Improvement of the Legal System for Addressing the Issue of Elderly Care in China in the Context of Population Aging

Rapid population aging is a social reality facing China at present,and the issue of elderly care has become a hot topic of social concern.Legislation to address the issue of elderly care in the context of population aging should follow systematic concepts to achieve“vertical and horizontal integration.”In terms of content,it is necessary to formulate specific legal approaches around“the elderly and children,”with a focus on guaranteeing the livelihood and protection of the rights of the elderly while taking into account childbirth,employment and other issues.the laws should not only safeguard the social participation and labor rights of the elderly,but also effectively respond to the social challenges brought about by the aging of the population.It is also necessary to optimize the family planning policy to ease the burden of child-raising,improve the population structure and promote the long-term balanced development of the population,thus fundamentally solving the problem of population aging.the effort to improve the legal system to deal with the issue of elderly care in the context of population aging will better advance Chinese modernization.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Propofol Administered by TCI in Chinese Elderly Patients

Aim To investigate the population pharmacokinetics of propofol administered by TCI in Chinese elderly patients. Methods Thirty-two patients with ASA Ⅰ - Ⅱ , 65 - 82 years old, undergoing selective lower abdominal operation were studied. Propofol was administered by target-controlled infusion with Marsh parameter. The target plasma concentration was 3 μg＇ mL^-1. Radial arterial blood samples were collected and analyzed by reversed phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. Population pharmacokinetic modeling was performed using NONMEM. Inter-individual variability and intra-individual variability of propofol were estimated for clearances and volumes of distribution. The effects of age, body weight, lean body mass, gender, height, hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, creatinine, alanine aminotrans ferase （ALT）, and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were investigated. The effects of coadministered opioid drugs were also studied. Results The pharmacokinetics of propofol in the Chinese elderly patients was best described by a three-compartment open model. Lean body mass was found to be a covariate for system clearance at significant level （ P 〈 0.005）. The clearance decreased linearly with age as well （ P 〈 0. 005）. The apparent volume of distribution for deep peripheral compartment （V3） was influenced by gender. Elderly female patients showed a higher value for V3. Conclusion The pharmacokinetics of propofol administered by TCI in Chinese elderly patients can be well described by a three-compartment open model. Inclusion of age, lean body mass and gender as covariates significantly improved the model. To ensure the accuracy and precision of target-controlled infusion, the population pharmacokinetic model applied to the individual patient should be adjusted reasonably.

Survey on the Demand for Elderly Care Services of Community Residents in Beijing and Analysis of Influencing Factors

Objective: To investigate the current situation of the demand for geriatric care services of community residents in Beijing and analyze the influencing factors to provide a reference basis for meeting the demand for diversified and professional geriatric care services. Methods: A self-made questionnaire was used to randomly survey 1558 elderly individuals at community health service centers in 8 urban districts where elderly care centers were planned to be built. The influencing factors of the different characteristics of elderly care service needs from three aspects were analyzed using a dichotomous logistic regression model: predisposing, enabling, and, need factors. Results: 69.7% of the elderly required home care services, 22.8% wanted to get care services at elderly care centers, 15.9% wanted to get care services at nursing homes, 12.3% required community care services, and 7.4% didn’t know where to access care services. 68.5% of the elderly required care services for disabilities/semi-disabilities, 58.0% for dementia, 54.7% for common diseases, 34.9% for rehabilitation training, 33.0% for plumbing care, and 7.5% for hospice care. At the same time, there were urban- rural differences in the demand for elderly care services, with suburban elderly having a higher demand for care services than those living in urban areas (P < 0.05). The elderly’s demand for care services was mainly related to age, place of residence, and gender in the causative factors, mode of residence and physical condition among able factors, and mode of care services and care needs among need factors (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The demand for elderly care services was differentiated by factors including place of residence, age, and gender. It is crucial to accurately match the demand for elderly care services, innovate the mode of elderly care services, and improve the service quality to improve the elderly health service system.

