Statin use and the risk of Parkinson's disease in persons with diabetes: A nested case-control study.

AIMS: Persons with diabetes may have an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). Statin use could also modify the progression of PD. The aim was to study whether there is an association between statin exposure and risk of PD in persons with diabetes. METHODS: A nationwide, nested case-control study restricted to people with diabetes was performed as part of nationwide register-based Finnish study on PD (FINPARK). Study included 2017 PD cases and their 7934 matched controls without PD. Persons with PD were diagnosed between 1999 and 2015, and statin use (1995-2015) was determined from Prescription Register. In the main analysis, exposure at least 3 years before outcome was considered. Cumulative exposure was categorized into tertiles, and associations were analysed with conditional logistic regression (adjusted with comorbidities and number of antidiabetic drugs). RESULTS: Prevalence of statin use was similar in PD cases and controls, with 54.2% of cases and 54.4% controls exposed before the lag time (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92-1.15). Those in the highest cumulative statin exposure tertile had higher risk of PD than statin nonusers (aOR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.04-1.43), or those in the lowest cumulative statin exposure tertile (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.07-1.57). CONCLUSION: Our nationwide study that controlled for diabetes duration and used 3-year lag between exposure and outcome to account for reverse causality does not provide support for the hypothesis that statin use decreases the risk of PD.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Drugs and Oral Anticoagulant Use among Persons with and without Parkinson's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are common among persons with Parkinson's disease (PD), but it is unknown how the prevalence of cardiovascular drug and oral anticoagulant use changes in relation to PD diagnosis. METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of cardiovascular drug and oral anticoagulant use among persons with and without PD among 17,541 persons who received incident PD diagnosis in 2001-2015 in Finland and their 116,829 matched comparison persons. Prevalence was calculated in 6-month time windows from 5 years before to 5 years after PD diagnosis (index date) and compared to a matched cohort without PD using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Persons with PD had higher prevalence of any cardiovascular drugs (unadjusted OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.11-1.18) and oral anticoagulants (unadjusted OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.11-1.22) before index date than those without PD. After index date, persons with PD had lower prevalence of cardiovascular drugs (0.94; 95% CI: 0.91-0.96), and no difference was observed for oral anticoagulants. Prevalence of any cardiovascular drugs on the index date was 66 and 61% for persons with and without PD, respectively. ß-blockers were the most common cardiovascular drugs in both cohorts. Warfarin was the most common oral anticoagulant, but the use of direct oral anticoagulants increased during the last years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Orthostatic hypotension and weight loss likely explain the decreased cardiovascular drug use after PD diagnosis. Results with oral anticoagulants may reflect clinical assessment of benefits being larger than risks, despite the risks associated with their use in persons with PD.

Use of oral health care services among older home care clients in the context of an intervention study.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of care-dependent older people living at home need external support to receive regular dental care. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the use of oral health care services among old home care clients who participated in an intervention study focusing on oral self-care and nutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employed data from the multidisciplinary Nutrition, Oral Health and Medication (NutOrMed) intervention study with a population-based sample of 245 home care clients (74% female) aged 75 or more divided in intervention (n = 140) and two control groups (n = 105). The data were collected through interviews at baseline and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, 43% of participants reported visits to oral health care within the previous year. At 6-month follow-up, this proportion was 51%. In the intervention group, the corresponding figures were 46% and 53%, and in the controls 39% and 48%. Adjusted regression analyses showed that this change was statistically significant (p = 0.008). In addition, higher education and toothache or other discomfort related to teeth or dentures at baseline were associated with increased use after the 6-month follow-up (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0-1.2; OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.5-7.9) but being edentulous indicated the opposite (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1-0.4). Belonging to the intervention group was not associated with increased use. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults, any efforts to raise awareness of oral health are of great potential to increase use of services.

Evaluation of Global trigger tool as a medication safety tool for adverse drug event detection-a cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital.

