Reliability of hip joint position sense tests using a clinically applicable measurement tool in elderly participants with unilateral hip osteoarthritis

Hip joint proprioception is vital in maintaining posture and stability in elderly individuals. Examining hip joint position sense (JPS) using reliable tools is important in contemporary clinical practice. The objective of this study is to evaluate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of hip JPS tests using a clinically applicable measurement tool in elderly individuals with unilateral hip osteoarthritis (OA). Sixty-two individuals (mean age = 67.5 years) diagnosed with unilateral hip OA participated in this study. The JPS tests were evaluated using a digital inclinometer in hip flexion and abduction directions. The absolute difference between target and reproduced angle (repositioning error) in degrees was taken to measure JPS accuracy. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC (2.k), was used to assess the reliability. The Intra rater-reliability for hip JPS tests showed very good agreement in the lying position (hip flexion-ICC = 0.88–0.92; standard error of measurement (SEM) = 0.06–0.07, hip abduction-ICC = 0.89–0.91; SEM = 0.06–0.07) and good agreement in the standing position (hip flexion-ICC = 0.69–0.72; SEM = 0.07, hip abduction-ICC = 0.66–0.69; SEM = 0.06–0.08). Likewise, inter-rater reliability for hip JPS tests demonstrated very good agreement in the lying position (hip flexion-ICC = 0.87–0.89; SEM = 0.06–0.07, hip abduction-ICC = 0.87–0.91; SEM = 0.07) and good agreement in the standing position (hip flexion-ICC = 0.64–0.66; SEM = 0.08, hip abduction-ICC = 0.60–0.72; SEM = 0.06–0.09). The results support the use of hip JPS tests in clinical practice and should be incorporated in assessing and managing elderly participants with hip OA.

Pre-Existing Hypertension Is Related with Disproportions in T-Lymphocytes in Older Age

Age-related immune deficiencies increase the risk of comorbidities and mortality. This study evaluated immunosenescence patterns by flow cytometry of naïve and memory T cell subpopulations and the immune risk profile (IRP), expressed as the CD4/CD8 ratio and IgG CMV related to comorbidities. The disproportions in naïve and memory T cells, as well as in the CD4/CD8 ratio, were analysed in 99 elderly individuals (71.9 ± 5.8 years) diagnosed with hypertension (n = 51) or without hypertension (n = 48), using an eight-parameter flow cytometer. The percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes was significantly higher in hypertensive than other individuals independently from CMV infections, with approximately 34% having CD4/CD8 > 2.5, and only 4% of the elderly with hypertension having CD4/CD8 < 1. The elderly with a normal BMI demonstrated the CD4/CD8 ratio ≥ 1 or ≤ 2.5, while overweight and obese participants showed a tendency to an inverted CD4/CD8 ratio. CD4/CD8 ratio increased gradually with age and reached the highest values in participants aged >75 years. The decline in CD4+ naïve T lymphocytes was more prominent in IgG CMV+ men when compared to IgG CMV+ women. The changes in naïve and memory T lymphocyte population, CD4/CD8, and CMV seropositivity included in IRP are important markers of health status in the elderly that are dependent on hypertension.

Association Between Basal Metabolic Rate and All-Cause Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of Southern Chinese Adults

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between basal metabolic rate (BMR) and all-cause mortality in southern Chinese adults.Methods: We prospectively examined the relationship between BMR and all-cause mortality in 12,608 Southern Chinese adults with age ≥ 35 years who participated in the National Key R&amp;D Program from 2013–2014 to 2019–2020. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between BMR and all-cause mortality.Results: A total of 809 deaths (including 478 men and 331 women) occurred during a median follow-up period of 5.60 years. All-cause mortality was higher in elderly individuals than in non-elderly individuals (11.48 vs. 2.04%, P &lt; 0.001) and was higher in male subjects than in female subjects (9.84 vs. 4.56%, P &lt; 0.001). There was a significantly inverse relationship between BMR levels and all-cause mortality in elderly male individuals (adjusted-HR per SD increase: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.91, P &lt; 0.001). Compared with BMR levels ≤ 1,115 kJ/day, there was lower all-cause mortality in third and highest BMR quartiles in the elderly male subjects (adjusted-HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53–0.95, P = 0.022; adjusted-HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.43–0.84, P = 0.003, respectively).Conclusion: An elevated BMR was independently inversely associated with all-cause mortality in elderly male subjects in a southern Chinese population.

