Dexamethasone and oxygen therapy in care home residents with diabetes: a management guide and algorithm for treatment: a rapid response action statement from the European Diabetes Working Party for Older People (EDWPOP) and European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS)

This statement addresses the need to provide clinically relevant and practical guidance for long-term care staff working in care homes and other stakeholders engaged in the care of residents who require consideration for dexamethasone and oxygen therapy. It had been provided following a series of consensus discussions between the EDWPOP and the EuGMS in January and February 2021. Its main aim is to minimise morbidity and mortality from serious acute illnesses including COVID-19 requiring these treatments within the long-term care sector. © 2021, The Author(s)

Alteration of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in aged skeletal muscle involves modification of adenine nucleotide translocator

AbstractThe process of skeletal muscle aging is characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass and functionality. The underlying mechanisms are highly complex and remain unclear. This study was designed to further investigate the consequences of aging on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in rat gastrocnemius muscle, by comparing young (6 months) and aged (21 months) rats. Maximal oxidative phosphorylation capacity was clearly reduced in older rats, while mitochondrial efficiency was unaffected. Inner membrane properties were unaffected in aged rats since proton leak kinetics were identical to young rats. Application of top-down control analysis revealed a dysfunction of the phosphorylation module in older rats, responsible for a dysregulation of oxidative phosphorylation under low activities close to in vivo ATP turnover. This dysregulation is responsible for an impaired mitochondrial response toward changes in cellular ATP demand, leading to a decreased membrane potential which may in turn affect ROS production and ion homeostasis. Based on our data, we propose that modification of ANT properties with aging could partly explain these mitochondrial dysfunctions

A Therapeutic Vibrating Insole Device for Postural Instability in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Control Study

Introduction Frail older people with diabetes often present with or develop walking impairments, in part due to lower-limb sensory-motor neuropathy. Several studies suggest a possible improvement of balance control using somatosensory stimulation. We undertook a novel randomized control trial, the aim of which was to observe whether use of this device for 1 month improves walking speed as measured in the 10-m fast walking speed test standardized to body size at month 1 (M1) (FWS). Secondary outcomes were the differences between intervention (VS) and control (C) in the 10-m normal walking speed test, step length, short physical performance battery, timed up and go test, and posturographic measures. Methods Subjects were aged ≥ 70 years and had had type 2 diabetes for at least 2 years. The intervention (VS) at home consisted of 22-min daily vibrating sequences with noise intensity set at 90% of the tactile threshold for each foot. The same device was used in group C but noise was set to 0. Compliance was retrieved from the device. Results Among 56 subjects, 27 were in the VS group and 29 in the C group; 35 subjects were frail, 15 were prefrail ,and 6 were non-frail. Bilateral neuropathy was present in 17 subjects. More than half of sessions were done in 36 subjects with no discernible difference according to intervention. At M1 there were no discernible differences in FWS between the groups [VS: 0.96 (0.53) cm s−1 cm−1, C: 0.94 (0.47) cm s−1 cm−1]. There were also no discernible differences in other outcomes, irrespective of the presence of bilateral neuropathy. Conclusion In a cohort of frail, prefrail, or non-frail older subjects with diabetes, a 1-month intervention using a vibrating insole device did not alter measures of walking speed and related measures. Larger studies with longer term and different stimulation protocols are required to test this hypothesis more fully.Sponsorship was received for this study from EU 7th Framework Programme (contract no. 278803). CHU of Bordeaux paid the journal’s Rapid Service Fe

