| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Carlsson, Maine, 1955-, et al.
(author)
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Body composition in Swedish old people aged 65-99 years, living in residential care facilities
- 2009
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In: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 49:1, s. 98-107
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is important to evaluate body composition changes in subjects with an existing multi-system reduction in capacity, as a small decrease in fat-free mass (FFM) can cause serious impairments. The aim of the study was to describe body composition in old people living in institutions. Body composition data were collected within a study of 173 subjects with functional and cognitive impairment, aged 65-99 years, and living in residential care facilities. A bioelectrical impedance spectrometer (BIS) (Xitron Hydra 4200; 5-1000 kHz) was used to assess the amount of both FFM and fat mass (FM) which where adjusted for height. The Harpenden caliper and a tape measure were used to assess body fat, arm-muscle and arm-fat area (mm(2)). A large proportion of the old and functionally impaired population was at risk of malnutrition or already malnourished (63.4% vs. 17.4%) according to Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Women had significantly lower fat-free mass index (FFMI) and higher FMI, inversely related to age, than men. Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy and anthropometrical measurements correlated but on different levels. In addition the FM% differed between the two methods (46.3% vs. 33.4%).
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| 13. |
- von Heideken Wågert, Petra, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Large variations in walking, standing up from a chair, and balance in women and men over 85 years : An observational study
- 2009
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In: Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. - 0004-9514. ; 55:1, s. 39-45
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Question: How do three different age groups of women and men >85 years perform in tests of gait speed, chair stands, and balance?Design: A population-based cross-sectional observational study.Participants: Half the 85-year-old population, and the total population aged 90 and ³95 (-103) in Umeå, Sweden were assessed in the Umeå 85+ Study (n=238).Outcome measures: Usual and fastest gait speed (m/s) over 2.4 meters (8 feet), three consecutive chair stands (s), the Berg Balance Scale and ability to perform the tests (yes/no).Results: The median (10th-90th percentile) usual gait speed was 0.49 m/s (0.23-0.75), time to perform the chair stands test 12.6 seconds (8.5-20.2), and median Berg Balance Scale scores 45 (0-54). An age-related decline in physical ability was seen in women, but not in men. Men had greater physical ability than women. The Berg Balance Scale showed no floor or ceiling effects, but the gait speed and chair stands tests resulted in a floor effect especially for women.Conclusion: There were large variations in physical ability in these very old people. These data provide valuable reference values for physical ability in the oldest age groups for commonly used clinical measurements.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Berglund, Lars, 1955-
(author)
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Measurement Variability Related to Insulin Secretion and Sensitivity : Assessment and Implications in Epidemiological Studies
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- There is a growing interest in random measurement variability of biological variables. In regression models, such variability of the predictors yields biased estimators of coefficients (regression dilution bias). The objectives of this thesis were to develop an efficient method to correct for such bias, to reveal the relative importance of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion, corrected for regression dilution bias, on glucose tolerance, and to explore the seasonal nature of the variability of insulin sensitivity.A reliability study is often designed to randomly select subjects from the main study. Our idea was to collect replicates for subjects with extreme values on their first measurement. The extreme selection design, in combination with maximum likelihood estimation, resulted in an efficient estimator of a corrected regression coefficient in a simple linear regression model. Results were presented theoretically and with an application: The relation between insulin sensitivity and fasting insulin in Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM) where the extreme selection design decreased the standard error of the estimated regression coefficient with 28 per cent compared with the random sampling design.We estimated the partial longitudinal effects of the predictors insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion, corrected for regression dilution bias, on glucose tolerance in ULSAM. The effects of the predictors, when corrected, were similar.Insulin sensitivity in ULSAM increased during summer and decreased during winter and insulin secretion exposed opposite variation keeping glucose homeostasis nearly constant. Insulin sensitivity was related to outdoor temperature.In summary, we developed a cost-efficient reliability design for correction for regression dilution bias. Insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion had similar longitudinal effects on glucose tolerance, which implies that interventions aimed at these targets are equally important. Further, we revealed the seasonal nature of variations of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. This result has implications on glycaemic control in diabetic patients.
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| 16. |
- Carlsson, Maine, 1955-, et al.