The objective of this study is to describe and analyze adverse drug events (ADE) identified using the Global trigger tool (GTT) in a Finnish tertiary hospital during a 5-year period and also to evaluate whether the medication module of the GTT is a useful tool for ADE detection and management or if modification of the medication module is needed. A cross-sectional study of retrospective record review in a 450-bed tertiary hospital in Finland. Ten randomly selected patients from electronic medical records were reviewed bimonthly from 2017 to 2021. The GTT team reviewed a total of 834 records with modified GTT method, which includes the evaluation of possible polypharmacy, National Early Warning Score (NEWS), highest nursing intensity raw score (NI), and pain triggers. The data set contained 366 records with triggers in medication module and 601 records with the polypharmacy trigger that were analyzed in this study. With the GTT, a total of 53 ADEs were detected in the 834 medical records, which corresponds to 13 ADEs/1000 patient-days and 6% of the patients. Altogether, 44% of the patients had at least one trigger found with the GTT medication module. As the number of medication module triggers increased per patient, it was more likely that the patient had also experienced an ADE. The number of triggers found with the GTT medication module in patients' records seems to correlate with the risk of ADEs. Modification of the GTT could provide even more reliable data for ADE prevention.

Automated multi-dose dispensing in persons with and without Alzheimer's disease-impacts on pharmacotherapy.

PURPOSE: We investigated the drug use before and after transition to automated multi-dose dispensing (MDD) service among persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and compared whether the changes were similar in persons without AD. METHODS: The register-based Finnish nationwide MEDALZ cohort includes 70,718 community-dwelling persons diagnosed with AD during 2005-2011. Each person who initiated MDD was matched in both groups with a comparison person without MDD by age, gender and for persons with AD, also time since AD diagnosis at the start of MDD. The study cohort included 15,604 persons with AD in MDD and 15,604 no-MDD, and 5224 persons without AD in MDD and 5224 no-MDD. Point prevalence of drug use was assessed every 3 months, from 1 year before to 2 years after the start of MDD and compared between persons in MDD to those who did not have MDD. RESULTS: MDD was started on average 2.9 (SD 2.1) years after AD diagnosis. At the start of MDD, the prevalence of drug use increased especially for antipsychotics, antidepressants, opioids, paracetamol and use of ≥ 10 drugs among persons with and without AD. Prevalence of benzodiazepine use (from 12% 12 months before to 17% at start of MDD), memantine (from 29 to 46%) and ≥ 3 psychotropics (from 3.2 to 6.0%) increased among persons with AD. Decreasing trend was observed for benzodiazepine-related drugs, urinary antispasmodics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. CONCLUSION: MDD seems to be initiated when use of psychotropics is initiated and the number of drugs increases.

Use of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists tamsulosin and alfuzosin and the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

PURPOSE: Tamsulosin has been associated with dementia, but the results have been inconsistent. Concerns have been raised about using exposure assessment time too close to the outcome. We investigated the association between use of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists indicated for benign prostate hyperplasia and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using different exposure windows. METHODS: The study (24 602 cases and 98 397 matched controls) included men from the Finnish nationwide nested case-control study on Medication and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ). Cases received clinically verified AD diagnosis during 2005-2011 and were community-dwelling at the time of diagnosis. Use of tamsulosin and alfuzosin in 1995-2011 was identified from the Prescription Register and categorized based on whether it had occurred within 3 years before AD diagnosis (lag time) or before that. Dose-response analysis using defined daily doses of drug (DDDs) was conducted. Associations were investigated with conditional logistic regression, adjusted for confounders and mediators. RESULTS: The use of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists before lag time associated with an increased risk of AD (OR 1.24 [1.20-1.27]). After adjustment for comorbidities and concomitant drug use throughout the assessment time (confounders) and healthcare contacts within the lag period (mediators), the association weakened (aOR 1.10 [1.06-1.14]). We found no evidence of dose-response-relationship when comparing the users of higher than median DDDs to the users of lower than median DDDs. CONCLUSION: Our findings, especially the lack of dose-response-relationship and attenuation after mediator adjustment, do not provide strong support for the previous hypothesis on α1-adrenoceptor antagonists as a risk factor for dementia.

