Self-reported quality of care for older adults from 2004 to 2011: a cohort study.

Background: little is known about changes in the quality of medical care for older adults over time.

Objective: to assess changes in technical quality of care over 6 years, and associations with participants' characteristics.

Design: a national cohort survey covering RAND Corporation-derived quality indicators (QIs) in face-to-face structured interviews in participants' households.

The effects of flavonoids on bone.

Osteoporosis and fragility fractures are a growing problem for our aging population with around 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men suffering from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime. Although there are established factors that can reduce the risk of fracture such as maintaining physical activity, ceasing smoking, and adequate vitamin D status, and intakes of calcium; dietary mechanisms are less well established. The relevance of the flavonoid group of bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables has been less investigated.

Dietary silicon interacts with oestrogen to influence bone health: evidence from the Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study.

Background: Silicon (Si), as Si(OH)(4), is derived mainly from plant-based foods. Dietary Si is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal but not postmenopausal women.

Objective: To examine the association between Si intake and markers of bone health in middle-aged women and to test for interaction with oestrogen status.

Associations between dietary flavonoid intakes and bone health in a Scottish population.

Flavonoids are bioactive polyphenols found particularly in fruit and vegetables, but little is known about their role in bone health in humans. The aim of this observational study was to investigate whether dietary flavonoid intake was associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone resorption in a large group of perimenopausal Scottish women. Over 3000 women completed a food frequency questionnaire as part of an osteoporosis screening study.

Changes in vitamin biomarkers during a 2-year intervention trial involving increased fruit and vegetable consumption by free-living volunteers.

Trials in free-living populations involving increased consumption of fruit and vegetables are difficult to monitor. We evaluated biomarkers for assessing fruit and vegetable intake and compliance in a 2-year trial. Postmenopausal women were randomised to 300 g additional fruit and vegetables per d (n 66), placebo (n 70) or potassium citrate (n 140).

Effect of potassium citrate supplementation or increased fruit and vegetable intake on bone metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Alkali provision may explain why fruit and vegetables benefit bone health.

Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of alkali-providing potassium citrate (double-blind) and fruit and vegetable intake (single-blind) on bone turnover over 2 y.

Design: We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled trial in 276 postmenopausal women (aged 55-65 y).