• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.99 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2024

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is characterized by elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and normal free thyroxine levels. The Korean Thyroid Association recently issued guidelines for managing SCH. Based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015), a serum TSH level of 6.8 mIU/L is the reference value for SCH. SCH is classified as mild (TSH 6.8-10.0 mIU/L) or severe (TSH > 10.0 mIU/L), and patients are categorized as adult (age < 70 years) or elderly (age ≥ 70 years). Levothyroxine treatment (LT4-Tx) is not recommended for mild or even severe SCH in elderly patients. Immediate LT4-Tx can be given to adults in most cases, but not to women who are pregnant, patients with progressive disease, or patients with underlying coronary artery disease, heart failure, or dyslipidemia.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2020

Purpose: Although the importance of life satisfaction in patients with chronic diseases has been emphasized, limited studies have been performed on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among elderly patients with chronic diseases. This study examined the HRQoL among Korean patients with diabetes aged 65 years or older. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2016. The analysis included data of 2,353 elderly patients with diabetes aged 65 years or older who were aware that they had type 2 diabetes. Each participant was categorized into one of three age groups (65-69 years, 70-74 years, and ≥ 75 years). The EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) scale was computed to estimate the HRQoL. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to compare the demographic characteristics, lifestyle characteristics, nutrient intake, and EQ-5D scores between the age groups. Results: The intake levels of most nutrients were similar in the three age groups, but the total energy intake levels were significantly lower, and the sodium intake levels were significantly higher in the older age groups (p < 0.001). In addition, all items of the EQ-5D index, except for anxiety/depression, tended to decrease with age. In particular, the oldest age group (≥ 75 years) showed significantly lower levels on most items and the EQ-5D index than those in the other age groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes may have low levels of life satisfaction, which worsens with increasing age. Therefore, it is important to develop and manage personalized guidelines and medical systems so that elderly patients have a higher quality of life for the remainder of their lives. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for the systematic management of diabetes in elderly Korean patients.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.814-823
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• 2002

This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional status of the elderly women, who attended the Health Promotion Program of the Seogu Health Center in Daegu. The study subjects were 158 elderly women in an urban community. The general characteristics, dietary behavior (nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitudes and dietary habits), food and nutrient intake were surveyed by an individual interview. The average age of the study subjects was 70.9 $\pm$ 2.3 years of the subject group 79.1% ranged in age from 65 to 74 years and 20.9% were over 75 years. Their average score for nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitudes and dietary habits was 7.3 (total mark of 10), 7.2 (total mark of 10) and 9.1 (total mark of 22) respectively. Specifically, the level of the dietary habits of the study subjects was very low. In relation to food group intake of the study subjects according to age, their food intake was low. The total, plant. and animal food intake were 1078.9 g, 954.4 g (88.5%), and 244.4 g (11.5%), respectively. The mean daily energy intake and nutrient intake according to percentage of the Korean RDA were higher in the from 65 to 74 year group than in those people over 75 years. The average calories and the mean percentage of nutrient intake, except for vitamin C and phosphorus. were below 75% of the Korean RDA. It seems that the nutrient intake was very low. The mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) was 0.59. Nutritional status of age over 75 years old was significantly lower than that of 6574 years old group (Mar ＝ 0.60 VS 0.54, p ＜ 0.05) The correlation coefficients between their dietary behavior (nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitudes, dietary habit) and their mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) showed significant linear relations. In conclusion, if nutritional education is to affect the dietary behavior of elderly women, it should be included in a Program to Promote their nutrition and health status.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.238-245
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• 2014

