Demographic, biochemical, clinical, and cognitive symptom differences between smokers and non-smokers in Chinese older male patients with chronic schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested that smoking may impair cognitive function and worsen psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia, but the results have not been consistent. There have been few studies to date that have examined the effects of smoking in older men with chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: The participants in our study consisted of 167 order Chinese males with chronic schizophrenia and 359 normal control subjects. We split them into smoking and non-smoking groups based on whether or not they smoked. Second, we compared their differences in terms of general demographic characteristics (such as age, education, body mass index, age of illness onset, and course of disease), disease information (such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia), lifestyle factors (such as physical exercise and lunch break), blood biochemical indicators (such as albumin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and fasting blood glucose), and medication usage (such as clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and chlorpromazine). Lastly, a neuropsychological test battery was used to assess their psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, for example, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess their overall cognitive functioning. Their depressive symptoms were assessed by the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Activities of daily living (ADL) were used to assess their ability to lead a daily life, while the positive and negative syndrome scales (PANSS) were used to assess their psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: Smokers who develop schizophrenia at older ages had a higher body mass index than non-smokers. We also found that plasma albumin, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting blood glucose concentrations were significantly higher in smokers. In contrast, smokers with schizophrenia also had lower PANSS total scores, negative symptom scores, and general psychopathology scores. A forward stepwise binary logistics regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between negative symptom scores and smoking status (B = 0.112, p < 0.001, OR = 1.119, 95% confidence interval: 1.059-1.181). Correlation analysis was carried out and it was found that the amount of cigarette consumption per day had a negative correlation with plasma albumin level(r = - 0.290, p = 0.004). However, no such association was found in normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly Chinese men with schizophrenia have a higher percentage of smokers, and although smoking can reduce their plasma albumin levels, it does contribute to the prevention of negative symptoms.

[Correlation between frailty and erectile dysfunction in elderly males].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of frailty with ED in Chinese elderly men. METHODS: This community-based study was conducted with a sample of 258 Chinese men aged 60 to 83 years old in Fuyang City, Anhui Province. All the participants completed a standard questionnaire on demographics, lifestyle, underlying diseases and medical and sexual histories. They also scored on the Chinese version of Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). RESULTS: The incidence rates of ED and frailty in the elderly men were 85.27% and 75.58%, respectively. The ED patients, compared with the non-ED males, had a significantly older age (ï¼»71.25 ± 5.83ï¼½ vs ï¼»66.92 ± 5.44ï¼½ yr, P < 0.01) and higher body mass index (ï¼»24.37 ± 3.31ï¼½ vs ï¼»23.35 ± 2.97ï¼½ kg/m 2, P < 0.05), incidence of diabetes mellitus (38.0% vs 19.2%, P < 0.05) and TFI scores (8.61 ± 4.29 vs 5.95 ± 4.36, P < 0.05), but lower education and frequency of irregular intercourse (less than once a week) (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that diabetes (OR：3.292，95% CI：1.236－8.768), irregular intercourse (OR：2.425，95% CI：1.114－5.279), and scores of frailty (OR：4.502，95% CI：1.905－10.640) were regarded as independent risk factors for ED (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a strong correlation between ED and frailty in elderly men. Sexual health care for elderly ED patients should be more focused on the multidimensional assessment and treatment of senile frailty.

Dietary patterns, skeletal muscle mass loss, and cardiovascular risk among elderly men: A preliminary cross-sectional study in Sichuan province.

The present study investigated the correlation between dietary patterns (DPs) with skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and cardiovascular risks in Sichuan males aged ≥65-years-old. Three major DPs were extracted by principal component analysis: animal-based and processed food, traditional food, and ovo-lacto vegetarian food, which accounted for 14.83%, 14.36%, and 11.86% of the variance, respectively. Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that animal-based and processed food DP was positively associated with overweight/obesity(OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.94-5.46) and dyslipidemia(OR: 3.53, 95% CI: 2.00-6.22). Traditional DP was negatively associated with overweight/obesity(OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.36-0.72), dyslipidemia(OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.35-0.75), and high blood pressure(OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.38-0.77), but positively associated with decreased SMM (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.36-3.16). Ovo-lacto vegetarian DP was negatively associated with dyslipidemia (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.39-0.81) and hyperuricemia (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.39-0.79), but positively associated with decreased SMM (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.74-2.32). How to choose the best DP to control the cardiovascular risks and fight skeletal muscle loss needs further investigation in the future.

