Geriatrics & Gerontology International最新文献

Aim: Delirium is a serious complication in older patients requiring emergency hospitalization. The noise pareidolia test (NPT), originally developed to evaluate visual hallucinations, may serve as a novel screening tool for visual-perceptual vulnerability associated with delirium risk. This study aimed to clarify whether the NPT score is a clinically useful independent predictor of delirium in older adults requiring emergency hospitalization.

Methods: This secondary analysis used data from a prospective cohort study conducted at an acute-care hospital in Japan. A total of 57 older adults (≥ 65 years) who were urgently admitted and met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The relationships between NPT scores, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZD), and delirium onset were examined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The predictive performance of the NPT was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Delirium was assessed using the delirium screening tool (DST).

Results: The median NPT score was significantly higher in the DST-positive group than in the DST-negative group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the NPT score was the only independent predictor of delirium. ROC analysis showed moderate discriminatory ability, with an optimal cutoff value of 2.5, sensitivity of 60.9%, and specificity of 67.6%.

Conclusion: The NPT score was significantly associated with delirium onset and was identified as an independent predictor among older patients requiring emergency hospitalization. The NPT may serve as a simple, non-invasive bedside screening tool for the early identification of high-risk patients in clinical nursing practice.

Oshikatsu, supporting a specific individual or group, has been linked to enhanced well-being and physical activity motivation. However, few studies have explored how this practice begins, particularly among older adults. This study applied the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA) to investigate how individuals aged 50 and above initiate oshikatsu and subsequently engage in health-promoting activities, and to identify influencing factors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants (men and women aged in their 50s-80s), and their narratives were analyzed using TEA. Six phases were identified: formative experience, encounter, event participation, social interaction, lifestyle improvement, and psychological fulfillment. Social enablers that facilitated these processes included relatives or friends who were fans, regular performances, venues close to home, understanding from family members, and disposable income. This study highlights that identifying with one's oshi serves as an intrinsic motivator for initiating health-promoting activities.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic, degenerative joint disease, that is the main cause of joint pain or loss of mobility in the elderly. Previous studies have found that LRRC17 and YTHDF3 are highly expressed in OA, but the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate OA progression remain unclear. This study investigated the mechanism by which LRRC17 and YTHDF3 regulate OA progression and their interaction.

Methods: Cartilage tissues from patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were collected for chondrocyte isolation and culture. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) were utilized to examine the expression of YTHDF3 and LRRC17 in OA chondrocytes. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining was conducted to detect cellular senescence. 2,7-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining was conducted to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level of cartilage cells. The mitochondrial membrane potential of chondrocytes was detected by the JC-1 kit. WB was conducted to detect the expression of senescence-related proteins and STAT1. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the binding of LRRC17 to YTHDF3.

Results: LRRC17 is up-regulated in OA chondrocytes, and knockdown of LRRC17 inhibits chondrocyte senescence. LRRC17 promotes chondrocyte senescence by activating the STAT1 signaling pathway. YTHDF3 stabilizes LRRC17 mRNA. Knockdown of YTHDF3 inhibited chondrocyte senescence, decreased ROS levels, upregulated mitochondrial membrane potential ratios, and inhibited STAT1, while overexpression of LRRC17 reversed these effects.

Conclusions: YTHDF3 stabilizes the expression of m6A-mediated LRRC17 and induces OA chondrocyte senescence by activating the STAT1 signaling.

Aim: Low intrinsic capacity is associated with poor health outcomes. However, the current body of evidence remains insufficient to conclusively establish intrinsic capacity as a reliable predictor of longevity. The present study aimed to investigate the association between intrinsic capacity and healthy longevity, as well as its predictive ability for healthy longevity.

Methods: This was a cohort study comprising 159 840 participants ≥ 50 years of age drawn from 4 large-scale studies. Intrinsic capacity was assessed according to 5 dimensions, while healthy longevity was defined according to recommendations from the World Health Organization. Cox proportional hazard (CPH) models were used to examine the association between intrinsic capacity and mortality across different age groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of intrinsic capacity for healthy longevity.

Results: Age-stratified CPH analysis revealed that intrinsic capacity was significantly associated with mortality, and that the strength of this association increased with age. Logistic regression analysis revealed that intrinsic capacity was a strong predictor of healthy longevity, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.97 (p < 0.001), after adjusting for all covariates.

Conclusion: Results of the present research demonstrated that intrinsic capacity is a reliable predictor of healthy longevity and may represent an important target for public health interventions.