Nocturia and frailty in older adults: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: More than one in two older people wake up several times a night to urinate. Far from being a minor inconvenience, nocturia is associated with poor health outcomes. Given the importance of sleep as a foundation for resilience and healthy ageing, nocturia may promote the development of frailty, which is inextricably linked to physical decline, disability, and mortality. The aim of this scoping review was to collate published evidence on the relationship between nocturia and frailty, using the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley, together with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology as guidance (OSF registration: osf.io/d5ct7). METHODS: Relevant publications were retrieved via PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. The Rayyan tool was used to facilitate the screening process. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. 250 publications were initially identified, of which 87 met the eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Most of the evidence came from cross-sectional studies, most of which had been published within the last 5 years. The researchers were diverse, with 27% having a geriatric background. Only few publications established a clear association between nocturia and frailty. Other topics included: the association between nocturia and poor sleep quality and duration; the association between sleep and frailty; the association between frailty, multimorbidity, and age-related changes in the lower urinary tract. CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize the increasing interest and interdisciplinary nature of research into the relationship between frailty, nocturia, lower urinary tract symptoms, and sleep disturbances. Further research is required to enhance understanding, establish causality, and identify potential therapeutic approaches.

Investigation of real-life drug intake behaviour in older adults and geriatric patients in Northern Germany - A biopharmaceutical perspective.

Dosing conditions (type and amount of accompanying fluid, the type of food, the time of administration, and dosage form modifications such as crushing tablets) are critical and affect the performance of oral dosage forms in the gastrointestinal tract and thus bioavailability. Because older adults are the primary users of medications and are more susceptible to adverse effects, it is important to understand how they take their medications in order to reduce risks and increase benefits of the pharmacotherapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the real-life drug intake behaviour in geriatric patients and older adults and discuss their influence on drug absorption after oral administration. The data from two settings home vs. hospital and genders women vs. men were presented. A questionnaire study was performed among people aged at least 65 years from two settings (hospital vs. home), recruited mostly from community pharmacies and a regional hospital in Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania. The obtained data demonstrates that older adults and geriatric patients take their medications in the same way regardless of the setting and gender. There were no significant differences. Interviewed participants were mostly adherent to the doctor's recommendations and mostly took their medications in the same way every day. Medications are most commonly taken with a small (100 mL) or large (200 mL) glass of noncarbonated water, after food (during or after breakfast 64 % of intakes in the morning and during or after dinner 81 % of intakes in the evening). Meal usually consisted of bread, either with jam or honey (breakfast), or ham and cheese (dinner). All reported dosage form modifications were made to tablets. In almost all cases it was splitting the tablet, which was performed due to doctor's indication.

KCNQ5 Controls Perivascular Adipose Tissue-Mediated Vasodilation.

BACKGROUND: Small arteries exhibit resting tone, a partially contracted state that maintains arterial blood pressure. In arterial smooth muscle cells, potassium channels control contraction and relaxation. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) has been shown to exert anticontractile effects on the blood vessels. However, the mechanisms by which PVAT signals small arteries, and their relevance remain largely unknown. We aimed to uncover key molecular components in adipose-vascular coupling. METHODS: A wide spectrum of genetic mouse models targeting Kcnq3, Kcnq4, and Kcnq5 genes (Kcnq3-/-, Kcnq4-/-, Kcnq5-/-, Kcnq5dn/dn, Kcnq4-/-/Kcnq5dn/dn, and Kcnq4-/-/Kcnq5-/-), telemetry blood pressure measurements, targeted lipidomics, RNA-Seq profiling, wire-myography, patch-clamp, and sharp-electrode membrane potential measurements was used. RESULTS: We show that PVAT causes smooth muscle cell KV7.5 family of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels to hyperpolarize the membrane potential. This effect relaxes small arteries and regulates blood pressure. Oxygenation of polyunsaturated fats generates oxylipins, a superclass of lipid mediators. We identified numerous oxylipins released by PVAT, which potentiate vasodilatory action in small arteries by opening smooth muscle cell KV7.5 family of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal a key molecular function of the KV7.5 family of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels in the adipose-vascular coupling, translating PVAT signals, particularly oxylipins, to the central physiological function of vasoregulation. This novel pathway opens new therapeutic perspectives.

Protocol for assessing myogenic tone and perfusion pressure in isolated mouse kidneys.

The isolated perfused kidney is a classic ex vivo preparation for studying renal physiology in general and vascular function. Here, we present a protocol for assessing myogenic tone in isolated mouse kidneys as well as vasodilatory and vasoconstrictive responses, expressed as perfusion pressure. We describe steps for pre-operative preparation, kidney and renal artery isolation, and connection of renal artery with glass cannula. We then detail how to measure pressure changes in perfused kidneys and the myogenic tone. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Cui et al.1.