Advances in Gerontology最新文献

Negative attitudes toward older people persist, leading to the neglect and marginalization of older adults’ will. The social group of older people is often perceived as being overly associated with disease, and disease avoidance is related to negative attitudes. Meanwhile, people with higher disease avoidance tend to avoid others, not just older adults. Therefore, whether disease avoidance and attitudes toward older people have a significant relationship should be examined, even after controlling for attitudes toward general others (i.e., younger people) and other personality determinants of social interactions (i.e., extroversion, general trust). We conducted an online survey of Japanese participants (n = 962). The results showed that the relationship between higher disease avoidance and ageist attitudes was significant, even after controlling for the above variables. Psychological interventions that weaken the cognitive link between older adults and disease would effectively reduce ageism. The limitations and future directions of this study are discussed.

This study was performed to clarify the transfer and final end of lipofuscin substances that have been formed in cardiomyocytes. The hearts of BALB/c mice were obtained for resin embedding and ultra-thin sectioning. The specimens were observed under a transmission electron microscope, and the images were acquired using an XR401 side-insertion device. Lipofuscin granules are found abundantly in myocardial cells. Cardiomyocytes can excrete lipofuscin granules into the myocardial interstitium using capsule-like protrusions that are formed on the sarcolemma. These granules enter the myocardial interstitium and can be de-aggregated to form membrane-like garbage, which can pass from the myocardial stroma into the lumen of the vessel through its walls. Smaller lipofuscin granules can pass through the walls of the vessels and enter the blood vessel lumen through the capillary endothelial cells. When the extended cytoplasmic end of macrophages and fibroblasts fuse with the endothelial cells, the lipofuscin granules or clumps in the myocardial interstitium are transported to the capillary walls, and then, are released into the lumen of the blood vessel by the endothelial cells. The myocardial tissues of mice may have the ability to eliminate the lipofuscin produced in the cardiomyocytes into the myocardial blood circulation.

This paper considers grandparenthood as a mechanism for effective implementation of the resource potential of older people. We develop and implement a methodology for forecasting the number of Russian grandparents. It consists of two parts: a method for forecasting the number of grandparents in general and active grandparents (participating in the care for and upbringing of grandchildren) in particular. The two parts of the methodology use different sources of information and have specific characteristics described in detail in the paper. The application of these methods allow us to forecast a growth in the number of both grandparents and active grandparents in Russia. The methodological value of the study lies in the development of demographic forecasting, while the practical value lies in the potential demand for these results to enhance informational support for the national project “Demography.”

This work presents data on the problem of ischemic heart disease, surgical myocardial revascularization, as well as the risk of developing acute cerebrovascular accident (ACVA) in elderly patients with coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG). We conducted a study to identify risk factors for the development of ACVA in elderly patients. Predictors of ACVA development in the operative and early postoperative periods are identified. It is proven that the time of extubation, increased PCO₂ levels, and hyperlactatemia are reliable intraoperative and early postoperative predictors of ACVA in elderly patients with CABG. The practical significance of the study lies in the application of its results to predict the development of perioperative stroke in elderly patients with CABG.

The results of the sociological study “Digital Technologies for Tomsk Elderly,” conducted in Tomsk (May 2021) using the focus-group-discussion methodology, are analyzed. The study shows that many elderly citizens have no psychological readiness and sustained motivation to integrate into digital reality. Causal relationships are identified between the multifaceted involvement of elderly citizens in society and their skills in mastering and using digital technologies that make people stronger and society as a whole more inclusive in the face of a digital future. Recommendations for involving older people, who are interested in promoting ideas of digital quality of life and the opportunity to use new services, in the process of digital transformation as active actors to form a new, attractive and safe digital future are proposed.

