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Background: Sedentary behaviours are increasingly recognised as raising the risk of cardiovascular disease events, diabetes and mortality, independently of physical activity levels. However, little is known about patterns of sedentary behaviour in older adults.Methods: Cross-sectional study of 1566/3137 (50% response) men aged 71-91 years from a UK population-based cohort study. Men wore a GT3x accelerometer over the hip for 1 week in 2010-2011. Mean daily minutes of sedentary behaviours, percentage of day in sedentary behaviours, sedentary bouts and breaks were calculated and summarised by health and demographic characteristics.Results: 1403 ambulatory men aged 78.4 years (SD=4.6 years) with ≥ 600 min of accelerometer wear on ≥ 3 days had complete data on covariables. Men spent on average 618 min (SD=83), or 72% of their day in sedentary behaviours (<100 counts/min). On average, men accumulated 72 spells of sedentary behaviours per day, with 7 breaks in each sedentary hour. Men had on average 5.1 sedentary bouts of ≥ 30 min, which accounted for 43% of sedentary time, and 1.4 bouts of ≥ 60 min, which accounted for 19% of daily sedentary time. Men who were over 80 years old, obese, depressed and had multiple chronic conditions accumulated more sedentary time and spent more time in longer sedentary bouts.Conclusions: Older men spend nearly three quarters of their day in sedentary behaviours, mostly accumulated in short bouts, although bouts lasting ≥ 30 min accounted for nearly half of the sedentary time each day. Men with medical risk factors were more likely to also display sedentary behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity (PA) levels among older adults are generally low and sedentary behaviour (SB) very common; increasing PA and reducing SB levels could have appreciable health benefits. Quantifying PA and SB patterns through the day could help in defining strategies for change. We examined within day variations in PA and SB and whether these varied by demographic factors and health status. Methods: Men aged 71-91 years participating in an established UK population-based cohort study were invited to wear a GT3x Actigraph accelerometer over the hip for one week in 2010-12. Percentages of time spent in sedentary (SB, <100 counts per minute [CPM]); in light (LIPA, 100-1040 CPM) and in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA, >1040 CPM) were derived. Multilevel models were used to estimate the associations between demographic factors and health status and SB, LIPA and MVPA. Results: 1455 of 3137 men invited (46.4 %) participated and provided adequate data. Men spent 73 % of the day in SB, 23 % in LIPA and 4.5 % in MVPA (619, 197 and 39 min per day respectively). The percentage of time spent in MVPA was highest in the morning, peaking at 10-11 am (8.4 %), and then declining until the evening, with the exception of a small increase at 2-3 pm. LIPA followed a similar pattern. Conversely, SB levels were lowest in the morning and increased throughout the day, peaking at 9 pm (88 %). Men who were older, did not use active transport, had mobility limitations, were obese, depressed, had more chronic health conditions, and were smokers had lower levels of MVPA. The impacts of older age, obesity, mobility limitations and chronic diseases on LIPA,MVPA and SB were more marked in the morning than in the afternoon and evening. Conclusions: Levels of MVPA and LIPA are highest in the morning (peak at 10-11 am) and decrease during the day. SB increases through the course of the day to peak in the evening. Interventions to encourage older men to be physically active may need to take account of current PA patterns, aiming to prolong active morning bouts of PA and/or reducing SB in the afternoon and evening hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study questions the 'misery perspective' generally used to understand gender, ageing and health. Using the General Household Survey time-series data, the article explores the changes in self-reported health for men and women aged 65 years and over across cohorts and historical time in the United Kingdom. It is found that although gender difference in reporting poor health existed for those born between 1880 and 1920, the difference was not observed for those born between 1921 and 1940. It is also found that compared to the 1970s and 1980s, gender difference in reporting poor health in old age decreased in the early 1990s and diminished to a negligible level in the 2000s. The results challenge the conventional understanding of comparative disadvantage of older women in the Literature and illuminate that historical timing plays a role in the relationship between gender and ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the right of patients to challenge compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act 1959 in Great Britain. It notes the case of a 69-year-old man who had been detained under a hospital order and under the care of a new responsible medical officer (RMO). It also explores the role of second opinion appointed doctor (SOAD) to examine if the patient is capable of refusing treatment.

Most COPD is attributable to smoking, however evidence from workforce and general population studies suggest that occupational exposure is also associated with the disease. This study examines the relationship between respiratory symptoms, doctor-diagnosed COPD and occupational exposure in a general UK population. Lifetime occupational and smoking history, doctor-diagnosed disease and current respiratory symptoms were collected by postal questionnaire in a cohort of subjects aged 51-60, recruited from 33 general practices in Kent; here we present the results in men (n=3011). Occupations were defined a priori as being associated with an increased risk of COPD using 13 job categories as defined for the European Community Respiratory Health Survey ; all other occupations were designated low risk (referent). Logistic regression in men with complete data and no history of asthma (n=2452) demonstrated a statistically significant increase in both the odds of breathlessness (modified MRC score 1 or greater, Abstract S2 table 1) and breathlessness reported along with symptoms of chronic bronchitis (data not shown) in subjects who had a history of ever having been employed in a risky job, compared to other referent (mainly white collar) workers. This association, between work in occupations with an a priori risk of COPD and chronic respiratory symptoms, remained after adjustment for age and smoking status, using pack year history. The strength of the relationship between symptoms and work varied by occupational type; cleaners, painters and agricultural workers had the highest risk of breathlessness when compared to the referent population (Abstract S2 table 1). An increased risk of doctor-diagnosed COPD (COPD, chronic bronchitis or emphysema) was also found in cleaners, transport workers, wood and construction workers (data not shown); in comparison with the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, the number of men declaring doctor-diagnosed disease was small (21% vs 5%). This study demonstrates an association between occupational exposure, chronic respiratory symptoms and doctor-diagnosed COPD within a general population of older males in the UK independent of smoking history. Further characterisation of the cohort, using the results of spirometry, will allow the relationship between risky job exposure and disease to be examined in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older men are more likely than women to become isolated, as they have significantly less contact with children, family and friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]