Evaluation of the Accessibility of Elderly Individuals to Airline Company Websites

Technological and social developments cause the birth and death rates to decrease. This has a direct effect on the increase in the rate of old age in the total population. In Turkey like in other countries, they face various problems in transportation in addition to education, health, justice, and social security. Therefore, the airline companies should provide some special services to elderly individuals in terms of accessibility and usability for their websites. This chapter aims to examine the accessibility of websites of airline companies for 65 and older individuals. Then, the second aim of this chapter is to determine the criteria for accessibility and alternatives. Then the next aim of this chapter is to determine the weights of these criteria and evaluate the alternatives with multi-criteria decision-making methods. The best airline company for airline website according to OWA, WASPAS, WSM, and WPM methods is Alternative 1.

The Effects of Facial Exercise on Mental Health, Facial Expression and EEG in Community-Dwelling Older People

Although it is well documented that exercising is good for the mental health and cognitive function as well as the physical condition in elderly people, exercising is difficult in elderly individuals with a low motor function. To develop an exercise program targeting elderly individuals unsuited for whole-body exercises, we assessed the effects of facial exercises on the mental health and mood in healthy elderly people. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 75, age range = 65-87 yrs) were randomly divided into a facial exercises group and a wait-listed control group. A facial exercises program of 30 min was given twice a week for 12 weeks. This program consisted of rhythmic facial movement, muscle stretching, facial yoga, and Tanden breathing. The GHQ-12 for mental health were administered to both groups before and after the 12-week study period. In addition, facial expression and EEG were measured. Fifty-three participants completed the protocol. In the intervention group, the GHQ-12, facial expression, and α wave in frontal lobe improved post-intervention. These results suggest that facial exercises are effective in improving the mental health, facial expression, α wave in frontal lobe of elderly people, and that exercises may be useful as a therapeutic modality in this population.

The Effects of Facial Exercise on Mental Health, Facial Expression and EEG in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Although it is well documented that exercising is good for the mental health and cognitive function as well as the physical condition in elderly people, exercising is difficult in elderly individuals with a low motor function. To develop an exercise program targeting elderly individuals unsuited for whole-body exercises, we assessed the effects of facial exercises on the mental health and mood in healthy elderly people. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 75, age range = 65-87 yrs) were randomly divided into a facial exercises group and a wait-listed control group. A facial exercises program of 30 min was given twice a week for 12 weeks. This program consisted of rhythmic facial movement, muscle stretching, facial yoga, and Tanden breathing. The GHQ-12 for mental health were administered to both groups before and after the 12-week study period. In addition, facial expression and EEG were measured. Fifty-three participants completed the protocol. In the intervention group, the GHQ-12, facial expression, and α wave in frontal lobe improved post-intervention. These results suggest that facial exercises are effective in improving the mental health, facial expression, α wave in frontal lobe of elderly people, and that exercises may be useful as a therapeutic modality in this population.

Impact of Internet Use on Mental Health among Elderly Individuals: A Difference-in-Differences Study Based on 2016–2018 CFPS Data

The number of elderly Internet users has increased significantly in the past few years. However, the impact of Internet use on mental health remains unclear. In this study, we performed a difference-in-differences analysis using data from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to evaluate the impact of Internet usage on mental health among elderly individuals. A total of 5031 validated respondents were included to explore the relationship between Internet use and reduced levels of depression as well as improved life satisfaction among elderly individuals. The results showed that Internet use significantly reduced depression levels. Unexpectedly, Internet use was not found to improve life satisfaction. Moreover, discontinuing Internet use was not significantly associated with improvements in depression or life satisfaction. More research is needed to fully elucidate the relationship between Internet use and depression levels, as well as life satisfaction among elderly individuals.

The Temporal Relationship Between Sleep Duration and Blood Lipids in Chinese Middle-aged and Elderly Individuals: Evidence From CHARLS

Background: To explore the temporal relationship between blood lipids and sleep duration and clarify their potential causality in Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals.Methods: We used medical examinations and questionnaire data of 5016 Chinese middle-aged and elderly individuals in 2011 and 2015. Cross-lagged path analysis was performed to examine the potential bidirectional relationships between blood lipids and sleep duration.Results: In total population, significant bidirectional relationship was observed between sleep duration and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and the path coefficients were -0.171 (P = 0.005) and -0.006 (P = 0.002). In contrast, there was a positive correlation between and sleep duration, and the path coefficient from triglycerides to sleep duration 4 year later (O = 0.001, P = 0.018) was greater than that from sleep duration to triglycerides 4 year later (b = 0.109, P = 0.847), with P = 0.030 for the difference between j and e. Longer sleep duration was associated lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (c = -0.275, P = 0.097) and total cholesterol (t = -0.329, P = 0.096) 4 year later. In stratified analysis, effects of sleep duration on blood lipids were only observed among individuals aged < 60 years, while the effect in the opposite direction was observed in elderly individuals, and the cross-lagged path coefficients were more significant in adults with BMI > 25.Conclusions: Temporal relationships between sleep duration and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were different. The strength and direction of the relationships may be related to age and BMI.