Elderly people's definition of quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: Senescence for some elderly people is a phase of with development and satisfaction, whereas for others is a negative stage of life. The determinants of a good quality of life in old age vary from person to person. The aims of this study were to identify 1) the prevalence of octogenarian people who evaluate their current life as being mainly characterized by a positive quality and 2) which were the domains that they identified as being the determinants of this positive quality. A same parallel study was conducted with subjects who evaluated senescence as a preponderantly negative experience. METHODS: A random and representative sample of 35% of the octogenarian people, living residing in the community, was selected among the dwellers of the city of Veranópolis, state of Rio Grande do Sul. A semi-structured questionnaire on quality of life quality was applied as well as the scale of depressive symptoms Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the index of general health Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). RESULTS: Slightly more than half of the studied sample (57%) defined their current quality of life with positive evaluations, whereas 18% presented a negative evaluation of it. A group 0f 25% defined their current lives as neutral or having both values (positive and negative). Those who were dissatisfied presented more health problems according to the CIRS and more depressive symptoms when evaluated by the GDS. Satisfied subjects ones had different reasons to justify this state, however, the dissatisfied had mainly the lack of health as a reason for their suffering. The main source of reported daily well-being was the involvement with rural or domestic activities. Among the interviewed, lack of health was the main source for not presenting well-being, although there was interpersonal variability regarding what each subject considered as loss of health. CONCLUSION: Possibly, for the elderly subjects a negative quality of life is equivalent to loss of health and a positive life quality is equivalent to a greater range of categories such as activity, income, social life and relationship with the family, categories which differed from subject to subject. Therefore, health seems to be a good indicator of negative quality of life, though an insufficient indicator of successful elderliness.

Bereavement-related cognitive impairment in an oldest-old community-dwelling Brazilian sample.

As it is already known that depression can cause a demonstrable impact on cognition in elderly subjects, the objective of this study was to determine whether also the mourning process is associated with any cognitive impairment in this age range. A random and representative sample (a sample with 77 subjects/total county population of oldest-old with 219 subjects = 35%) aged 80 years or more was selected from the county of Veranópolis in the Brazilian rural southern region. Of this group, the cognitive function of subjects without grief and of subjects with the presence of grief were compared. Five neuropsychological tests (the Buschke-Fuld Selective Reminding Test, the word-list from the CERAD battery, the Verbal Fluency Test, and two subtests of the Wechsler memory scale), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and two self-perceived memory impairment questionnaires were used. Presence of depressive symptomatology was identified by the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The prevalence rates of some psychiatric diagnoses (syndromic general anxiety disorder, major and minor depression) were compared between the bereaved group and the control group. There was not a statistically significant difference between the scores of controls and subjects with grief in the GDS. The frequency of affective disorders in both groups did not differ. However, the recently bereaved elderly subjects presented a mild cognitive impairment when evaluated with the MMSE, with the digit span test and with Word-list neuropsychological memory test. Likewise these bereaved octogenarian subjects presented more frequently a diagnosis of 'aging-associated cognitive decline' when compared with non-bereaved oldest-old. These results suggest that the normal sadness and/or the chronic stress of the grieving process, even without the presence of an identifiable syndromal-level depression, are associated with memory and cognitive differences among the bereaved oldest-old. Cause-effect relationships, however, cannot be established from this cross-sectional correlational study: Grief may influence cognitive functioning in the elderly, but mildly cognitively compromised elderly persons may be more likely to experience strong grief reactions after loss.

