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OBJECTIVES: There is limited information on the characteristics of older adults with bipolar disorder (OABD) treated with lithium, along with safety concerns about its use by older adults. The aim of the present study is to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of OABD receiving lithium therapy, using data from the Global Ageing & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder (GAGE-BD). EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: Cross-sectional analysis of the GAGE-BD dataset to determine differences and similarities between lithium users and non-users. We analysed data from 986 participants aged 50 years or older (mean age 63.5 years; 57.5% females) from 12 study sites. Two subgroups (Lithium; Non-lithium) were defined according to the current prescription of lithium. We compared several outcomes between these groups, controlling for age, gender, and study site. RESULTS: OABD treated with lithium had lower scores on depression rating scales and were less likely to be categorised as with moderate or severe depression. There was a lower proportion of lithium users than non-users among those with evidence of rapid cycling and non-bipolar psychiatric diagnoses. Assessment of global cognitive state and functionality indicated better performance among lithium users. The current use of antipsychotics was less frequent among lithium users, who also reported fewer cardiovascular comorbidities than non-users. CONCLUSION: We found several potentially relevant differences in the clinical profile of OABD treated with lithium compared with those treated with other mood stabilisers. However, the interpretation of the present results must take into account the methodological limitations inherent to the cross-sectional approach and data harmonisation.

OBJECTIVE: Some individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) experience manic and depressive symptoms concurrently, but data are limited on symptom mixity in older age bipolar disorder (OABD). Using the Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database, we characterized mixity in OABD and associations with everyday function. METHODS: The sample (n = 805), from 12 international studies, included cases with both mania and depression severity ratings at a single timepoint. Four mixity groups were created: asymptomatic (A), mixed (Mix), depressed only (Dep), and manic only (Man). Generalized linear mixed models used mixity group as the predictor variable; cohort was included as a random intercept. Everyday function was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning score. RESULTS: Group proportions were Mix (69.6%; n = 560), followed by Dep (18.4%; n = 148), then A (7.8%; n = 63), then Man (4.2%; n= 34); levels of depression and mania were similar in Mix compared to Dep and Man, respectively. Everyday function was lowest in Mix, highest in A, and intermediate in Man and Dep. Within Mix, severity of depression was the main driver of worse functioning. Groups differed in years of education, with A higher than all others, but did not differ by age, gender, employment status, BD subtype, or age of onset. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed features predominate in a cross-sectional, global OABD sample and are associated with worse everyday function. Among those with mixed symptoms, functional status relates strongly to current depression severity. Future studies should include cognitive and other biological variables as well as longitudinal designs to allow for evaluation of causal effects.

ObjectiveLiterature on older-age bipolar disorder (OABD) is limited. This first-ever analysis of the Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE-BD) investigated associations among age, BD symptoms, comorbidity, and functioning.MethodsThis analysis used harmonized, baseline, cross-sectional data from 19 international studies (N = 1377). Standardized measures included the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).ResultsMean sample age was 60.8 years (standard deviation [SD] 12.2 years), 55% female, 72% BD I. Mood symptom severity was low: mean total YMRS score of 4.3 (SD 5.4) and moderate-to-severe depression in only 22%. Controlled for sample effects, both manic and depressive symptom severity appeared lower among older individuals (p's

In subclinical hypothyroidism, the presence of depressive symptoms is often a reason for starting levothyroxine treatment. However, data are conflicting on the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and depressive symptoms. We aimed to examine the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and depressive symptoms in all prospective cohorts with relevant data available. We performed a systematic review of the literature from Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane Library from inception to 10th May 2019. We included prospective cohorts with data on thyroid status at baseline and depressive symptoms during follow-up. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms measured at first available follow-up, expressed on the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) scale (range 0-63, higher values indicate more depressive symptoms, minimal clinically important difference: 5 points). We performed a two-stage individual participant data (IPD) analysis comparing participants with subclinical hypo- or hyperthyroidism versus euthyroidism, adjusting for depressive symptoms at baseline, age, sex, education, and income (PROSPERO CRD42018091627). Six cohorts met the inclusion criteria, with IPD on 23,038 participants. Their mean age was 60 years, 65% were female, 21,025 were euthyroid, 1342 had subclinical hypothyroidism and 671 subclinical hyperthyroidism. At first available follow-up [mean 8.2 (± 4.3) years], BDI scores did not differ between participants with subclinical hypothyroidism (mean difference = 0.29, 95% confidence interval =  - 0.17 to 0.76, I2 = 15.6) or subclinical hyperthyroidism (- 0.10, 95% confidence interval =  - 0.67 to 0.48, I2 = 3.2) compared to euthyroidism. This systematic review and IPD analysis of six prospective cohort studies found no clinically relevant association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction at baseline and depressive symptoms during follow-up. The results were robust in all sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Our results are in contrast with the traditional notion that subclinical thyroid dysfunction, and subclinical hypothyroidism in particular, is associated with depressive symptoms. Consequently, our results do not support the practice of prescribing levothyroxine in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism to reduce the risk of developing depressive symptoms.