Impact of diet and nutraceutical supplementation on inflammation in elderly people. Results from the RISTOMED study, an open-label randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Eating habits may influence the life span and the quality of ageing process by modulating inflammation. The RISTOMED project was developed to provide a personalized and balanced diet, enriched with or without nutraceutical compounds, to decrease and prevent inflammageing, oxidative stress and gut microbiota alteration in healthy elderly people. This paper focused on the effect on inflammation and metabolism markers after 56 days of RISTOMED diet alone or supplementation with three nutraceutical compounds. METHODS:A cohort of 125 healthy elderly subjects was recruited and randomized into 4 arms (Arm A, RISTOMED diet; Arm B, RISTOMED diet plus VSL#3 probiotic blend; Arm C, RISTOMED diet plus AISA d-Limonene; Arm D, RISTOMED diet plus Argan oil). Inflammatory and metabolism parameters as well as the ratio between Clostridium cluster IV and Bifidobacteria (CL/B) were collected before and after 56 days of dietary intervention, and their evolution compared among the arms. Moreover, participants were subdivided according to their baseline inflammatory parameters (erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), C-Reactive Protein, fibrinogen, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alfa (TNF-α), and Interleukin 6) in two clusters with low or medium-high level of inflammation. The evolution of the measured parameters was then examined separately in each cluster. RESULTS:Overall, RISTOMED diet alone or with each nutraceutical supplementation significantly decreased ESR. RISTOMED diet supplemented with d-Limonene resulted in a decrease in fibrinogen, glucose, insulin levels and HOMA-IR. The most beneficial effects were observed in subjects with a medium-high inflammatory status who received RISTOMED diet with AISA d-Limonene supplementation. Moreover, RISTOMED diet associated with VSL#3 probiotic blend induced a decrease in the CL/B ratio. CONCLUSIONS:Overall, this study emphasizes the beneficial anti-inflammageing effect of RISTOMED diet supplemented with nutraceuticals to control the inflammatory status of elderly individuals

Quality of life: psychological symptoms-effects of a 2-month healthy diet and nutraceutical intervention; a randomized, open-label intervention trial (RISTOMED)

Depression symptoms and lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are associated with inflammation. This multicenter dietary intervention was shown to reduce inflammation in older people. This was the main outcome. Here, we describe the effects on HRQoL, anxiety, and depressive symptoms according to inflammation status. Overall, 125 healthy older subjects (65-80 year) were recruited (Italy, France, and Germany) and randomized into four arms (A, Healthy diet (HD); B, HD plus De Simone Formulation probiotic blend; C, HD plus AISA d-Limonene; D, HD plus Argan oil). The HD was weight maintaining, rich in antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids (n6: n3 ratio = 3:1), and fiber. Data on inflammatory parameters, mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summaries of HRQoL (SF-36), anxiety symptoms (STAI state), and depressive symptoms (CES-D) were collected before and after 56 days of intervention. Body fat mass proportion (BFM) was considered a co-variable. A decrease of CES-D score was seen in the four arms (A: -40.0%, p = 0.001; B: -32.5%, p = 0.023; C: -42.8%, p = 0.004; and D: -33.3%, p = 0.21). Within the subgroups of subjects with medium/high inflammation a similar decrease in CES-D score occurred in all groups (A: -44.8%, p = 0.021; B, -46.7%, p = 0.024; C, -52.2%, p = 0.039; D, -43.8%, p = 0.037). The effect of interventions on CES-D was not related to baseline inflammation. MCS-HRQoL improved in A and C. There was no change in anxiety or PCS-HRQoL. In this trial with no control group, a decrease in depressive symptoms in healthy older volunteers was observed after a 2-month healthy diet intervention, independently of inflammation but with possible limitations due to participation

A Therapeutic Vibrating Insole Device for Postural Instability in Older People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Control Study

Introduction: Frail older people with diabetes often present with or develop walking impairments, in part due to lower-limb sensory-motor neuropathy. Several studies suggest a possible improvement of balance control using somatosensory stimulation. We undertook a novel randomized control trial, the aim of which was to observe whether use of this device for 1 month improves walking speed as measured in the 10-m fast walking speed test standardized to body size at month 1 (M1) (FWS). Secondary outcomes were the differences between intervention (VS) and control (C) in the 10-m normal walking speed test, step length, short physical performance battery, timed up and go test, and posturographic measures. Methods: Subjects were aged ≥ 70 years and had had type 2 diabetes for at least 2 years. The intervention (VS) at home consisted of 22-min daily vibrating sequences with noise intensity set at 90% of the tactile threshold for each foot. The same device was used in group C but noise was set to 0. Compliance was retrieved from the device. Results: Among 56 subjects, 27 were in the VS group and 29 in the C group; 35 subjects were frail, 15 were prefrail ,and 6 were non-frail. Bilateral neuropathy was present in 17 subjects. More than half of sessions were done in 36 subjects with no discernible difference according to intervention. At M1 there were no discernible differences in FWS between the groups [VS: 0.96 (0.53) cm s-1 cm-1, C: 0.94 (0.47) cm s-1 cm-1]. There were also no discernible differences in other outcomes, irrespective of the presence of bilateral neuropathy. Conclusion: In a cohort of frail, prefrail, or non-frail older subjects with diabetes, a 1-month intervention using a vibrating insole device did not alter measures of walking speed and related measures. Larger studies with longer term and different stimulation protocols are required to test this hypothesis more fully

