Bounce Forward Better: Geriatric and Gerontological Research in the Post-pandemic Future.

In recent years, we have faced challenges in managing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in older adults. The pandemic has precipitated a global health crisis that impeded older adults from maintaining their health. Disruption of the routine management of chronic diseases, physical inactivity deteriorating physical function and quality of life, malnutrition, and mental disorders have been suggested as major threats to the health of older adults.

Challenges and Opportunities for Academic Journals to Serve the Older Population in Western Pacific Region.

Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research held its inaugural international editorial board virtual meeting on September 16, 2021, to brainstorm ideas for sustainable growth. This special article summarizes the key concepts obtained from the webinar proceedings, with further development of ideas from ensuing discussions occurring after the meeting. From the initial discussion points provided by eight editorial board members, including six presenters, email discussions further enriched these ideas to construct the current special article.

Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia: 2019 Consensus Update on Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Treatment.

Clinical and research interest in sarcopenia has burgeoned internationally, Asia included. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2014 consensus defined sarcopenia as "age-related loss of muscle mass, plus low muscle strength, and/or low physical performance" and specified cutoffs for each diagnostic component; research in Asia consequently flourished, prompting this update. AWGS 2019 retains the previous definition of sarcopenia but revises the diagnostic algorithm, protocols, and some criteria: low muscle strength is defined as handgrip strength <28 kg for men and <18 kg for women; criteria for low physical performance are 6-m walk <1.

Does Low Dose Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Prevent Pneumonia in Older People With Neurologic Dysphagia--A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Objective: To examine if angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor reduces the risk of pneumonia in older patients on tube-feeding because of dysphagia from cerebrovascular diseases.

Design: Randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Acute and subacute geriatrics units, speech therapists' clinic, and nursing home.

Sleep Duration and Disturbances Were Associated With Testosterone Level, Muscle Mass, and Muscle Strength--A Cross-Sectional Study in 1274 Older Men.

Background: Testosterone level follows a circadian rhythm. However, whether sleep duration and disturbances can affect testosterone level, muscle mass, and strength remains unknown.

Objective: To examine the relationship of sleep duration and disturbances to testosterone level, muscle mass, muscle strength, and walking speed.

Obesity can benefit survival-a 9-year prospective study in 1614 Chinese nursing home residents.

Objective: Weight loss has been considered predictive of early mortality in nursing home residents. Lower body mass index, irrespective of weight loss, has also been considered detrimental for survival in community-dwelling older persons. We examined which of the 2 is more important for survival in nursing home residents and at what body mass index (BMI) cut-offs survival benefits are gained or lost.

Transitions in frailty states among community-living older adults and their associated factors.

Background: Frailty renders older individuals more prone to adverse health outcomes. Little has been reported about the transitions between the different frailty states. We attempted to examine the rate of these transitions and their associated factors.

Sarcopenia in Asia: consensus report of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, a newly recognized geriatric syndrome, is characterized by age-related decline of skeletal muscle plus low muscle strength and/or physical performance. Previous studies have confirmed the association of sarcopenia and adverse health outcomes, such as falls, disability, hospital admission, long term care placement, poorer quality of life, and mortality, which denotes the importance of sarcopenia in the health care for older people. Despite the clinical significance of sarcopenia, the operational definition of sarcopenia and standardized intervention programs are still lacking.

Age-associated decline of muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed: a 4-year longitudinal study of 3018 community-dwelling older Chinese.

Aims: Studies about sarcopenia in Asia are fewer, and started later than in Europe and America. We attempted to examine the decline in muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed in a cohort of older Chinese prospectively over 4 years.

Methods: We recruited 4000 community-living Chinese older than 64 years, and measured their appendicular skeletal mass (ASM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, grip strength, and gait speed at baseline and after 2 years.

Incidence, reversibility, risk factors and the protective effect of high body mass index against sarcopenia in community-dwelling older Chinese adults.

Aim: We examined the incidence and the reversibility of sarcopenia and their associated factors over a 4-year period using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria.

Methods: A total of 4000 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years were evaluated for which detailed information regarding demographics, socioeconomic, medical history, lifestyle, and clinical factors were documented at baseline, 2 years, and 4 years later. Sarcopenia was defined according to the EWGSOP algorithm.

Hypotension is a risk factor for new pressure ulcer occurrence in older patients after admission to an acute hospital.

Background: Pressure ulcer occurrence in older patients admitted to hospital has not been studied thoroughly; yet, pressure ulcers frequently develop among the frail older patients who are hospitalized. Identifying risk factors for pressure ulcer occurrence is of utmost importance in preventing its development in this group of patients. Hypoperfusion, as manifested by hypotension, is theoretically important in the development of pressure ulcer.

