Quality of Life of Elderly People Living in Different Types of Long-term Care Facilities

Abstract Population aging is a worldwide occurrence that has become urgent in developing countries. Quality of life can be measured to identify functional capacity and determine the degree of impact on quality of life exerted on an individual. This study aimed to measure the quality of life of elderly people who have been living in different long-term care facilities for the elderly. Therefore, this research was developed with a qualitative and descriptive approach. Data were obtained from medical records and interviews, and were analyzed in R language interpreter software on the Ubuntu Linux operating system. Seventy-nine elderly people participated in the study. Eleven lived in Home Marista, and 68 lived in Home Jesus Maria José. A socioeconomic questionnaire was used to collect data on the socioeconomic characteristics of the participants. The Mini-Mental State Exam was used to measure degree of cognition. The Short Form-36 Questionnaire was used to measure quality of life. The present study suggests that the results found can clarify the individual vulnerability of the elderly in the age group studied regardless of the type of residence. Despite the discrepancy found regarding the care provided at the long-term care facilities, the scores, obtained with the quality of life assessment, did not show significant differences.

Comparison of two oral health-related quality-of-life measures in elderly patients: the influence of missing teeth, and socio demographic factors / Comparação entre dois instrumentos de avaliação de qualidade de vida em pacientes idosos: a influência da perda de dentes e fatores sociodemográficos

Objective: The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP14) and the Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) have never been compared to a group of the same subjects in the Brazilian population. The aim of the study was to compare the OHIP-14 and GOHAI measures. Material and Methods: 129 independently living people over the age of 60 were included in the study. The GOHAI and OHIP-14 measures were used. Other variables were included: age, gender, education, number of missing teeth, annual household income and frequency of dentist visits. Results: The mean age of respondents was 65 years. The internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) showed a high internal consistency for both measures. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between the GOHAI and OHIP-14 scores was 0.73. Using the additive method of creating scores, none of the respondents had the GOHAI score of zero, indicating no impact from oral conditions, while 9.3% of them had an OHIP-14 score of zero. Dental status, age, gendler and frequency of dental visit were significantly associated with the results ofthe GOHAI and the OHIP-14 (Kruskal­Wallis test, Mann­Whitney U test). Conclusions: There was a strong correlation between the GOHAI and the OHIP14. Both instruments demonstrated good discriminant properties and helped capture the respondents' oral health problems. (AU)

Objetivo: O Perfil de Impacto na Saúde Oral-14 (OHIP14) e o Índice Geral de Avaliação de Saúde Oral em Geriatria (GOHAI) nunca foram comparados a um grupo dos mesmos sujeitos na população brasileira. O objetivo do estudo foi comparar as medidas OHIP-14 e GOHAI. Material e Métodos: 129 pessoas independentes com idade superior a 60 anos foram incluídas no estudo. Foram utilizadas as medidas GOHAI e OHIP-14. Outras variáveis foram incluídas: idade, sexo, escolaridade, número de dentes ausentes, renda familiar anual e frequência de visitas ao dentista. Resultados: a média de idade dos entrevistados foi de 65 anos. A confiabilidade interna (alfa de Cronbach) mostrou uma alta consistência interna para ambas as medidas. O coeficiente de correlação de Spearman entre os escores GOHAI e OHIP-14 foi de 0,73. Utilizando o método aditivo de criação de escores, nenhum dos entrevistados obteve pontuação zero no GOHAI, indicando nenhum impacto das condições bucais, enquanto 9,3% deles tiveram pontuação zero no OHIP-14. O estado dentário, a idade, o sexo e a frequência da visita foram significativamente associados aos resultados do GOHAI e do OHIP-14 (teste de Kruskal-Wallis, teste de Mann-Whitney U). Conclusões: Houve uma forte correlação entre o GOHAI e o OHIP-14. Ambos os instrumentos demonstraram boas propriedades discriminantes e ajudaram a capturar os problemas de saúde bucal dos entrevistados. (AU)

Acute and subacute (28 days) toxicity, hemolytic and cytotoxic effect of Artocarpus heterophyllus seed extracts.