Association between different diabetes medication classes and risk of Parkinson's disease in people with diabetes.

PURPOSE: Diabetes has been associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). Diabetes medications have been suggested as a possible explanation, but findings have been inconsistent. More information on the role of exposure in different time windows is needed because PD has long onset. We assessed the association between use of different diabetes medication categories and risk of PD in different exposure periods. METHODS: A case-control study restricted to people with diabetes was performed as part of nationwide register-based Finnish study on PD (FINPARK). We included 2017 cases (diagnosed 1999-2015) with PD and 7934 controls without PD. Diabetes medication use was identified from Prescription Register (1995-2015) and categorized to insulins, biguanides, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones (TZDs), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues and glinide. Exposure for each medication class was determined as none, at least 3 years before outcome and only within the three-year lag time before PD outcome. RESULTS: The use of insulins, biguanides, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 analogues or glinides was not associated with PD. Use of TZDs before lag time compared to non-use of TZDs (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.78; 95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.95) was associated with decreased risk of PD. CONCLUSIONS: Our nationwide case-control study of people with diabetes found no robust evidence on the association between specific diabetes medication classes and risk of PD. Consistent with earlier studies, TZD use was associated with slightly decreased risk of PD. The mechanism for this should be verified in further studies.

Effect of individually tailored nutritional counselling on protein and energy intake among older people receiving home care at risk of or having malnutrition: a non-randomised intervention study.

BACKGROUND: With ageing, food intake may decrease and lead to an insufficient nutrient intake causing protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) which is associated with adverse health effects and increased mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of individually tailored dietary counseling focused on protein intake among home care clients with PEM or at risk of developing PEM. The secondary aim was to study the intake of energy and other nutrients. METHODS: This intervention study is part of the non-randomised population-based multidisciplinary Nutrition, Oral Health and Medication study (NutOrMed study). The intervention group comprised 112 and the control group 87 home care clients (≥75 years) with PEM or risk of PEM. PEM was defined by Mini Nutritional Assessment score < 24 and/or plasma albumin < 35 g/L. The nutrients intake was assessed from 24-hour dietary recall at the baseline and after the six-month intervention. The intervention consisted of an individually tailored dietary counseling; the persons were instructed to increase their food intake with protein and energy dense food items, the number of meals and consumption of protein-, energy- and nutrient-rich snacks for six months. RESULTS: After the six-month nutritional intervention, the mean change in protein intake increased 0.04 g/kgBW (95% CI 0.05 to 0.2), fibre 0.8 g (95% CI 0.2 to 4.3), vitamin D 8.5 µg (95% CI 0.7 to 4.4), E 0.6 mg (95% CI 0.4 to 2.2), B12 0.7 µg (95% CI 0.02 to 2.6), folate 8.7 µg (95% CI 1.5 to 46.5), iron 0.4 mg 95% CI 0.6 to 2.4), and zinc 0.5 mg (95% CI 0.6 to 2.2) in the intervention group compared with the control group. The proportion of those receiving less than 1.0 g/kg/BW protein decreased from 67 to 51% in the intervention group and from 84 to 76% in the control group. Among home care clients with a cognitive decline (MMSE< 18), protein intake increased in the intervention group by 0.2 g/kg/BW (p = 0.048) but there was no change in the control group. CONCLUSION: An individual tailored nutritional intervention improves the intake of protein and other nutrients among vulnerable home care clients with PEM or its risk and in persons with cognitive decline. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT02214758. Date of trial registration: 12/08/2014.

