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The effects of a lowto moderate-intensity balance program for older adults emphasizing self-efficacy information were examined. Participants were assigned to an exercise group with a self-efficacy intervention or as exercise-only controls. Efficacy information focused on mastery experiences and social persuasion. Older adults were preand post-tested before a 16-week, self-paced program. Post-testing revealed that adherence was higher for the efficacy intervention group. No significant main or interaction effects occurred for balance and mobility measures (p > .05). The efficacy intervention in this investigation resulted in greater adherence to activity, without concomitant improvements in balance and mobility. Results suggested that mastery information given participants was not sufficiently salient to result in balance improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to characterize the prevalence of falls and functional impairments (FIs) and their association with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in cancer survivors. Methods: We analyzed baseline assessments from a phase III RCT in cancer survivors with self-reported CIPN scores of >4 out of 10. Patients completed the EORTC QLQ-CIPN-20 for neuropathy and reported falls in the previous 3 months. FIs were defined using the Activities of Daily Living subsection of the Vulnerable Elder's Scale. Associations of baseline characteristics and CIPN with falls and FIs were examined using logistic regression. Results: Of 421 patients, 11.9 % experienced recent falls and 26.6 % reported FIs. Motor neuropathy was the only factor associated with falls (OR = 1.127, p = 0.01). Factors associated with FIs included non-white race (OR = 0.335 white relative to non-white, 0.781, p = 0.01) and greater motor neuropathy scores (OR = 1.262, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: CIPN, primarily motor, is associated with falls and FIs. Future prospective research should investigate the ability of motor neuropathy severity to predict falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis, a skeletal disorder characterized by a reduction in bone strength, increases fracture risk. Primary osteoporosis is usually a result of reduced bone mineral density as a consequence of natural aging. Secondary osteoporosis is usually a result of a disease, such as cystic fibrosis, or medical treatment, such as corticosteroids or cancer treatment. Currently, ten million Americans are osteoporotic and an additional 34 million have the precursor condition, osteopenia. Osteoporosis leads to 1.5 million fractures and 500,000 hospitalizations annually. Osteoporosis-related fractures increase mortality and reduce quality of life. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, regulates intestinal calcium absorption, among other actions. During the past four decades, many clinical trials investigating the effect of calcitriol on bone loss have been performed. We conducted a systematic qualitative review of clinical trials that assessed calcitriol for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone loss. In these clinical trials, calcitriol was used as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapeutic bone agents. Studies using calcitriol monotherapy, although not conclusive, found that calcitriol slowed the rate of bone loss in a variety of populations. Calcitriol in combination with other therapeutic bone agents was shown to have additional bone-preserving effects when compared to the use of therapeutic bone agents alone. A common side-effect of calcitriol therapy was hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, but the degree of hypercalcemia was mild. Recent research found that intermittent dosing can reduce hypercalcemia rates. Calcitriol, alone or in combination with other agents, should be considered for the therapy of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]