1,721,475 research outputs found
Magnesium and Health
Full text linkMagnesium (Mg) is the second most abundant cation after potassium in the intracellular compartment and has a critical role in modulating a large variety of cellular activities and metabolic pathways. Mg is cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions including all reactions that involve ATP utilization and transfer [1,2]. Over the past decades, the clinical relevance of Mg and its impact on health has been documented. In the human body, around 24 grams (1 mole) of Mg are present. Less than 1% of total Mg is in the serum; normal serum Mg concentrations range between 0.75-0.95 mmol/L (1.7-2.5 mg/dL or 1.5-1.9 meq/L). In healthy adults, daily Mg requirement is around 300-400 mg (5 to 6 mg/kg/day) but it is higher in several physiological conditions (i.e. pregnancy, aging, exercise, etc.) and diseases (type-2 diabetes, infections, etc.). Severe Mg deficit may be associated with neuromuscular symptoms, such as weakness, tremor, muscle fasciculation, dysphagia, positive Chvostek’s sign (facial twitching as a reaction to the tapping of the facial nerve), and positive Trousseau’s sign (spasm of muscles of the hand and forearm following the application of a pressure cuff). Neurologic disturbances may involve the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, causing orthostatic hypotension or borderline hypertension. Mild to moderate Mg deficits are generally asymptomatic and clinical signs are usually absent and/or non-specific. Subjective symptomatology may include anxiety, hyperemotionality, and fatigue, depressive symptoms to major depression, headache, insomnia, light-headedness, and dizziness. Peripheral signs such as myalgias, paresthesias, and cramps may be present. Non-specific functional complains may include chest pain, sine materia dyspnea, precordialgia, palpitations, extrasystoles, etc. Hyperemotionality, tremor, asthenia, sleep disorders, amnesic and cognitive disturbances are particularly important in older adults, and may be often overlooked or confused with age-related symptoms [3]
The link between spirituality and longevity
Full text linkWe are facing an inverted demographic pyramid with continuously growing aged populations around the world. However, the advances that prolong physical life not always contemplate its psychological and social dimensions. Longevity is a complex outcome influenced by a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, access to healthcare, socio-economic conditions, and other environmental factors. These factors have been generally considered in the compelling research that seeks the determinants of longevity, particularly those concerning personal lifestyle choices, socioeconomic conditions, and molecular mechanisms proposed to mediate these effects. Nonetheless, fundamental aspects that can affect health and well-being, such as spirituality and religiosity, have been somehow left aside despite numerous epidemiological studies showing that higher levels of spirituality/religiosity are associated with lower risk of mortality, even after adjusting for relevant confounders. Because spirituality/religiosity are dimensions of great value for patients, overlooking them can leave them with feelings of neglect and lack of connection with the health system and with the clinicians in charge of their care. Integrating spirituality and religiosity assessment and intervention programs into clinical care can help each person obtain better and complete well-being and also allowing clinicians to achieve the highest standards of health with holistic, person-centered care. The present narrative review aims to explore the available evidence of a relationship between spirituality/religiosity and longevity and discusses the possible mechanisms that can help explain such relationship
Magnesium and Micro-Elements in Older Persons
Full text linkMacro- and micro-element deficiencies are widely diffused in older people. The
deficiency of these elements in older people is often attributable to malnutrition, even if
other medical conditions (such as gastrointestinal problem) or non-medical conditions
(such as polypharmacy) can lead to these deficiencies [1]. It is estimated that malnutrition is
present in 1.3–47.8% of older people living in the community, being higher in other settings
and in low-middle income countries [2]
Consequences of Sarcopenia in Older People: The Epidemiological Evidence
No full textSarcopenia is a common condition in older people. Increasing literature is showing its importance for negative health outcomes, also beyond the perimeter of geriatric medicine. In this chapter, we will discuss the consequences of sarcopenia. Overall, epidemiological research suggests that sarcopenia is significantly associated with falls and fractures also suggesting a strong association between muscle and bone loss conditions, as in the case of osteosarcopenia. Moreover, sarcopenia is associated with disability, hospitalization (particularly in older people already hospitalized), and finally mortality. Increasing research is also showing that sarcopenia is associated with negative outcomes in surgical procedures involving older people. All these epidemiological findings strongly support an early detection of sarcopenia that is a modifiable condition, if appropriately treated
Dietary fiber intake and the Mediterranean population