Potential Targets for Overactive Bladder in Older Men Based on Urinary Analysis of Metabolomics.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary metabolites in men. METHODS: This prospective observational study included 42 men aged 65-80 years. The 3-day frequency volume chart (FVC), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality of life score were adapted to assess the micturition behavior. Participants with IPSS urgency score ≥2 were included in the OAB group, and those with IPSS urgency score <2 were included in the control group. We performed a comprehensive metabolomic analysis using urine samples. Metabolites were compared between the groups using an unpaired t test and Fisher's exact test in a nonadjusted analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between OAB and the metabolites. RESULTS: Overall, 23 men were included in the OAB group and 19 in the control group. There were no differences in the background factors except age between the groups. FVC analysis demonstrated that nocturnal urine volume, 24-h micturition frequency, and nocturnal micturition frequency were significantly higher, and the maximum voided volume was significantly lower in the OAB group than in the controls. Metabolomic analysis revealed 14 metabolites that were differentially expressed between the groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that an increase in the levels of 5-iso prostaglandin F2α-VI (5-iPF2a-VI) and 5-methoxyindoleacetic acid was associated with OAB. CONCLUSION: Abnormal urinary metabolites, including metabolites in the tryptophan (5-methoxyindoleacetic acid, 3-indoleacetonitrile, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid) and arachidonic acid (5-iPF2a-VI) pathways, play a role in the pathogenesis of OAB in older men.

Beijing Friendship Hospital Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Elderly Male (BFH-OSTM) vs Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) for identifying painful new osteoporotic vertebral fractures in older Chinese men: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To compare the validation of four tools for identifying painful new osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (PNOVCFs) in older Chinese men: bone mineral density (BMD), Asian osteoporosis self-assessment tool (OSTA), World Health Organization fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) (without BMD) and Beijing Friendship Hospital Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (BFH-OSTM). METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted from 2013 to 2019. A total of 846 men aged ≥50 were included and were divided into two groups: Fracture Group (patients with PNOVCFs underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty surgery) and Non-Fracture Group (community dwelled subjects for healthy examination). All subjects accepted a dual-energy X-ray BMD test and a structured questionnaire. The results of BMD, OSTA, FRAX and BFH-OSTM scores were assessed and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to compare the validity of four tools for identifying PNOVCFs. Optimal cutoff points, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were determined. RESULTS: There were significant differences including BMD T score (femoral neck, total hip and L1-L4), OSTA, FRAX and BFH-OSTM scores between Fracture group and Non-fracture group. Compared to BMD and OSTA, BFH-OSTM and FRAX had better predictive value, the sensitivity, specificity and AUC value are 0.841, 81.29%, 70.67% and 0.796, 74.85%, 78.52%, respectively. Compared with FRAX, the BFH-OSTM has a better AUC value. CONCLUSIONS: Both BFH-OSTM and FRAX can be used to identify POVCFs, However, BFH-OSTM model may be a more simple and effective tool to identify the risk of POVCFs in Chinese elderly men.

An Elderly Male with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Presenting Pleuritis as the Initial Manifestation.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that usually affects the exocrine glands in mid-dle-aged women. Fifteen percent of SS patients experience severe systemic extraglandular complications, and pleuritis is one of the rare complications of SS. We report the case of an elderly Japanese man who initially pre-sented with a prolonged fever and chest pain and was finally diagnosed with primary SS-associated pleuritis. Of the nine reported cases of primary SS that initially presented with pleuritis, up to six cases were elderly males. This case highlights the complication of pleuritis among elderly males with primary SS.

[Yishen Huoxue Decoction for infertility in elderly men with kidney deficiency and blood stasis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Yishen Huoxue Decoction on infertility in elderly men with kidney deficiency and blood stasis. METHODS: We randomly assigned 60 infertility male patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis to two groups of an equal number to receive Yishen Huoxue Decoction, 1 dose a day, twice daily in the morning and evening (the observation group, aged ï¼»42.10 ± 3.82ï¼½ yr) or Shengjing Tablets (4 tablets once, tid) combined with L-carnitine oral solution at 10 ml, bid (the control group, aged ï¼»42.79 ± 3.56ï¼½ yr), both for 3 months. Before and after treatment, we obtained the semen parameters, levels of reproductive hormones and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical symptoms scores from the patients and compared them between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 57 patients completed this clinical study, 29 in the observation group, with pregnancy achieved in 2 cases (6.90%), and 28 in the control group, with pregnancy achieved in 1 (3.57%). The patients in the observation group, compared with the controls, showed significantly higher total effectiveness (82.76% vs 71.43%, P < 0.05) and overall therapeutic efficacy on TCM syndromes (93.10% vs 85.71%, P < 0.05), as well as higher semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS), and TCM clinical symptoms scores (all P < 0.05), but no statistically significant difference in the levels of reproductive hormones (E2, LH, PRL, T and FSH) (P > 0.05). Remarkable increases were observed in both the observation and control groups after medication in sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, PMS, MNS, and TCM clinical symptom scores (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yishen Huoxue Decoction can significantly improve the semen quality and TCM clinical symptoms of elderly infertility males with kidney deficiency and blood stasis.