Recent hospitalization and risk of antidepressant initiation in people with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) are more likely to be hospitalized and initiate antidepressant use compared to people without PD. It is not known if hospitalization increases the risk of antidepressant initiation. We studied whether a recent hospitalization associates with antidepressant initiation in people with PD. METHODS: A nested case-control study within the nationwide register-based FINPARK cohort which includes community-dwelling Finnish residents diagnosed with PD between years 1996 and 2015 (N = 22,189) was conducted. Initiation of antidepressant use after PD diagnosis was identified from Prescription Register with 1-year washout period (cases). One matched non-initiator control for each case was identified (N = 5492 age, sex, and time since PD diagnosis-matched case-control pairs). Hospitalizations within the 14 day-period preceding the antidepressant initiation were identified from the Care Register for Health Care. RESULTS: The mean age at antidepressant initiation was 73.5 years with median time since PD diagnosis 2.9 years. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (48.1%) and mirtazapine (35.7%) were the most commonly initiated antidepressants. Recent hospitalization was more common among antidepressant initiators than non-initiators (48.3 and 14.3%, respectively) and was associated with antidepressant initiation also after adjusting for comorbidities and use of medications during the washout (adjusted OR, 95% CI 5.85, 5.20-6.59). The initiators also had longer hospitalizations than non-initiators. PD was the most common main discharge diagnosis among both initiators (54.6%) and non-initiators (28.8%). Discharge diagnoses of mental and behavioral disorders and dementia were more common among initiators. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalisation is an opportunity to identify and assess depressive symptoms, sleep disorders and pain, which may partially explain the association. Alternatively, the indication for antidepressant initiation may have led to hospitalisation, or hospitalisation to aggravation of, e.g., neuropsychiatric symptoms leading to antidepressant initiation.

Prevalence of oral anticoagulant use among people with and without Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Although cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are common among people with Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is unknown how the prevalence of oral anticoagulant (OAC) use changes in relation to AD diagnosis. We investigated the prevalence of OAC use in relation to AD diagnosis in comparison to a matched cohort without AD. METHODS: Register-based Medication use and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) cohort includes 70 718 Finnish people with AD diagnosed between 2005-2011. Point prevalence of OAC use (prescription register) was calculated every three months with three-month evaluation periods, from five years before to five years after clinically verified diagnosis and compared to matched cohort without AD. Longitudinal association between AD and OAC use was evaluated by generalized estimating equations (GEE). RESULTS: OAC use was more common among people with AD until AD diagnosis, (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.13-1.22), and less common after AD diagnosis (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.85-0.89), compared to people without AD. At the time of AD diagnosis, prevalence was 23% and 20% among people with and without AD, respectively. OAC use among people with AD began to decline gradually two years after AD diagnosis while continuous increase was observed in the comparison cohort. Warfarin was the most common OAC, and atrial fibrillation was the most common comorbidity in OAC users. CONCLUSION: Decline in OAC use among people with AD after diagnosis may be attributed to high risk of falling and problems in monitoring. However, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) that are nowadays more commonly used require less monitoring and may also be safer for vulnerable people with AD.

Incidence of antidepressant use among community dwellers with and without Parkinson's disease - a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Antidepressant use is more common in people with Parkinson's disease (PD), but it is unknown when this difference emerges. METHODS: We studied the incidence of antidepressant use in six-month periods from 10 years before to 15 years after PD diagnosis in the nationwide register-based Finnish Study on Parkinson's disease (FINPARK). This study included 20,456 community dwellers with clinically verified PD diagnosed during 1996-2015 and 140,291 matched comparison persons. RESULTS: Altogether 44.3% of people with PD initiated antidepressants, compared to 25.0% of people without PD. The difference was largest 6 months before PD diagnosis (incidence rate ratio 5.28, 95% CI 4.80-5.80; 9.02 and 1.68 initiations/100 person-years in people with and without PD, respectively). The difference emerged already 7 years before the diagnosis and remained above the comparison group for most of the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Persons with PD may have symptoms that require antidepressant treatment years before and after diagnosis. The symptoms needing antidepressant treatment may be clinical signs of possible PD and they should be considered as a need to assess clinical status in person diagnosed with PD.

Kidney function and nephrotoxic drug use among older home-dwelling persons with or without diabetes in Finland.