BACKGROUND: Plants and their parts are a part of life in many Brazilian communities, as observed in the jackfruit. The jackfruit seeds are consumed, usually, as roasted, boiled, steamed, and are eaten as a snack. OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out to identify the Artocarpus heterophyllus seeds toxicity and cytotoxic activity. METHODS: The extracts were tested in toxicity assays like, brine shrimp lethality assay, hemolysis assay, and effect of seed extracts on T47D, TH29 and B16F10 cancer cell lines, and in acute and subchronic toxicity in mice. RESULTS: Artocarpus heterophyllus seed presents no toxic effects in brine shrimp, no hemolytic activity, and was effective in cancer cell lines like T47D, TH29 and B16F10. IC50 obtained from extracts was 46.67 µg/ml of chloroform extract in T47D cells, 23.42 µg/ml of ethanolic extract in HT29 cells, and 74.31 µg/ml of ethyl acetic extract in B16F10 cells. Ethanolic extract presented zero lethality index and was able to reduce the level of glycemia in females (32.3%) in the subchronic test. CONCLUSIONS: With this results we can conclude that Artocarpus heterophyllus seeds presents no toxicity, and is very effective in determinated cancer cell lines, requiring further studies to validate their use as active natural product against cancer cells.

Constituents of leaves from Bauhinia curvula Benth. exert gastroprotective activity in rodents: role of quercitrin and kaempferol.

The Bauhinia genus is known as "Pata-de-Vaca" and a wide variety of these species are used in Brazilian folk medicine due to their gastroprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the antiulcer efficacy of the hydroalcoholic extract from B. curvula (HEBC) leaves, as well as its semi-purified fraction (SPFr) and the contribution of their phytochemicals constituents for this effect. For that, ethanol 60%/HCl 0.3 M- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer were performed in rodents. Gastric ulcerated tissues were processed for histological, histochemical and biochemical analysis. The oral treatment with HEBC and SPFr decreased the gastric ulcer induced by ethanol/HCl in mice and by indomethacin (only HEBC) in rats. The gastroprotective effect of HEBC was abolished in mice pretreated with Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, N-Ethylmaleimide, glibenclamide or indomethacin. Both HEBC and SPFr reduced myeloperoxidase activity in parallel with a decrease of lipoperoxides content at the site of the lesion. On the other hand, HEBC did not alter volume, pH, total acidity or pepsin activity of acid gastric secretion in rats, and neither inhibited the in vitro H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity. Additionally, the compounds identified and isolated from the SPFr, the flavonoids quercitrin (65%) and kaempferol (35%), were able to diminish the extent of ulcerated area induced by both ethanol/HCl and indomethacin. Taking together, these findings show that B. curvula extracts present gastroprotective effect, mainly explained by the presence of flavonoids quercitrin and kaempferol, which may possibly improve the defensive factors of gastric mucosa.

Patentability potential of natural products for xerostomia treatment / Potencial de patenteabilidade dos produtos naturais para o tratamento de xerostomia

Xerostomia se caracteriza por ser um sintoma causado pela hipossalivação, que pode ocorrer por motivos como idade, polimedicação, radioterapia, entre outros. Atualmente existe uma escassez de produtos disponíveis no mercado para o tratamento de boca seca, tema ainda subestimado por muitos profissionais da área de saúde. Assim, realizou-se uma busca das patentes depositadas e publicadas no Brasil com o tema xerostomia, com o intuito de verificar a inovação existente envolvendo produtos naturais. A xerostomia constitui-se objeto de várias pesquisas e produtos patenteados, o que demonstra a relevância do tema, assim como a necessidade de mais estudos envolvendo o potencial de utilização de produtos naturais para o alívio do sintoma

Xerostomia is characterized as a symptom caused by hyposalivation, which can occur for reasons such as age, polypharmacy, radiation therapy, among others. Currently,few products are available for the treatment of xerostomia, which is a subject still underestimated by many health professionals. Thus, we searched patents applied and approved in Brazil on xerostomia, to verify the existing innovation involving natural products. We found 33 patents applied and approved in Brazil, many of them using acids derived from natural products such as sialologue agents. This significant number of patents demonstrates the relevance of the themeand the need for more studies involving the potential use of natural products to relieve symptoms

Prevalence of oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) of elderly people in Curitiba – PR / Prevalência de impactos bucais na performance diária (Oral impacts on daily performance – OIDP) em pacientes idosos em Curitiba – PR