Correlation of obesity & comorbid conditions with chronic venous insufficiency: Results of a single-centre study.

Background & objectives: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common clinical problem among obese patients. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of body mass index (BMI) and associated morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and hypothyroidism on venous disease clinical scores as per Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, Pathological (CEAP) classification. Methods: In this study, adult patients with BMI more than 30 kg/m2 with signs of CVI were evaluated clinically and by using Duplex ultrasonography of venous system. The patients with C0, C1, C2, C3 and C4, C5, C6 clinical scores in CEAP classification were grouped as lower and higher clinical scores of CVI, respectively. Results: Of the 200 enrolled patients, 147 (73.5%) were males and were associated with higher grades of clinical scores (P=0.051). Superficial venous system was involved in 96 per cent patients and 91 per cent patients had reflux in the sapheno-femoral junction. A negative association was observed between hypertension and male gender (P=0.001). Higher BMI was associated with higher clinical scoring (P=0.053). BMI >40 kg/m2 was associated with primary aetiology (P=0.007) of CVI. There was no correlation between superficial, deep or perforator incompetence with BMI (P=0.506). Duplex-confirmed significant reflux was observed in patients with higher BMI (P=0.006). Age and BMI were positively correlated with clinical score (r=0.176; P=0.013 & r=0.140; P=0.049), respectively. Interpretation & conclusions: Our findings indicated that elderly male patients with high BMI seemed to be at a higher risk of advanced clinical grades of CVI. The impact of comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and hypothyroidism on CVI could not reach at significance in the present study.

Associations between fruit and vegetable, and antioxidant nutrient intake and age-related macular degeneration by smoking status in elderly Korean men.

BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major causes of irreversible blindness. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is any relationship between dietary intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) and antioxidant nutrients including carotenoids and AMD according to smoking status in elderly men. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using nationally representative samples of elderly aged ≥ 65 years (n = 1414) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2010-2012). RESULTS: The current smokers consumed less food in total, and, in particular, less cereals/potatoes/sugar products, fruits and vegetables than the nonsmokers and former smokers (p < 0.05). Intake of energy, thiamin, vitamin C, vitamin A, and ß-carotene were significantly lower in the current smokers than in the nonsmokers and the former smokers. For current smokers, the ORs of the highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile were 0.36 (95% CI: 0.14-0.96, p for trend = 0.0576) for F&V, 0.32 (95% CI: 0.12-0.85, p for trend = 0.0561) for vitamin C, 0.23 (95% CI: 0.08-0.67, p for trend = 0.0038) for α-carotene, 0.13 (95% CI: 0.04-0.46, p for trend = 0.0003) for ß-carotene after adjusting for confounding factors. In contrast, there was no association between antioxidant nutrient intake and AMD among the nonsmokers and former smokers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables containing antioxidant components such as vitamin C, α-carotene, and ß-carotene may have a protective effect on AMD. These effects may be more evident among current smokers.

[Assessment of the physical status of elderly patients with prostate cancer].

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the primary malignancy threatening men's health in the United States and its incidence is increasing in China year by year. Many PCa cases are found in the advanced stage or in the old age, treated with unstandardized options, with negligence of comprehensive assessment of the patient's physical status, which may frequently add to the physical, psychological and economic burdens of the patient and even result in death. On the other hand, some excessively conservative therapeutic options may cause the loss of the best time of management or lead to deterioration of the disease. Therefore, sufficient importance should be attached to the comprehensive assessment of the physical status of the elderly PCa patient before treatment and the choice of the best therapeutic protocol.

The efficacy of mirabegron additional therapy for lower urinary tract symptoms after treatment with α1-adrenergic receptor blocker monotherapy: prospective analysis of elderly men.