(author)
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The feasibility of serving liquid yoghurt supplemented with probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB 21, and Lactococcus lactis L1A : a pilot study among old people with dementia in a residential care facility
- 2009
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In: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - Paris : Serdi. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 13:9, s. 813-819
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Constipation and body weight loss are prevalent among old people. Treatment with different species of lactic acid bacteria has been suggested for various forms of gastrointestinal disorders. Objective, participants and intervention: This pilot study was performed to assess the feasibility of administering and consuming a drinkable yoghurt containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB 21 and Lactococcus L1A, and to evaluate the influence on bowel movements and body weight in 15 people with dementia, aged 65–95 years in residential care facility. Design: A drinkable yoghurt (Verum Drickyoghurt©) with added bacteria was served daily for 6 months in conjunction with ordinary food intake. Body weight, bowel movement frequency and consistency, food and fluid intake and time spent in various activities were recorded for two weeks preintervention, and 3 times during the follow-up period. Result: This study showed that the yoghurt was easy to serve, with few side effects for the participants and that the various recording forms and diaries were easy for the staff to complete. The extra intake of yoghurt did not have any detectable beneficial effect on bowel movements. The overnight fast was almost 15 hours per day. Body weight decreased by 0.65 kg/month (95% confidence interval. 0.27–0.97). Conclusions: The present study design was feasible in this group of old people with dementia. The absence of any detectable effect of the supplement on constipation, but rather a considerable loss in body weight, indicate that further research is needed in a large randomised controlled trial, if associations between dementia, constipation and energy balance are to be understood.
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| 17. |
- Englund, Hillevi, 1980-
(author)
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Soluble amyloid-β aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Soluble oligomeric aggregates of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide are suggested to initiate Alzheimer's disease (AD), leading to impaired synapse signalling, widespread neuronal death and loss of cognitive functions. These aggregates seem tightly linked to disease progression, and have therefore gained much attention as potential novel disease markers. In this thesis soluble oligomeric Aβ aggregates in general, and the Aβ protofibril species in particular, have been investigated with the aim to quantify and determine their role in AD pathogenesis. Sandwich-ELISAs specifically measuring Aβ42 peptides are widely used both in AD research and as complements for clinical diagnosis. Here it was demonstrated that presence of soluble Aβ aggregates disturbs such analyses, making it difficult to interpret the results. This discovery was made through analyses of samples from cell- and mouse models carrying the AD causing 'Arctic' APP mutation. When analyzed by ELISA, Aβ42 levels were reduced in Arctic samples, in contrast to levels measured by denaturing SDS-PAGE Western blot. The same divergence in Aβ42-levels between analyses was observed in CSF samples from Down syndrome infants. The discrepancy between methods was hypothesized to be due to presence of soluble Aβ aggregates leading to impaired ELISA detection caused by epitope masking. This was confirmed by developing a protofibril specific ELISA, by which samples from Arctic cell- and mouse models were demonstrated to have enhanced Aβ protofibril levels. AD patients have reduced ELISA-measured Aβ42-levels in CSF compared to healthy controls. To test if this reduction was due to oligomeric Aβ species present in AD CSF, Aβ42-levels were analyzed under both denaturing and non-denaturing conditions. These two measures were combined and an Aβ42 oligomer ratio established. Higher ratios were found in AD patients than healthy controls, implying that Aβ oligomers are present in CSF during Alzheimer pathogenesis. The observations from AD patients and young Down syndrome individuals suggest that Aβ42 oligomer formation is an early mechanism of AD pathogenesis, which potentially could be used as a biomarker to monitor disease development.
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| 18. |
- Englund, Undis, 1957-
(author)
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Physical activity, bone density, and fragility fractures in women
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Scandinavia has among the highest incidence of fragility fractures in the world. The reasons for this are unknown, but might involve differences in genetic and/or environmental factors, such as sunlight exposure and levels of physical activity. Weight-bearing exercise is thought to have a beneficial effect on bone health in the young, but few studies have evaluated whether exercise in older subjects affects bone density and protects against fragility fractures. The initial objective of this thesis was to evaluate whether a combined weight-bearing training programme twice a week would be beneficial as regards bone mineral density (BMD) and neuromuscular function in older women. Forty-eight community living women with a mean age of 73 years were recruited for this 12-month prospective, randomised controlled trial, and were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=24) or a control group (n=24). The intervention group displayed significant increments in BMD at the Ward’s triangle, maximum walking speed, and isometric grip strength compared to the control group. The second objective was to investigate if training effects were retained in older women five years after the cessation of training. The 40 women who completed the first study included in this thesis were invited to take part in a follow-up assessment five years later, and 34 women (~79 years) agreed to participate. During these five years both groups had sustained significant losses in hip BMD and in all neuromuscular function tests, and the previous exercise-induced intergroup differences were no longer seen. The third and fourth objective of this thesis was to investigate whether exercise and weight-bearing leisure activities in middle-aged women are associated with a decreased risk of sustaining hip or wrist fractures at a later stage. A cohort of women participating in the Umeå Fracture and Osteoporosis (UFO) study, a longitudinal, nested case-control study investigating associations between bone markers, lifestyle, and osteoporotic fractures, was used for the purpose of this investigation. Eighty-one hip fracture cases and 376 wrist fracture cases, which had reported lifestyle data before they sustained their fracture, were identified. These cases were compared with age-matched controls identified from the same cohort. Using conditional logistic regression analysis with adjustments for height, BMI, smoking, and menopausal status, results showed that moderate frequency of leisure physical activities such as gardening and berry/mushroom picking, were associated with reduced hip fracture risk (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.12 – 0.67), whereas active commuting (especially walking) along with dancing and snow shoveling in leisure time, reduced the wrist fracture risk (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.27 – 0.88, OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.22 – 0.80 and OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.32 – 0.79 respectively). In summary, this thesis suggests that weight-bearing physical activity is beneficial for BMD and neuromuscular functions such as muscle strength and gait in older women, and that a physically active lifestyle, with outdoor activities, in middle age is associated with reduced risk of both hip and wrist fractures. Possible mechanisms underlying this association include improved muscle strength, coordination, and balance, resulting in a decreased risk of falling and perhaps also direct skeletal benefits.
