Vitamin D for older adults : Determinants of status, supplementation strategies and its role in muscle function

Vitamin D has been identified as an important factor in healthy aging and is receiving growing attention in clinical research. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble molecule, which is synthesized by hepatic and renal or extra-renal hydroxylation into the active hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). The main function of this metabolite is to regulate calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and to support bone mineralization. In the circulation, the 25-hydroxyvitamin D metabolite (25(OH)D) is most stable and thus, considered the best marker of vitamin D status. A serum 25(OH)D concentration With the research presented in this thesis, we aimed to gain insight in the prevalence and main determinants of a low vitamin D status, to investigate strategies to prevent or reverse vitamin D deficiency, and to study the effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength and physical performance in Dutch older adults. In chapter 2, we examined the prevalence and the main determinants of a low vitamin D status in a large population of community-dwelling older adults (n=2857). Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent, with serum 25(OH)D concentrations To explore potential strategies that prevent vitamin D deficiency, we investigated the contribution of dietary vitamin D intake and specific food groups to serum 25(OH)D concentration in chapter 3. Daily vitamin D intake from dietary sources showed a median (25-75th percentile) intake of 4.0 (3.0-5.4) µg/day (n=595) and only 12-20% of older adults reported to take vitamin D supplements. These findings are in sharp contrast with the current nutrient guidelines and show that the vast majority of older adults do not meet the reference intakes for vitamin D. Nevertheless, significant associations were observed between the highest tertile of dietary vitamin D intake and serum 25(OH)D concentration, suggesting that regular intake of foods rich in vitamin D can support the prevention of modest insufficiency. For the majority of older adults, supplementation is required to ensure sufficient serum 25(OH)D concentrations throughout the year. Currently, supplementation with vitamin D3 is the most common strategy. However, alternative treatment regimens exist that require further investigation. In chapter 4, we report on a dose-response trial (n=59) that investigated the efficacy of calcifediol (5, 10 or 15 µg/d) as a supplementation strategy. Compared to vitamin D3, calcifediol is more hydrophilic, does not require hepatic hydroxylation, and binds with higher affinity to its binding proteins. In our study, we observed that calcifediol was safe and well tolerated in the supplemented doses over the entire study period of 6-months. We concluded that a dose of 10 µg/day resulted in sustained serum 25(OH)D concentrations between 75-100 nmol/L. Furthermore, calcifediol had a ~3 times higher potency when compared to vitamin D3, in increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations. All in all, calcifediol may offer a valuable supplementation regimen to rapidly correct deficiency. Vitamin D presents an important endocrine regulator in the musculoskeletal health of older adults. Besides its role in bone health, low serum 25(OH)D concentrations have been linked to impaired physical performance and increased risk of falling. The active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is suggested to act upon a wide variety of cells throughout the body, including muscle cells. Although the exact mechanisms by which vitamin D acts on muscle are unclear, several indirect or direct regulatory pathways have been described, including effects of 1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D through intracellular calcium and phosphate homeostasis, or via activation of transcription factors when binding to the vitamin D receptor in muscle cells. In chapter 5 we observed significant associations between low serum 25(OH)D concentrations, physical performance and frailty in community-dwelling older adults (n=494-756). However, randomized trials are needed to define the causality of the observed associations. A previous pilot study indicated plausible beneficial effects of calcifediol over vitamin D3 on performance and strength. As such, we aimed to further explore the potential role of calcifediol or vitamin D3 on muscle function in chapter 6. We performed a placebo-controlled trial in pre-frail and frail, vitamin D deficient older adults, supplementing either 10 µg/d calcifediol or 20 µg/d vitamin D3, compared to placebo over a 6-month period (n=78). Again, calcifediol induced a faster and higher increase in serum 25(OH)D status when compared to vitamin D3. However, we observed no effect of either supplementation regimen on lower extremity strength or physical performance. Current literature suggests positive effects on strength and balance when supplementing with vitamin D, however, results are inconsistent. Meta-analyses of randomized trials indicate that the beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation might be more pronounced in vulnerable populations with more severe vitamin D deficiencies. All in all, the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is alarming. Promoting adequate vitamin D status is important considering the beneficial effects on bone health. In the last decade, research has come a long way in exploring the role of vitamin D in muscle function. However, the evidence base remains uncertain and further research on the optimal vitamin D status for older adults is needed to guide clinical practice. Until then, focus should be placed on prevention and identification of deficiency. </p

