Advances in Gerontology最新文献

This article is devoted to the life and work of the Russian–British scientist, Professor of the Imperial Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, and Head of the Oxford Gerontological Research Unit, Vladimir Georgievich Korenchevsky. The theory of endocrine aging and the concept of geroprotective hormone replacement therapy are among the scientific achievements of V.G. Korenchevsky. He inspired and organized congresses and societies of Russian academic organizations abroad, as well as inspiring and organizing the British Society for Research on Ageing and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Our research has shown that the maximum changes of somatometric indices in girls of observed groups began in the early adolescence and continued until the end of adulting. All physical parameters during the height of their increase in the early adolescence were lower in rural adolescents than in urban peers. In the childhood period no differences in the formulas of sexual development were found in girls in rural and urban areas. In the early adolescence, the formula for urban adolescents was: P_0.1Ax_1.2Ma_1–4Me+, for adolescents from the village—P₀Ax₁Ma_1–3Me+. In late adolescence, there was a decrease in the growth rate of physical parameters, while signs of puberty, on the contrary, increased. In late adolescence, all sexual characteristics are detected in adolescents of both groups, P_2–4Ax_3–4Ma_2–4Me+ and, accordingly, in adolescents from the village P_2–4Ax_2–4Ma_1–3Me+. And the ending of the reproductive period had its differences in rural and urban women. For the urban women, menopause age consisted of 46.80 ± 0.09, and for the rural citizens was 48.23 ± 0.11. It can be assumed that the great significance in development processes belongs to such factors as poor or deficient nutrition of children in the rural area, excessive physical activity as a result of participation in agricultural work and bad medical assistance of the girls’ adolescent period in the rural area. The research data showed the beginning of the menopause was earlier in the urban citizens.

Throughout life, the human working capacity is variable. It is influenced by a wide range of factors, both external and internal, which are difficult to take into account in various studies. An approximation of the density function of the given distribution, based on the assumption of the random nature of the physical condition, depending on a number of different reasons, among competitors and the hypothesis of the asymmetric distribution of athletes’ achievements at different ages, is formed. Optimum parameters of a log-normal distribution that describe the working capacity of a person according to age were determined by using the least-squares method. A comparative analysis of the obtained model and the previously known methods, created by Litvinov and Spiridonov was performed. The study showed the validity of the method for determining age coefficients and the possibility of its practical application.

This article deals with the use of art-therapy methods in the complex psychological support of the elderly and senile age groups. The study was conducted on the basis of the Comprehensive Center of Social Services for the Population of the Birsk District and the City of Birsk of the Republic of Bashkortostan and Polyclinic no. 1 of Ufa; the total sample was 60 respondents at ages of 60–80 years. The analysis of the results revealed that the use of the art therapy program with the gradual enrichment and complication of art therapy classes stimulates new life orientations and the individual’s awareness of the presence of other psychological characteristics that allow the subject to function successfully in real life.

This review focuses on assessing the prevalence and risk factors of mental disorders in older people in the modern era, including the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Elsevier, and Google using keywords over the past 10 years. Substantial discrepancy of data on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders has been shown in the elderly population. The significant incidence of mental disorders among nursing home residents is highlighted. The relevance of nonpsychotic depressive and anxiety disorders is demonstrated for the elderly, along with the difficulty of diagnosing mental disorders associated with physical pathology and cognitive impairments. The risk factors for mental disorders in older adults are socio-demographic but also economic, psychological, and physical. The problem of mental health of the elderly is characterized for the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic associated with specific risk factors for psychiatric disorders. The shortage of evidence-based research in the treatment of mental disorders in the elderly and the urgency to improve the organization of psychiatric care for such patients are noted. Understanding the structure and prevalence of mental disorders among the elderly will allow optimizing the functioning of healthcare systems.

