The association between stage 1 hypertension and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has not been established in older adults. Furthermore, little is known about whether lowering blood pressure ...(BP) is beneficial in older adults with stage 1 hypertension.
This cohort study analyzed nationwide data collected from the Japanese DeSC database, including 476,654 individuals aged ≥60 years. Individuals were categorized into four groups according to the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guidelines: normal BP, elevated BP, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension. The primary outcome was a composite CVD event, including myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and heart failure.
During a mean follow-up of 3.1 years, 53,946 composite CVD events were recorded. Hazard ratios of stage 1 hypertension for composite CVD events, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and heart failure were 1.10 (95 % CI, 1.07–1.13), 1.16 (95 % CI, 1.03–1.31), 1.06 (95 % CI, 1.01–1.10), 1.13 (95 % CI, 1.08–1.18), and 1.13 (95 % CI, 1.09–1.16), respectively. Individuals with a ≥ 5 mmHg decrease in systolic BP over one year had a lower risk of stroke among individuals with stage 1 hypertension. The positive association between stage 1 hypertension and composite CVD events was attenuated in individuals aged ≥75 years.
Stage 1 hypertension is associated with a higher risk of developing CVD events among older adults. The 2017 ACC/AHA BP guidelines could be applied to older populations; however, the applicability of these guidelines to older adults aged ≥75 years requires further investigations.
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•We analyzed approximately 500,000 individuals aged ≥60 years.•Stage 1 hypertension as defined using the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.•However, this association is attenuated in people aged ≥75 years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of people's lives. Lockdown measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have been more stringent for those aged over 70, at highest risk for the disease. ...Here, we examine whether home garden usage is associated with self-reported mental and physical wellbeing in older adults, during COVID-19 lockdown in Scotland. This study analysed data from 171 individuals (mean age 84 ± 0.5 years) from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study who completed an online survey approximately two months after lockdown commenced (May/June, 2020), and reported having access to a home garden. The survey also included items on garden activities (gardening, relaxing), frequency of garden usage during lockdown, and measures of self-rated physical health, emotional and mental health, anxiety about COVID-19, and sleep quality. Ordinal regression models were adjusted for sex, living alone, education, occupational social class, anxiety and depressive symptoms, body mass index, and history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Neither gardening nor relaxing in the garden were associated with health outcomes. However, higher frequency of garden usage during lockdown was associated with better self-rated physical health (P = 0.005), emotional and mental health (P = 0.04), sleep quality (P = 0.03), and a composite health score (P = 0.001), after adjusting for covariates. None of the garden measures were associated with perceived change in physical health, mental and emotional health, or sleep quality, from pre-lockdown levels. The results of the current study provide support for positive health benefits of spending time in a garden—though associations may be bidirectional—and suggest that domestic gardens could be a potential health resource during the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Covid-19 restrictions have had adverse impacts on wellbeing in older people.•An online health survey was conducted among an ageing cohort in Scotland.•Spending more time in a home garden associated with greater subjective wellbeing.•Potential benefits include better physical and mental health, and sleep quality.•During lockdowns, home gardens may be a potential health resource in older people.
To solve the problems related to the ageing society, effective strategies to reduce younger people's ageism towards older adults should be developed. Previous studies incorporated the content of ...stereotype embodiment theory (SET) into ageism reduction strategy, suggesting that younger participants' ageism eventually has undesirable impacts on their own future (i.e., SET intervention). In the SET intervention, participants read an explanatory text on several empirical findings related to SET. To enhance the versatility of this intervention, two experiments were conducted with younger participants in Japan. Study 1 examined concerns that arise in the practical application of the intervention. Results revealed that the SET intervention had few effects on fear of death and increased state self-esteem. In Study 2, the SET intervention was combined with interventions to encourage life planning, in which they freely described possible negative/positive events in their future. SET intervention reduced ageism, increased advocacy for policies to support older adults and increased emphasis on life planning and hope for the future. Many previous studies have shown that intergenerational contact-based interventions are effective in reducing ageism, and future research should be conducted in combination with the SET interventions.
This study examines how low-income African-American older adults, one of the groups most vulnerable to misinformation online, assess the credibility of online information. In examining this, we ...conducted both face-to-face interviews and a survey and then analyzed how their digital media use, demographics, self-efficacy, and involvement with particular topics were associated with their credibility assessments of online information. Our results suggest that education and topic involvement are statistically significant factors associated with assessments of message content and source credibility. Moreover, for our respondents, assessments of content credibility, as opposed to those of source credibility, were far more challenging. This research is one of the few studies examining online information credibility assessments made by low-income minority older adults. Theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed in the context of misinformation, credibility assessment, and the digital divide.