BACKGROUND: Mirabegron is a ß3-adrenoreceptor agonist developed for treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). α1-Adrenergic receptor blockers are effective for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in male patients. However, the efficacy of mirabegron additional treatment in elderly male patients with persistent male LUTS, especially in OAB after monotherapy with α1-adrenergic blockers, is not fully understood. METHODS: This study was conducted in male LUTS patients who were ≥ 65 years of age and had persistent OAB symptoms, regardless of whether they took an α1-adrenergic receptor blocker orally. Before and 12 weeks after mirabegron additional therapy (50 mg once daily), we evaluated the efficacy of this treatment using the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and changes in the maximum flow rate (Qmax) and post-void residual urine volume (PVR). We evaluated patients overall and divided into two groups by age: young-old (from 65 to 74 years old) and old-old (from 75 to 84 years old). RESULTS: Fifty men were enrolled in this study. Mirabegron additional therapy improved the total OABSS, total IPSS, and IPSS-quality of life (QOL) score. The voided volume (VV) and Qmax improved after treatment in patients overall. However, there was no significant change in PVR. The total OABSS, total IPSS, and IPSS-QOL score significantly improved in both of the young-old and old-old groups. However, a significant increasing of VV was detected in the young-old group. There were no significant differences in the Qmax or PVR in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Mirabegron additional therapy was effective for male patients whose persistent LUTS and particularly OAB was not controlled with α1-adrenergic receptor blocker monotherapy, and mirabegron did not have negative effects on voiding function. Additionally, mirabegron additional therapy was considered effective regardless of patient age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number (TRN) trial registration number (TRN) and date of registration: ISRCTN16759097 in July 8, 2016.

An Intriguing Case of Gynecomastia in an Elderly Male as the Initial Presentation of Graves' Disease: A Case Report.

Gynecomastia is the proliferation of fibroglandular tissue in the male breast due to an altered hormonal milieu between the inhibitory effect of androgens and the stimulatory effect of estrogens on the breast tissue causing feminization of the male breast. Physiological causes are more common along with a few pathological conditions leading to gynecomastia in the male population. Of these varied etiologies, thyrotoxicosis is one of the notable causes, though it is very rare in the elderly population. Gynecomastia as the initial presentation of Graves' disease that too in an elderly age group is very rare with very few cases reported in the literature. Here, we present a case of a 62-year-old male presenting with gynecomastia, who after a detailed evaluation, was diagnosed to have Graves' disease.

Two Elderly Men with Myasthenia Gravis during Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) development is female-dominant in younger patients and male-dominant in older patients. The reason for the sex-ratio inversion in elderly MG patients remains unclear. One possible explanation is the decrease in androgen secretion that occurs with aging, as androgen has an immunosuppressive function. We experienced two elderly men who developed MG after initiating androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for treatment of prostate cancer and whose symptoms were ameliorated after ADT cessation. Our cases indicate that MG in older male patients can be caused by an androgen effect.

Palliative TURP Combined with Intermittent ADT Is A Curative Therapy to Some Elderly Men with Localized Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Radical prostatectomy is the preferred therapeutic option for patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma whose life expectancy is greater than 10 years. But for elderly patients, this may not be the best option. In clinical work, we have observed that palliative transurethral resection of prostate (pTURP) combined with intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has achieved significant good results in the treatment of elderly patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma. Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 elderly patients aged 71 to 88 years who were hospitalized for urinary retention from March 2009 to March 2015. These patients were diagnosed as localized prostate adenocarcinoma with stage T1 to T2 and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) through MRI and prostate biopsy. Fifteen cases (group A) were given pTURP and intermittent ADT after surgery. Fifteen cases (group B) were given sustained ADT. Serum total prostate specific antigen (TPSA), testosterone, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), prostate acid phosphatase (PAP), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QOL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), average urinary flow rate (Qave), prostate volume and post-void residual urine (PVR) data were followed up for 5 years, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Results: The 5-year cumulative survival rate of group A was 100%. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival was 60.00%. The average duration of intermittent ADT was 23.93 months. Prostate volume reduction was significantly. The dysuria in all patients was significantly improved. Nine patients had TPSA lower than 4 ng/ml and had no local progression and metastasis. At the same time the 5-year cumulative survival rate of group B was 80%. PSA progression-free survival was 26.67%. Six cases of dysuria improved. There was no significant difference in serum TPSA, ALP and PAP between the two groups in five years (P>0.05). Serum testosterone, IPSS score, QOL score, prostate volume, Qmax, Qave, and PVR were significantly different between the two groups in five years (P<0.05). Conclusion: pTURP for elderly patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma and BPH combined with intermittent ADT is an effective treatment. It is able to solve dysuria. The overall ADT time is short. The risk of progression to castrated resistant prostate cancer is low. Some of them have achieved tumor-free survival.

