The Edmonton Frail Scale as a screening score for frailty in oncogeriatrics.

Introduction: The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is recommended for assessing frailty in older cancer patients but is time-consuming. The G8 screening tool was developed to select frail patients requiring CGA to optimize resources. The Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) is another frailty scale validated for preoperative frailty screening, but scarcely studied in the field of oncogeriatrics.

Nutritional rehabilitation after acute illness among older patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background & Aims: Acute illness can lead to disability and reduced quality of life in older patients. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of nutritional rehabilitation provided during and after hospitalisation for an acute event on functional status, muscle mass, discharge destination and quality of life of older patients.

Methods: The protocol for this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021264971).

A comparison of clinical characteristics between old and oldest-old patients hospitalised for SARS-COV2.

Objectives: Oldest-old patients may have an unusual SARS-COV2 presentation that can jeopardise diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of oldest-old (≥85 years) and old patients (75-85 years) admitted with COVID-19 to Belgian hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, retrospective, observational study in ten Belgian hospitals.

A Rare Case of a Metastatic Malignant Abrikossoff Tumor.

Abrikossoff tumor, also called granular cell tumor (GCT), is a neoplasm of the soft tissues which is most commonly a solitary, painless, and benign tumor. However, 2% of Abrikossoff tumors can be malignant. We report here the case of a 75-year-old male who presented a local recurrence of Abrikossoff tumor of the left thigh.

Unraveling the Cognitive-Motor Interaction in Individuals With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether increasing the contribution of executive functions worsens dual-task performance in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

Methods: Fourteen individuals with aMCI (mean [SD]: 74 [4] years) and 19 control adults (71 [5] years) recalled a list of letters in the order of presentation (SPAN-O) or in alphabetic order (SPAN-A) while ascending or descending a 3-step staircase. Dual-task cost (DTC) represented the average decrement of motor and cognitive performances during dual tasks, with greater DTC indicating worse performance.

Decreased Alpha Peak Frequency Is Linked to Episodic Memory Impairment in Pathological Aging.

The Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) is a largely validated neuropsychological test for the identification of amnestic syndrome from the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous electrophysiological data suggested a slowing down of the alpha rhythm in the AD-continuum as well as a key role of this rhythmic brain activity for episodic memory processes. This study therefore investigates the link between alpha brain activity and alterations in episodic memory as assessed by the FCSRT.

Assessment of sarcopenia in patients with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by persistent widespread musculoskeletal pain. Patients with fibromyalgia have reduced physical activity and increased sedentary rate. The age-associated reduction of skeletal muscle mass and function is called sarcopenia.

Intrinsic Capacity Assessment by a Mobile Geriatric Team During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

In the autumn of 2020, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe. In this context, because of the insufficient number of beds in geriatric COVID units, non-geriatric wards were confronted with a significant number of admissions of geriatric patients. In this perspective article, we describe the role of a mobile geriatric team in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically how it assisted other specialists in the management of hospitalized geriatric patients by implementing a new approach: the systematic assessment and optimization of Intrinsic Capacity functions.

Neuroimaging correlates of persistent fatigue in older adults: A secondary analysis from the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT) trial.

Objectives: Fatigue has been suggested as a marker of biological aging. It seems plausible that this symptom might be associated with changes in brain health. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between persistent fatigue and neuroimaging correlates in a non-disease-specific population of community-dwelling older adults.

Profile and needs of primary informal caregivers of older patients in Belgian geriatric day hospitals: a multicentric cross-sectional study.

Background: With the improvement of life expectancy, the world faces increasing demands for care of older persons. In this manuscript, we define the characteristics of primary informal caregivers (PIC) of patients aged 75 years and older admitted to geriatric day hospitals (GDH) in Belgium. A PIC is defined as the person who most often provides care and assistance to persons who need to be cared for.

Predictive Factors of In-Hospital Mortality in Older Adults with Community-Acquired Bloodstream Infection.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of intra-hospital mortality and associated risk factors in older people aged 75+, admitted with blood stream infections (BSI).

Design: Single center retrospective study performed in an 850-bed of the academic hospital of the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Setting And Participants: From January 2015 to December 2017, all inpatients over 75 years old admitted with BSI were included.

Nutritional interventions to improve muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in older people: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Context: Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, and death. The Belgian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics has developed evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. This umbrella review presents the results of the Working Group on Nutritional Interventions.

Analysis of inflammatory markers and hormones in old cancer patients: A descriptive study.

