Correspondence to Dieter Ferring, University of Luxembourg etc.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study aims at investigating the socio-demographic characteristics and health conditions of very elderly people in the Mantova province (North Italy). By March 31st 1998 a total of 117 subjects aged 98+ (including 39 centenarians)... more
This study aims at investigating the socio-demographic characteristics and health conditions of very elderly people in the Mantova province (North Italy). By March 31st 1998 a total of 117 subjects aged 98+ (including 39 centenarians) were resident in the Mantova province. 84 subjects (72% of the population aged 98+) agreed to participate in the study. The survey was carried out in the shortest time possible in order to minimize bias due to the high mortality rate among very elderly people. 77 surviving subjects were administered a protocol including an interview about socio-economic conditions, lifetime habits, as well as medical examination, evaluation of physical and cognitive function, evaluation of state of depression and performance-based tests. Data on the health status, quality of life and social network of very long-lived people in the Mantova province are discussed and compared with findings from studies on Italian centenarians. Among the very elderly people in the Mantova province a high prevalence of functional and cognitive impairment was found. However, the degree of perceived well-being was good and no symptoms of depressions were observed. Despite the poor health status of the long-lived, the burden of care falls mainly on the families, and the presence of living children is a protective factor against institutionalization
Research Interests:
Aging plays an important role in the etiology of the most common age-related diseases (ARDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The increasing number of AD patients and the lack of disease-modifying drugs warranted intensive... more
Aging plays an important role in the etiology of the most common age-related diseases (ARDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The increasing number of AD patients and the lack of disease-modifying drugs warranted intensive research to tackle the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning AD development. Vascular aging/dysfunction is a common feature of almost all ARDs, including cardiovascular (CV) diseases, diabetes and AD. To this regard, interventions aimed at modifying CV outcomes are under extensive investigation for their pleiotropic role in ameliorating and slowing down cognitive impairment in middle-life and elderly individuals. Evidence from observational and clinical studies confirm the notion that the earlier the interventions are conducted, the most favorable are the effects on cognitive function. Therefore, epidemiological research should focus on the early detection of deviations from a healthy cognitive aging trajectory, through the stratification of adult individuals according to the rate of aging. Here, we review the interplay between vascular and cognitive dysfunctions associated with aging, to disentangle the complex mechanisms underpinning the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, with a specific focus on AD.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Business and Older people
Research Interests: Psychology and Humanities
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the trend in the incidence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a real-world setting of the Marche region, a region of Central Italy, between 2014 and 2019. This observational prospective study... more
The aim of the study was to evaluate the trend in the incidence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a real-world setting of the Marche region, a region of Central Italy, between 2014 and 2019. This observational prospective study was based on administrative databases of hospital discharges and drug prescriptions. All adult residents in the Marche Region with a first prescription of antifibrotic drugs, or a first hospitalization with a diagnosis of IPF during the study period, were identified as incident cases of IPF. A multiple Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate the IPF incidence trend, adjusted for age, sex, and health conditions. The mean incidence rate was 9.8 cases per 100,000 person-years. A significant increasing trend of 6% per year was observed. The incidence rates were significantly higher in males than females, older subjects, and those with poorer health conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating incidences of IPF over a 6-year pe...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
<p><b>Model 1</b> included the following confounders: age, gender, yrs of education, physical activity, depression.</p><p><b>Model 2 = </b>Model 1 + BMI, hypertension, smoking IMT, Hb1Ac, CV-PPG,... more
<p><b>Model 1</b> included the following confounders: age, gender, yrs of education, physical activity, depression.</p><p><b>Model 2 = </b>Model 1 + BMI, hypertension, smoking IMT, Hb1Ac, CV-PPG, IL-6, Drug vs. diet <sup>§</sup></p>§<p>see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0010333#s4" target="_blank">methods</a>.</p><p>*WHR and WC were entered separately in models.</p
Research Interests:
ObjectivesTo develop a population-based risk stratification model (COVID-19 Vulnerability Score) for predicting severe/fatal clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, using the multiple source information provided by the healthcare... more
ObjectivesTo develop a population-based risk stratification model (COVID-19 Vulnerability Score) for predicting severe/fatal clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, using the multiple source information provided by the healthcare utilisation databases of the Italian National Health Service.DesignRetrospective observational cohort study.SettingPopulation-based study using the healthcare utilisation database from five Italian regions.ParticipantsBeneficiaries of the National Health Service, aged 18–79 years, who had the residentship in the five participating regions. Residents in a nursing home were not included. The model was built from the 7 655 502 residents of Lombardy region.Main outcome measureThe score included gender, age and 29 conditions/diseases selected from a list of 61 conditions which independently predicted the primary outcome, that is, severe (intensive care unit admission) or fatal manifestation of COVID-19 experienced during the first epidemic wave (until J...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Home Home. ...
