Geriatric Medicine News

Of the estimated 54.4 million adults in the United States with arthritis, approximately 32.1% also had a history of depression, according to 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data collected by the CDC. In addition, 19% of adults with arthritis also had frequent mental distress.

Eating more foods with flavonol, an antioxidant found in most fruits, vegetables and teas, could reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s dementia, according to research published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Older adults covered by Medicare with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea have significantly higher medical costs each year compared with healthy adults, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Among older patients hospitalized with heart failure, transitional care services, particularly nurse home visits, improved health outcomes and appeared to be more cost effective than standard care, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Using routinely collected patient characteristics, researchers said they were able to predict the life expectancy of patients with dementia with “good accuracy.”

Screening for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in primary care settings did not result in any harm as measured by patient-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, according to findings of a randomized controlled trial published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. However, the researchers did not find any benefit from screening in increasing advance care planning or reducing ED hospitalizations and visits.

Hydromethylthionine, a potent tau aggregation inhibitor, showed pharmacological activity on brain structure and function as both monotherapy and as an add-on to symptomatic treatment in certain patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a post hoc pharmacokinetic analysis of phase 3 study results.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease who use antipsychotic medications may be at an increased risk for head injuries and traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, according to findings of a nationwide register-based cohort study conducted in Finland and published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Patients with delirium may benefit from taking ramelteon or Belsomra, according to results of a prospective observational study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

A recent survey found that 57% older adults said their back pain had not improved in the 5 years after initially presenting to their general practitioner.