Falls across Health Care Settings: Findings from a Geriatric Screening Program.

Falls are a major public health problem for older adults, resulting in injuries and mortality. Screening is recommended to identify the multifactorial fall risks that can be addressed with interventions to prevent future falls. This study examined the utility of using the Rapid Geriatric Assessment (RGA) tool to identify fall risks across multiple settings.

Serum neurofilament light levels are predictive of all-cause mortality in late middle-aged individuals.

Background: Blood biomarkers can offer valuable and easily accessible indicators of normal biological processes, pathogenic conditions, and responses to therapeutic interventions. Recent studies found that levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood are associated with mortality in three European cohorts of older adults (median ages 73, 93, and 100 years). Whether similar associations exist in younger adults and in other ethnic groups is currently not known.

Perceptions and knowledge of older adults: An analysis of interprofessional education and medically underserved populations.

This study explored an academic Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition (IGCC) experience with a focus on medically underserved populations. Our aims were to assess: the perceptions of and knowledge of older adult populations; and the overall IPE (Interprofessional Education) experience of the IGCC participants. A multi-method study approach was used, the Facts on Aging Quiz assessed knowledge and the Carolina Opinions on Care of Older Adults (COCOA) assessed perceptions.

An Age-Friendly Health System.

Background/objectives: To describe a screening and intervention program for geriatric syndromes instituted at a rural healthcare system that utilizes the 4Ms of an age-friendly health system, and to provide exercise and cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) as part of an age-friendly health program.

Design: Retrospective evaluation of clinical data.

Setting: Rural primary healthcare system.

Serum progranulin levels are associated with frailty in middle-aged individuals.

Background And Objective: A recent study identified progranulin as a candidate biomarker for frailty, based on gene expression databases. In the present study, we investigated associations between serum progranulin levels and frailty in a population-based sample of late middle-age and older adults.

Methods: We utilized a cohort study that included 358 African Americans (baseline ages 49-65).

High prevalence of geriatric syndromes in older adults.

Introduction: The geriatric syndromes of frailty, sarcopenia, weight loss, and dementia are highly prevalent in elderly individuals across all care continuums. Despite their deleterious impact on quality of life, disability, and mortality in older adults, they are frequently under-recognized. At Saint Louis University, the Rapid Geriatric Assessment (RGA) was developed as a brief screening tool to identify these four geriatric syndromes.

Relationship between sarcopenia and depression in older patients with diabetes: An investigation using the Japanese version of SARC-F.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and depression in older patients with diabetes using the Japanese version of SARC-F.

Methods: Participants included patients with diabetes aged ≥65 years who were undergoing outpatient treatment at the Ise Red Cross Hospital, Ise, Japan. Depression was measured using the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire 9, which is a nine-item questionnaire.

Associations of Clinically Relevant Levels of Depressive Symptoms and Antidepressant Use With Mortality in African American Health.

Background: The Institute of Medicine has highlighted unequal treatment for African American individuals in health care. We examined the association of underuse of antidepressants in African American individuals with increased mortality.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study in Metropolitan St Louis, Missouri, in a population-based study of community-dwelling African American individuals, aged 52 to 68 years.

Evaluation of a Video-Based Seminar to Raise Health Care Professionals' Awareness of Culturally Sensitive End-of-Life Care.

Context: Health care workers serve diverse communities and face challenges in delivering culturally responsive EOL care, especially when caring for Latino elders.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a newly developed telenovela, or video soap opera, on health care professionals (HCPs)' awareness of caregivers' stress and patients' cultural approaches to end-of-life (EOL) care decisions.

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study among three communities in New York, Miami, and Missouri.

What Did Latino Family Caregivers Expect and Learn From Education Intervention "Caregivers Like Me"?

Objective: US Latinos historically have underutilized end-of-life (EOL) resources. This study reports the views of family caregivers before and after education intervention Caregivers Like Me geared to improve knowledge and attitudes regarding EOL resources among Latino caregivers.

Methods: This is a qualitative substudy within a multicentered cross-sectional study design.

Fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and depressive symptoms in the African American Health (AAH) study.

Background: Healthy diet and physical activity (PA) have been associated with reduced depressive symptoms, but few studies have examined them simultaneously in African Americans.

Aims: To investigate fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) and PA as predictors of clinically-relevant levels of depressive symptoms (CRLDS) in African Americans.

Methods: African American Health (AAH) is a population-based longitudinal study of African Americans in St.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish-Language Version of the SARC-F to Assess Sarcopenia in Mexican Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: To cross-culturally adapt and validate the Spanish-language version of the SARC-F in Mexican community-dwelling older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort.

Setting: The FraDySMex study, a 2-round evaluation of community-dwelling adults from 2 municipalities in Mexico City.

Neighborhood Conditions and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Middle-Aged African Americans.

Objective: We examined associations between observed neighborhood conditions (good/adverse) and psychosocial outcomes (stress, depressive symptoms, resilience, and sense of control) among middle-aged and older African Americans.

Methods: The sample included 455 middle-aged and older African Americans examined in Wave 10 of the African American Health (AAH) study. Linear regression was adjusted for attrition, self-selection into neighborhoods, and potential confounders, and stratified by the duration at current address (<5 vs ≥5 years) because of its hypothesized role as an effect modifier.

The Role of Catheter Angiography in the Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Vasculitis.

Background: Central nervous system vasculitis (CNSV) is a rare disorder, the pathophysiology of which is not fully understood. It involves a combination of inflammation and thrombosis. CNSV is most commonly associated with headache, gradual changes in mental status, and focal neurological symptoms.

Enhancing SARC-F: Improving Sarcopenia Screening in the Clinical Practice.

Objectives: To validate the (Brazilian) Portuguese-translated version of the SARC-F questionnaire and to verify its performance in the separate sarcopenia screening and muscle function evaluation contexts. In addition, by associating SARC-F to an anthropometric measurement (as an estimate of muscle mass), to test for improvements in its sarcopenia screening efficacy.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

SARC-F: a symptom score to predict persons with sarcopenia at risk for poor functional outcomes.

Background: A brief, inexpensive screening test for sarcopenia would be helpful for clinicians and their patients. To screen for persons with sarcopenia, we developed a simple five-item questionnaire (SARC-F) based on cardinal features or consequences of sarcopenia.

Methods: We investigated the utility of SARC-F in the African American Health (AAH) study, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Brain health: the importance of recognizing cognitive impairment: an IAGG consensus conference.

Cognitive impairment creates significant challenges for patients, their families and friends, and clinicians who provide their health care. Early recognition allows for diagnosis and appropriate treatment, education, psychosocial support, and engagement in shared decision-making regarding life planning, health care, involvement in research, and financial matters. An IAGG-GARN consensus panel examined the importance of early recognition of impaired cognitive health.

Education Intervention "Caregivers Like Me" for Latino Family Caregivers Improved Attitudes Toward Professional Assistance at End-of-life Care.

Objective: This study explores the ability of a culturally sensitive and case-based education intervention, Caregivers Like Me, to improve knowledge and attitudes regarding end-of-life (EOL) resources among Latino caregivers.

Methods: A multicentered, cross-sectional study of Latino communities from different geographical regions and cultural backgrounds. An educational intervention was administered to family caregivers of Latino elders using a case-based video "telenovela" and pretest-posttest questionnaires.