Modeling and empirical verification of dependences of the influence of socio-economic situation of elderly persons on the level of resilience

В работе проведен эмпирический анализ влияния на уровень жизнестойкости параметров социально-экономического положения людей пожилого возраста на основе данных социологического опроса. Моделирование исследования включало выбор переменных с учетом критерия комплексности измеряемых параметров. Эмпирической базой для исследования являлись результаты анкетирования лиц пожилого возраста (выборочная совокупность 400 человек), проживающих в городах и сельской местности Томской обл. Для тестирования гипотез использовали моделирование и корреляционный анализ. Для выявления зависимости применена формальная модель взаимосвязи жизнестойкости с выделенными параметрами социально-экономического положения как системы показателей, к которым применимы методы математической статистики для выявления их влияния на укрепление жизнестойкости пожилых людей. Результаты исследования подтверждают влияние удовлетворенности материальным достатком на жизнестойкость людей пожилого возраста. Выявлены корреляции жизнестойкости и разных параметров, в том числе пола, места проживания и высшего образования. The work carried out an empirical analysis of the impact on the level of vitality of the parameters of the socio-economic situation of elderly people based on the data of a sociological survey. The modeling of the study of the influence included the choice of variables taking into account the criterion of the complexity of the measured parameters. The empirical basis for the study was the results of a survey (n=400) of elderly people living in cities and rural areas of the Tomsk region. Modeling and correlation analysis are used to test hypotheses. To identify the dependence, a formal model of the relationship of resilience with the selected parameters of the socio-economic situation is used as a system of indicators, to which the methods of mathematical statistics are applied to identify their impact on strengthening the resilience of older people. The results of the study confirm the influence of satisfaction with material prosperity on the resilience of elderly people. Correlations of resilience with different parameters, including gender, place of residence and higher education, were revealed.

Sarcopenia assessed by 4-step EWGSOP2 in elderly hemodialysis patients: Feasibility and limitations

Background In 2019, EWGSOP2 proposed 4 steps to diagnose and assess sarcopenia. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of sarcopenia according to the EWGSOP2 diagnostic algorithm and to assess its applicability in elderly patients on hemodialysis. Methods Prospective study of 60 outpatients on chronic hemodialysis aged 75- to 95-years, sarcopenia was assessed according to the 4-step EWGSOP2: Find: Strength, Assistance walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls (SARC-F); Assess: grip strength by dynamometry (GSD) and sit to stand to sit 5 (STS5); Confirm: appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by bioimpedance; Severity: gait speed (GS), Timed-Up and Go (TUG), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results The sequential four steps resulted in a prevalence of confirmed or severe sarcopenia of 20%. Most (97%) patients fulfilled at least one criterion for probable sarcopenia. The sensitivity of SARC-F for confirmed sarcopenia was low (46%). Skipping the SARC-F step increased the prevalence of confirmed and severe sarcopenia to 40% and 37%, respectively. However, 78% of all patients had evidence of dynapenia consistent with severe sarcopenia. Muscle mass (ASM) was normal in 60% of patients, while only 25% had normal muscle strength values (GSD). Conclusions According to the 4-step EWGSOP2, the prevalence of confirmed or severe sarcopenia was low in elderly hemodialysis patients. The diagnosis of confirmed sarcopenia underestimated the prevalence of dynapenia consistent with severe sarcopenia. Future studies should address whether a 2-step EWGSOP2 assessment (Assess-Severity) is simpler to apply and may provide better prognostic information than 4-step EWGSOP2 in elderly persons on hemodialysis.

Characteristics of the ageing skin, xerosis cutis and its complications

People in the developed countries are living longer. Geriatric dermatology is playing an increasingly important role as chances of developing skin-related problems increase with their ageing. Skin ageing is induced by two main processes: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic ageing is caused by environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, and poor nutrition. Intrinsic ageing reflects the genetic background and depends on time. The aged skin is characterised by the appearance of dryness, atrophy, wrinkles, pigmented lesions, patchy hypopigmentation, and elastosis. This article provides an overview of skin ageing processes and common conditions found in the elderly persons such as xerosis, pruritus, and eczema.

Medical Identification and Sensing Technology for Assisting and E-Health Monitoring Systems for Disabled and Elderly Persons

This research gives an overview of numerous kinds of identification and sensor technology that have been shown to improve the standard of living of older persons in hospital and home settings. Recent advancements in semiconductors and microsystems have enabled the creation of low-cost medical equipment, which are used by various persons as prevention and E-Health Monitoring (EHM) tools. Remote health management, which relies on wearable and non-invasive sensing devices, controllers, and current information and communication technology, provides cost-effective solutions that enable individuals to remain in their familiar homes while being safeguarded. Additionally, when preventative actions are implemented at home, costly medical centers are becoming available for use by intensive care patients. Patients' vital physiological indicators may be monitored in real time by remote devices, which can also watch, analyze, and, most importantly, offer feedback on their health problems. To translate different types of vital indicators into electrical impulses, sensors are employed in computerized healthcare and non-medical devices. Life-sustaining implants, preventative interventions, and long-term E-Health Monitoring (EHM) of handicapped or unwell patients may all benefit from sensors. Whether the individual is in a clinic, hospital, or at home, medical businesses, such as health insurers, want real-time, dependable, and precise diagnostic findings from sensing devices that can be examined virtually.