BACKGROUND: Due to these changes in kidney function, aging kidneys are more prone to drug-induced impairments in renal properties. Diabetes has been associated with the declined kidney function and an elevated risk of renal failure. The aim of this study is to compare kidney function and potentially nephrotoxic drug use among home-dwelling older persons with or without diabetes. METHODS: A total of 259 persons with and 259 persons without diabetes and aged ≥65 years were randomly selected to participate in a health examination with complete data gathered from 363 individuals (187 with diabetes and 176 without diabetes). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using CKD-EPI equation. Each participant was categorized based on the nephrotoxic profile of their medications. RESULTS: There were no differences in mean eGFR values (77.5 ± 18.8 vs. 80.5 ± 14.8 ml/min/1.73m2, p = 0.089) or in the proportion of participants with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 among persons with diabetes (16% vs. 10%, p = 0.070), compared to persons without diabetes. Potentially nephrotoxic drug use was similar between the groups. The mean number of potentially nephrotoxic drugs was 1.06 ± 0.88 in those with and 0.97 ± 1.05 in those without diabetes (p = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: The kidney function of older persons with diabetes does not differ from that of older persons without diabetes and furthermore potentially nephrotoxic drug use seem to play only a minor role in the decline in kidney function among home-dwelling persons in the Inner-Savo district.

The association of frailty with oral cleaning habits and oral hygiene among elderly home care clients.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of frail elderly people living at home but dependent on supportive care will face complex oral health challenges. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the associations of frailty status with oral cleaning habits and oral hygiene taking into account the effects of preventive oral health intervention among home care clients aged 75 or over. METHODS: Data were gathered by interviews and clinical oral examinations at baseline and after a 6-month follow-up. Frailty status was evaluated at baseline using the abbreviated comprehensive geriatric assessment (aCGA) scale, which consists of 15 questions from three different domains: cognitive status, functional status and depression. A total of 231 home care clients completed the aCGA at baseline and the interview and clinical oral examination both at baseline and after the follow-up. RESULTS: Using the aCGA classification with at least one score in the ≥2 domain, 62% of clients were classified as frail at baseline. They had poorer oral cleaning habits and hygiene, and they had lost more teeth than nonfrail participants. Multivariate analysis showed that being frail at baseline was statistically significantly associated with a lower frequency of toothbrushing and denture cleaning (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.1-0.9 and OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.8) at baseline, but not after the follow-up. Membership in the intervention group was associated with better oral cleaning at the follow-up. However, among the frail participants, toothbrushing frequency was still significantly lower and oral hygiene poorer than among the nonfrail group. CONCLUSIONS: Oral cleaning habits of frail elderly people were slightly improved as a result of external support, which had a positive effect on oral hygiene. Individual preventive actions in the context of oral health and hygiene should be integrated into the daily care plan of home care clients with the first signs of frailty.

Anticholinergic drug use and its association with self-reported symptoms among older persons with and without diabetes.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Anticholinergic drug use has been associated with a risk of central and peripheral adverse effects. There is a lack of information on anticholinergic drug use in persons with diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate anticholinergic drug use and the association between anticholinergic drug use and self-reported symptoms in older community-dwelling persons with and without diabetes. METHODS: The basic population was comprised of Finnish community-dwelling primary care patients aged 65 and older. Persons with diabetes were identified according to the ICD-10 diagnostic codes from electronic patient records. Two controls adjusted by age and gender were selected for each person with diabetes. This cross-sectional study was based on electronic primary care patient records and a structured health questionnaire. The health questionnaire was returned by 430 (81.6%) persons with diabetes and 654 (73.5%) persons without diabetes. Data on prescribed drugs were obtained from the electronic patient records. Anticholinergic drug use was measured according to the Anticholinergic Risk Scale. The presence and strength of anticholinergic symptoms were asked in the health questionnaire. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The prevalence of anticholinergic drug use was 8.9% in the total study cohort. There were no significant differences in anticholinergic drug use between persons with and without diabetes. There was no consistent association between anticholinergic drug use and self-reported symptoms. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: There is no difference in anticholinergic drug use in older community-dwelling persons with and without diabetes. Anticholinergic drug use should be considered individually and monitored carefully.

