The Charted Care Collection (07/06/2021)

[ photo by Omar Houchaimi ]

The Chartered Care Collection (07/06/2021)

The Chartered Care Collection provides a review of the latest, pertinent publications from the medical literature on aging. I have selected interesting articles that describe some of the most current research that may be relevant to the loved one in your care. Each article will be referenced if you desire to read more of the study, but I will give a brief synopsis of each study so you are aware of the latest research. Let’s get to The Collection!

The Chartered Care Collection

Another month has passed, and it is time for another review of some of the latest research presented in various medical journals. 

The first article I wanted to mention was published in the journal Age and Ageing regarding a specific type of exercise for knee osteoarthritis. It described a traditional Chinese health technique, Wuqinxi Qigong (WQX), for the management of pain for knee osteoarthritis. The authors then performed a study comparing WQX with traditional resistance and aerobic exercises for knee pain. The study group included participants aged 60 to 90 years. All subjects exercised for similar times each day, four times per week. Participants underwent baseline testing for balance, ambulation distance in a specific amount of time (Six Minute Walk Test), how many times one can go from sitting to standing in 30 seconds, and also measured pain with a validated pain scoring technique (WOMAC). All subjects then underwent the same testing and questioning after the training period was completed. It found the WQX group showed statistically significant improvement across all testing parameters, whereas the traditional exercise group did show improvement  but only in the Six Minute Walk Test. The study group was quite small, but with knee osteoarthritis being such a widespread problem in the elderly population, it is worthwhile learning more about this exercise technique. There are multiple YouTube videos online providing instruction on the technique, I would encourage you to investigate and give it a try.

(Related blog posts: Should I Get A Knee Replacement?, What To Expect After Knee Replacement )

Staying on the topic of arthritis, but moving up the lower extremity, I read an interesting article on the risk of revision surgery after total hip replacement. This study, published in The Bone & Joint Journal, followed 112,254 patients who underwent total hip replacements at the age of 45 or older. The study listed the most common reasons for revision being loosening of the hardware, infection, fracture around the hardware and dislocation of the joint. The ten-year survival rate for of the prosthesis for all participants in the study was 93.6%. It found the risk of revision decreased as the age at the time of the THA increased. For those at 45-55 years of age, the rate of revision at 10 years was 27.5%. The rate steadily declined with increasing age.  This was initially a surprising finding, however, the findings made sense when thinking that the 45-55 year olds are more likely to be more active, causing increased wear on the prosthesis. Either way, it was an interesting read.

(Related blog posts: Where Do You Go After Acute Rehab?, Taking Care Of Elderly Parents At Home )

I thought I would keep on the topic of osteoarthritis (OA) for one more article and tie it into the incidence of stroke. A study printed in the journal Joint Bone Spine that followed participants from the age of 18 or older without a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Half of the group (160,068) did not have OA while the other half did have OA. The group with OA had a 10-year stroke rate of 4.5% while the group that did not have OA and a 3% stroke rate. There were similar findings of the rate of TIA in each group as well. This was a statistically significant finding in that there was a positive association of OA with both stroke and TIA. 

(Related blog posts: Types Of Stroke Testing For An Ischemic Stroke, Hand Pain After Stroke )

Let’s move away from osteoarthritis and onto body weight. Yeah, not a fun topic but an important one, nonetheless. A group from University of California San Francisco followed changes in body weight from 269 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The participants were followed from February 1 to June 1, 2020. The participants recorded their weights with Bluetooth connected scales. The findings, though not altogether surprising, showed an average weight gain of all participants of 1.5 pounds per month. Among many unintended health (both physical and mental) consequences of quarantine, this just touched on another. My hope is that this knowledge would show that you or your loved one is not alone in this unfortunate consequence but to also use this knowledge to encourage reversing that outcome by getting out of your home and getting more active.

(Related blog posts: Isolating Elderly During The Pandemic, Managing Quarantine Debility )

The final article I wanted to discuss is another that runs in the vein of traditional Asian medicine. This research article looked at the effects of saffron extract on mood and stressors. Saffron is an herb or spice that comes from drying parts of the crocus flower. It was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group study that looked at the acute and chronic effects of saffron for adults who report anxiety, stress, or depression. The participants received either 30 mg of saffron extract or a placebo twice daily. There were multiple parameters used to measure stress (both subjective and objective) in the participants. Of those that received the saffron extract, appetite and psychosocial stress response improved. These findings warrant further reading on the topic given the fact that anxiety, stress, and depression are common in the aging population.

(Related blog post: What Is Geriatric Psychiatry? )

That sums it up for the Chartered Care Collection for this month. Feel free to read each of these articles in full, and feel free to leave your comments or questions below!

References:

Xiao, C., Follow-up of a Wuqinxi Exercise at Home Programme to Reduce Pain and Improve Function for Knee Osteoarthritis in Older People: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Age Ageing. March; 50(2): 570-575.

Nugent, M., et al. The Lifetime Risk of Revision following Total Hip Arthroplasty. Bone Joint J. 2021; 103-B(3): 479-485.

Jacob, L., et al. Osteoarthritis and Incidence of Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in 320,136 Adults Followed in General Practices in the United Kingdom. Joint Bone Spine 2021, March;88(2):105104.

Lin, Al, et al. Body Weight Changes During Pandemic-Related Shelter in Place in a Longitudinal Cohort Study. JAMA. 2021;4(3): e212536. 

Jackson, P., et al. Effects of Saffron Extract Supplementation on Mood, Well-Being, and Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Clinical Trial. Front Nutrition. 2021, February; (7): 606124.

Share your thoughts on these articles in the Comments section.

© 2021 Jessica Kluetz, DO