Age-specific reference ranges of prostatespecific antigen in the elderly of Amirkola: A population-based study

Objective:To determine the age-specific reference ranges of prostate-specific antigen(PSA)in the older men in the city of Amirkola.Methods:This cross-sectional study is a part of Amirkola Health and Ageing Project(AHAP)which has been conducted as a cohort study since 2011 in Amirkola,a city in northern Iran.The demographic information of all men aged 60 and older were collected through questionnaires and interviews and the PSA measurements were performed using ELISA and Diametra kit.The acquired data were analyzed afterwards.Results:A number of 837 elderly men with a mean age of 69.99±7.72 years participated in this study.The serum PSA level(95th percentile)was determined to be 0.9(0-4.89)ng/mL in the age group of 60-64 years,1.1(0-4.88)ng/mL in the age group of 65-69 years,0.93(0-9.01)ng/mL in the age group of 70-74 years,1.3(0-7.95)ng/mL in the age group of 75-79 years,1.9(0-11.98 ng/mL)in the age group of 80-84 years,and 1.45(0-33.17)ng/mL in the 85 and older group.The serum PSA level was significantly correlated with age(p=0.000).Conclusion:This study indicated that there is a direct correlation between the age and serum PSA levels.The use of age-specific reference range could guide clinicians on the incidence of prostate cancer in this population and perhaps reduce the number of unnecessary tests in this population group.

Verapamil and vasospastic angina： underuse in the elderly population

The first case of Prinzmetal angina was described in 1959 by Prinzmetal, et al. Since this description, several triggering factors have been associated with vasospastic angina （VA） and included： illicit drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine or marijuana, but also bitter-orange, alcohol, butane, chemotherapy drugs, over-the-counter medication and different antibiotics. Smoking is also a major risk factor for developing VA.t21 Thus, except for smoking, many of conventional atherosclerosis risk factors do not appear to be applicable to VA.t21 However, vasospastic angina can also occur without any triggering factor.

The Ratio of the Elderly to the Working-age Population in Japan,Singapore and Thailand

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Prophylactic use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in the elderly population

Introduction Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States. Ventricular fibrillation, as the initial event, had been reported in 65%-85% of these patients.1 An implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD) is the single most effective life saving device to date. The advances in medicine and technology have led to wide spread utilization of defibrillators in developed countries.

A Prospective Study of Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in an Elderly Depressed Population

Objective: This study was conducted to discern the efficacy of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) in a population of depressed elderly individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Methodology: Twenty-nine (N = 29) individuals over the age of 65 years of age and older were assigned to a control or treatment group on the basis of their decision to receive M-ECT (treatment group) or to refrain from receiving the treatment (control group). A battery of psychometric tests designed to measure severity of depression, quality of life, and cognition were administered at baseline as well as at 6-month and 1-year intervals. Results: Statistical analysis of the data indicated no significant differences in the efficacy of M-ECT between the control and treatment groups in any of the tests administered during the participation of the study. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that there is no added benefit for patients administered M-ECT. However, study sample size and availability of alternative treatment regimens for the control group limit generalizability of these findings and warrant further investigation.

Developed Fall Detection of Elderly Patients in Internet of Healthcare Things

Falling is among the most harmful events older adults may encounter.With the continuous growth of the aging population in many societies,developing effective fall detection mechanisms empowered by machine learning technologies and easily integrable with existing healthcare systems becomes essential.This paper presents a new healthcare Internet of Health Things(IoHT)architecture built around an ensemble machine learning-based fall detection system(FDS)for older people.Compared to deep neural networks,the ensemble multi-stage random forest model allows the extraction of an optimal subset of fall detection features with minimal hyperparameters.The number of cascaded random forest stages is automatically optimized.This study uses a public dataset of fall detection samples called SmartFall to validate the developed fall detection system.The SmartFall dataset is collected based on the acquired measurements of the three-axis accelerometer in a smartwatch.Each scenario in this dataset is classified and labeled as a fall or a non-fall.In comparison to the three machine learning models—K-nearest neighbors(KNN),decision tree(DT),and standard random forest(SRF),the proposed ensemble classifier outperformed the other models and achieved 98.4%accuracy.The developed healthcare IoHT framework can be realized for detecting fall accidents of older people by taking security and privacy concerns into account in future work.