Research Interests:
Telomere shortening in blood leukocytes has been associated with increased morbidity and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, but determinants of shortened telomeres, a molecular feature of biological aging, are still largely... more
Telomere shortening in blood leukocytes has been associated with increased morbidity and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, but determinants of shortened telomeres, a molecular feature of biological aging, are still largely unidentified. Traffic pollution has been linked with both cardiovascular and cancer risks, particularly in older subjects. Whether exposure to traffic pollution is associated with telomere shortening has never been evaluated. We measured leukocyte telomere length (LTL) by real-time PCR in blood DNA from 77 traffic officers exposed to high levels of traffic pollutants and 57 office workers (referents). Airborne benzene and toluene, as tracers for traffic exposure, were measured using personal passive samplers and gas-chromatography/flame-ionization detector analysis. We used covariate-adjusted multivariable models to test the effects of the exposure on LTL and obtain adjusted LTL means and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Adjusted mean LTL was 1.10 (95%C...
Research Interests: Aging, Environmental Health, Cardiovascular disease, Medicine, real time PCR, and 15 moreHumans, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gas Chromatography, Environ, Age Factors, Biological markers, Risk Factors, Passive sampler, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Cancer Risk, Leukocytes, Confidence Interval, Motor vehicles act, and Air Pollutants
Age-associated cognitive impairment in general and dementia in particular are a global concern. Preventive lifestyle strategies are highly used but there is a lack of information on the reciprocal relationships between nutrition... more
Age-associated cognitive impairment in general and dementia in particular are a global concern. Preventive lifestyle strategies are highly used but there is a lack of information on the reciprocal relationships between nutrition biomarkers and measures of both cognitive and physical performance. To fill this gap of knowledge, the relationship between plasma levels of the robust nutrition- and antioxidant defense-related biomarkers carotenoid and tocopherols and both indicators of cognitive and physical performance was investigated in a group of persons with mild cognitive impairment participating in the NeuroExercise Study at the German Sport University in Cologne, Germany. In 56 participants with full dataset, significant correlations independently of fruit and vegetable intake were found between plasma levels of β-cryptoxanthin and Timed Up&Go test (p < 0.05), γ-tocopherol and number of daily steps (p < 0.01), as well as between four out of six measured carotenoids—lutein; z...
Research Interests:
The clinical efficacy of clopidogrel in secondary prevention of vascular events is hampered by marked inter-patient variability in drug response, which partially depends on genetic make-up. The aim of this pilot prospective study was to... more
The clinical efficacy of clopidogrel in secondary prevention of vascular events is hampered by marked inter-patient variability in drug response, which partially depends on genetic make-up. The aim of this pilot prospective study was to evaluate 12-month cardiovascular outcomes in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) according to the clustering of CYP2C19 and ABCB1 genetic variants. Participants were 100 consecutive ACS patients who were genotyped for CYP2C19 (G681A and C-806T) and ABCB1 (C3435T) polymorphisms, which affect clopidogrel metabolism and bioavailability, using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. They were then grouped as poor, extensive and ultra-rapid metabolisers based on the combination of CYP2C19 loss-of-function (CYP2C19*2) and gain-of-function (CYP2C19*17) alleles and ABCB1 alleles. The predictive value of each phenotype for acute vascular events was estimated based on 12-month ...
Research Interests:
β-Galactosidase (β-Gal) activity has been the most extensively utilized biomarker for the detection of cellular senescence. It can be measured also in plasma, and few recent evidence showed an altered plasmatic β-Gal activity in patients... more
β-Galactosidase (β-Gal) activity has been the most extensively utilized biomarker for the detection of cellular senescence. It can be measured also in plasma, and few recent evidence showed an altered plasmatic β-Gal activity in patients affected by some age-related diseases (ARDs). Since T2DM is one of the most common ARDs, we aimed to investigate if plasmatic β-Gal activity is modulated in T2DM patients and if "age" could affect such modulation. To gain mechanistic insights we paralleled this investigation with the evaluation of β-Gal activity in young and senescent endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured in normo- and hyper-glycaemic environment. A significant age-related increase of plasmatic β-Gal activity was observed in healthy subjects (n. 230; 55-87 years), whereas the enzymatic activity was significantly reduced in T2DM patients (n. 230; 55-96 years) compared to healthy subjects. β-Gal activity detectable both in cells and in the culture medium was significantly incr...