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| 19. |
- Looi, JC, et al.
(author)
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Putaminal volume in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer disease: differential volumes in dementia subtypes and controls
- 2009
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In: American Journal of Neuroradiology. - 0195-6108 .- 1936-959X. ; 30:8, s. 1552-1560
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Frontostriatal (including the putamen) circuit-mediated cognitive dysfunction has been implicated in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), but not in Alzheimer disease (AD) or healthy aging. We sought to assess putaminal volume as a measure of the structural basis of relative frontostriatal dysfunction in these groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured putaminal volume in FTLD subtypes: frontotemporal dementia (FTD, n = 12), semantic dementia (SD, n = 13), and progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA, n = 9) in comparison with healthy controls (n = 25) and patients with AD (n = 18). Diagnoses were based on accepted clinical criteria. We conducted manual volume measurement of the putamen blinded to the diagnosis on T1 brain MR imaging by using a standardized protocol. RESULTS: Paired t tests (P < .05) showed that the left putaminal volume was significantly larger than the right in all groups combined. Multivariate analysis of covariance with a Bonferroni correction was used to assess statistical significance among the subject groups (AD, FTD, SD, PNFA, and controls) as independent variables and right/left putaminal volumes as dependent variables (covariates, age and intracranial volume; P < .05). The right putamen in FTD was significantly smaller than in AD and controls; whereas in SD, it was smaller compared with controls with a trend toward being smaller than in AD. There was also a trend toward the putamen in the PNFA being smaller than that in controls and in patients with AD. Across the groups, there was a positive partial correlation between putaminal volume and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). CONCLUSIONS: Right putaminal volume was significantly smaller in FTD, the FTLD subtype with the greatest expected frontostriatal dysfunction; whereas in SD and PNFA, it showed a trend towards being smaller, consistent with expectation, compared to controls and AD; and in SD, compared with AD and controls. Putaminal volume weakly correlated with MMSE.
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| 20. |
- Pellfolk, Tony, 1976-, et al.
(author)
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Risk factors for falls among residents with dementia living in group dwellings
- 2009
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In: International psychogeriatrics. - United Kingdom : Cambridge University Press. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 21:1, s. 187-194
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among elderly people, and people with dementia run an increased risk of falling. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for falls in people with dementia. METHOD: The study was performed over a six-month period in northern Sweden using a sample of 160 residents living in 20 group dwellings for people with dementia. RESULTS: Sixty-four residents (40%) sustained at least one fall during the period. The total number of falls during the study period was 191, and the fall incidence was 2.6 per person year (169 falls/130 residents). Using logistic regression analysis, the independent risk factors strongly associated with falling were: requiring help with hygiene, displaying verbally disruptive/attention-seeking behavior, able to rise from a chair, walking with assistive devices, and participating in outdoor walks. These factors explained 36.1% of the variance in falls with a concordance of 79.6%. Thirty-five percent of the falls occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, with a peak between 5 pm and 6 pm. Symptoms preceding the falls were anxiety (31.1%) and confusion (13.3%). CONCLUSION: Among residents with dementia it is important to identify those who run an increased risk of falling and need more careful supervision, especially in the evening and during the night. In addition, the causes of anxiety and confusion have to be prevented and treated.
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