Features of a mobile support app for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease : literature review and current applications

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious long-term lung disease in which the airflow from the lungs is progressively reduced. By 2030, COPD will become the third cause of mortality and seventh cause of morbidity worldwide. With advances in technology and mobile communications, significant progress in the mobile health (mHealth) sector has been recently observed. Mobile phones with app capabilities (smartphones) are now considered as potential media for the self-management of certain types of diseases such as asthma, cancer, COPD, or cardiovascular diseases. While many mobile apps for patients with COPD are currently found on the market, there is little published material on the effectiveness of most of them, their features, and their adoption in health care settings. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to search the literature for current systems related to COPD and identify any missing links and studies that were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of COPD mobile apps. In addition, we reviewed existing mHealth apps from different stores in order to identify features that can be considered in the initial design of a COPD support tool to improve health care services and patient outcomes. METHODS: In total, 206 articles related to COPD management systems were identified from different databases. Irrelevant materials and duplicates were excluded. Of those, 38 articles were reviewed to extract important features. We identified 214 apps from online stores. Following exclusion of irrelevant apps, 48 were selected and 20 of them were downloaded to review some of their common features. RESULTS: Our review found that out of the 20 apps downloaded, 13 (65%, 13/20) had an education section, 5 (25%, 5/20) consisted of medication and guidelines, 6 (30%, 6/20) included a calendar or diary and other features such as reminders or symptom tracking. There was little published material on the effectiveness of the identified COPD apps. Features such as (1) a social networking tool; (2) personalized education; (3) feedback; (4) e-coaching; and (5) psychological motivation to enhance behavioral change were found to be missing in many of the downloaded apps. CONCLUSIONS: This paper summarizes the features of a COPD patient-support mobile app that can be take

WELCOME project: What do stakeholders want? In depth analysis of COPD patients, carers and healthcare professional views

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a growing health concern worldwide. Telehealth can facilitate integrated COPD care by providing an opportunity for remote monitoring, early diagnosis and clinical intervention. A design for a telehealth-based system called Wearable Sensing and Smart Cloud Computing for Integrated Care to COPD Patients with Co-morbidities (WELCOME) has been proposed. This study identifies patients', informal carers' and HCPs' acceptance of and requirements for the WELCOME system in four European countries: the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, Greece and Netherlands

COPD care delivery pathways in five European Union countries: mapping and health care professionals&rsquo; perceptions

Background: COPD is among the leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality in the European Union with an estimated annual economic burden of €25.1 billion. Various care pathways for COPD exist across Europe leading to different responses to similar problems. Determining these differences and the similarities may improve health and the functioning of health services. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare COPD patients’ care pathway in five European Union countries including England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, and Germany and to explore health care professionals’ (HCPs) perceptions about the current pathways. Methods: HCPs were interviewed in two stages using a qualitative, semistructured email interview and a face-to-face semistructured interview. Results: Lack of communication among different health care providers managing COPD and comorbidities was a common feature of the studied care pathways. General practitioners/family doctors are responsible for liaising between different teams/services, except in Greece where this is done through pulmonologists. Ireland and the UK are the only countries with services for patients at home to shorten unnecessary hospital stay. HCPs emphasized lack of communication, limited resources, and poor patient engagement as issues in the current pathways. Furthermore, no specified role exists for pharmacists and informal carers. Conclusion: Service and professional integration between care settings using a unified system targeting COPD and comorbidities is a priority. Better communication between health care providers, establishing a clear role for informal carers, and enhancing patients’ engagement could optimize current care pathways resulting in a better integrated system. Keywords: COPD, comorbidities, care delivery pathway, comparative analysi

Fatigue and symptom-based clusters in post COVID-19 patients: a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study