This study aimed at assessing the reliability and construct validity of the TCI-140. Sample: 428 Italian participants. Exclusion criteria: psychiatric disorders. 100 subjects - longitudinal retest study. The results of descriptive... more
This study aimed at assessing the reliability and construct validity of the TCI-140. Sample: 428 Italian participants. Exclusion criteria: psychiatric disorders. 100 subjects - longitudinal retest study. The results of descriptive statistics of internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach coefficient) of TCI-R dimensions showed: a strong internal consistence of the scales: HA (α=0.84); RD (α=0.70); SD (α=0.86); C (α=0.75); ST (α=0.83); a low level in NS (α=0.60). In relation to facets, internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach coefficient) ranged from 0.14 C3 to 0.79 C4 (from 3rd to 4th facet of C scale). Correlations: highest inverse correlation between HA and SD (r=-0.56); moderate inverse correlations for: HA and PS (r=-0.37); C and RD(r=0.32); C and SD (r=0.44). P, SD, C and ST showed good inter class correlations (ICC)≥70 maintaining a good stability of the measures over the time. Four factors accounted for 56.3% of the variance for temperament subscale. Subscales of: PS4, PS3 PS2, PS1, NS3 for factor 1; HA2, HA1, HA4, HA3 for factor 2; RD1, RD2 and RD3 for factor 3; NS4, NS1 and NS2 for factor 4. Three factors that were identified accounted for 58.3% of the variance for character subscales of: SD3, SD5, SD1, SD2 for factor 1; C4, C1, C5, SD4, C3 for factor 2; ST2, ST1, ST3, C2 for factor 3. The reliability coefficients were significantly good for some dimensions of TCI-140 and showed a good correlation after time, while some dimensions as NS have low reliability. In the principal components analysis does not saturate all dimensions in its theoretical factor. Moreover TCI-140 is a useful inventory for the evaluation of the principal dimensions of temperament and character.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
There is no objective means to assess the obstructed defaecation syndrome (ODS), to allow evaluation of outcome or to compare the efficacy of treatment including surgery. The study aimed to validate a disease-specific index to quantify... more
There is no objective means to assess the obstructed defaecation syndrome (ODS), to allow evaluation of outcome or to compare the efficacy of treatment including surgery. The study aimed to validate a disease-specific index to quantify severity to allow assessment of the results of treatment in clinical trials, to permit comparison between them. Seventy-six patients with ODS and 30 healthy controls entered the study after proctologic and ano-rectal physiological investigation. Hirschsprung&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s disease and slow transit constipation were excluded. An eight-item questionnaire with four or five possible answers was administered by two independent researchers at two different times. The ODS score was the sum of all points with a maximum possible of 31 points. Agreement between the two operators was evaluated by the Kappa coefficient for each single item. The coefficient of repeatability (CR) was assessed by the Bland and Altman plot. The internal consistency was evaluated by the Crohnbach-alpha test. A cluster analysis was carried out on each clinical finding. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare median ODS score between patients and controls. The ODS score of the two operators was normally distributed and strongly correlated (r = 0.89). The correlation coefficient between the score assigned to each item by two operators ranged from 0.79 to 0.98. The degree of agreement between the operators was good and the two methods were reproducible (CR = 3.13). There was a significant difference between the mean ODS score for patients and controls (t = 20.70, P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). The Crohnbach alpha value for internal reliability was +0.513. Cluster analysis showed a different profile between cluster 1 (a nonhomogenous group including rectocoele, intussusception or perineal descent), and cluster 2 (pelvic dysynergia). The ODS score offers a validated severity of disease index in grading the severity of disease and monitoring the efficacy of therapy.
Research Interests: Nonparametric Statistics, Treatment Outcome, Risk assessment, Probability, Humans, and 19 moreConstipation, Female, Male, Cluster Analysis, Follow-up studies, Incidence, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Intestinal Obstruction, Adult, Colorectal Disease, Risk Assessment, Reference Values, Syndrome, Case Control Studies, Severity of Illness Index, and Sickness Impact Profile
Research Interests:
Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) experience progressive deterioration of functional capacity and quality of life (QoL). This prospective, randomized, controlled trial assesses the effect of exercise training (ET) protocol on... more
Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) experience progressive deterioration of functional capacity and quality of life (QoL). This prospective, randomized, controlled trial assesses the effect of exercise training (ET) protocol on functional capacity, rehospitalization, and QoL in CHF patients older than 70 years compared with a control group. A total of 343 elderly patients with stable CHF (age, 76.90±5.67, men, 195, 56.9%) were randomized to ET (TCG, n=170) or usual care (UCG, n=173). The ET protocol involved supervised training sessions for 3 months in the hospital followed by home-telemonitored sessions for 3 months. Assessments, performed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months, included: ECG, resting echocardiography, NT-proBNP, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, and comprehensive geriatric assessment with the InterRAI-HC instrument. As compared to UCG, ET patients at 6 months showed: i) significantly increased 6MWT distance (450±83 vs. ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The present study examines the leisure style and leisure satisfaction of a sample of older people at baseline and after a period of 5 years. Three groups were identified by factorial and cluster analyses and labelled under the headings... more
The present study examines the leisure style and leisure satisfaction of a sample of older people at baseline and after a period of 5 years. Three groups were identified by factorial and cluster analyses and labelled under the headings of: organised style, surrounding style and indoor style. Each group represented a different typology of leisure, according to the demand for physical and organizational commitment. Results indicated that the Organized Style group was the most active and satisfied with their leisure time, and differed from the other two by being predominantly male, younger, better educated and in good health. Follow-up analyses revealed a decline in the size of both the organised style and surrounding style groups, and an increase in the size of the less active group, suggesting that advancing very old age with deteriorating health influenced older peoples&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; choices toward an increment of indoor activities. This pattern may be softened through the implementation of mechanisms of selection and optimisation.