Previous prospective studies assessing the relationship between circulating concentrations of vitamin D and prostate cancer risk have shown inconclusive results, particularly for risk of aggressive disease. In this study, we examine the association between prediagnostic concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and the risk of prostate cancer overall and by tumor characteristics. Principal investigators of 19 prospective studies provided individual participant data on circulating 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D for up to 13,462 men with incident prostate cancer and 20,261 control participants. ORs for prostate cancer by study-specific fifths of season-standardized vitamin D concentration were estimated using multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression. 25(OH)D concentration was positively associated with risk for total prostate cancer (multivariable-adjusted OR comparing highest vs. lowest study-specific fifth was 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.31; P trend < 0.001). However, this association varied by disease aggressiveness (P heterogeneity = 0.014); higher circulating 25(OH)D was associated with a higher risk of nonaggressive disease (OR per 80 percentile increase = 1.24, 1.13-1.36) but not with aggressive disease (defined as stage 4, metastases, or prostate cancer death, 0.95, 0.78-1.15). 1,25(OH)2D concentration was not associated with risk for prostate cancer overall or by tumor characteristics. The absence of an association of vitamin D with aggressive disease does not support the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency increases prostate cancer risk. Rather, the association of high circulating 25(OH)D concentration with a higher risk of nonaggressive prostate cancer may be influenced by detection bias. SIGNIFICANCE: This international collaboration comprises the largest prospective study on blood vitamin D and prostate cancer risk and shows no association with aggressive disease but some evidence of a higher risk of nonaggressive disease.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of Australians dispensed psychotropic medications between 2013 and 2022 according to their age. Methods: Services Australia provided a de-identified 10% random Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme sample that allowed us to determine, for each year, the proportion of Australians dispensed at least one script for antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics. The classification of medications followed Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical coding. Participants were stratified into 10-year age groups from 0–9 to ⩾90 years, and sex was coded as male/female. We retrieved population numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Results: The number of records per year ranged from 1,540,520 to 1,746,402, and 54.10% were for females. A greater proportion of older adults, particularly those aged ⩾70 years, were dispensed antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than any other age group. The proportion of people who dispensed antipsychotics, anxiolytics and hypnotics declined between 2013 and 2022 but increased for antidepressants, most markedly for adolescents and young adults. Females were more frequently dispensed antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics than males, but males were more frequently dispensed antipsychotics than females, albeit not in later life. Conclusion: Older age groups and females are the most frequent recipients of psychotropic medications dispensed in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Previous findings suggest that apathy symptoms independently of depressive symptoms measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older individuals. Aims:To study whether apathy and depressive symptoms in older people are associated with future CVD, stroke, and mortality using individual patient-data meta-analysis. Methods:Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo databases up to September 3, 2013, were systematically searched without language restrictions. We sought prospective studies with older (mean age ≥65 years) community-dwelling populations in which the GDS was employed and subsequent stroke and/or CVD were recorded to provide individual participant data. Apathy symptoms were defined as the three apathy-related subitems of the GDS, with depressive symptoms the remaining items. We used myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality as main outcomes. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and MI/stroke history. An adaptation of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to evaluate bias. Hazard ratios were calculated using one-stage random-effect Cox regression models. Results:Of the 52 eligible studies, 21 (40.4%) were included, comprising 47,625 older people (mean age [standard deviation] 74 [7.4] years), over a median follow-up of 8.8 years. Participants with apathy symptoms had a 21% higher risk of MI (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.36), a 37% higher risk of stroke (95% CI 1.18-1.59), and a 47% higher risk of all-cause mortality (95% CI 1.38-1.56). Participants with depressive symptoms had a comparably higher risk of stroke (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.18-1.56) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.35-1.53), but not of MI (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.91-1.29). Associations for isolated apathy and isolated depressive symptoms were comparable. Sensitivity analyses according to risk of bias yielded similar results. Conclusion:Our findings stress the clinical importance of recognizing apathy independently of depressive symptoms, and could help physicians identify persons at increased risk of vascular disease.