Background: In the Netherlands, the prevalence of post COVID-19 condition is estimated at 12.7% at 90–150 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of fatigue and other symptoms, to assess how many patients meet the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) criteria, to identify symptom-based clusters within the P4O2 COVID-19 cohort and to compare these clusters with clusters in a ME/CFS cohort. Methods: In this multicentre, prospective, observational cohort in the Netherlands, 95 post COVID-19 patients aged 40–65 years were included. Data collection at 3–6 months after infection included demographics, medical history, questionnaires, and a medical examination. Follow-up assessments occurred 9–12 months later, where the same data were collected. Fatigue was determined with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), a score of ≥ 4 means moderate to high fatigue. The frequency and severity of other symptoms and the percentage of patients that meet the ME/CFS criteria were assessed using the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire-2 (DSQ-2). A self-organizing map was used to visualize the clustering of patients based on severity and frequency of 79 symptoms. In a previous study, 337 Dutch ME/CFS patients were clustered based on their symptom scores. The symptom scores of post COVID-19 patients were applied to these clusters to examine whether the same or different clusters were found. Results: According to the FSS, fatigue was reported by 75.9% of the patients at 3–6 months after infection and by 57.1% of the patients 9–12 months later. Post-exertional malaise, sleep disturbances, pain, and neurocognitive symptoms were also frequently reported, according to the DSQ-2. Over half of the patients (52.7%) met the Fukuda criteria for ME/CFS, while fewer patients met other ME/CFS definitions. Clustering revealed specific symptom patterns and showed that post COVID-19 patients occurred in 11 of the clusters that have been observed in the ME/CFS cohort, where 2 clusters had > 10 patients. Conclusions: This study shows persistent fatigue and diverse symptomatology in post COVID-19 patients, up to 12–18 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clustering showed that post COVID-19 patients occurred in 11 of the clusters that have been observed in the ME/CFS cohort

Fatigue in patients with chronic disease:results from the population-based Lifelines Cohort Study

(1) To evaluate the prevalence of severe and chronic fatigue in subjects with and without chronic disease; (2) to assess to which extent multi-morbidity contributes to severe and chronic fatigue; and (3) to identify predisposing and associated factors for severe and chronic fatigue and whether these are disease-specific, trans-diagnostic, or generic. The Dutch Lifelines cohort was used, including 78,363 subjects with (n = 31,039, 53 ± 12 years, 33% male) and without (n = 47,324, 48 ± 12 years, 46% male) ≥ 1 of 23 chronic diseases. Fatigue was assessed with the Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue. Compared to participants without a chronic disease, a higher proportion of participants with ≥ 1 chronic disease were severely (23% versus 15%, p < 0.001) and chronically (17% versus 10%, p < 0.001) fatigued. The odds of having severe fatigue (OR [95% CI]) increased from 1.6 [1.5–1.7] with one chronic disease to 5.5 [4.5–6.7] with four chronic diseases; for chronic fatigue from 1.5 [1.5–1.6] to 4.9 [3.9–6.1]. Multiple trans-diagnostic predisposing and associated factors of fatigue were found, explaining 26% of variance in fatigue in chronic disease. Severe and chronic fatigue are highly prevalent in chronic diseases. Multi-morbidity increases the odds of having severe and chronic fatigue. Several trans-diagnostic factors were associated with fatigue, providing a rationale for a trans-diagnostic approach

Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Patients with COPD: Recommendations from an International Task Force on Physical Activity

Physical activity (PA) is of key importance for health among healthy persons and individuals with COPD. PA has multiple dimensions that can be assessed and quantified objectively using activity monitors. Moreover, as shown in the published literature, variable methodologies have been used to date to quantify PA among individuals with COPD, precluding clear comparisons of outcomes across studies. The present paper aims to provide a summary of the available literature for the rationale behind using objectively measured PA and proposes a standardized methodology for assessment, including standard operating procedures for future research. The present paper therefore describes the concept of PA, reports on the importance of PA, summarizes the dimensions of PA, provides a standard operating procedure how to monitor PA using objective assessments and describes the psychometric properties of objectively measured PA. The present international task force recommends implementation of the standard operating procedure for PA data collection and reporting in the future. This should allow to further clarify the relationship between PA and clinical outcomes, to test the impact of treatment interventions on PA in individuals with COPD and to successfully propose a PA endpoint for regulatory qualification in the future