Violência intrafamiliar contra idosos: perfil do indiciado e agredido

Introdução: A violência contra os idosos acontecena maioria das vezes no âmbito familiar podendo estarrelacionado a problemas de depressão, demência, históriade álcool, drogas, problemas de saúde mental, históriaanterior de violência e problemas cognitivos.Objetivo: identificar a freqüência de depressão maiore de dependência ao álcool entre os indiciados suspeitosde violência intrafamiliar contra os idosos, verificando operfil da vítima, relação do indiciado com a vítima, motivose tipos de violência.Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo transversal com24 indiciados suspeitos de violência intrafamiliar atravésda Delegacia do idoso do Município de Criciúma e com26 idosos vítimas de violência. Foram aplicados doisinstrumentos de avaliação: Cage e Scid.Resultados: Observou-se que a média de idade dasvítimas de violência intrafamiliar foi de 72,1 anos, 53,8%do sexo feminino, 46,2% com estado civil estável, 100%aposentados/pensionistas e 84,6% com escolaridade atéo ensino fundamental. Nos indiciados a idade média foide 39,75 anos, 62.5% do sexo masculino, 48.5% nãotinham profissão definida, 66,7% estudaram até o ensinofundamental, 75% são filhos, e os tipos de violência maispraticados são: ameaça, abuso psicológico e abandono,45,8% ingerem álcool com freqüência e 62,5%apresentam episódios de depressão.Conclusão: constatou-se que os indiciados são emprimeiro lugar os filhos que apresentam depressão eingerem bebida alcoólica com freqüência, os motivosestão relacionados com vários fatores como dependênciafinanceira e emocional e os tipos de violência maisfreqüentes são a ameaça, abuso psicológico e oabandono.

Introduction: The violence against the elderly occursmost often in the family may be related to problems ofdepression, dementia, a history of alcohol, drugs, mentalhealth problems, previous history of violence and cognitiveproblems.Objective: To identify the frequency of majordepression and alcohol dependence among the indictedsuspects of family violence against the elderly, evaluatingthe profile of the victim, indicted in connection with thevictim, reasons and types of violence.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 24indicted suspects of family violence through the Officeof Aging and the city of Invercargill with 26 elderlyvictims of violence. Two instruments were used forevaluation: Cage and Scid.Results: We found that the average age of the victimsof family violence was 72.1 years, 53.8% female, 46.2%with stable marital status, 100% retirees/pensioners and84.6% with schooling to primary school. Indicted in theaverage age was 39.75 years, 62.5% male, 48.5% hadno defined profession, 66.7% studied up to primaryschool, 75% are children, and the types of violence moreeffective: threat, psychological abuse and neglect, alcoholintake 45.8% and 62.5% often have episodes ofdepression.Conclusion: it was found that those indicted areprimarily the children that presented depression and arealcoholic, the reasons are related to several factors suchas financial and emotional dependence and types ofviolence are the most frequent threats, psychologicalabuse and abandonment.

The DSM-IV 'minor depression' disorder in the oldest-old: prevalence rate, sleep patterns, memory function and quality of life in elderly people of Italian descent in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe the prevalence of minor depression in a community-dwelling population aged 80 years and over. (2) To compare the sleep pattern, memory function and the prevalence rate of other psychiatric diagnoses between normal controls and subjects with minor depressive disorder. DESIGN: A random representative sample (sample=77 subjects/county population of oldest-old =219--35%) aged 80 years or more was selected from the county of Veranópolis in the Brazilian rural southern region. Of this group, eight subjects who met the DSM-IV criteria for minor depression, and 50 subjects without diagnosed delirium disorder, cognitive or affective problems were compared. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of minor depression was 12%. Subjects with this diagnosis were more likely to complain about sleep and memory problems than elderly people without any other affective disorder (major depression or dysthymic disorder). Otherwise, objective evaluation of these two areas, memory and sleep, did not show differences between the groups. Moreover, in terms of factors such as life satisfaction and some domains from the Short-form 36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36), subjects with minor depression presented worse self-reported evaluations. Female gender was associated (p=0.01) with a more frequent presence of minor depression disorder, and those with this diagnosis were more likely to have co-morbidity with generalized anxiety disorder (p=0.007) when compared with elderly people without any depressive disorder. CONCLUSION: In this study, minor depression has been significantly associated with lower life satisfaction and worse indexes of life quality. The results supported the current concept that minor depression is prevalent in later life, especially among the oldest-old. Subjects with minor depression had worse self-reported opinions about memory and sleep patterns, but when these variables were objectively measured, no meaningful differences could be determined by the research team. Female gender and the concurring presence of generalized anxiety disorder were both significantly associated with the presence of minor depression diagnosis.

