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Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive disease commonly affecting the elderly. Among patients with PD (pwPD), those above 60 years old are considered to be at high risk of malnutrition. Weight loss is a common complaint in pwPD. Thus, we defined the risk factors for malnutrition in geriatric pwPD. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 66 pwPD above the age of 60 years. Socio-demographic features were recorded and comprehensive geriatric assessments were evaluated. Malnutrition was assessed using a mini-nutritional assessment questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements including body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, and calf circumference (CC) were recorded. Results: Seven (10.6%) pwPD had malnutrition, 22 (33.3%) pwPD were at risk of malnutrition. Univariate logistic regression analysis results revealed that low CC, presence of dyskinesia, advanced Hoehn & Yahr stage, levodopa doses of ≥400 mg/day, and difficulty in swallowing (p=0.035, p=0.041, p=0.048, p=0.027 and p=0.007, respectively) were strongly related to malnutrition among the pwPD. Difficulty in swallowing was independently related to malnutrition in pwPD [odds ratio: 7.81 (confidence interval: 2.17-28.10), p=0.002]. Conclusion: PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the geriatric population and is likely to cause malnutrition because of several disabling symptoms in the progressive course of the disease, such as dysphagia. To avoid or delay poorer outcomes, clinicians should be careful to identify malnutrition with appropriate screening tools during follow-up of pwPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between polypharmacy and the risk of recurrent falls and to assess the fall risk with different pharmacological groups of drugs. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, falls risk-increasing drugs were defined as cardiovascular drugs, analgesics, central nervous system drugs, endocrine drugs, and others. Falls were evaluated according to their presence during the past 12 months. Two or more falls were recorded as recurrent fallers. Results: Five hundred and eighteen participants had a mean age of 71.9 years (7.5) and 71.0% were female. While 87 (51.4%) participants fell once, 82 (48.5%) participants reported recurrent falls. Two hundred and eighty-eight (55.6%) participants had polypharmacy. The percentage of patients who used at least one potentially inappropriate mediation on admission, as defined by the Beers criteria, was 155 (29.9%). The determinants of the risk of recurrent falls were older age and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) [odds ratio (OR) 1.05: 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.09 and OR 4.04: 95% CI 1.70-9.60, respectively]. Low handgrip strength (HGS) increased the risk of falls approximately 1.7 times (OR 1.69 95% CI 1.11-2.58). Conclusion: Although the polypharmacy rate of the participants was high, there was no significant relationship between polypharmacy and falling. However, we found low HGS, a component of sarcopenia, as a risk factor for falls, and use of ACE-I and older were risk factors for recurrent falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Falls are the fifth leading cause of death among the older adults, and most of the risk factors of falls are modifiable. We aimed to investigate the clinical factors associated with falls comprehensively, by evaluating the sarcopenia components separately, in each gender. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Six hundred thirty-three female and 269 male outpatients, underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment, were included. Falls, in the previous 12 months, were recorded. Geriatric evaluation regarding frailty, depression, nutrition, cognitive functions, and disabilities were done with related scales. SARC-F determined sarcopenia risk, and probable sarcopenia was defined according to handgrip strength. Skeletal muscle mass index and muscle performance were measured by bioimpedance analysis and physical performance tests, including 4-meter gait speed (4-m GS) and timed up and go (TUG) tests, respectively. Results: In the study population 35.2% of female and 30.9% of male patients experienced falls. In multivariate analysis, probable sarcopenia in women [odds ratio (OR): 1.56, p=0.034] and longer TUG test performance in men (OR: 1.06, p=0.020) were independently related to falls. In addition, both in women and men urinary incontinence (OR: 1.62, p=0.016 and OR: 1.95, p=0.045, respectively), sarcopenia risk defined by SARC-F (OR: 2.74, p=0.001 and OR:4.79, p=0.001, respectively) and depression (OR: 1.56, p=0.025 and OR: 1.93, p=0.046, respectively) were independently related with falls. Conclusion: Depression, incontinence, and sarcopenia risk were independent associated factors for falls in both genders. SARC-F appears to be effective in both genders in predicting the risk of falls. However, muscle strength in women and muscle performance in men get high impact for the falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) indicated an increased inflammation in cardiac, rheumatologic, cancer, and some geriatric syndromes. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of NLR in the diagnosis of malnutrition or severity. Materials and Methods: A total of 303 elderly patients were included in this study. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed on each patient, and the mini nutritional assessment tool was used to assess the nutritional status. The hemogram values of all patients were investigated to determine an NLR inflammatory marker. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence and risk of malnutrition were independently associated with NLR, hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, age, and smoking in univariate analysis. Of the above independent variables, body mass index, hematocrit, and vitamin B12 were found to be significantly associated with malnutrition and risk of malnutrition in multivariate analysis. This study revealed that patients with malnutrition and those at risk of malnutrition have elevated NLR than those with normal nutritional status. However, it was not significantly associated with multivariate analysis. Conclusion: A variety of etiological factors and mild or severe inflammation in the course of concomitant diseases cannot be overlooked in the current state of patients. Therefore, laboratory or clinical criteria other than the NLR would be useful for early detection of the relationship between malnutrition and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Hematology is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Amaç: Sarkopeni; kas kütlesi, kas kuvveti ve fonksiyonunda azalma ile seyreden ilerleyici bir kas hastalığıdır. Yaş ilerledikçe gözlenebilen bu durum enflamatuvar süreçlerden de etkilenebilmektedir. Geriatrik yaş grubundaki kadın sistemik skleroz hastalarında sarkopeni varlığının değerlendirilmesi. Yöntem: Bu çalışma 2017-2019 yılları arasında Erciyes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi (EÜTF) Romatoloji Polikliniği'ne başvuran hastalar ile yapılmış kesitsel bir çalışmadır. Çalışmaya 60 yaş üzerindeki 33 sistemik skleroz tanılı kadın hasta ve 37 kontrol alındı. Hastaların demografik özellikleri, hastalık tipleri, süreleri, aldıkları tedaviler, laboratuvar ve serolojileri kaydedildi. Rutin kontrollerinde yapılan toraks tomografileri, ekokardiyografi, solunum fonksiyon testi, 6 dakika yürüme testi, DLCO testleri kaydedildi. Hasta sağlık değerlendirme anketi (HAQ) uygulandı. Hastalar EÜTF Geriatri Polikliniği'nde hastaların kas kütle indeksi (SMMI) biyoempedans analizi ile, kas gücü kaybı (dinapeni) el kavrama kuvvetinin bir el dinamometresi yardımıyla ölçülmesiyle, nutrisyonel durumları ise mini-nutrisyonel değerlendirme anketi (MNA) ile belirlendi. Sonuç: Hasta ve kontrol grubu karşılaştırıldığında el kavrama kuvveti (HgMaks) arasında anlamlı fark olduğu tespit edildi (p<0,0001). Bu durum sistemik skleroz hastalığında olası sarkopeni riskinin daha yüksek olduğunu öngörmektedir. Hasta ve kontrol arasında kas kütle indeksi açısından anlamlı fark tespit edilmedi. Çalışmanın daha büyük gruplarla yapılması daha net değerlendirmeler açısından önerilir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our goal was to evaluate patients who admitted to Board of Health for Disabled in our hospital, and evaluate the characteristics and disability rates of patients with locomotor disability. Also to examine its co-occurrence with other system disabilities, the whole body function loss rates and the distribution of these parameters according to age. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 2263 cases admitted to the Board of Health in Derince Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively analyzed between March 2012 and March 2013. Examinational findings and diagnoses of 672 (29.6%) patients who took diagnosis related with locomotor system were reviewed. Results: Of the 2263 patients admitted to the board of health for disabled, 672 (29.6%) had locomotor system pathology. Of these patients, 366 were males (54.4%), 306 were females (45.6%) and the mean age was 49.6±26 years. The mean total body disability rates of the patients (TBDR) were 69.5±28.4, while the locomotor system disability rates (LSDR) was 49.43±17.1. Of the 672 patients, 379 (56.3%) were assessed as severely disabled by the medical council. 554 patients (82.4%) had permanent disability. LSDR was highest in individuals aged 10-19 years; lowest in the individuals aged 40-49 years. The most commonly detected locomotor system pathologies were osteoarthritis (OA), hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, joint contractures and spinal cord diseases. The highest LSDR was in the spinal cord injury patients. The most frequent comorbid diagnoses were neurogenic bladder, mental retardation, and hypertension. Conclusion: Most of the patients who admitted to the Board of Health for locomotor system disability had permanent and severe disabilities. Observing that other system disabilities are frequently concomitant with locomotor system disability is important in terms of the social support for these patients and for planning of the appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Osteoporosis / Turk Osteoporoz Dergisi is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease that can result in morbidity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of ultrasound (US) therapy in patients with OA, the effect of differing US therapies, and any enhanced effect of US therapy over placebo therapy. Methods: This study was carried out on 60 patients (120 knees) with knee pain. All of them were diagnosed as primary OA patients, both clinically and radiographically, according to ACR criteria and as grade 2-3 in the Kellgren Lawrence System. Patients were assigned to two treatment groups randomly: US (Group 1; 30 patients) with 1 MHz frequency and 1 Watt/cm2 intensity; and placebo US (Group 2; 30 patients). All the treatments were applied once a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. All of the patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study, then after 2 weeks and again after 4 weeks. The patients' demographics were recorded before the study. Initially, and after the treatment, several factors were evaluated. They were knee size measurement, knee pain and OA severity with VAS score, ROM, manuel muscle strength, and 20 minutes of walking time. To determine any improvement in joint mobility, WOMAC, Lequesne, a questionnaire and the effectiveness of the therapy both for the patient and the doctor were evaluated. Results: Pain severity during walking and at rest, OA severity, ROM, 20 minutes of walking time, WOMAC, Lequesne, and the effectiveness of the therapy according to the patient and the doctor improved significantly in all groups after the treatment (p<0.05). According to the comparison between the groups, at both the 10 day and the 1 month control, US (Group 1) showed significant improvement over the placebo US (Group 2) (p<0.05). Our study is the first randomized, controlled, blind study that compared US and placebo US therapies. Conclusion: US therapy is an effective treatment for patients with knee OA in terms of pain reduction and joint mobility. A difference between US and placebo groups can be observed if treatment is continued for long enough at the correct dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]