Advanced cancers are associated with a chronic inflammation, especially high interleukin-6 (IL-6) and with various levels of adipokines (leptin and adiponectin), while ghrelin counteracts the anorexigenic effect of leptin in cancer-induced anorexia-cachexia syndrome. We aimed to understand how IL-6, adipokines and ghrelin plasma levels could be influenced by cancer on the one hand, and by age, frailty, and nutritional status in old cancer patients on the other hand. Ninety-nine patients aged 79[76-83] years old were included.

Relating the MNA Mobility Single Item to Usual Walking Speed in Hospitalized and Community-Dwelling Geriatric Patients.

Usual walking speed (WS) is a relatively easy and reproducible tool for detecting mobility impairment. For some reasons, however, geriatric patients might not be able to perform walking tests. Therefore, a subjective assessment could be an alternative method to screen for mobility impairment.

Role of Epileptic Activity in Older Adults With Delirium, a Prospective Continuous EEG Study.

Delirium occurs in up to 50 % of hospitalized old patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Acute medical conditions favor delirium, but the pathophysiology is unclear. Preliminary evidence from retrospective and prospective studies suggests that a substantial minority of old patients with unexplained delirium have non-convulsive seizures or status epilepticus (NCSE).

White blood cell counts in a geriatric hospitalized population: A poor diagnostic marker of infection.

Introduction: Older people suffer more often and from more severe infections than do younger people. Several studies have shown a correlation between higher white blood cell count (WBCC) and the presence of infection. The usefulness of increased WBCC to assess the presence of infection in geriatric patients is debated.

Ex vivo decontamination of yeast-colonized dentures by iodine-thiocyanate complexes.

Introduction: Under well-defined experimental conditions, and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, lactoperoxidase produces stable iodine-thiocyanate complexes that have antimicrobial properties. A novel process was developed to short circuit the consumption of hydrogen peroxide by microbial catalases by producing iodine-thiocyanate complexes prior to contact with microorganisms, with the aim of being able to decontaminate the ex vivo dentures colonized by yeasts.

Materials And Methods: Teabags containing lactoperoxidase adsorbed on inert clay beads were immersed for 1 minute in phosphate buffer solution (0.

Baseline hepcidin measurement in the differential diagnosis of anaemia for elderly patients and its correlation with the increment of transferrin saturation following an oral iron absorption test.

Background Anaemia is often multifactorial in the elderly, with a frequent association between iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and anaemia of chronic disease (ACD). The primary objective of our study was to investigate whether baseline hepcidin measurement could be useful for identifying iron deficiency (ID) in anaemic elderly patients. The secondary objective was to assess whether baseline hepcidin concentrations correlated with the relative increase of transferrin saturation (TS) after an oral iron absorption test (OIAT).

The Use of Mobile Games to Assess Cognitive Function of Elderly with and without Cognitive Impairment.

Background: In the past few years numerous mobile games have been developed to train the brain. There is a lack of information about the relation between the scores obtained in these games and the cognitive abilities of the patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not mobile games can be used to assess cognitive abilities of elderly.

Design and synthesis of a series of bioavailable fatty acid synthase (FASN) KR domain inhibitors for cancer therapy.

We designed and synthesized a new series of fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitors with potential utility for the treatment of cancer. Extensive SAR studies led to highly active FASN inhibitors with good cellular activity and oral bioavailability, exemplified by compound 34. Compound 34 is a potent inhibitor of human FASN (IC = 28 nM) that effectively inhibits proliferation of A2780 ovarian cells (IC = 13 nM) in lipid-reduced serum (LRS).

An exceptional cause of hemoptysis in the elderly patient : IgA vasculitis.

We describe here the case of a 73-year-old woman who presented a recurrent macular rash, acute respiratory distress, and hemoptysis. Chest CT scan showed diffuse ground-glass opacities that were suggestive of alveolar hemorrhage. With the development of severe acute kidney injury and nephrotic-range proteinuria (creatininemia 2.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment and comorbidities predict survival in geriatric oncology.

Objectives: The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) can detect geriatric problems and potentially improve survival, physical, and cognitive state of patients, as well as increase an older person's chances of staying at home longer. In older people, the number and severity of comorbidity increase with age and are an important determinant of survival. The aim of the study was to assess to which extent CGA and comorbidities could be seen as determinants of survival.

[Oncogeriatrics: An update on recent advances and knowledge].

Oncogeriatrics has made huge progress due to the numerous studies published in the fields of geriatric assessment, recommendations by experts of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) concerning the evaluation and treatment of a large number of solid and haematological forms of cancer, and of the intervention on geriatric syndromes. This article is a review of the most important publishings in the field of oncogeriatrics, among them the Belgian publishings, brought out in the last five years.