [grief with high loneliness: n = 18; grief with low loneliness: n = 26; and healthy comparison (HC): n = 20] completed baseline clinical assessments for the UCLA loneliness scale. In grief participants, longitudinal clinical assessments, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief and 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scales, were collected over 6 months. Baseline circulating eCB [N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)] concentrations were quantified in the serum using isotope dilution, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; cortisol concentrations were measured in the same samples using radioimmunoassay.Results: Circulating AEA concentrations were higher in severely lonely grieving elders than in HC group; cortisol concentrations were not different among the groups. Cross-sectionally, loneliness scores were positively associated with AEA concentrations in grievers; this finding was not significant after accounting for depressive symptom severity. Grieving individuals who endorsed high loneliness and had higher 2-AG concentrations at baseline showed faster grief symptom resolution.Conclusions: These novel findings suggest that in lonely, bereaved elders, increased circulating eCBs, a reflection of an efficient ECS system, are associated with better adaptation to bereavement. Circulating eCBs as potential moderators and mediators of the loneliness-grief trajectory associations should be investigated.

scholarly journals Placental 13C-DHA metabolism and relationship with maternal BMI, glycemia and birthweight

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver C. Watkins ◽  
Preben Selvam ◽  
Reshma Appukuttan Pillai ◽  
Victoria K. B. Cracknell-Hazra ◽  
Hannah E. J. Yong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Fasting Glycemia ◽  
Glucose Treatment ◽  
Maternal Bmi

Abstract Background Fetal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supply relies on preferential transplacental transfer, which is regulated by placental DHA lipid metabolism. Maternal hyperglycemia and obesity associate with higher birthweight and fetal DHA insufficiency but the role of placental DHA metabolism is unclear. Methods Explants from 17 term placenta were incubated with 13C-labeled DHA for 48 h, at 5 or 10 mmol/L glucose treatment, and the production of 17 individual newly synthesized 13C-DHA labeled lipids quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results Maternal BMI positively associated with 13C-DHA-labeled diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, lysophospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens, while maternal fasting glycemia positively associated with five 13C-DHA triacylglycerols. In turn, 13C-DHA-labeled phospholipids and triacylglycerols positively associated with birthweight centile. In-vitro glucose treatment increased most 13C-DHA-lipids, but decreased 13C-DHA phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens. However, with increasing maternal BMI, the magnitude of the glucose treatment induced increase in 13C-DHA phosphatidylcholine and 13C-DHA lysophospholipids was curtailed, with further decline in 13C-DHA phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens. Conversely, with increasing birthweight centile glucose treatment induced increases in 13C-DHA triacylglycerols were exaggerated, while glucose treatment induced decreases in 13C-DHA phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens were diminished. Conclusions Maternal BMI and glycemia increased the production of different placental DHA lipids implying impact on different metabolic pathways. Glucose-induced elevation in placental DHA metabolism is moderated with higher maternal BMI. In turn, findings of associations between many DHA lipids with birthweight suggest that BMI and glycemia promote fetal growth partly through changes in placental DHA metabolism.

scholarly journals The Role of Delay of Care in Depression among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic:: A Secondary Data Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Luo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Delay Of Care ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Univariate Analyses

BACKGROUND The depression level among US adults significantly increased during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and age disparity in depression during the pandemic were reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and delay of care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the role of delay of care in depression among those two age groups. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0) data. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years old were included. Depression was measured by Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delay of care were measured by four items: delay of surgery, delay of seeing a doctor, delay of dental care, and delay of other care. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS More than half of participants were older than 65 years old (58.23%) and 274 participants (8.75%) had depression during the pandemic. Delay of dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.04-4.03, P<0.05) and older adults (OR=3.08, 95%CI=1.07-8.87, P<0.05). Delay of surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR=3.69, 95%CI=1.06-12.90, P<0.05). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education level (some college of above) or worse self-reported health had higher likelihood to have depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS This study found that depression among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic was also prevalent. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the effect of delay of surgery and dental care on depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concern on delay of surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of tele-mental health services is also needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive CLINICALTRIAL N/A

scholarly journals MULTIMORBIDITY IN OLDER ADULTS: CAN DISEASE CLUSTER PREDICT DEPRESSION SEVERITY?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S393-S394
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn Minahan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptom ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Disease Clusters ◽  
Disease Cluster ◽  
Depressive Symptom Severity

Abstract Multimorbidity, defined as the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions, is positively correlated with depression severity among older adults. However, few studies have compared depression outcomes by disease cluster. To address this gap, secondary data analyses were performed using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), Wave 2. For the purpose of this study, disease clusters are composed of conditions that implicate similar body systems (e.g., musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system). Participants reported an average of 2.69 (+/- 1.97) chronic conditions. Multimorbidity and depressive symptom severity, as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression, Iowa Form (CES-D) were positively associated (p&lt;0.001). Individual disease clusters, age, self-identifying as female, and lower educational attainment were predictive of depressive symptom severity (p&lt;0.001). Findings support the necessary inclusion of social determinants (health status, gender, education, age) in the conceptualization of health and health outcomes within an aging population.

scholarly journals HOW DO MENTAL HEALTH TRANSITIONS SHAPE THE ROLE OF ADULT CHILDREN IN OLDER ADULTS’ SOCIAL NETWORKS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S58-S58
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Generalized Estimating Equations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Network System ◽  
Core Networks ◽  
The Core ◽  
Health Transitions

Abstract This study considers the role of adult children in the core networks of older adults undergoing mental health change. Taking a multidimensional perspective of the network system, I consider (a) presence of child(ren), (b) contact with children network members, and (c) embeddedness of children within the network using longitudinal data from the United States. Parameters were estimated with generalized estimating equations from the pooled panel data. There was no evidence that mental health transitions lead to systematic forms of child reshuffling or increased contact with child ties. Children that remained in networks, however, showed increased contact with other members of the network when the parent underwent depression onset, but became less embedded when their parents had chronically high levels of depression. These patterns may have far-reaching consequences for older people and their children, which could include increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation for parent and child alike.

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