Background: Evidence from previous observational studies suggest that infection by herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) increase the risk of dementia. Objective: To investigate if older adults exposed to HSV treatment have lower risk of dementia than the rest of the population. Methods: We used the 10% Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) database from 2013 to 2022 to ascertain the cross-sectional, time-series and longitudinal association between exposure to HSV treatment and the dispensing of antidementia medicines. Participants were men and women aged 60 years or older. We used Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes to identify medicines dispensed for the treatment of HSV and dementia. Results: During the year 2022 6,868 (1.2%) of 559,561 of participants aged 60 years or over were dispensed antidementia agent. The odds ratio (OR) of being dispensed an antidementia agent among individuals dispensed treatment for HSV was 0.73 (99% CI = 0.56–0.95). Multilevel logistic regression for the 2013–2022 period for those dispensed HSV treatment was 0.87 (99% CI = 0.75–1.00). Split-time span series from 2013 was associated with hazard ratio of 0.98 (99% CI = 0.89–1.07) for individuals dispensed relative to those not dispensed HSV treatment. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and the dispensing of medicines for the treatment of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. Conclusions: The dispensing of antiviral medicines for the treatment of HSV and VZV is consistently, but not conclusively, associated with decreased dispensing of antidementia medicines. This suggests that treatment of HSV and VZV infections may contribute to reduce the risk of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo use the rs1229984 variant in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene (ADH1B) as an instrument to investigate the causal role of alcohol in cardiovascular disease.DesignMendelian randomisation meta-analysis of 56 epidemiological studies.Participants261 991 individuals of European descent, including 20 259 coronary heart disease cases and 10 164 stroke events. Data were available on ADH1B rs1229984 variant, alcohol phenotypes, and cardiovascular biomarkers.Main outcome measuresOdds ratio for coronary heart disease and stroke associated with the ADH1B variant in all individuals and by categories of alcohol consumption.ResultsCarriers of the A-allele of ADH1B rs1229984 consumed 17.2% fewer units of alcohol per week (95% confidence interval 15.6% to 18.9%), had a lower prevalence of binge drinking (odds ratio 0.78 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.84)), and had higher abstention (odds ratio 1.27 (1.21 to 1.34)) than non-carriers. Rs1229984 A-allele carriers had lower systolic blood pressure (-0.88 (-1.19 to -0.56) mm Hg), interleukin-6 levels (-5.2% (-7.8 to -2.4%)), waist circumference (-0.3 (-0.6 to -0.1) cm), and body mass index (-0.17 (-0.24 to -0.10) kg/m(2)). Rs1229984 A-allele carriers had lower odds of coronary heart disease (odds ratio 0.90 (0.84 to 0.96)). The protective association of the ADH1B rs1229984 A-allele variant remained the same across all categories of alcohol consumption (P=0.83 for heterogeneity). Although no association of rs1229984 was identified with the combined subtypes of stroke, carriers of the A-allele had lower odds of ischaemic stroke (odds ratio 0.83 (0.72 to 0.95)).ConclusionsIndividuals with a genetic variant associated with non-drinking and lower alcohol consumption had a more favourable cardiovascular profile and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease than those without the genetic variant. This suggests that reduction of alcohol consumption, even for light to moderate drinkers, is beneficial for cardiovascular health.

Objectives: The Global Aging & Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder Database (GAGE‐BD) project pools archival datasets on older age bipolar disorder (OABD). An initial Wave 1 (W1; n = 1369) analysis found both manic and depressive symptoms reduced among older patients. To replicate this finding, we gathered an independent Wave 2 (W2; n = 1232, mean ± standard deviation age 47.2 ± 13.5, 65% women, 49% aged over 50) dataset. Design/Methods: Using mixed models with random effects for cohort, we examined associations between BD symptoms, somatic burden and age and the contribution of these to functioning in W2 and the combined W1 + W2 sample (n = 2601). Results: Compared to W1, the W2 sample was younger (p < 0.001), less educated (p < 0.001), more symptomatic (p < 0.001), lower functioning (p < 0.001) and had fewer somatic conditions (p < 0.001). In the full W2, older individuals had reduced manic symptom severity, but age was not associated with depression severity. Age was not associated with functioning in W2. More severe BD symptoms (mania p ≤ 0.001, depression p ≤ 0.001) were associated with worse functioning. Older age was significantly associated with higher somatic burden in the W2 and the W1 + W2 samples, but this burden was not associated with poorer functioning. Conclusions: In a large, independent sample, older age was associated with less severe mania and more somatic burden (consistent with previous findings), but there was no association of depression with age (different from previous findings). Similar to previous findings, worse BD symptom severity was associated with worse functioning, emphasizing the need for symptom relief in OABD to promote better functioning. Key points: With the global population of older adults increasing rapidly, it is important to understand how older adults with bipolar disorder (BD) differ from younger adults.This replication analysis using a large global dataset focused on older‐age bipolar disorder (OABD) and examined associations of older age, BD symptoms, somatic burden and functioning.Older age was associated with less severe mania and more somatic burden but there was no association of depression with age.Worse BD symptom severity was associated with worse functioning, emphasizing the need for symptom relief in OABD to promote better functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]