The COVID-19 pandemic is imposing a profound negative impact on the health and wellbeing of societies and individuals, worldwide. One concern is the effect of social isolation as a result of social ...distancing on the mental health of vulnerable populations, including older people. Within six weeks of lockdown, we initiated the CHARIOT COVID-19 Rapid Response Study, a bespoke survey of cognitively healthy older people living in London, to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and associated social isolation on mental and physical wellbeing. The sample was drawn from CHARIOT, a register of people over 50 who have consented to be contacted for aging related research. A total of 7,127 men and women (mean age=70.7 SD=7.4) participated in the baseline survey, May-July 2020. Participants were asked about changes to the 14 components of the Hospital Anxiety Depression scale (HADS) after lockdown was introduced in the UK, on 23
March. A total of 12.8% of participants reported feeling worse on the depression components of HADS (7.8% men and 17.3% women) and 12.3% reported feeling worse on the anxiety components (7.8% men and 16.5% women). Fewer participants reported feeling improved (1.5% for depression and 4.9% for anxiety). Women, younger participants, those single/widowed/divorced, reporting poor sleep, feelings of loneliness and who reported living alone were more likely to indicate feeling worse on both the depression and/or anxiety components of the HADS. There was a significant negative association between subjective loneliness and worsened components of both depression (OR 17.24, 95% CI 13.20, 22.50) and anxiety (OR 10.85, 95% CI 8.39, 14.03). Results may inform targeted interventions and help guide policy recommendations in reducing the effects of social isolation related to the pandemic, and beyond, on the mental health of older people.
Introduction: Successful aging was defined as reaching old age with a healthy physical condition, good cognitive, and having a positive and fulfilling social life. This is supported by the existence ...of psychological, social, and physical factors that can influence successful aging in the older adults. The aim of this study was to describe the determinants of successful aging in older adults based on psychological, social and physical factors. Methods: The compilers of this systematic review are based on literature studies from various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Springer Link and ProQuest by conducting a comprehensive review using PRISMA guidelines and The Center for Review and Dissemination and the Joanna Briggs Institute Guideline as a guide in qualitaty assessment of several journals. Results: A total of 9 articles were analyzed. The determinants identifed for successful aging include including: Physical factors such as physical activity, muscle strength, and walking speed. Psychological factors such as mental health, optimism, and resilience. Social factors such as social support, social participation, and positive interpersonal relationships. Conclusions: It is concluded that there are several psychological, social, and physical factors that influence a person's success in aging well or successful aging. By paying attention to these factors, it is hoped that the elderly can maximize their potential to achieve successful aging and maintain a good quality of life while aging. Keywords: Successful Aging, Older Adults, Determinants Introduction: Successful aging was defined as reaching old age with a healthy physical condition, good cognitive, and having a positive and fulfilling social life. This is supported by the existence of psychological, social, and physical factors that can influence successful aging in the older adults. The aim of this study was to describe the determinants of successful aging in older adults based on psychological, social and physical factors. Methods: The compilers of this systematic review are based on literature studies from various electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Springer Link and ProQuest by conducting a comprehensive review using PRISMA guidelines and The Center for Review and Dissemination and the Joanna Briggs Institute Guideline as a guide in qualitaty assessment of several journals. Results: A total of 9 articles were analyzed. The determinants identifed for successful aging include including: Physical factors such as physical activity, muscle strength, and walking speed. Psychological factors such as mental health, optimism, and resilience. Social factors such as social support, social participation, and positive interpersonal relationships. Conclusions: It is concluded that there are several psychological, social, and physical factors that influence a person's success in aging well or successful aging. By paying attention to these factors, it is hoped that the elderly can maximize their potential to achieve successful aging and maintain a good quality of life while aging.
Background and purpose: Elder abuse is one of the challenges in caring the seniors that can disrupt their general health. The goal of the current study was to determine the relationship between ...general health and elder abuse among older adults referring to health centers in Sari, Iran 2021. Materials and methods: A descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 347 older people who were selected by cluster random sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire–28 (GHQ-28), and Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire through interviews. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS V22 applying descriptive statistics, independent t-test, analysis of variance, multiple linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: In this study, the mean age of the older people was 72.86±8.62 years and 53.9% of the participants were men. The highest and lowest prevalence of abuse were associated with emotional neglect (72.9%) and ostracism (9.8%), respectively. According to findings, 57.3% of the older people had poor general health. Significant correlation coefficients were found between most of the components of general health and elder abuse, except between neglect and physical health (P=0.105), anxiety and insomnia (P=0.707), and social functioning (P=0.211) and also between financial abuse and physical health (P=0.156). Conclusion: Considering the high rate of abuse of older adults and its adverse effect on general health, preventive programs are needed to increase awareness and educate the seniors.
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