Elderly people´s definition of quality of life

OBJECTIVES: Senescence for some elderly people is a phase of with development and satisfaction, whereas for others is a negative stage of life. The determinants of a good quality of life in old age vary from person to person. The aims of this study were to identify: 1) the prevalence of octogenarian people who evaluate their current life as being mainly characterized by a positive quality and 2) which were the domains that they identified as being the determinants of this positive quality. A same parallel study was conducted with subjects who evaluated senescence as a preponderantly negative experience. METHODS: A random and representative sample of 35 percent of the octogenarian people, living residing in the community, was selected among the dwellers of the city of Veranópolis, state of Rio Grande do Sul. A semi-structured questionnaire on quality of life quality was applied as well as the scale of depressive symptoms Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the index of general health Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). RESULTS: Slightly more than half of the studied sample (57 percent) defined their current quality of life with positive evaluations, whereas 18 percent presented a negative evaluation of it. A group 0f 25 percent defined their current lives as neutral or having both values (positive and negative). Those who were dissatisfied presented more health problems according to the CIRS and more depressive symptoms when evaluated by the GDS. Satisfied subjects ones had different reasons to justify this state, however, the dissatisfied had mainly the lack of health as a reason for their suffering. The main source of reported daily well-being was the involvement with rural or domestic activities. Among the interviewed, lack of health was the main source for not presenting well-being, although there was interpersonal variability regarding what each subject considered as loss of health. CONCLUSION: Possibly, for the elderly subjects a negative quality of life is equivalent to loss of health and a positive life quality is equivalent to a greater range of categories such as activity, income, social life and relationship with the family, categories which differed from subject to subject. Therefore, health seems to be a good indicator of negative quality of life, though an insufficient indicator of successful elderliness

Transtorno de ansiedade generalizada em idosos com 80 anos ou mais / Generalized anxiety disorder in a population aged 80 years and older

OBJETIVOS: Descrever a prevalência de transtorno de ansiedade generalizada (TAG) em uma população de idosos residentes em uma comunidade e com idade acima de 80 anos e comparar os padrões de sono, a função cognitiva e a taxa de prevalência de outros diagnósticos psiquiátricos entre controles normais e sujeitos com TAG. MÉTODOS: Para o diagnóstico de TAG, foram utilizados os critérios do "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-IV). Selecionou-se uma amostra randômica e representativa de 77 sujeitos (35 por cento), residentes em uma comunidade, entre todos os idosos com idade acima de 80 anos do município Veranópolis, RS. Os padrões de sono foram aferidos pelo índice de qualidade de sono de Pittsburgh e pelo diário sobre sono/vigília a ser preenchido ao longo de duas semanas. Cinco testes neuropsicológicos foram usados na avaliação cognitiva: teste das lembranças seletivas de Buschke-Fuld; lista de palavras da bateria CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease); teste de fluência verbal e dois subtestes da escala de memória Wechsler. RESULTADOS: A prevalência estimada de TAG foi de 10,6 por cento, cuja presença estava associada a uma maior ocorrência de depressão clinicamente diagnosticável, com um significativo maior número de sintomas depressivos, quando medidos pela escala de depressão geriátrica, e com uma maior ocorrência de depressão menor. Os padrões de sono e o funcionamento cognitivo, entre sujeitos com TAG, não estavam afetados. A gravidade das doenças físicas não variava entre sujeitos com TAG e os controles normais. A presença de TAG estava associada a um significativo pior padrão de qualidade de vida relativa à saúde. CONCLUSÃO: Em comparação com os estudos prévios, a prevalência de TAG é alta entre a população de idosos mais velhos. Esse transtorno ocorre em freqüente associação com a sintomatologia depressiva e também está associado a um pior padrão de qualidade de vida relativa à saúde

Adenoma de paratireóide em caso de hiperparatireoidismo primário no idoso: relato caso / Parathyroid adenoma in primary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly: case report

O hiperparatireoidismo primario é um distúrbio comum do metabolismo ósseo, envolvendo os íons e fósforo, causado pelo aumento nos níveis circulantes de paratormônio. Sua principal causa é o adenoma de paratireóide, representando 80-85% dos casos. Relato de caso de uma paciente idosa com adenoma de paratireóide, e revisão da literatura onde são abordados os atuais critérios diagnósticos e de indicação cirúrgica para o hiperparatireoidismo primário. O diagnóstico de hiperparatireoidismo primário deve ser lembrado em todo paciente com osteoporose severa ou naqueles que se apresentam com fraturas espontâneas ou após trauma mínimo (trauma igual ou menor que o equivalente a uma queda do próprio nível). Para pacientes idosos assintomáticos, sem perda de função renal ou de massa óssea significativa, pode ser indicado apenas o manejo ambulatorial. Entretanto, quando indicado, o tratamento cirúrgico – através da remoção do tecido paratireóideo hiperfuncionante – ainda é o padrão.