Sedative load of medications prescribed for older people with dementia in care homes.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the sedative load and use of sedative and psychotropic medications among older people with dementia living in (residential) care homes.

Methods: Medication data were collected at baseline and at two further time-points for eligible residents of six care homes participating in the EVIDEM-End Of Life (EOL) study for whom medication administration records were available. Regular medications were classified using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system and individual sedative loads were calculated using a previously published model.

Inhibition of LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation by specific flavonoids.

In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the flavonoids flavone, fisetin and tricetin were evaluated in a mouse model of LPS-induced acute pulmonary inflammation. The flavonoid fisetin significantly reduced lung myeloperoxidase-levels and gene-expression of inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, MIP-1alpha and MIP-2. The LPS-induced gene transcription of HO-1 and SOD2 was also significantly reduced by fisetin.