Dealing with dehydration in hospitalized oldest persons: accuracy of the calculated serum osmolarity.

Background:  Assessment of hydration status is complex and difficult to detect in older persons. Different methods have been developed to determine hydration status in clinical settings, but their diagnostic accuracy remains questionable.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of all methods routinely used in acute settings to detect dehydration in a cohort of hospitalized oldest-old persons, using as primary reference standard blood urea nitrogen (BUN) to creatinine ratio.

Lower serum levels of IL-13 is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in old age subjects.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases due to atherosclerosis represent the major cause of disability and mortality in old age subjects. The atherosclerotic process is linked to a low grade of systemic inflammation with the involvement of many cytokines and inflammatory proteins. Among them, evidence from animal studies suggests that IL-13 has a protective property.

Hypovitaminosis D: A Disease Marker in Hospitalized Very Old Persons at Risk of Malnutrition.

Background: Hypovitaminosis D is a frequent condition in elderly subjects. Vitamin D adequacy is best determined by measurement of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D-25(OH)D-concentration in the serum. An inverse association exists between 25(OH)D and cardiovascular, infectious, glucose metabolism, cognitive disorders, and all-cause mortality.

Prevalence and Correlates of Behavioral Disorders in Old Age Subjects with Cognitive Impairment: Results from the ReGAl Project.

Background: Presence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is very common in subjects with cognitive impairment, representing an important determinant of disease progression, institutionalization, and worse prognosis. Knowledge of the prevalence and correlates of BPSD in community-living old subjects with cognitive impairment is limited so far, but it is essential for establishing specifically tailored care and cure in such a vulnerable population.

Objective: With this study, we aimed at investigating, in a large sample of old age subjects with cognitive impairment, BPSD prevalence and correlates including the main demographic, clinical, and socio-environmental characteristics.