A retrospective study on heat-related mortality in an elderly population during the 2003 heat wave in Modena, Italy: the Argento Project.

Background: Summer 2003 witnessed an excess in heat-related mortality in the elderly population. The Argento Project was planned to define risk factors for heat-related death in Modena, Italy, during the hottest month of 2003 (August).

Methods: We performed a retrospective, case-control study of a cohort of 394 older persons living in Modena, 197 dead (cases) and 197 survivors (controls).

The "nondipper" elderly: a clinical entity or a bias?

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of nondipper (ND) blood pressure profile in the elderly and to ascertain whether the ND pattern of ambulatory blood pressure in the elderly is an artifact or represents a specific clinical entity.

Design: Cross-sectional, observational study.

Setting: Cardiovascular diagnostic center, division of geriatrics, secondary care, institutional practice.

The "time and change" test: an appropriate method to detect cognitive decline in the elderly.

The Time and Change (T&C) test is an easy and time-saving test validated for the detection of dementia. Our aim was to determine how geriatric features like depression, disability, and comorbidity are able to influence the result of the T&C and, consequently, to decide whether it could be a reliable screening test for cognitive impairment in the elderly. A total of 220 participants (mean age = 75.