Pregabalin induced balance disorder,asthenia,edema,and constipation in an elderly adult:A case report

BACKGROUND Pregabalin is widely used to treat neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia.To our knowledge,this is the first report on simultaneously occurring dose-related adverse drug reactions(ADRs)of balance disorder,asthenia,peripheral edema,and constipation in an elderly patient after pregabalin.CASE SUMMARY A 76-year-old female with a history of postherpetic neuralgia was prescribed pregabalin(300 mg daily).After taking pregabalin for 7 d,the patient developed balance disorder,weakness,peripheral pitting edema(2+),and constipation.On days 8-14,the pregabalin dose was reduced to 150 mg/d based on creatinine clearance.The patient’s peripheral edema improved significantly with the disappearance of all other adverse symptoms.On day 15,the pregabalin dose was increased to 225 mg/d to relieve pain.Unfortunately,the symptoms mentioned earlier gradually reappeared after 1 wk of pregabalin treatment.However,the complaints were not as severe as when taking 300 mg/d pregabalin.The patient consulted her pharmacist by telephone and was advised to reduce the dose of pregabalin to 150 mg/d and add acetaminophen(0.5 g,q6h)to relieve pain.The patient’s ADRs gradually improved over the following week.CONCLUSION Older patients should be prescribed a lower initial dose of pregabalin.The dose should be titrated to the maximum tolerable dose to avoid dose-limiting ADR.Dose reduction and the addition of acetaminophen may help limit ADR and improve pain control.

Problems and Countermeasures of Intelligent Elderly Care Service in the Context of Fewer Children in China

With the intensification of population aging and the implementation of the three-child policy,the elderly care pressure of Chinese families continues to rise.Therefore,accelerating the construction of a new intelligent elderly care service model is an important measure to actively respond to population aging,ease the burden of family elderly care and promote high-quality economic development.In view of this,this study analyzed the intelligent elderly care service to explore the relevant countermeasures of the intelligent elderly care service in the context of fewer children.

Association of Multiple Urinary Phthalates Metabolites with Diabetes Risk in Elderly Population

As a common environmental endocrine disruptor,phthalate exposure could affect the diabetes risk.However,it remains unclear whether phthalate exposure in the elderly population alters diabetes risk.We conducted a cross-sectional survey to explore the effect of urinary phthalate metabolites on diabetes in the elderly.We conducted a health survey of 200 elderly in northeastern China and measured urinary concentrations of 64 phthalate metabolites.We next evaluated the association between major phthalates and phthalate mixtures and diabetes in the elderly.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression screened for mono(3-carboxypropyl)phthalate(MCPP),monoethyl phthalate(MEP),and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl)phthalate(MEHHP)as important predictors for diabetes.Weighted quantile sum(WQS)regression and Bayesian Kernel Machine regression(BKMR)models consistently found MEHHP(Weights=51.9%,PIP=0.97)to have the greatest effect on diabetes risk in the elderly.Furthermore,MEHHP was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in the multipollutant logistic regression model(OR=2.148,95%CI:1.255 to 3.677).The overall effect of coexposure to MCPP,MEHHP,and MEP on the risk of diabetes in elderly population was significant and positive.In summary,we found that increased urinary MEHHP levels could increase the risk of diabetes in the elderly population.Co-exposure to MCPP,MEHHP and MEP may increase the risk of diabetes.