The preservation of active longevity for senior citizens requires adequate physical activity personalized based on a comprehensive assessment of their physical condition, performance status, and social characteristics. The study covered 121 women (mean age 66.77 ± 5.37 years) who wanted to join a wellness group. For every participant of the study, professional, social, and fitness backgrounds were investigated, they were checked for diseases and subjected to comprehensive physical examination and functional tests (Stange’s test, tilt test, six-minute walk test, and timed up-and-go test). It was revealed that 75.21% of the study participants had a history of arterial hypertension. The normal type of SBP reaction to orthostatic test was determined in 71.07% of people, with regard to DBP indicators, in 84.29%. BMI corresponded to being overweight. Hand grip strength and vital capacity were reduced but were not critical. The handgrip strength for the right and left hand correlated with age (R = –0.33; p < 0.01; R = –0.31; p < 0.01). The results of the timed up-and-go test and six-minute walk test were estimated as normal. An orthopedic examination revealed the presence of flat feet and scoliosis. Pensioners that did not have a job made up 91.73% of the group. The reason for retirement for most of the study participants was redundancy cut-downs of the staff at the age of about 60 years, which does not correspond to the satisfactory functional state of the study participants. Therefore, the topical issues today are programs for part-time employment of older people, for retraining of people over 50 in the programs “50+,” and the general fitness program for these two groups.

The review presents an analysis of publications on the controversial issues of the use of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). For all its obvious significance and expediency, it remains unclear who should perform it, as well as where and when? Should it initially be one-step or step-by-step? What are the intermediate and end points of the study? Which tool for its screening is the least time-consuming and long-lasting? It is concluded that many issues have not yet been resolved and further research on this issue is required.

The hypothalamus is involved in the regulation of biological rhythms, integration of autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral functions and may also contribute in aging development and control. MicroRNAs (miRNA)s participate in the control of different processes in the nervous system, including the control of hypothalamic functions. Expression of miRNA let-7a-5p, miR-9a-3p, miR-132-3p and miR-218a-5p was studied in the dorsomedial (DMH) and ventromedial (VMH) hypothalamic nuclei in young and aged rats of both sexes by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method. In the DMH, we observed statistically significant decrease of let-7a-5p, miR-9a-3p, miR-132-3p and miR-218a-5p expression in aged male rats and decline of miR-132-3p and miR-218a-5p expression in aged female rats. In the VMH of both sexes, we did not find statistically significant differences of let-7a-5p, miR-9a-3p, miR-218a-5p miRNA expression between young and aged animals. The expression of miR-132-3p significantly increased 1.7 times in male aged rats compared to young animals. Thus, aging is accompanies with the decreasing of miRNA in the DMH of aged rats. These new results expand our understanding of the mechanisms of aging through hypothalamic expression of miRNA.

The most common treatment for menopausal syndrome is menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), however, the safety of MHT, due to the risk of developing and recurrent breast cancer (BC), is still a matter of debate. The review presents the results of randomized cohort studies of this issue. It has been shown that MHT increases the risk of developing breast cancer and disease recurrence after treatment. The risk of breast cancer developing in women receiving MHT depends on body mass index (BMI), duration of hormone use, and dose of drugs, and is greater in thin women compared with women with increased BMI, and also greater in estrogen–progestin combined MHT users compared with estrogen-only users. It was found that hormone-dependent forms of cancer developed more often in women using MHT, but by the time of diagnosis, the disease was found in more advanced stages and metastases in lymph nodes were found more often when compared with patients who did not use MHT. Risk of breast cancer recurrence is less with low doses of vaginal estrogen. An alternative option for the relief of menopausal disorders in breast cancer patients during and after treatment is using of pineal gland hormone melatonin, since, along with its anti-aging properties, it is able to suppress cancer at the stages of initiation, progression, and metastasis and has the ability to reduce the toxic effects of anticancer drugs simultaneously increasing their effectiveness.

Peptide drug Thymalin, isolated from the calve thymus, is successfully used for the treatment of various immunopathologies, including those in older age groups. The molecular mechanism of the Thymalin immunoprotective action is due to the effects of the short peptides KE, EW, EDP in its composition. These short peptides can specifically bind to double-stranded DNA and/or histone proteins and regulate gene expression, synthesis of immune system proteins, activity of gerontogenes, and stimulate stem cell differentiation. Regulation of immunogenesis is a key factor preventing the development of the “cytokine storm” that develops in severe COVID-19. The purpose of this work is to study the effectiveness of Thymalin in severe COVID-19 in older patients. Patients administered with Thymalin against the background of a standard therapy (n = 36) manifested a more rapid clinical improvement, higher proportions of recovery from lymphopenia, faster normalization of the concentration of C-reactive protein, D-dimer, the number of lymphocytes and NK-cells in the blood, compared to patients who received a standard therapy only (n = 44). Thymalin halved hospital mortality in older patients with severe COVID-19. The results obtained showed the effectiveness of Thymalin administration in the complex therapy of patients with severe COVID-19.