The role of TyG index in predicting the incidence of diabetes in Chinese elderly men: a 20-year retrospective study.

Background: The triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) has been regarded as a reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance and an independent predictor of diabetes. However, few studies have reported the association between the TyG index and diabetes in the elderly population. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the association between the TyG index and diabetes progression in elderly Chinese. Methods: Baseline medical history, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glucose levels during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after 1-hour (1h-PG) and 2-hour (2h-PG), and triglyceride (TG) were obtained from a cohort of 862 elderly (aged ≥ 60 years) Chinese in the Beijing urban area between 1998 and 1999. A follow-up visit was conducted between 1998 and 2019 to assess incident diabetes. TyG index was calculated by the following formula ln[TG (mg/dL) × FPG (mg(dL)/2]. The predictive values of TyG index, lipids, and glucose levels during OGTT were assessed alone and also in a clinical prediction model comprising traditional risk factors using concordance index (C-index). Areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC) and 95% CIs were calculated. Results: After 20 years of follow-up, there were 544 cases of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (63.1% of incidence). The multivariable HRs (95% CI) for TyG index, FPG, 1h-PG and 2h-PG, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), and TG were 1.525 (1.290-1.804), 1.350 (1.181-1.544), 1.337 (1.282-1.395), 1.401 (1.327-1.480), 0.505 (0.375-0.681), and 1.120 (1.053-1.192), respectively. The corresponding C-index were 0.623, 0.617, 0.704, 0.694, 0.631, and 0.610, respectively. The AUC (95% CI) for the TyG index, FPG, 1h-PG, 2h-PG, HDL-c, and TG were 0.608 (0.569-0.647), 0.587 (0.548-0.625), 0.766 (0.734-0.797), 0.713 (0.679-0.747), 0.397 (0.358-0.435), and 0.588 (0.549-0.628). The AUC of the TyG index was higher than that of TG but did not differ with FPG and HDL-c. In addition, the AUCs of 1h-PG and 2h-PG were higher than that of the TyG index. Conclusions: Elevated TyG index is independently correlated with an increased risk of incident diabetes in the elderly male population, but it is not superior to OGTT 1h-PG and 2h-PG in predicting the risk of diabetes.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma in an Elderly Male With Extensive Local Disease.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. It is often found in the sun-exposed skin areas of elderly individuals of Caucasian descent. MCC has a tendency for local recurrence and the potential to invade nearby lymph nodes and spread to distant sites in the body. Here, we present the case of an 83-year-old male with a history of multiple comorbidities, including congestive heart failure, obesity, hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and sarcoidosis, who presented with a slow-growing, fungating lesion on his left lower leg. Histopathological examination revealed MCC with extensive necrosis and involved resection margins. Additional skin lesions on the left knee were confirmed to be MCC. Follow-up CT scans showed lymphadenopathy and a femoral lesion. The patient was deemed a poor candidate for resection and placed on immunotherapy treatment. The low incidence rate and indistinct clinical manifestations of MCC make a conclusive diagnosis dependent on examining histological features and immunohistochemical markers through a lesioned biopsy or resection. Due to the aggressive nature of MCC and the tendency for asymptomatic and painless lesions to escape notice, it is important to raise awareness about this condition. This will lead to earlier detection and intervention, potentially enhancing patient survival rates.

Validation of Three Tools for Estimating the Risk of Primary Osteoporosis in an Elderly Male Population in Beijing.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study estimated three clinical tools including the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA), Body Mass Index (BMI), and Beijing Friendship Hospital Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for Elderly Male (BFH-OSTM) for identifying primary osteoporosis and found optimal cut-off values in an elderly Han Beijing male population. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study, enrolling 400 community-dwelling elderly Han Beijing males aged ≥50 from 8 medical institutions. Osteoporosis was diagnosed as a T-score of -2.5 standard deviations or lower than that of the average young adult in different diagnostic criteria [lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, total hip, WHO]. BFH-OSTM, OSTA, and BMI were assessed for predicting OP by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were determined. Ideal thresholds for the omission of screening BMD were proposed. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis ranged from 9.25% to 19.0% according to different diagnostic criteria. The present study indicated the highest discriminating ability was BFH-OSTM in different criteria. The AUCs of OSTA and BMI were 0.748 and 0.770 in WHO criteria, which suggested limiting predictive value for identifying OP in elderly Beijing males. The AUC of BFH-OSTM to predict OP based on WHO criteria was 0.827, yielding a sensitivity of 65.8% and specificity of 82.7%, respectively. With a cost of missing 6.5% of osteoporosis patients, BFH-OSTM could reduce 73.5% of participants in screening BMD tests. Conclusion: BFH-OSTM may be a simple and effective tool for identifying OP in the elderly male population in Beijing to omit BMD screening reasonably.

