Retired Physicians: A Survey Study By The Turkish Medical Association

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life of retired Turkish physicians. The focus was on their working conditions, their health status, and the impact of their disabilities on activities of daily life. Methods: The survey was conducted using a 35 item questionnaire, which was distributed to the local medical chambers allied with the Turkish Medical Association and thereafter was mailed to retirees aged 65 years and older. Results: Out of 680 physicians, 391 (57.5%) responded, and percentages are expressed according to the number of physicians answering each question. The ages of the physicians ranged between 65 years and 91 years with a mean of 72.57 - 5.22 years. Overall, 236 physicians (60.8%) were still actively carrying on their profession, and 152 (39.2%) were not. Of the physicians who were working, 0.8% classified their working conditions as very bad, 9.7% as unsatisfactory, 37.7% as satisfactory, 33.6% as good, and 18.2% as excellent. The number of physicians with a disability was 42 (11.8%). The number of days on which physicians were hindered in their daily tasks ranged between 0 and 30 days with a mean (SD) of 1.55 (4.88) days, and the amount of sick leave ranged between 0 and 365 days with a mean of 2.25 (21.08) days. Conclusion: It is believed that planning for retirement in all its aspects should be a legitimate concern of all physicians. Recommendations for future retirees or the construction of guidelines for making this time of life enriching and a period of intellectual growth are awaited.WoSScopu

A multicenter, case control study of risk factors for low tibial speed of sound among residents of urban areas in Turkey

Risk factors which have been associated with low bone mass are multifactorial and represent regional differences between and within countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible risk factors of low tibial speed of sound (tSOS), which determines cortical bone status among residents of urban regions in Ankara, Izmir, and Istanbul, in Turkey, and also to compare groups of different socioeconomic status (SES). A total of 1,026 subjects (63% women and 53% of low socioeconomic status) 40-70 years old were included in the study. Risk factors of osteoporosis were determined using the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (EVOS) questionnaire, and the bone status was screened by tSOS. Socioeconomic status was found to be among the major risk factors of low tSOS in our population (odds ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.58), besides the well-known risk factors such as age and gender. Therefore, we suggest that SES is an important determinant of cortical bone status. Additionally, our results confirmed the correlation between tSOS and the clinical determinants of bone mass

A candidate-identification questionnaire for patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis switched from treatment with a daily or weekly bisphosphonate to once-monthly ibandronate

3rd Joint Meeting of the European-Calcified-Tissue-Society/International-Bone-and-Mineral-Society -- MAY 07-11, 2011 -- Athens, GREECEWOS: 000289879800560…European Calcified Tissue Soc, Int Bone & Mineral So

Is Depression a Predictive Factor for Polypharmacy in Elderly?

Objective: Polypharmacy, quite common in elderly patients, is an important issue, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine polypharmacy rates and drug usage characteristics in elderly patients. Second aim of this study was to compare our results with other published studies