Can lifelong endurance exercise improve ageing through beneficial effects on circadian timing function, muscular performance and health status in men? Protocol for a comparative cross-sectional study

A well-synchronized circadian system is a manifestation of an individual's health. A gradual weakening of the circadian timing function characterizes aging. Regular exercise has been suggested as a modality to improve many detrimental changes associated with aging. Therefore, we aim to examine the benefits and risks of lifelong endurance exercise on age-dependent changes in the circadian time-keeping function, the performance of the muscular system and health status. The study protocol has a comparative cross-sectional design, including groups of senior (65 to 75 years old, n=16) and young (20-30 years old, n=16) endurance runners and triathletes. Age-matched groups of young and elderly sedentary men are included as controls. The circadian function is evaluated mainly by measurement of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, a metabolite of the hormone melatonin shown to participate in the modulation of sleep cycles. The 6-sulphatoxymelatonin will be assessed in urine samples collected upon awakening in the morning and in the late evening, as a marker of melatonin production. In addition, sleep/activity rhythms and sleep quality will be measured by wrist actigraphy. Performance of the muscular system will be assessed by examination of muscular strength and quantifying of gene expression in the skeletal muscle tissue samples. Health status and age-induced reduction in immune function are to be analysed via the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune markers in the plasma and skeletal muscle, body composition, bone density and physical fitness

The Impact of Prosthetic Treatment on Patients with Disabilities – Literature Review

The primary purpose of prosthodontics treatment is to improve oral health, function, and aesthetic appeal for individuals and groups using various dental prostheses. According to the 2011 World Report on Impairment by the World Health Organization (WHO), Due to aging populations, social disability will become an issue of increasing concern in the coming years. Even simple tasks, such as cleaning one\u27s teeth, might be troublesome in prosthodontic therapies for people with special needs. In general, individuals with disabilities have poor health, less education, fewer economic possibilities, and higher levels of poverty than those without impairments. Concerns exist with oral health and overall dental care access for the same reasons. Historically, patients with mental, social, and physical disabilities were excluded from prosthodontics since various specific and general problems that they show allegedly prevented the application of implants as an element of dental treatment. (7) However, these patients need oral fixed rehabilitation since neurologic impairment, neuromuscular conditions, genetic abnormalities, and oro-craniofacial malformations are associated with a higher incidence of dental agenesis and the inability to maintain sufficient oral hygiene. In the prosthodontic literature, studies have revealed changes in quality-of-life scores for socially impaired patients treated with single crowns, fixed dental prostheses, and removable dental prostheses, both with and without implants. Oral health is an essential component of overall wellness. To improve the oral health of people with disabilities, whether those limitations be social or intellectual, all dental specialties must be involved. It may be of future interest to investigate how the forms of prosthodontic therapies influence the oral microbial status in the context of oral health and disease in this special needs cohort