The increased severity of acute pancreatitis in the elderly is mainly related to intestinal barrier dysfunction

To the Editor:Severeacutepancreatitisintheelderlyischaracterizedby significantmorbidityandmortalityrates,withahigherfinancial impact when compared to the same disease in younger patients [1]. There are some obvious differences between these two populations. The most glaring one is the presence of multiple co-

Prevalence and control of hypertension in the elderly:results from China hypertension survey,2012-2015

Objective To evaluate the prevalence,awareness,treatment and control rate of hypertension among elder population in China.Methods Data form a cross-sectional stratified multistage random sampling survey conducted from 2012 to 2015 were used to analyzed.Finally,a total of 134,397 participants aged≥60 years were enrolled in our study.Hypertension was defined as systolic BP≥140 mmHg,and/or diastolic BP≥90 mmHg,and/or use of antihypertensive medicine within 2 weeks.Among participants with hypertension,control rate of hypertension was defined as the participant presenting as hypertensive,but with a systolic BP measure less than 140 mm Hg and diastolic BP measure less than 90 mm Hg.

Approach to Helicobacter pylori infection in geriatric population

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection and its complications increase with age. The majority of infected individuals remain asymptomatic throughout the life but 10%-20% develops peptic ulcer disease and 1% gastric malignancies. The incidence of ulcers and their complications are more common in the older population resulting in higher hospitalization and mortality rates. The increased use of medications causing gastric mucosal damage and the decreased secretion of protective prostaglandins in elderly are major factors increasing gastric mucosal sensitivity to the destructive effects of H. pylori. Due to higher prevalence of gastrointestinal(GI) malignancies,upper GI endoscopy is mostly preferred in elderly for the diagnosis of infection. Therefore,"endoscopy and treat" strategy may be more appropriate instead of "test and treat" strategy for dyspeptic patients in older age. Urea breath test and stool antigen test can be used for control of eradication,except for special cases requiring follow-up with endoscopy. The indications for treatment and suggested eradication regimens are similar with other age groups; however,the eradication failure may be a more significant problem due to high antibiotic resistance and low compliance rate in elderly. Multidrug usage and drug interactions should always be consid-ered before starting the treatment. This paper reviews briefly the epidemiology,diagnosis,disease manifesta-tions,and treatment options of H. pylori in the geriatric population.

Heart failure mortality compared between elderly and non-elderly Thai patients

Objective To investigate heart failure mortality compared between elderly and non-elderly Thai patients.Methods This study included patients at least 18 years of age who were admitted to the hospital with a primary diagnosis of heart failure(ICD-10-TM code:150.9)during 2008-2012 according to three major Thailand reimbursement systems(civil servant,social security,and universal coverage systems).Patients were categorized into either the elderly group(age>65 years)or the non-elderly group(age<65 years).Mortality rate and survival analysis were compared between groups.Demographic,underlying disease and comorbid condition data were collected.Cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular death was also analyzed.Results A total of 201,709 patients were included.The average age of patients was 64.9±14.8 years,and the gender proportion breakdown was 84,155(41.7%)males and 117,554(58.3%)females.Just over half of patients(107,325 patients;53.2%)were elderly.Overall mortality rate was 50.8%.The mortality rate at one month,six months,one year,and three years was 11.0%,24.5%,32.5%,and 46.3%,respectively.Elderly patients had a higher rate of mortality compared to non-elderly patients with an adjusted odds ratio(OR)of 1.47(95%CI:1.46-1.49)for all-cause mortality,an OR of 1.25(95%CI:1.23-1.27)for cardiovascular death,and an OR of 1.72(95%CI:1.68-1.75)for non-cardiovascular death(all P<0.001).After adjusting for potential confounders,elderly status remained the second strongest factor associated with increased risk of mortality after heart failure hospitalization following chronic kidney disease.Conclusions The overall mortality rate after heart failure hospitalization was a very high 50.8%.Multivariate analysis revealed elderly status to be an independent predictor of mortality after hospitalization.This finding suggests that improvements are needed related to the quality of care and follow-up given to elderly Thai heart failure patients.

