Geriatrics
Perspective: Assisted Suicide is Controversial, but Palliative Sedation is Legal and Offers Peace
3 Aug, 2018 | 11:32h | UTC
Opinion: How Do You Want to Die?
3 Aug, 2018 | 02:57h | UTCHow Do You Want to Die? – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
“Are we turning sudden cardiac death into a longer, winding path? Defibrillators can prevent sudden death but they also can take away the sudden-death option.” (via @RasoiniR see Tweet)
Position Statement: Reducing Inappropriate Medication Use & Polypharmacy
20 Jul, 2018 | 02:21h | UTCRelated: Polypharmacy Guidance, Realistic Prescribing 3 rd Edition, 2018 – Scottish Government Polypharmacy Model of Care Group (free PDF) AND The Challenge of Polypharmacy: From Rhetoric to Reality – Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Royal College of General Practitioners Partnership (free PDF) AND Common ED Medication Errors: Polypharmacy – emDocs (free) AND Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy – BMC Family Practice (free) AND The other big drug problem: Older people taking too many pills – The Whashington Post (free) AND Routine deprescribing of chronic medications to combat polypharmacy – Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety (free) AND Polypharmacy—an Upward Trend with Unpredictable Effects – Deutsches Ärzteblatt international (free) AND Clinical Consequences of Polypharmacy in Elderly – Expert Opinion on Drug Safety (free)Too Many Meds? America’s Love Affair With Prescription Medication – Consumer Reports (free) AND CaDeN Deprescribing Guidelines and Algorithms (free)
Study: The Plateau of Human Mortality
6 Jul, 2018 | 03:11h | UTCThe plateau of human mortality: Demography of longevity pioneers – Science (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: There’s no limit to longevity, says study that revives human lifespan debate – Nature News (free) AND Italian study suggests human lifespan could continue increasing – NHS Choices (free) AND Age 105? Then you’ve a better chance of living even longer – The Guardian (free) AND How Long Can We Live? The Limit Hasn’t Been Reached, Study Finds – The New York Times (free)
Cohort Study: Midlife Contributors to Socioeconomic Differences in Frailty During Later Life
29 Jun, 2018 | 03:12h | UTCCommentaries: Frailty: from clinical syndrome to epidemiological construct? – The Lancet Public Health (free) AND Old before your time? Scientists have put together five warning signs middle-aged people will suffer from frailness in retirement – Daily Mail (free) AND Five modifiable risk factors found to help reach healthy old age – OnMedica (free)
Related Study: Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies (link to abstract and commentaries)
USPSTF Statement: Screening for Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures
29 Jun, 2018 | 02:52h | UTCEditorials: Screening for Osteoporosis (free) AND Osteoporosis Screening—2 Steps May Be Too Much for Women Younger Than 65 Years (free)
Author Interview: USPSTF Recommendation Statement: Screening for Osteoporosis to Prevent Fractures (free)
See also: USPSTF Final Recommendation Statement (free)
Systematic Review: Donepezil for Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease
29 Jun, 2018 | 02:36h | UTCDonepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease – Cochrane Library (free)
Summary: Donepezil for people with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease – Cochrane Library (free)
Guideline: Advance Care Planning in Dementia
29 Jun, 2018 | 02:30h | UTCRelated: New Document for Patients: Advanced Health Directive for Dementia (free document and commentaries) AND Alzheimer’s? Your Paperwork May Not Be in Order – The New York Times (free)
Systematic Review: Non-pharmacological Interventions to Improve Nighttime Sleep Among Residents of Long-Term Care Settings
29 Jun, 2018 | 02:10h | UTC
Perspective: Breathing Tubes Fail to Save Many Older Patients
24 Jun, 2018 | 19:30h | UTCBreathing Tubes Fail to Save Many Older Patients – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
“One-third of patients over age 65 die in the hospital after they are put on ventilators. Doctors are beginning to wonder if the procedure should be used so often”.