Accidental Hypothermia: 2021 Update

Accidental hypothermia is an unintentional drop of core temperature below 35 °C. Annually, thousands die of primary hypothermia and an unknown number die of secondary hypothermia worldwide. Hypothermia can be expected in emergency patients in the prehospital phase. Injured and intoxicated patients cool quickly even in subtropical regions. Preventive measures are important to avoid hypothermia or cooling in ill or injured patients. Diagnosis and assessment of the risk of cardiac arrest are based on clinical signs and core temperature measurement when available. Hypothermic patients with risk factors for imminent cardiac arrest (temperature < 30 °C in young and healthy patients and <32 °C in elderly persons, or patients with multiple comorbidities), ventricular dysrhythmias, or systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg) and hypothermic patients who are already in cardiac arrest, should be transferred directly to an extracorporeal life support (ECLS) centre. If a hypothermic patient arrests, continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be performed. In hypothermic patients, the chances of survival and good neurological outcome are higher than for normothermic patients for witnessed, unwitnessed and asystolic cardiac arrest. Mechanical CPR devices should be used for prolonged rescue, if available. In severely hypothermic patients in cardiac arrest, if continuous or mechanical CPR is not possible, intermittent CPR should be used. Rewarming can be accomplished by passive and active techniques. Most often, passive and active external techniques are used. Only in patients with refractory hypothermia or cardiac arrest are internal rewarming techniques required. ECLS rewarming should be performed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A post-resuscitation care bundle should complement treatment.

Cognitive deterioration in association with teeth loss in elderly population: A study from Eastern India

Background: With the global increase in cognitive impairment and dementia, the need to investigate into the possible ways that can be used to prevent or delay such occurrence has been growing. Maintenance of dental care and oral hygiene has been promoted as one such aspect. Aims and Objectives: To study the association between cognitive impairment in patients without registered diagnosis of dementia with tooth loss and chewing ability. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional hospital-based study where consenting elderly persons attending Dental outpatient department over 1½ years were included. Data obtained on socio-demographic details, number of tooth loss, number of remaining teeth, subjective chewing ability, cognitive assessment as per mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and Clock Drawing Test were analyzed statistically to check correlational association. Results: In this study 96 eligible elderly persons of mean age of 68.30±6.28 years showed increased cognitive impairment among females (P=0.003), increased age (P=0.009), rural background (P=0.033) and low income groups (P=0.001). Positive correlation was found between chewing capacity (P=0.348), number of remaining teeth (r=0.418) with MMSE scores. Conclusion: Our study population showed positive correlation between impaired cognition and the number of extracted tooth and chewing capacity. With further study on wider and representative population, we hope to project the role of maintaining good oral hygiene and dental care as a possible preventive strategy among many others to combat the increased burden of cognitive impairment.

An ethno-botanical study of indigenous medicinal plants and their usage in rural valleys of Swabi and Hazara region of Pakistan

An ethnobotanical study was conducted to document indigenous medicinal plants and their usage from knowledgeable and elderly persons in Razzar and Gadoon valley of Swabi and Allai and Tanawal valley of Hazara region of Pakistan during 2016-2019. Several systematic field visits and questionnaire surveys were carried out in selected sites of the study area to gather relevant information from the local community. Rapid assessment method was adopted for data collection by interviewing the local people having enough knowledge of medicinal plants use for treatment of different ailments. UV (UV) formula was applied to calculate the relative importance of medicinal plant species in each site of the study area. In the present study, 221 medicinal plants belonging to 105 families have been reported through 580 respondents (385 males, 138 females and 57 local health healer) from the Swabi and Hazara region. The main sources of herbal medicines were leaves (21%) followed by fruits (21%), seeds (17%), whole plants (14%), roots (9%), bark (9%), flowers (7%) and gum (2%). Mentha spicata L. and Berberis lycium Royle were reported with highest UV (UV) i.e. 0.92 and 0.68 in Razzar tehsil and Gadoon valley of Swabi, whereas Mentha longifolia L and Geranium wallichianum D were reported with highest UV i.e. (0.65) and (0.88) in Allai and Tanawal valley of Hazara region, respectively. It was concluded that Swabi and Hazara region is rich in medicinal plants species and associated traditional knowledge. Moreover, ethno-medicines have played significant role in the indigenous healthcare system of the study area. However, uprooting the entire plant for ethno-medicine is a big threat to conservation of medicinal plants diversity in the study area.