No full textDietary fiber encompasses carbohydrates not digested or absorbed in the small intestine, arriving intact to the colon. Its role in human health has been mentioned since the times of Hippocrates but only in the 1970s of the 20th century, and subsequently a myriad of epidemiological and clinical studies has shown that a diet with low content of dietary fiber is associated with several chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain neoplastic diseases, specially colon cancer, and also obesity. The Western dietary pattern, which is spreading in our current globalized world and in which many components are ultraprocessed, has very low fiber content. Conversely the Mediterranean diet, followed for centuries by the populations living in the Mediterranean basin and a paradigm of healthy eating and lifestyle, has a high fiber content. In this chapter, we will review the relationship of dietary fiber intake and diverse health outcomes in Mediterranean populations
Presbyphagia and dysphagia in old age
Full text linkAlthough presbyphagia is a clinically relevant problem among elderly population, possibly leading to dysphagia in old age, it remains a still underestimated health condi-tion. The present review analyzes swallow-ing related anatomical and functional changes during aging, both in healthy peo-ple and in those affected by dysphagia. First of all, dysphagia in old people must not be confused with presbyphagia. To distinguish these two different conditions, a correct def-inition of both should be considered. Subsequently, a comprehensive evaluation including instrumental analysis should be carried out. The aim of this narrative review is to analyze the current knowledge of this clinical condition and to provide the state of art to clinicians. A systematic PubMed research on dysphagia in the elderly was conducted and most relevant and most recent references were manually screened and selected. The aim of a correct diagnosis is to enable the choice of a correct interven-tion in order to prevent and treat complica-tions of dysphagia, such as ab ingestis pneumonia and malnutrition. Moreover, the assessment, diagnosis and therapy of dys-phagia/presbyphagia should include the intervention of different specialists
Magnesium in Aging, Health and Diseases
Full text linkSeveral changes of magnesium (Mg) metabolism have been reported with aging, including diminished Mg intake, impaired intestinal Mg absorption and renal Mg wasting. Mild Mg deficits are generally asymptomatic and clinical signs are usually non-specific or absent. Asthenia, sleep disorders, hyperemotionality, and cognitive disorders are common in the elderly with mild Mg deficit, and may be often confused with age-related symptoms. Chronic Mg deficits increase the production of free radicals which have been implicated in the development of several chronic age-related disorders. Numerous human diseases have been associated with Mg deficits, including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and stroke, cardio-metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus, airways constrictive syndromes and asthma, depression, stress-related conditions and psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia syndromes, muscular diseases (muscle pain, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia), bone fragility, and cancer. Dietary Mg and/or Mg consumed in drinking water (generally more bioavailable than Mg contained in food) or in alternative Mg supplements should be taken into consideration in the correction of Mg deficits. Maintaining an optimal Mg balance all through life may help in the prevention of oxidative stress and chronic conditions associated with aging. This needs to be demonstrated by future studies
The place of frailty and vulnerability in the surgical risk assessment: should we move from complexity to simplicity?
Full text linkDue to aging of the world population, older patients accessing health services are becoming continuously more frequent. This has increased the interest in assessing frailty and vulnerability in all specialties and general medicine. Although the term frailty has been recognized for over 30 years, there is not yet a universally recognized definition, and different care providers assess frailty and vulnerability with dissimilar tools, from very complex to very simple validated scales. Being treated with respect and dignity at the right time and place is the key message, as well as after undergoing a global evaluation both in urgency/emergency and in programmed surgery for all older surgical patients. Filling the gap will improve the results of any clinical intervention, both medical and surgical. Anesthesiologists, surgeons, hospitalists, and any member of the team of care providers must be trained into geriatric syndromes
Magnesium and the Hallmarks of Aging
Full text linkMagnesium is an essential ion in the human body that regulates numerous physiological and pathological processes. Magnesium deficiency is very common in old age. Age-related chronic diseases and the aging process itself are frequently associated with low-grade chronic inflammation, called 'inflammaging'. Because chronic magnesium insufficiency has been linked to excessive generation of inflammatory markers and free radicals, inducing a chronic inflammatory state, we formerly hypothesized that magnesium inadequacy may be considered among the intermediaries helping us explain the link between inflammaging and aging-associated diseases. We show in this review evidence of the relationship of magnesium with all the hallmarks of aging (genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, disabled autophagy, dysbiosis, and chronic inflammation), which may positively affect the human healthspan. It is feasible to hypothesize that maintaining an optimal balance of magnesium during one's life course may turn out to be a safe and economical strategy contributing to the promotion of healthy aging. Future well-designed studies are necessary to further explore this hypothesis
- …