NICE Guideline: Hearing Loss in Adults
22 Jun, 2018 | 02:52h | UTC
NICE Guideline: Dementia
22 Jun, 2018 | 02:34h | UTC
Pharmacoepidemiological Study: Association of Antidepressant Use With Drug-Related Extrapyramidal Symptoms
22 Jun, 2018 | 02:28h | UTCAssociation of Antidepressant Use With Drug-Related Extrapyramidal Symptoms: A Pharmacoepidemiological Study – Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Incidence of Extrapyramidal Symptoms Higher With Certain Antidepressants – MPR (free) AND Antidepressants tied to Parkinson’s-like symptoms – Univadis (free registration required)
“Observational study: Incidence of EPSs with antidepressants. RRs: duloxetine, 5.68; mirtazapine, 3.78; citalopram, 3.47; escitalopram, 3.23; paroxetine, 3.07; sertraline, 2.57; venlafaxine, 2.37; bupropion, 2.31; and fluoxetine, 2.03 (all significant)” (via @psychopharmacol see Tweet)
Guide: Age-attuned Hospice Care
18 Jun, 2018 | 00:19h | UTCAge-attuned Hospice care: An opportunity to better end of life care for older people – StCristopher’s (free PDF) (via @hospicedoctor see tweet)
“Despite the evidence that more people will die of frailty and multiple long-term conditions than of cancer, our services for those moving towards the end of their life remain focussed on the needs of the latter group”
Cohort Study: Older Age Associated with Worse Outcomes in Major Depressive Disorder
15 Jun, 2018 | 01:09h | UTCAssociations between age and the course of major depressive disorder: a 2-year longitudinal cohort study – The Lancet Psychiatry (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Older age tied to poorer course of major depressive disorder – MedicalXpress (free) AND Worse Depression Trajectory in Old Age – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Randomized Trial: Antipsychotic Treatment of Very Late-onset Schizophrenia-like Psychosis
15 Jun, 2018 | 00:55h | UTCCommentaries: Very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: positive findings but questions remain unanswered – The Lancet Psychiatry (free) AND Low-Dose Antipsychotic Effective in Late-Onset Psychosis – Medscape (free registration required) AND Low-dose amisulpride effective for late-onset psychosis – Healio (free registration required)
Guideline: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older People
1 Jun, 2018 | 03:48h | UTCCommentary: New guidance on treating diabetes in elderly and frail adults – University of Exeter, via EurekAlert (free)
Cohort Study: Incidence and Cost of Medication Harm in Older Adults Following Hospital Discharge
24 May, 2018 | 23:35h | UTCCommentaries: Medication-related harm is common in older adults after hospital discharge – OnMedica (free) AND Medication-related harm found to be common among older adults, but preventable – News Medical (free)
ASCO Guideline for Geriatric Oncology
24 May, 2018 | 23:37h | UTC
Randomized Controlled Trial: Exercise Training Does Not Slow Dementia Progression
18 May, 2018 | 02:29h | UTCCommentaries: Exercise Doesn’t Slow Cognitive Decline in Patients with Dementia – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Rigorous exercise does not halt dementia decline, study concludes – The Guardian (free) AND Expert reaction to effects of exercise on dementia in old people – Science Media Centre (free) AND Exercise ‘doesn’t slow’ progression of dementia – NHS Choices (free)
Research: Amyloid PET Scan for Predicting Alzheimer’s Disease in Mild Cognitive Impairment
16 May, 2018 | 01:19h | UTCCommentaries: Biomarkers, PET imaging may predict cognitive decline en route to Alzheimer’s – Health Imaging (free) AND Amyloid PET Scan Can Predict Progression to Alzheimer’s in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment – MedicalResearch.com (free)
Related Studies: Elevated Brain Amyloid and Subsequent Cognitive Decline Among Cognitively Normal Persons (link to abstract and free commentaries) AND Identifying incipient dementia individuals using machine learning and amyloid imaging (free full-text and commentaries) AND High performance plasma amyloid-β biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (link to abstract and free commentaries)
Study: Visual Screening Tool Improves Prediction of Developing Dementia
16 May, 2018 | 01:18h | UTCImproving Prediction of Dementia in Primary Care – Annals of Family Medicine (free)
Commentaries: Screening Tool Improves Dementia Prediction – Medscape (free registration required) AND Visual Test Could Help Predict Dementia Risk in Elders – NEJM Physician’s First Watch (free)
Guideline: Deprescribing Benzodiazepines
16 May, 2018 | 01:01h | UTCDeprescribing benzodiazepine receptor agonists – Canadian Family Physician (free) (via @Deprescribing)
Related: CaDeN Deprescribing Guidelines and Algorithms (free) AND 11 Drugs You Should Seriously Consider Deprescribing – Medscape Slideshow (free registration required) AND Current and future perspectives on the management of polypharmacy – BMC Family Practice (free)
Meta-analysis: Psychological Interventions for Chronic Pain in Older Adults
10 May, 2018 | 17:48h | UTCAssociation Between Psychological Interventions and Chronic Pain Outcomes in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period)
Author Interview: Association Between Psychological Interventions and Chronic Pain Outcomes in Older Adults (free)
Commentaries: Psychological interventions can help treat chronic pain in seniors – UPI (free) AND Not All In Your Head: Psychological Therapies Not a Panacea for Pain – MedicalResearch.com (free)
Cohort Study: Association of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury with Later Dementia
10 May, 2018 | 17:44h | UTCAssociation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury With and Without Loss of Consciousness With Dementia in US Military Veterans – JAMA Neurology (free for a limited period)
Editorial: Risk of Dementia Outcomes Associated With Traumatic Brain Injury During Military Service (free)
Commentaries: Dementia Risk Doubles Following Concussion, UCSF Study Shows – University of California San Francisco (free) AND Vets with Head Injury More Likely To Develop Dementia – MedicalResearch.com (free)
See two recent cohort studies with similar results: Long-term risk of dementia among people with traumatic brain injury (link to abstract and free commentaries) AND Traumatic Brain Injury and the Risk of Dementia Diagnosis (free article and commentaries)