This article examines the phenomenon of “intrauterine programming,” which largely determines the further life cycle and the likelihood of developing a number of age-associated pathological processes. The possibility of the formation of pathological (accelerated) aging at various stages of ontogenesis is discussed with the use of a large amount of published material from the standpoint of modern science. The reasons, mechanisms and phenotypic manifestations of accelerated aging and the possibilities of the earliest, its diagnosis starting from the perinatal period, and prediction of age-associated pathologies are discussed in close interrelation.

Stroke is the main reason for disabilities of increasing geriatric population. It affects brain and motor function domains significantly reducing the life quality. Recent coronavirus pandemic raised a question on changing approaches to deliver post-stroke rehabilitation services to geriatric patients due to their high risk of serious illness. This paper presents an overview of current telerehabilitation approaches for motor function recovery and balance training of post-stroke patients. We used papers from peer-reviewed medical journals on stroke telerehabilitation. The review showed exergames, virtual reality (VR), web-platforms, and applications are extensively used in rehabilitation programs to gain clinical outcomes among geriatric stroke patients. Findings indicate telerehabilitation improves older patients’ functional ability via systematic training, positively affecting their life quality. The treatment therapy of older adults using telerehabilitation can be organized synchronously and asynchronously in home-based environment or in-clinic conditions. Telerehabilitation can be used as complementary therapy or as an alternative to conventional treatment. However, further research is required to test a variety of telerehabilitation systems using larger samples of post-stroke geriatric patients.

A comparative analysis of the content of elements in hair of the residents of Karelia of different gender and age and of the deviation in the content from reference values typical for residents of the central part of the Russian Federation is carried out. Hair from the occipital part of the head, in which the content of 25 chemical elements is determined, are used as the biological object for elemental analysis. A four-point scale corresponding to the range of deviation of the content of macroelements and microelements from reference values is used to estimate the data obtained. Studying the elemental status in the residents of Karelia demonstrates that the population experiences an excess of toxic elements and a great deficiency of many essential macroelements and microelements. An excess of toxic elements Hg and Pb and a deficiency of essential elements Ca, Zn, Fe, and P is significantly more frequently identified in the hair of 57 test subjects over 60 years old. Such age-related differences in metabolism are established for Si, Na, and K. An imbalance of other macroelements and microelements, such as Co, Mg, I, Cu, Fe, Cr, and Se, is equally typical for residents over 60 years old and for 20–25 year olds (who are a comparison group), which indicates the need for the prevention of regional microelementoses in all strata of the population regardless of age. A Mg and Na deficiency is more often diagnosed in men, while I, Zn, P, and Cr deficiency is found for women. The revealed differences in the elemental composition of hair in the residents of Karelia from reference values typical for residents of the central part of Russia confirm the need for a personalized approach to the replenishment of mineral deficiency taking into account gender and age in the region of residence.

To record and compare the quality of life and attachment style of dementia and cancer caregivers. This is a comparative prospective cross sectional study. Participants were 45 caregivers of patients with cancer and 45 caregivers of patients with dementia. The study was conducted at a University Hospital and from a Day Centre of Alzheimer Disease and related disorders Association in Athens. Quality of caregivers’ life was measured by the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) and caregivers’ attachment was evaluated by the Experience in Close Relationships—Short Form (ECR). Caregivers’ age (cancer caregivers’ age Mean = 52.4 and SD ± 12.21, dementia caregivers’ age Mean = 58.4 and SD ± 12.8) differed significantly across diagnostic groups (p < 0.005). Dementia patients were older than cancer patients (dementia patients’ age Mean = 76.8, cancer patients’ age Mean = 65, p < 0.001). Statistically significant difference was found between two groups regarding the duration of the disease. The duration of disease in dementia patients (Mean = 3.14 years) was significantly longer (p = 0.014) than in cancer patients (Mean = 1.23 years). Subscale scores in both instruments (SF-36 and ECR), showed no statistically significant differentiation. Our data showed no statistically significant differentiation in any subscale between cancer and dementia caregivers. However, both caregiver groups noticed remarkably low levels of mental health.