Ozlem Karaarslan Cengiz

Sarcopenia prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia in older people living in a nursing home in Ankara Turkey

Sarcopenia is prevalent in older people, and is related to survival and disability. There are no data on sarcopenia evaluated according to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria for nursing home residents in Turkey. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia according to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria and associated factors with sarcopenia among nursing home residents in Turkey.

Sarcopenia and mortality in older people living in a nursing home in Turkey

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between mortality and sarcopenia defined by the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in older nursing home residents in Turkey.

Evaluation of Cardiac Autonomic Functions in Older Parkinson’s Disease Patients: a Cross-Sectional Study

In Parkinsons disease (PD), non-motor symptoms may occur such as autonomic dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate both parasympathetic and sympathetic cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in older PD cases. 84 PD cases and 58 controls, for a total of 142, participated in the study. Parasympathetic tests were performed using electrocardiography. Sympathetic tests were assessed by blood pressure measurement and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement. The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in PD patients was 40.5% in PD patients and 24.1% in the control group (p> 0.05). The prevalence of postprandial hypotension was 47.9% in the PD group and 27.5% in the controls (p <0.05). The prevalence of impairment in heart rate response to deep breathing was 26.2% in the PD group and 6.9% in the control group (p <0.05). The prevalence of postprandial hypotension in PD with orthostatic hypotension was 94% and 16% in PD patients without orthostatic hypotension (p <0.05). The prevalence of impairment in heart rate response to deep breathing was 52.9% in PD patients with orthostatic hypotension and 8% in PD cases without orthostatic hypotension (p<0.05). The prevalence of impairment in heart rate response to postural change was 41% in PD cases with orthostatic hypotension and 12% in PD cases without orthostatic hypotension (p <0.05).Although there are tests for assessing cardiovascular autonomic function that are more reliable, they are more complicated, and evaluation of orthostatic hypotension by blood pressure measurement and cardiac autonomic tests by electrocardiography are recommended since these tests are cheap and easy.

A Rare Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in an Elderly Man

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Plasma Viscosity: Is a Biomarker for the Differential Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia?

In this study, the importance of plasma viscosity (PV) as a biomarker in differential diagnosis of dementia subtypes especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) was investigated. Our study recruited 45 patients with AD, 35 patients with VaD, and control participants. Individuals with inflammatory disease, infection, heart, liver, renal failure, and with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were excluded from the study. The cases underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. The PV measurements were performed with Brookfield DV-II viscometer. The PV measurements of AD, VaD, and control groups were 1.61 ± 0.08, 1.70 ± 0.06, and 1.48 ± 0.06 mPa S, respectively. The PV levels of the dementia group were significantly higher than the control group (P < .001). When the dementia group was analyzed by itself, patients with VaD had higher PV levels than the patients with AD (P < .001). The PV is a biomarker to be used in diagnosis as well as in differentiating between the 2 most common forms of dementia which are AD and VaD.