The Comparative Approach on Outdoor Leisure Behavior of Urban Elderly People:A Case Study in Beijing

With the income increase of elderly people in Beijing and the improvement of leisure facilities since 2000, the quality of elderly people leisure life in Beijing has obviously increased com- pared to ten years ago. According to the investigation and com- parative analysis on more than 900 elderly people, who usually exercise in public parks in Beijing City, we have found out several new features of elderly people＇s outdoor recreation in Belting： the increase of the leisure time, the expansion of leisure space, the in- dividuation of interest and the diversification of consumption. The leisure life quality evaluation index system of urban elderly people can be built based on these analyses. In order to accommodate the development tendency of elderly people＇s demand for leisure diversification, we should strengthen the organization and manage- ment of elderly people＇s leisure activity in urban construction, and pay more attention to function complementation between commu- nities and parks.

Exploration on China's Institution-oriented Elderly Care Service System Based on Human Factors Engineering

Objective Aging process in China has brought more and more challenges to traditional home-based care for the aged and more attentions to the mode of institution-oriented elderly care.This work,by analyzing the problems and defects of institution engaging in elderly care based on the human factors engineering theory,discusses the people-centered institution-oriented elderly care service system,in terms of the problems that the pattern of institution-oriented elderly care focuses more on the facilities and environment construction than the principal role of people in the elderly care service system.Methods Sampled the institutions engaging in elderly care in Hefei City,Anhui Province,P.R.China(a medium-sized city in China);surveyed 45 institutions engaging in elderly care and 828 registered elders in Hefei City by hierarchical and systematic sampling method.Results(1)institutions engaging in elderly care shared the occupancy rate of 49.6%and low total service efficiency;(2)institutions engaging in elderly care offered 100%life-oriented service items,but only 6.1%personalized service items provided;(3)100%simple housing facilities in elderly care institutions,but extremely less personalized service facility(3.2%),with poorer quality and less satisfaction;(4)insufficient professional service staff could be available;48.1%institutions have 5 or less professional service staffs.Conclusion A countermeasure to improve the elderly care service system was raised here by aiming at improving the institution-oriented elderly care service:(1)to transfer service toward the people-oriented concept,formulating preferential policy for endowment insurance;(2)to pay attention to personalized design of service facility,offer personalized and featured service items,and improve service management level;(3)to build professional team for elderly care.

Gait speed may predict development of Type 2 diabetes: A pilot study among elderly Japanese

Aims: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes. Walking is simple, effective, and by far the most prevalent physical activity among older adults. However, it is difficult to recognize and evaluate performance-based parameters of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of performance-based gait speed among several physical measurements in the development of Type 2 diabetes using long-term community-based data on elderly Japanese persons. Methods: 10 baseline physical measurements, including habitual (HGS) and fast (FGS) gait speed, were examined in 102 elderly Japanese persons living independently in the community (mean age: 71.1 years old) who were not previously diagnosed with diabetes. The subjects then participated in a daily exercise program consisting of walking, stretching, muscle strengthening, and balance exercises and were followed for an average of 4.16 years. Using Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for age, sex, and category of fasting glucose status, we investigated whether gait speed and/or other physical measurements are associated with development of Type 2 diabetes. Results: 9 subjects developed Type 2 diabetes. Among the 10 physical parameters examined, prolongation of HGS and FGS per second was the only statistically significant factors, with hazard ratios 1.83 (1.15 - 2.89, P = 0.010) and 2.93 (1.43 - 6.03, P = 0.003), respectively. Conclusions: We found a negative association between the development of Type 2 diabetes and gait speed among elderly Japanese people. We conclude that encouraging physical activity and preserving walking capacity may be beneficial for preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Research on the Improvement Path of the Mental Health of the Elderly From the Perspective of College Students’Volunteer Service Activities

The elderly are the main objects of college students’volunteer service activities.At present,there are various forms of college students’volunteer service activities,which are highly valued by colleges and universities and popular among college students.In order to further improve the mental health of the elderly,it could be achieved through paths like strengthening volunteering cooperation with aged services agencies,implementing the volunteer service mechanism of“one person-one file,one person-one policy”for the elderly,establishing a mental health mentor system for volunteer service activities,improving the mental health knowledge level of college student volunteers,carrying out a series of voluntary service activities with the theme of mental health,attaching importance on cultivating the positive and optimistic attitude of the elderly in volunteer service activities,and launching volunteer service activities to enrich the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly.