[Isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly].

Isolated systolic hypertension is the most common type of hypertension in the elderly. A number of trials have widely shown that it is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This review focuses the prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension, its pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment.

[Possibly ranitidine-induced autoimmune hepatitis].

Approved for clinical use in peptic ulcer in 1983, ranitidine competitively inhibits the interaction of histamine with H2 receptors. The incidence of adverse reactions has been low and generally minor. After reviewing the literature on hepatitis associated with ranitidine use, we report the case of a young woman, affected by multiple sclerosis, who developed severe liver injury associated with the intake of this drug.

Do men and women follow different trajectories to reach extreme longevity? Italian Multicenter Study on Centenarians (IMUSCE).

Gender accounts for important differences in the incidence and prevalence of a variety of age-related diseases. Considering people of far advanced age, demographic data document a clear-cut prevalence of females compared to males, suggesting that sex-specific mortality rates follow different trajectories during aging. In the present investigation, we report data from a nationwide study on Italian centenarians (a total of 1162 subjects), and from two studies on centenarians living in two distinct zones of Italy, i.

Intimal-medial thickness of the common carotid arteries and lower limbs atherosclerosis in the elderly.

Background: In the present study, the authors consider the possible association between intimal-media thickness of the common carotid arteries and lower limb atherosclerosis, in a group of elderly patients; the authors also consider the presence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: B-mode ultrasound measurement of the intimal-media thickness of the common carotid arteries was performed on 80 subjects. Lower limbs atherosclerosis was defined as the presence of intermittens claudicatio and/or ankle-arm index < 0.

Mitochondrial DNA inherited variants are associated with successful aging and longevity in humans.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is characterized by high variability, maternal inheritance, and absence of recombination. Studies of human populations have revealed ancestral associated polymorphisms whose combination defines groups of mtDNA types (haplogroups) that are currently used to reconstruct human evolution lineages. We used such inherited mtDNA markers to compare mtDNA population pools between a sample of individuals selected for successful aging and longevity (212 subjects older than 100 years and in good clinical condition) and a sample of 275 younger individuals (median age 38 years) carefully matched as to sex and geographic origin (northern and southern Italy).

Gene/longevity association studies at four autosomal loci (REN, THO, PARP, SOD2).

The possibility that four loci (REN, THO, PARP, SOD2) are associated with longevity was explored by comparing the genotypic pools of subjects older than 100 years with those of younger subjects matched for sex and geographic area (northern and southern Italy). The markers (all located within the respective gene) were HUMREN4; HUMTHO1; HUMPARP (gt)845nt; SOD2(C/T)401nt. In order to reduce the number of genotypes, multiallelic polymorphisms were recoded as diallelic according to allele size and frequency patterns (small: S, and large: L, alleles).

[Stenosis of the internal carotid arteries and cardiovascular risk factors in a group of patients aged 65 years and over].

Background: In the present study, the degree of stenosis of internal carotid arteries and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors are examined.

Methods: Two hundred patients underwent high resolution B-mode echotomography of the carotid arteries; furthermore, the presence of associated cardiovascular risk factors was considered.

Results: Small stenosis (< 16%) were reported in 113 (56.

Antidepressant drugs in the elderly.

1. In this article some of the most important and tolerated drugs in the elderly are reviewed. 2.

[Prevalence and features of peptic ulcers in the elderly: a retrospective study on a not hospitalized population aged 65 or over].

Background: The prevalence of peptic ulcer increases with aging. Data relative to peptic ulcer in the elderly are around 5.2% to 9.

[Polydistrectual atherosclerosis in the elderly. Ischemic cardiopathy and obliterative peripheral arteriopathy of the lower limbs].

Background: Numerous epidemiological studies have recently drawn attention to the polydistrict nature of atherosclerotic disease. In particular, it has been made clear the frequent association between coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs. We have therefore evaluated the frequency of peripheral arterial disease in a consecutive unselected series of patients affected by coronary heart disease, over 65 and under 65.

DNA multiallelic systems reveal gene/longevity associations not detected by diallelic systems. The APOB locus.

To identify possible genetic factors affecting human longevity we compared allele pools at two candidate loci for longevity between a sample of 143 centenarians (S) and a control sample of 158 individuals (C). The candidate loci were APOB and TPO, which code for apolipoprotein B and thyroid peroxidase, respectively. Both restriction fragment length (RFL) (XbaI2488 and EcoRI4154) and variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) (3'APOB-VNTR) polymorphisms were analysed at the APOB locus; the TPO-VNTR polymorphism (intron 10) was analysed at the TPO locus.

[Cerebral hypoperfusion symptoms in elderly subjects with hyperkinetic and/or hypokinetic arrhythmia. Study of institutionalized and non- institutionalized patients].

Background: We evaluated the symptomatology caused by cerebral hypoperfusion in a group of over-65 year old hospitalized and non-patients, with hyperkinetic and hypokinetic arrhythmias.

Methods: 2441 clinical records of hospitalized and ambulatory patients at the unit of Cardiology, "Pugliese-Ciaccio" Hospital of Catanzaro between January 1st 1991 and March 31st 1995 were examined. The clinical records of those patients who had showed anamnestic episodes of syncope, lipothymia and dizziness were selected.

Concurrence of benign edematous polysynovitis in the elderly (RS3PE syndrome) and endometrial adenocarcinoma.

RS3PE Syndrome is an inflammatory disease which affects mainly males and responds, rapidly, to low dose steroids. We describe the concurrence of RS3PE, poorly responsive to low dose steroids, and endometrial adenocarcinoma. In this patient, clinical and laboratory signs of RS3PE disappeared after total hysterectomy.

[Sexuality of elderly women].

Physiological aging in older women it is not necessarily the cause of a change in their sexual attitudes. The organic changes, during concomitant illness, is often known to be the cause of sexual dysfunction, when present. Psychosocial factors are also very important in determining sexual dysfunction.

Clinical and laboratory features at onset of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and elderly onset of rheumatoid arthritis in PMR-like presentation: a comparison of two groups of patients.

The differential diagnosis between polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) in PMR-like presentation may represent several problems at the beginning of the disease, since the patterns of these pathologies may show largely overlapping areas. In this study we examined clinical and laboratory features of 21 patients with PMR and 22 patients with EORA PMR-like presentation, to identify eventual differences between the 2 diseases. EORA PMR-like presentation occurred more frequently in males (14 men and 8 women) than PMR (6 men and 15 women) (p = 0.

Aspects of sleep in centenarians.

Sleeping habits of 48 Calabrian centenarians (12 males, 36 females) were evaluated. Their average age was 102 +/- 1.87 years (range 100-107 years).

Occurrence of the Chiari network in a centenarian: echocardiographic study and magnetic resonance imaging.

An occasional finding of Chiari network in the right atrium of a centenarian patient confirms that it may be considered as a "normal anatomic variation" compatible with a long life span. The finding is documented by using echocardiographic and cardiac nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in a 102-year-old man.

A case of Paget's disease in an ultracentenarian subject with endoprosthesis of Moore type without cementation.

Paget's disease is an osteopathy the incidence of which increases with aging; in the 8th decade, it occurs in 11% of the population. Complications of this pathology often occur, and appear prevalently in form of basilar disease. We report a case of an ultracentenarian patient (aged 107) who suffered a cervical right femur fracture after falling in her own house at the age of 104 years.

Multidimensional evaluation in a group of centenarians.

A group of 40 Calabrian centenarians (12 males, 28 females) was studied from June 1 to December 31, 1993. Their age was ranging from 100 to 107 years (mean age: 102.3 +/- 1.

Hypertension in a group of centenarians.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of hypertension in a group of extremely old persons: 73 centenarians resident in Calabria were studied, aged 100-110 years, (mean age 102.95 +/- 2.0), 54 women (73.

Evaluation of coronary angioplasty with autoperfusion catheter in patients aged 65 years or older.

In the period July 1991-December 1994, 120 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA); 79% were males (mean age 70.0 +/- 5.4 years) and 21% females (mean age: 71.