Spina bifida and cardiorespiratory profile: the impact of leisure sport activities on physical fitness.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to evaluate a population of young patients affected by Spina Bifida (SB) to describe their cardiorespiratory function and bone mineral density profile, analyzing any differences between people performing and those who do not perform sports activity. The study also aimed to rule out possible congenital heart disease associated with spina bifida, considering the common origin of certain cardiac structures with those found to be altered in SB patients.

Methods: Thirty-four young patients, aged between 12 and 22 years, diagnosed with spinal dysraphism (SD), have been clinically described and, in order to evaluate their physical fitness, functional capacity and bone mass, almost all of them underwent a complete cardiorespiratory assessment, including electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), body composition analysis using bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), as well as the estimation of bone mineral density (BMD) with Computerized Bone Mineralometry (CBM).

A Case of Ralstonia pickettii Bloodstream Infection and the Growing Problem of Healthcare Associated Infections in Frail Older Adults.

Frailty is a clinically measurable state of vulnerability to developing increased dependency and/or mortality when exposed to a stressor. Chronic diseases, aggressive treatments, antibiotic overuse, microbiota changes, immune senescence, and increased use of medical devices and implants (i.e.

Myocarditis in Athletes Recovering from COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: To assess the event rates of myocarditis detected by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) in athletes who recovered from COVID-19.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify studies reporting abnormal CMR findings in athletes who recovered from COVID-19. Secondary analyses were performed considering increased serum high sensitivity troponin (hs-Tn) levels and electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic (ECHO) abnormalities.

The burden of chronic disease, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy in adults with Down syndrome.

Data on clinical characteristics of adults with Down syndrome (DS) are limited and the clinical phenotype of these persons is poorly described. This study aimed to describe the occurrence of chronic diseases and pattern of medication use in a population of adults with DS. Participants were 421 community dwelling adults with DS, aged 18 years or older.

Predictors of Functional Decline in Nursing Home Residents: The Shelter Project.

Background: The aim of our study was to identify independent predictors of functional decline in older nursing home (NH) residents, taking into account both resident and facility characteristics.

Methods: Longitudinal observational study involving 1,760 older (≥65 y) residents of NH participating in the SHELTER* study (57 NH in eight countries). All residents underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment using the interRAI LTCF.

Factors affecting safe and healthy diet in older adults in Italy: results of a preliminary study performed in a community-dwelling sample.

Objective: To investigate, through a questionnaire, older adults' demographic and socio-economic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices in terms of food safety and healthy diet; and to develop dietary and hygiene indices able to represent participants' nutritional and food safety behaviour, exploring their association with demographic and socio-economic factors.

Design: One-year cross-sectional study.

Setting: Gemelli Teaching Hospital (Rome, Italy).

Deprescribing in Nursing Home Residents on Polypharmacy: Incidence and Associated Factors.

Objectives: To assess 1-year incidence and factors related to deprescribing in nursing home (NH) residents in Europe.

Design: Longitudinal multicenter cohort study based on data from the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study.

Setting: NHs in Europe and Israel.

Association of Polypharmacy With 1-Year Trajectories of Cognitive and Physical Function in Nursing Home Residents: Results From a Multicenter European Study.

Objectives: To test the association between polypharmacy and 1-year change in physical and cognitive function among nursing home (NH) residents.

Design: Longitudinal multicenter cohort study based on data from the Services and Health for Elderly in Long TERm care (SHELTER) study.

Setting: NH in Europe (n = 50) and Israel (n = 7).

The Relationship Between COPD and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Background: Frailty is common in seniors and is characterized by diminished physiological reserves and increased vulnerability to stressors. Frailty can change the prognosis and treatment approach of several chronic diseases, including COPD. The association between frailty and COPD has never been systematically reviewed.

Interactions between drugs and geriatric syndromes in nursing home and home care: results from Shelter and IBenC projects.

Aim: Drugs may interact with geriatric syndromes by playing a role in the continuation, recurrence or worsening of these conditions. Aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of interactions between drugs and three common geriatric syndromes (delirium, falls and urinary incontinence) among older adults in nursing home and home care in Europe.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional multicenter study among 4023 nursing home residents participating in the Services and Health for Elderly in Long-TERm care (Shelter) project and 1469 home care patients participating in the Identifying best practices for care-dependent elderly by Benchmarking Costs and outcomes of community care (IBenC) project.

Bone mineral density in adults with Down syndrome.

Unlabelled: This study analyzed data of bone mineral density (BMD) from a large cohort of adults with Down syndrome (DS). BMD was found to decrease with age more rapidly in these subjects than in the general population, exposing adults with DS to an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture.

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS) in adulthood presents with a high prevalence of osteoporosis.

Bone-Muscle Crosstalk: Unraveling New Therapeutic Targets for Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a condition featured by bone mass loss and bone tissue microarchitectural alterations due to impaired tissue homeostasis favoring excessive bone resorption versus deposition. The trigger of such an impairment and the downstream molecular pathways involved are yet to be clarified. The natural course of osteoporosis is particularly worrisome because, through a "silent" progression, it enhances bone fragility, increases the risk of fractures and is associated with increased risk of disability and mortality.

Biomarkers for Sarcopenia: Reductionism vs. Complexity.

Sarcopenia, the progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass and strength/function, is a major health issue in older adults, given its high prevalence and burdensome clinical ramifications. The absence of a unified operational definition for sarcopenia has hampered its full appreciation by healthcare providers, researchers and policy-makers. At the same time, this unresolved debate and the complexity of musculoskeletal aging pose major challenges to the identification of clinically meaningful biomarkers.

Left ventricular dysfunction: a clue to cognitive impairment in older patients with heart failure.

Objectives: Cognitive impairment has been reported in middle aged patients with end stage heart failure. This cross sectional study assessed the prevalence and determinants of cognitive dysfunction in older patients with mild to moderate heart failure.

Methods: 57 consecutive patients (mean age 76.