Objetivo: Com o objetivo de investigar a prevalência do impacto da saúde bucal no desempenho diário em idosos brasileiros, residentes na cidade de Curitiba – PR. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo sobre a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em idosos de 60 a 80 anos de idade (n = 129). Verificou-se também a influência do sexo, renda, visita ao dentista, autoavaliação da saúde e características sócio-demográficas nesse processo. Resultados: Obteve-se como resposta uma proporção de 83,72% de interferência da saúde bucal no cotidiano dos participantes. A falta de adesão ao tratamento odontológico e o não aceitar a saúde bucal como um componente da saúde do corpo como um todo compuseram fatores associados à maior interferência. Conclusão: É recomendável que a percepção dos indivíduos seja considerada simultaneamente à condição clínica na definição de ações dos serviços e de grupos prioritários ao atendimento em saúde bucal.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of oral health impact on the daily performance of Brazilian elderly, living in the city ofCuritiba – PR. Material and Methods: The oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of 129 elderly people aged from 60 to 80 years was assessed. Also, the influence of gender, income, attendance to the dentist, self-assessment of health, and socialdemographic features were verified. Results: Oral health influenced in 83.72%the daily routine of the participants. The lack of compliance to dental treatment and the difficulty in oral health selfperception as integrate part of general health were associated to the greatest interference. Conclusion: Thus, we recommended that the self-perception of the individuals is considered simultaneously to the clinical condition to tailor oral health actions targeted to priority groups

Antiulcer and gastric antisecretory effects of dichloromethane fraction and piplartine obtained from fruits of Piper tuberculatum Jacq. in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Piper tuberculatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) is medicinally used as an analgesic and as a treatment for gastric complaints. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective and antisecretory properties of the dichloromethane fraction of the fruit of Piper tuberculatum (DFPT) and piplartine, a compound isolated from the DFPT, in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gastric ulcers were induced in fasted rats by oral administration of absolute ethanol and then mucus content and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. Mechanisms underlying the antisecretory action were studied through gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity of highly purified rabbit gastric microsomes and pylorus ligature method in rats. RESULTS: In the acute toxicity test the values of estimated LD50 for oral and intraperitoneal administration of DFPT were 1.6266 and 0.2684g/kg, respectively. The DFPT (ED50=29mg/kg, p.o.) and piplartine (4.5mg/kg, p.o.) promoted gastroprotection against acute lesions induced by ethanol, effect that could be related with the maintenance of GSH levels in the gastric mucosa. However, only DFPT stimulated gastric mucus secretion. In vitro, the DFPT and piplartine inhibited the H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity and, in vivo DFPT and piplartine also reduced basal gastric acid secretion, as well as that stimulated by pentagastrin. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that DFPT and piplatine cause marked gastroprotective effects accompanied by the increase and maintenance of gastric mucus and GSH levels, as well as a reduction in gastric acid secretion through the gastrinergic pathway.

Antiulcer effect of bark extract of Tabebuia avellanedae: activation of cell proliferation in gastric mucosa during the healing process.

Tabebuia avellanedae (syn. Handroanthus impetiginosus) is popularly known as 'ipê-roxo' and has been used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory and in the treatment of ulcers, bacterial and fungal infections. This study evaluated the gastric ulcer healing property of the ethanolic extract (EET) of barks from Tabebuia avellanedae and investigated the mechanisms that may underlie this effect. Rats were treated with EET (twice a day for 7 days) after induction of chronic gastric ulcers by 80% acetic acid. Following treatment, histological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed in gastric ulcer tissues. Oral administration of EET (100 and 300 mg/kg) significantly reduced the gastric lesion induced by acetic acid in 44 and 36%, respectively. Histopathological evaluation demonstrated a contraction of gastric ulcer size, increase of mucus layer (periodic acid-Schiff stained mucin-like glycoproteins) and cell proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry) in animals treated with EET (100 and 300 mg/kg). The results demonstrate that EET significantly accelerates healing of acetic acid induced gastric ulcer in rats through increase of mucus content and cell proliferation, indicating a potential usefulness for treatment of peptic ulcer diseases.