Attitudes of long-term care staff toward dementia and their related factors.

Background: Attitudes of residential care staff toward residents with dementia affect the quality of care. We examined the attitude of frontline residential care staff toward residents with dementia, and how the presence of specialized care units or programs may affect staff attitude.

Methods: Staff working in nursing homes participated in a survey which covered demographic data, current state of dementia care in workplace, opinion regarding dementia care, and perceived importance of dementia behaviors.

Adiposity to muscle ratio predicts incident physical limitation in a cohort of 3,153 older adults--an alternative measurement of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity.

Conventionally, sarcopenia is defined by muscle mass and physical performance. We hypothesized that the disability caused by sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was related to the amount of adiposity or body weight bearing on a unit of muscle mass, or the adiposity to muscle ratio. We therefore examined whether this ratio could predict physical limitation by secondary analysis of the data in our previous study.

Cognitive deficit is associated with phase advance of sleep-wake rhythm, daily napping, and prolonged sleep duration--a cross-sectional study in 2,947 community-dwelling older adults.

This study aims to examine the phase advance of sleep-wake rhythm, napping habit, nocturnal sleep duration, prolonged sleep latency and insomnia and their relationship with cognitive function. This is a cross-sectional study. Participants in this study are 2,947 community-dwelling adults older than 65 years old.

Survival benefit of abdominal adiposity: a 6-year follow-up study with Dual X-ray absorptiometry in 3,978 older adults.

In contrast to that in the middle-aged, higher body mass index (BMI) in older people is associated with higher survival rates. Yet, BMI makes no distinction between fat elsewhere and abdominal fat, the latter being metabolically more harmful. We hypothesized that overall adiposity might be protective in old age, but that central fat might offset that benefit and remained harmful as in the middle-aged.

Testosterone but not estradiol level is positively related to muscle strength and physical performance independent of muscle mass: a cross-sectional study in 1489 older men.

Objective: To examine the relationship between different measures of testosterone and estradiol (E(2)), muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance; and to test whether the association of sex hormone level with muscle strength and physical performance was independent of muscle mass.

Design And Methods: A cross-sectional survey on 1489 community-dwelling men older than 64 years of age. Serum levels of testosterone and E(2) were measured by mass spectrometry, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured by immunoradioassay.

Effects of height loss on morbidity and mortality in 3145 community-dwelling Chinese older women and men: a 5-year prospective study.

Background: height loss beginning in mid-life and post-menopausal period was associated with adverse health outcomes. However, height loss occurring after old age has been little studied. We examined how height loss was related to bone mineral density (BMD) change, fracture incidence and cause-specific mortality in older adults.

Survival in older men may benefit from being slightly overweight and centrally obese--a 5-year follow-up study in 4,000 older adults using DXA.

Background: Whether overweight in old age is hazardous remains controversial. Body mass index (BMI) overestimates adiposity and fails to measure central adiposity. We used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure adiposity and hypothesized that overall adiposity, distribution of adiposity, and muscle mass might individually affect survival.

Functional decline in cognitive impairment--the relationship between physical and cognitive function.

Background: Physical function decline is associated with dementia, which might either be mediated by the coexisting sarcopenia or directly related to the impaired cognition. Our objectives are to examine the relationship between cognitive function and performance-based physical function and to test the hypothesis that cognitive function is related to poor physical function independent of muscle mass.

Methods: We measured muscle strength, performance-based physical function and muscle mass using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and cognitive function using the cognitive part of the Community Screening Instrument of Dementia (CSI-D) in 4,000 community-dwelling Chinese elderly aged >65 years.

Associated factors and health impact of sarcopenia in older chinese men and women: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Sarcopenia is increasingly being recognized as a feature of frailty in old age and is associated with unfavorable health outcomes in Western populations. Little is known about sarcopenia among Asian elderly populations.

Objectives: The study was undertaken to study the association between sarcopenia and common chronic illnesses, lifestyle factors, psychosocial well-being and physical performance.

The use of corticosteroid as treatment in SARS was associated with adverse outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To study the effect of corticosteroids in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 78 consecutive adult SARS patients admitted to a regional hospital in Hong Kong between March and May 2003 was analysed to study the effectiveness of corticosteroid. They were categorized according to whether or not corticosteroid therapy was given, and compared in terms of demographic characteristics, comorbidities, peak lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and clinical outcomes.

A comparison of two feeding methods in the alleviation of diarrhoea in older tube-fed patients: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: to compare the effect of two feeding methods on older tube-fed patients suffering from diarrhoea.

Design: randomised controlled study.

Setting: geriatric wards in a regional hospital.