Research Interests: Psychology, Applied Mathematics, Aging, Life Style, Health, and 14 moreFactor analysis, Humans, Female, Recreational Activities, Male, Follow-up studies, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Retrospective Studies, Personal Satisfaction, and Leisure Activities
Il percorso di qualità in un reparto di degenza può essere variamente articolato ma, perché raggiunga il suo scopo ultimo, deve rinunciare ad ogni tentazione di applicare astrattamente regole di pur provata efficacia e mirare anche, se... more
Il percorso di qualità in un reparto di degenza può essere variamente articolato ma, perché raggiunga il suo scopo ultimo, deve rinunciare ad ogni tentazione di applicare astrattamente regole di pur provata efficacia e mirare anche, se non soprat- tutto, all&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;appagamento delle esigenze dei pazienti, ossia alla qualità percepita. Il nostro gruppo si è posto il problema e per un
A membrane fraction enriched with plasma membranes was isolated from rat ileal brush-border cells before and after five-day starvation of the animals. Cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of the standard cell membranes decreased highly... more
A membrane fraction enriched with plasma membranes was isolated from rat ileal brush-border cells before and after five-day starvation of the animals. Cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of the standard cell membranes decreased highly significantly (0.42 to 0.18), as did the microviscosity of the membranes determined by polarization of fluorescence (0.187 to 0.142). Concomitantly, the specific activity of Na,K-ATPase in the basolateral membranes significantly increased (59 to 83 mumol ATP hydrolyzed per mg protein per min).
Research Interests:
Arterial hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor in the elderly. Its clinical control emphasises the problem of the systems used for monitoring: clinical measurement by the physician, home self-monitoring, ambulatory... more
Arterial hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor in the elderly. Its clinical control emphasises the problem of the systems used for monitoring: clinical measurement by the physician, home self-monitoring, ambulatory monitoring, etc. In particular, in the elderly population, the self-monitoring of blood pressure can present further problems associated with their situation. In our study we evaluated, in an elderly population, the differences in the self-recording of blood pressure with automatic and semi-automatic equipment using a mercury sphygmomanometer by a physician as a &amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;gold standard&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; control. We studied 28 elderly subjects using a rigid protocol for the self-measurement of their blood pressure. Our results show that automatic equipment is significantly more precise and easier to use than semiautomatic equipment in home self-measurement of blood pressure in elderly people.
Research Interests:
Ultrasound measurements of bone include Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed Of Sound (SOS) through a skeletal segment. These techniques do not expose patients to ionizing radiations. Aim of the present study was to evaluate... more
Ultrasound measurements of bone include Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed Of Sound (SOS) through a skeletal segment. These techniques do not expose patients to ionizing radiations. Aim of the present study was to evaluate reproducibility, specificity, sensibility and accuracy of these measurements as compared with those obtained by absorptiometric devices at the distal radius and lumbar spine (L2-L4). Mean c.v. for repeated measurements on the same subjects was 2.7% for BUA and 0.9 for SOS. Both BUA and SOS were able to separate young normal from healthy post-menopausal subjects and patients with recent vertebral osteoporotic fractures as well as absorptiometric techniques. All compared methods of bone measurements showed non statistically significant differences for what concerns sensibility, specificity and accuracy. We conclude by affirming that both BUA and SOS measurements at the os calcis with the contact ultrasound analyzer CUBA may represent safe and available methods for routinary assessment of skeletal health. The contact device allows more rapid measurements than other US devices the use of whom is conditioned by the immersion of the foot in a water bath; furthermore the CUBA system detects BUA and SOS in the mid os calcis: at this level bone density resulted more homogeneous than in other regions of the same bone.