Impaired Degradation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps: A Possible Severity Factor of Elderly Male COVID-19 Patients.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been described as a potential trigger of severe COVID-19. NETs are known as extracellular DNA fibers released by neutrophils in response to infection. If the host is unable to balance efficient clearance of NETs by dornases (DNases), detrimental consequences occur. Elevated levels of NETs in COVID-19 patients are associated with higher risk of morbid thrombotic complications. Here, we studied the level of NET markers and DNase activity in a cohort of COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Our data confirmed an increased level of NET markers in the plasma of COVID-19 patients, with a higher level in male compared to female patients. At the same time, there was an increased DNase activity detectable in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Importantly, there was a negative correlation of DNase activity with the age of male patients. The antimicrobial peptide LL-37, which is known to stabilize NETs against DNase degradation, is embedded in NETs upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2-infection. The LL-37 plasma level correlates with the NET-marker level in male COVID-19 patients, indicating a potential role of LL-37 in the risk of NET-associated thrombosis in male COVID-19 patients by stabilizing NETs against DNase degradation. In conclusion, our data identify two potential risk factors of elderly male patients which may lead to inefficient NET degradation and a subsequently higher risk of NET-associated thrombosis during COVID-19: reduced DNase activity and an increased LL-37 level.

Salivary Testosterone and Cortisol Levels in Tunisian Elderly Male Patients With Mild Alzheimer's Disease. Implications of Musical Therapy And/Or Physical Rehabilitation.

Changes in salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels were assessed in elderly Tunisian male patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjected to music therapy and/or physical rehabilitation. Male patients with mild AD (N = 26; age = 76.23 ± 4.27 years; weight: 74.76 ± 5.36 kg) were randomly assigned into four groups for three 60-min sessions per week for 4 months; including Group1 or control group (Co) (n = 6); Group2 (n = 6), participated in physical rehabilitation (PR); Group3 (n = 7), subjected to music therapy (MT) and Group4 (n = 7), participated simultaneously in music therapy and physical rehabilitation (MT + PR). Salivary T levels increased (ηp2 = 0.7) and C levels decreased (ηp2 = 0.69), significantly (p < 0.001) in the PR, MT and MT + PR groups compared to the Co group respectively. Also, increases in salivary T levels and decreases in C levels in MT + PR group were greater compared to the other groups. MT increased T levels (p < 0.001) and decreased C levels (p < 0.05) to a greater extent than the PR group respectively. Changes in salivary T levels were positively (r = 0.83; p < 0.001) and C levels were negatively (r = -0.86; p < 0.001) correlated in the PR, MT and MT + PR groups with changes in MMSE in AD patients. This study highlights that combination of MT and PR holds potential to treat AD.

Giant desmoplastic small round cell tumor of the abdomen: A case report.

Background: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare, aggressive, mesenchymal malignancy of a separate clinicopathological entity. It has a predilection for young men, with no evidence of any ethnic predilection. The current diagnostic gold standard for DSRCT includes histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and cytogenetic studies in order to confirm the variable phenotypic expression and characteristic chromosomal translocation. Case summary: A 65-year-old man presented with a sensation of an abdominal mass and a presentation of an incomplete bowel obstruction. Initial lab tests were in the normal range except for carbohydrate antigen. Contrast-enhanced CT showed that a large, mass-confounding density was occupied in the omentum majus area of the middle and lower abdominal wall. A 3D reconstruction of the images was performed to clarify the relationship between the tumor and the colon and was confirmed by a colonoscopy. After surgery, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed EWSR1-WT1 gene rearrangement at 22q12, confirming the diagnosis of desmoplastic small round cell tumor. Conclusion: Being different from the predilection of DSRCT for young men, the patient in our case is a 65-year-old man with a huge mass involving the transverse colon and the bladder.