Effects of a physical activity programme to prevent physical performance decline in onco-geriatric patients: a randomized multicentre trial

Background Older adults with cancer experience negative long-term functional effects of both cancer and treatments. Exercise may minimize their age-related and cancer-related functional decline. Methods We conducted a multicentre open-label 12 month randomized clinical trial with two parallel arms including participants aged >= 70 years with lymphoma or carcinoma requiring curative treatment. The study started at the beginning of any phase of cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy). The usual care group (UCG) received the current national recommendations in physical activity (a guideline without specific counselling). The intervention group (IG) received 1 year phoned physical activity advice individually adapted to physical assessment (twice a month during the first 6 months and then monthly). The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with a 1 year decreased short physical performance battery (SPPB) score of 1 point or more. Physical, cognitive, and clinical secondary outcomes were also investigated. Results We allocated 301 participants (age 76.7 +/- 5.0, female 60.6%) to each group. At baseline, the median SPPB was 10/12 in both groups. Breast was the most frequent tumour site (35.7%). After 1 year, 14.0% of participants in the UCG and 18.7% in the IG had a decrease in SPPB score of 1 point or more (P = 0.772). At 2 years, there was no difference in SPPB, gait speed, International Physical Activity Questionnaire score, and verbal fluency. Subgroup analyses after 2 years showed a decline in SPPB for 29.8% of UCG and 5.0% of IG breast cancer participants (P = 0.006), in 21.7% of UCG and 6.2% of IG female participants (P = 0.019), and in 24.5% of UCG and 11.1% of IG normal nutritional status participants (P = 0.009). Falls, hospitalization, institutionalization, and death rates were similar in both groups. Conclusions Personalized phoned physical activity advice had not reduced functional decline at 1 year but provided preliminary evidence that may prevent physical performance decline at 2 years in older adults with breast cancer.This work was funded by the National Hospital Program of Clinical Research (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2010) and sponsored by the University Hospital of Bordeaux (CHU Bordeaux). Haritz Arrieta was supported by a fellowship from University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)

Diagnostic criteria for cancer cachexia: Reduced food intake and inflammation predict weight loss and survival in an international, multi-cohort analysis

Abstract Background Cancer‐associated weight loss (WL) associates with increased mortality. International consensus suggests that WL is driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and/or altered metabolism, the latter often represented by the inflammatory biomarker C‐reactive protein (CRP). We aggregated data from Canadian and European research studies to evaluate the associations of reduced food intake and CRP with cancer‐associated WL (primary endpoint) and overall survival (OS, secondary endpoint). Methods The data set included a total of 12,253 patients at risk for cancer‐associated WL. Patient‐reported WL history (% in 6 months) and food intake (normal, moderately, or severely reduced) were measured in all patients; CRP (mg/L) and OS were measured in N = 4960 and N = 9952 patients, respectively. All measures were from a baseline assessment. Clinical variables potentially associated with WL and overall survival (OS) including age, sex, cancer diagnosis, disease stage, and performance status were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression MLR and Cox proportional hazards models, respectively. Results Patients had a mean weight change of −7.3% (±7.1), which was categorized as: ±2.4% (stable weight; 30.4%), 2.5–5.9% (19.7%), 6.0–10.0% (23.2%), 11.0–14.9% (12.0%), ≥15.0% (14.6%). Normal food intake, moderately, and severely reduced food intake occurred in 37.9%, 42.8%, and 19.4%, respectively. In MLR, severe WL (≥15%) (vs. stable weight) was more likely (P  100 mg/L: OR 2.30 (95% CI 1.62–3.26)]. Diagnosis, stage, and performance status, but not age or sex, were significantly associated with WL. Median OS was 9.9 months (95% CI 9.5–10.3), with median follow‐up of 39.7 months (95% CI 38.8–40.6). Moderately and severely reduced food intake and CRP independently predicted OS (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Modelling WL as the dependent variable is an approach that can help to identify clinical features and biomarkers associated with WL. Here, we identify criterion values for food intake impairment and CRP that may improve the diagnosis and classification of cancer‐associated cachexia