Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nicole Huberfeld
Summary: This Viewpoint discusses the potential risks faced by Medicaid beneficiaries if the Supreme Court allows states to deny benefits and prevents beneficiaries from holding states accountable in federal court.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Alex Zhu, Juan Andino, Stephanie Daignault-Newton, Zoey Chopra, Aruna Sarma, James M. M. Dupree
Summary: There is an age-related decline in male testosterone production. It is important to use age-specific cutoffs for low testosterone levels in the evaluation of young men presenting with testosterone deficiency.
JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Connie S. S. Cole, Janet S. S. Carpenter, Justin Blackburn, Chen X. X. Chen, Bobby L. L. Jones, Susan E. E. Hickman
Summary: By conducting a retrospective longitudinal analysis of nursing home resident pain scores, researchers identified and characterized four pain trajectories, including persistent pain presence, decreasing-increasing pain presence, increasing-decreasing pain presence, and consistent pain absence. Demographic characteristics such as younger age, female gender, living in a rural area, as well as clinical factors like obesity and intact cognition, were associated with specific pain trajectories. Residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia were less likely to be in trajectories with pain, highlighting the challenges of evaluating pain in this population. Staff in nursing homes should understand and respond to these factors to improve pain management and assessment for residents.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Selvedina Osmancevic, Silvia Bauer
Summary: This study examined the associated factors of pain in nursing home residents in Austria. The results showed that diseases of the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, diseases of the circulatory system, pressure injuries, and a risk of malnutrition were statistically associated with pain. Healthcare professionals in nursing homes need to be aware of these associated factors when treating pain in residents.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Elizabeth M. White, Xiaofei Yang, Carolyn Blackman, Richard A. Feifer, Stefan Gravenstein, Vincent Mor
Summary: The study found that incident SARS-CoV-2 infections decreased significantly after mRNA vaccination in nursing homes, with most infections being asymptomatic.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Joshua D. Niznik, Meredith A. Gilliam, Cathleen Colon-Emeric, Carolyn T. Thorpe, Jennifer L. Lund, Sarah D. Berry, Laura C. Hanson
Summary: Osteoporotic fractures are a common and serious health problem for older adults in nursing homes. There are controversies regarding when to start and stop treatment for osteoporosis in nursing home residents, especially those with high fracture risk but limited life expectancy. Current guidelines and research provide some basis for clinical decisions, but there is still a lack of strong evidence for the treatment of nursing home residents with advanced dementia, multimorbidity, or severe mobility impairment. Future research should focus on risk stratification and prevention strategies for nursing home residents, as well as evaluating the risk-benefit profile of pharmacologic treatments for osteoporosis.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Peter Snyder
Summary: As men age, their serum testosterone concentration declines, especially in the free testosterone concentration. Testosterone treatment can improve several consequences of this decline in older men with low testosterone concentrations, but it may also increase some risks.
REVIEWS IN ENDOCRINE & METABOLIC DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Ashild Slettebo, Ragnhild Skaar, Kari Brodtkorb
Summary: The study demonstrates that social innovation within working practices in nursing homes, including phenomena that contribute to a meaningful everyday life for the residents, mainly include opening the nursing home to the surroundings, expanding and strengthening the community of practice, facilitating customized activities, ensuring sufficient nutrition and facilitating enjoyable mealtimes, as well as preventing unrest and disturbing behavior.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Klara Komici, Germano Guerra, Franco Addona, Carlo Fantini
Summary: This narrative review aims to provide the latest evidence on delirium screening tools, epidemiology characteristics, outcomes, risk factors, and prevention strategies in nursing homes.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Matthew Alcusky, Jonggyu Baek, Jennifer Tjia, David D. McManus, Kate L. Lapane
Summary: The study found that less than half of nursing home residents at high risk for ischemic stroke received treatment with oral anticoagulants. There was geographic variation in anticoagulant use across counties, partially explained by resident, nursing home, and county characteristics.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Giuseppe Grande, Luca De Toni, Andrea Garolla, Domenico Milardi, Alberto Ferlin
Summary: Metabolomics is used to investigate the molecular mechanisms of specific diseases by analyzing low-molecular-weight metabolites in biological samples. This mini-review focuses on metabolomics studies using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to examine metabolic pathways involved in male hypogonadism and testosterone replacement therapy. It reveals that glycolysis, amino acid degradation, and gluconeogenesis are affected in functional hypogonadism, whereas beta-oxidation of fatty acids is not an energy source. After testosterone replacement therapy, only some metabolites are completely restored, and high levels of ketone bodies are produced in functionally hypogonadal patients, possibly leading to symptoms similar to keto flu.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Hemalkumar B. Mehta, Yong-Fang Kuo, Mukaila A. Raji, Jordan Westra, Cynthia Boyd, G. Caleb Alexander, James S. Goodwin
Summary: The study found that from 2014 to 2018, chronic opioid use among nursing home residents decreased from 14.1% to 11.4%, with a decline in variation among states but an increase in variation among nursing homes.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Andrew R. R. Zullo, Melissa R. R. Riester, Kaleen N. N. Hayes, Medha N. N. Munshi, Sarah D. D. Berry
Summary: We compared the effects of three sulfonylureas (SUs) and initial SUs doses on adverse glycemic and cardiovascular events among nursing home residents. Our findings suggest that new use of glimepiride and standard SU doses may increase the risk of severe hypoglycemic events, while cardiovascular outcomes may not be affected by the choice of SU medication or dose.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Jennifer L. Carnahan, Kristi M. Lieb, Lauren Albert, Kamal Wagle, Ellen Kaehr, Kathleen T. Unroe
Summary: This study described the disease course of nursing home residents infected with COVID-19, with common symptoms including fever, hypoxia, anorexia, and fatigue. Some residents experienced a rapidly progressive, fatal course.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Vincent Guion, Ayman Sabra, Catherine Martin, Emmanuelle Blanc, Philipe De Souto Barreto, Yves Rolland
Summary: This study aimed to describe nursing home residents transferred to the emergency department (ED) with pneumonia and investigate the association of pneumonia with functional ability and mortality. The results showed that residents with pneumonia had lower ADL performance and higher mortality compared to those without pneumonia. However, there was no significant difference in functional decline between residents with and without pneumonia.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
(2023)