Clinically relevant drug-drug interactions and the risk for drug adverse effects among home-dwelling older persons with and without type 2 diabetes.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Polypharmacy and age are known to increase the risk for potential drug interactions. Type 2 diabetes has been associated with polypharmacy and several comorbidities. Currently, there is no information on whether the frequency of clinically relevant drug-drug interactions and the risk for drug adverse effects differ between older persons with and without diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of drug-drug interactions and the risk for drug adverse effects in these two groups in primary care. METHODS: The basic study population consisted of Finnish home-dwelling primary care patients aged ≥ 65 years (N = 3039). For each person with diabetes, two controls were selected with adjusted age and gender. To collect data, electronic primary care patient records, a structured health questionnaire and a structured health examination conducted by a physician were utilized. Using the SFINX-PHARAO® database, drug-drug interactions and the risk for drug adverse effects were evaluated in 182 persons with type 2 diabetes and 176 persons without diabetes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: There were no significant differences in the frequency of drug-drug interactions or the risk for drug adverse effects in persons with and without diabetes. At least one clinically relevant interaction was found in 81 (44.5%) persons with diabetes and 73 (41.5%) persons without diabetes. The most common drugs causing interactions included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and warfarin. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: There is no difference in the frequency of drug-drug interactions or risk for drug adverse effects in older home-dwelling persons with and without diabetes. Due to common comorbidities and commonly used drugs among persons with diabetes, drug-drug interactions involving warfarin or NSAIDs in particular should be carefully monitored to avoid drug adverse effects.

The combined effect of individually tailored xerostomia and nutritional interventions on dry mouth among nutritionally compromised old home care clients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of tailored xerostomia and nutritional 6-month interventions on xerostomia among home care clients aged 75 years or over who were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. BACKGROUND: A subjective feeling of dry mouth (xerostomia) is common among older adults and affects their quality of life, nutrition and oral health. Medical conditions, polypharmacy, dehydration and malnutrition are often underlying causes of xerostomia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data are based on the NutOrMed study with a dietary intervention group of 119 patients and control group of 97 patients. In-home interviews were carried out by home care nurses, nutritionists, dental hygienists and pharmacists and tailored interventions by nutritionist and dental hygienists. Xerostomia intervention included individual counselling on dry mouth care and was applied to all those suffering occasionally or continuously from xerostomia (57%, n = 66) in the intervention group. Nutritional intervention was applied to all participants in the intervention group, and it included instructions on increasing the number of meals, energy, protein intake and liquid intake. RESULTS: Among participants who received both interventions, xerostomia decreased by 30% and malnutrition or risk of malnutrition decreased by 61%. The interventions were highly significant (OR 0.1, 95% CI: 0.06; 0.2) in reducing xerostomia. CONCLUSIONS: Home care clients suffering from xerostomia profited significantly from tailored xerostomia and dietary interventions. Evaluation and treatment of xerostomia are important among older persons who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition as a part of a comprehensive health intervention to improve their nutrition and oral health.

Chair rise capacity and associated factors in older home-care clients.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of older home-care clients to perform the five times chair rise test and associated personal characteristics, nutritional status and functioning. METHODS: The study sample included 267 home-care clients aged ≥75 years living in Eastern and Central Finland. The home-care clients were interviewed at home by home-care nurses, nutritionists and pharmacists. The collected data contained sociodemographic factors, functional ability (Barthel Index, IADL), cognitive functioning (MMSE), nutritional status (MNA), depressive symptoms (GDS-15), medical diagnoses and drug use. The primary outcome was the ability to perform the five times chair rise test. RESULTS: Fifty-one per cent ( n=135) of the home-care clients were unable to complete the five times chair rise test. Twenty-three per cent ( n=64) of the home-care clients had good chair rise capacity (≤17 seconds). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, fewer years of education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.18), lower ADL (OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.34-1.78) and low MNA scores (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.04-1.20) and a higher number of co-morbidities (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.02-1.43) were associated with inability to complete the five times chair rise test. CONCLUSIONS: Poor functional mobility, which was associated with less education, a high number of co-morbidities and poor nutritional status, was common among older home-care clients. To maintain and to prevent further decline in functional mobility, physical training and nutritional services are needed. (NutOrMed, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02214758).

No Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to investigate whether proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is associated with an increased risk of clinically verified Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: A Finnish nationwide nested case-control study MEDALZ includes all community-dwelling individuals with newly diagnosed AD during 2005-2011 (N=70,718), and up to four age-, sex-, and region of residence-matched comparison individuals for each case (N=282,858). Data were extracted from Finnish nationwide health-care registers. PPI use was derived from purchases recorded in the Prescription register data since 1995 and modeled to drug use periods with PRE2DUP method. AD was the outcome measure. RESULTS: PPI use was not associated with risk of AD with 3-year lag window applied between exposure and outcome (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.05). Similarly, longer duration of use was not associated with risk of AD (1-3 years of use, adjusted OR 1.01 (95% CI 0.97-1.06); ≥3 years of use adjusted OR 0.99 (95% CI 0.94-1.04)). Higher dose use was not associated with an increased risk (≥1.5 defined daily doses per day, adjusted OR 1.03 (95% CI 0.92-1.14)). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we found no clinically meaningful association between PPI use and risk of AD. The results for longer duration of cumulative use or use with higher doses did not indicate dose-response relationship.

Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors among community-dwelling persons with and without Alzheimer's disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of use and long-term use (≥180 days) of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and associated factors among community-dwellers with and without Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: MEDALZ cohort encompassed all persons who received a verified diagnosis of AD in Finland during the years 2005-2011 and their age-, sex-, and region of residence-matched comparison persons, including 69,353 persons with and 69,353 persons without AD. Data was derived from several Finnish administrative registers. A mathematical modelling method, PRE2DUP, was used for converting dispensing data to drug use periods (when regular PPI use started and ended). Morbid conditions and concomitant drugs associated with use and long-term use of PPIs were assessed with logistic regression models. RESULTS: Use of PPIs was more common among comparison persons than persons with AD (39.0 and 35.8%, respectively, p < 0.001), whereas long-term use of PPIs was more frequent among persons with than without AD (20.3 and 17.9%, respectively, p < 0.001). Factors related to long-term use of PPIs were female sex, history of gastrointestinal bleedings, AD, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, asthma/COPD and use of bisphosphonates, SSRIs and antithrombotic agents. Median follow-up time was 2.6 years among persons with AD and 3.5 years among persons without AD. Median duration of the first long-term PPI use was similar in both groups (1.4 years). CONCLUSION: Long-term use of PPIs was common among persons with and without AD. Due to possible adverse events associated with the long-term use of PPIs, need for PPIs should be assessed regularly.

Preventive oral health intervention among old home care clients.

Background: poor oral health is common among older people dependent on supportive care and it affects their quality of life. Cognitive impairment and functional dependency may increase the risk of compromised daily oral hygiene. Aim: to investigate the effectiveness of a tailored preventive oral health intervention among home care clients aged 75 years or over. Patients and methods: the intervention group comprised 151 patients (84.4 ± 5.6 years) and the control group 118 patients (84.7 ± 5.2 years). An interview and a clinical examination were carried out before a tailored intervention of oral and denture hygiene. The participants in both groups were re-interviewed and re-examined after 6 months. Results: the intervention significantly reduced the number of plaque covered teeth and improved denture hygiene. In addition, functional ability and cognitive function were significantly associated with better oral hygiene. Conclusions: the intervention had a positive effect on oral hygiene, however the number of teeth with plaque remained high, even after the intervention. Multiple approaches based on individual needs are required to improve the oral health of vulnerable older adults, including integrating dental preventive care into daily care plan carried out by home care nurses.