Geriatric illnesses

Rheumatic Heart Disease Deaths Decline Worldwide
October 10, 2017While the health-related burden of rheumatic heart disease has declined worldwide, but high rates of disease persist in some of the poorest regions in the world.

Gut Microbiota Associated With Parkinson's Disease Progression
June 27, 2017An imbalance in gut microbiota may be associated with the progression of Parkinson's disease.

Antibiotics May Not Be Beneficial in Older Adults With UTI
June 22, 2017Antibiotics may not be as effective in treating urinary tract infections in older adults.

CDC: High Rate of Legionnaires' Disease in Healthcare Facilities
June 13, 2017The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 76% of US healthcare facilities reported cases of Legionnaires' disease.

High Prevalence of MDR Bacteria in Residents Living in Nursing Homes
June 08, 2017Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria can be found in more than 1-quarter of nursing-home residents.

Novel Adjuvanted H7N1 Vaccine Safe, Immunogenic in Older Adults
May 29, 2017The adjuvanted H7N1 vaccine was safe and immunogenic after 2 doses in adults age 65 and older, according to a new study.

Can Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Mortality in CAP?
May 03, 2017Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can predict 30-day mortality for elderly adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Benzodiazepine Use Increases Pneumonia Risk in Alzheimer Disease
April 19, 2017Risk for pneumonia should be considered when weighing the benefits and risks of benzodiazepines in patients with Alzheimer disease.

Is CMV a Major Contributor to Cardiovascular Disease in RA?
March 16, 2017An expert Q&A with Florian Kern, PhD, deputy director of research at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK, who makes the case that cytomegalovirus is a major driver of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

High-Dose Influenza Vaccine in H3N2 Season More Effective in Seniors
March 06, 2017Compared to infections by H1N1 or influenza B viruses, H3N2 influenza viruses have been associated with higher mortality in older adults.

MDR Organism Isolation Precaution Infrequently Used in Nursing Home Residents
March 01, 2017Of the nursing homes reporting multidrug-resistant organism infection in the past year, 31% used isolation at least once among residents with multidrug-resistant organism infection.

Oral Bacteria Tied to Cerebral Microbleeds Point to Stroke Risk
January 04, 2017Microbleeds in the brain that lead to stroke and cognitive impairment may be tied to Streptococcus mutans.

Antidementia Drugs May Increase Risk of Pneumonia
December 12, 2016Researchers investigated the effect that antidementia drugs have on patients' risk of developing pneumonia.

High-Dose Vitamin D Reduces Acute Respiratory Infection in Elderly
December 11, 2016High-dose vitamin D supplementation reduced the incident of acute respiratory infection in older long-term care residents.

Improving Seasonal Flu Vaccine Immunogenicity in RA
November 27, 2016Temporary discontinuation of methotrexate can improve seasonal flu vaccination immunogenicity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Herpes Zoster Vaccine Rates Improved with Electronic Vaccine Tracking System
November 23, 2016Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are often not appropriately vaccinated against herpes zoster, despite vaccine recommendations.

US National Shingles Vaccination Coverage Rates
October 21, 2016Rates of herpes zoster vaccination coverage vary significantly on national and state-by-state levels.

Burden of Osteoarticular Infections Increased by β-Hemolytic Streptococi
October 20, 2016Patients 67 years and older were more likely to be affected by group B streptococci or group C and G streptococci strains.

Periodontitis May Impact Risk For Dementia
October 07, 2016Individuals with periodontitis have a higher risk of developing dementia than those without.

Link Between Heart Failure Risk and Lack of Pneumococcal Vaccination in the Octogenarian Community
October 06, 2016Data from over 5000 octogenarians were studied to determine if non-receipt of the pneumococcal vaccine can be linked to an increased risk of incident HF.
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Unnecessary Antibiotic Treatment Common in Nursing Home Residents
September 30, 2016In suspected pneumonia cases, antibiotics were often prescribed before lab results were available.

Experimental HZ Subunit Vaccine Studied in Older Adults
September 16, 2016Nearly 14,000 adults age 70 and older received either 2 doses of the experimental HZ/su vaccine or a placebo.

Pain and Itch Highly Prevalent in Patients With HZ
September 15, 2016Pain caused by HZ has a large impact on quality of life.

Study: Herpes Zoster Vaccine Efficacy Decreased Steadily Over 8-Year Period
June 02, 2016Efficacy decreased from 68.7% to 4.2%.

Herpes Simplex Virus Antibody Levels Tied to Incident Frailty And Mortality
May 05, 2016Antibody levels were associated with unadjusted risks of incident frailty and mortality in community-dwelling older women.

Physical Activity May Not Improve Respiratory Outcomes in Seniors with Mobility Limitations
March 28, 2016Exercise was associated with higher likelihood of respiratory hospitalization than health education.

Number of Seniors Taking Supplements in Addition to Medications
March 23, 2016Many do not tell their doctors, putting them at risk for dangerous drug interactions.

ACIP Recommends Some Changes For Flu Vaccine Administration
March 08, 2016In the 2015 to 2016 season, through Feb. 12, 2016, influenza vaccine effectiveness was 59% against medically-attended influenza.

Booster Dose to Prevent Herpes Zoster Helpful For Seniors
January 05, 2016Participants in the study group aged 50-59 had the best immune response.

Risk of Stroke Events Appears Increased After Shingles Diagnosis in Seniors
December 17, 2015Chance of stroke, myocardial infarction increased most in the first week after diagnosis.
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