Search

Introduction: Polypharmacy, defined as the simultaneous consumption of 3 or more medications, is a significant concern in older adults, particularly in communities with limited access to healthcare services and adverse living conditions. This study focuses on vulnerable populations in high-Andean communities of Peru. Objectives: To determine the factors associated with polypharmacy in older adults from 12 high-Andean communities in Peru. Methods: This observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study included a sample of 399 elderly individuals selected through census sampling with a minimum response rate of 95%. The "Frailty in Older Adults from the Peruvian Andes" questionnaire was utilized. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Chi-square test, Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and regression analysis for independent groups. Results: Of the participants, 58.7% (n=234) were women, and 32.8% exhibited polypharmacy. The variables most strongly associated with polypharmacy were retirement (CI 2.07 - 8.13), previous hospitalizations (CI 0.09 - 0.31), alcohol consumption (CI 2.04 - 6.28), tobacco use (CI 2.78 - 10.12), and hypertension (CI 1.14 - 4.68). Conclusions: Polypharmacy in older adults is influenced by sociocultural and demographic factors such as retirement, alcohol and tobacco consumption, and hypertension. Altitude did not show a significant association with polypharmacy.

Background: There is evidence that sarcopenia and functionality are closely related. However, the association between geriatric syndromes, such as dependence, on instrumental activities and sarcopenia could be affected by the presence of certain comorbidities, such as overweight, obesity, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the association between instrumental activities of daily living and muscle mass in the elderly and evaluate the impact of certain comorbidities on this association. Methods: This was a retrospective analytical observational study, including 1,897 patients. Muscle mass was measured with calf circumference, and instrumental activities were measured with the Lawton index. Results: Among different parameters studies, a statistical correlation was found in a stratified regression analysis between the Lawton index score and muscle mass in patients who were overweight (p=0.001, β coefficient=0.08), obese (p=0.001, β coefficient=0.05), had diabetes (p=0.012, β coefficient=0.03), and had COPD (p=0.001, β coefficient=0.03). Conclusion: The correlation between muscle mass and instrumental activities of daily living should be evaluated individually according to the needs of each participant and according to their comorbidities, promoting patient-centered geriatric medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine whether there is an association between subclinical hypothyroidism and glycemic control in older adults who received care at the "Centro Médico Naval" from 2010 to 2015. Methods. This retrospective analytical study analyzed a secondary database of the care of elderly in the study hospital. The sample was comprised of 1,385 older adults. To detect an association between variables, the Poisson regression with robust variance was used at a significance level of 95%. The analyses were carried out with the STATA 16 program. Results. Of the elderly 45.6% were between 71 and 80 years old; 58.4% were women and 43.8% had a normal body mass index. There was evidence of inadequate glycemic control in 8.1% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 15.2% of the elderly patients. Subclinical hypothyroidism was more frequent in the inadequate glycemic control vs. adequate glycemic control populations (41.1% vs. 13.0%). In the multivariance analysis, subclinical hypothyroidism (aPR = 2.22 95% CI [1.47–3.36]) was independent factor associated with inadequate glycemic control (p < 0.001). Conclusions. A significant association was detected between subclinical hypothyroidism and inadequate glycemic control in older adults who presented at the "Centro Médico Naval" from 2010 to 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gait speed is associated with a higher prevalence of balance disorders in older adults residing at high altitudes. This study investigated this association in older adults from 12 high-altitude Andean Peruvian communities. Methods: We performed a secondary data analysis from an analytical cross-sectional study of adults >60 years of age, residing in 12 high-altitude Andean Peruvian communities, enrolled between 2013 and 2019. The exposure and outcome variables were gait speed (categorized in tertiles), and balance disorders (defined as a functional reach value of ≤20.32 cm), respectively. We built generalized linear models of the Poisson family with a logarithmic link function and robust variances, and estimated crude prevalence ratios (cPR) and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We analyzed 418 older adults; 38.8% (n=162) were male, and the mean age was 73.2±6.9 years. The mean gait speed and functional reach were 0.66±0.24 m/s and 19.9±6.48 cm, respectively. In the adjusted regression model, the intermediate (aPR=1.88; 95% CI, 1.39–2.55; p<0.001) and low (aPR=2.04; 95% CI, 1.51–2.76; p<0.001) tertiles of gait speed were associated with a higher prevalence of balance disorders. Conclusion: The intermediate and low tertiles of gait speed were associated with a higher prevalence of balance disorders among older adult residents of 12 high-altitude Andean communities. We recommend further research on the behavior of this association to propose interventions for these vulnerable groups and reduce the impact of geriatric conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarcopenia is a musculoskeletal disease involving the reduction of muscle mass, strength, and performance. Handgrip strength (HGS) measurements included in frailty assessments are great biomarkers of aging and are related to functional deficits. We assessed the association between potential influencing factors and HGS asymmetry in older Peruvian adults. Methods: We used a database of the Peruvian Naval Medical Center "Cirujano Santiago Távara" located in Callao, Peru. All the patients included were ≥60 years old and had an HGS measurement in the dominant and non-dominant hand. Results: From a total of 1,468 patients, 74.66% had HGS asymmetry. After adjustment, calf circumference weakness (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.15), falls risk (aPR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.16), and an altered Lawton index (aPR=0.92; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99) were associated with HGS asymmetry. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HGS asymmetry should be measured along with other geriatric assessments used to evaluate health outcomes in the elderly to enhance health promotion and prevention aimed at preserving muscle strength to curb functional limitations in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article in the Peruvian Journal of Experimental Medicine and Public Health focuses on orthothanasia and its contribution to a dignified death. Palliative care seeks to improve the quality of life of patients facing serious illnesses, focusing on relieving suffering. The importance of legislation and training in palliative care in Peru is highlighted, as well as the need for a long-term care system. [Extracted from the article]

There is often a lack of standardization in the publication of this type of bibliometrics and scientometrics studies, which makes it difficult to evaluate their validity and contrast the findings. Hence, inspired by the existence of different guidelines for other methodological designs, a group of Peruvian bibliometricians develop guidelines for the presentation of bibliometric and scientometric studies focusing on the three main types of studies used in bibliometrics and scientometrics: citations, number of publications, co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis and social network analysis, structural patterns, spatial distribution, etc. Bibliometricians, editors, and researchers collaborated to develop the RAMIBS guideline: Reporting and Measurement of Items for Bibliometric or Scientometric Studies for verifying the items that should be included in the reports of bibliometric and scientometric studies. This process of consensus, drafting, and review resulted in a checklist of 12 items that are related to the title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion of the articles. It is hoped that these guidelines will improve the quality of the presentation of bibliometric and scientometric studies, thus facilitating their reporting, evaluation, and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Alergia de Mexico is the property of Coleg. Mexicano de Inmunologia Clinica y Alergia A.C.; Soc. Lat. de Alergia, Asma e Inmunologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)