Purpose: Gastric cancer often occurs in the elderly but is uncommon in young individuals. Whether young patients have different clinical behaviors and outcomes from those of older patients remain unclear. Materials and Methods: We identified 1,366 cases of newly diagnosed noncardia gastric adenocarcinoma from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry between 2000 and 2010. We then compared the clinicopathological features and survival among the different age groups. Results: The male : female ratio differed significantly between the younger and older patient groups (0.84 in age <50 years vs. 1.52>60 years, P<0.01). More younger patients were Hispanic (54% patients <40 years vs. 19% patients ${\geq}70$ years, P<0.0001), while more older patients were Caucasian (49% patients ${\geq}70$ years vs. 15% patients <40 years; P<0.0001). The diffuse/mixed histological type was more prevalent in younger patients (70% patients <40 years vs. 27% patients ${\geq}70$ years; P<0.0001), whereas the intestinal type was more frequent in older patients (71% in patients ${\geq}70$ years vs. 30% in patients <40 years; P<0.0001). Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was more common in the younger patients (80% in patients <40 years vs. 60% in patients ${\geq}70$ years; P=0.016). Survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years gradually declined with increasing age (overall P=0.0002). Conclusions: Young patients with gastric cancer had more aggressive disease but higher overall survival rates than older patients. Younger Hispanic patients and older Caucasian patients were more likely to be diagnosed with gastric cancer. These differences may be due to biological predisposition and/or environmental exposure.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.79-89
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• 2022

Whereas systolic blood pressure (SBP) continuously rises with age, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) gradually decreases after the age of 55 years. Therefore, hypertension in the elderly shows the pattern of isolated systolic hypertension. There is evidence on the benefits of controlling blood pressure (BP) in elderly patients with hypertension. The BP lowering effect has also been demonstrated in patients over 80 years of age with hypertension. The BP threshold for the initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment for older adults with hypertension is gradually decreasing. The antihypertensive treatment is recommended if, despite therapeutic lifestyle modifications, SBP ≥140 mmHg or DBP ≥90 mmHg in those aged 65-79 years old, and SBP ≥140-160 mmHg or DBP ≥90 mmHg in those aged ≥80 years old. Although there is no consensus on the target BP for older adults with hypertension, a target SBP of <130-140 mmHg and DBP of <80-90 mmHg are recommended. In older adults over 80 years of age with hypertension, the target SBP is <140-150 mmHg. When the dose of antihypertensive drugs is increased to reach the target SBP, DBP may decrease to less than 70 mmHg, but it should not be <60 mmHg. Thiazide diuretics, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers can be selected as the first-line drug for older adults with hypertension. Beta-blockers may be selected in case of compelling indications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4711-4714
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• 2015

Background: The incidence of lung cancer increases with age. Approximately 50% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are over 70 years old. Because of the increasing elderly population, treatment approaches in this age group continue to be studied similar to groups of young people. Materials and Methods: In the current study, 26 patients who underwent radical surgery and adjuvan chemoradiation at Ataturk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of 21 patients (81%) were male and the average age was 74.4. Lobectomy was performed in 18 cases, pneumonectomy in 3, sleeve lobectomy in 3 and bilobectomy in 2. There was no perioperative or early period mortality. Overall survival was 24.5 months. Conclusions: From our study, lung cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy can be performed safely with low morbidity in the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effect of twelve-week Taekwondo and walking exercises on the double-leg balance control by dividing elderly females into Taekwondo, walking exercise and control groups. In total, 30 elderly females were randomly divided into Taekwondo, walking exercise, and control groups, with 10 subjects in each group. Subjects participating in this study were 10(age $69.4{\pm}5.8$ years), 10(age $71.4{\pm}7.6$ years) and 10(age $70.6{\pm}4.8$ years) in the three groups, respectively. Although the AP measures were not significantly different among the groups and times, the ML RMS distance and ML velocity, among the ML measures showed a significant difference among the groups and times. Average velocity and 95% confidence ellipse area were also significantly different among the groups and times. Twelve-week Taekwondo and walking exercises were found to be effective in improving static balance control. Future studies on the development of a Taekwondo intervention program tailored for the elderly with many subjects conducted by using a long-term training program are expected.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 1999

Background: Early detection and surgical resection offer the most advantage out of all cures for lung cancer. Elderly patients may fail to benefit maximally from these interventions because of their general condition and residual lung function. To study the impact of age on stages, histology, symptoms, and treatments of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer, we undertook a retrospective review. Material and Method : Two hundred eleven patients with non-small cell lung cancer were operated on at Samsung Seoul hospital between October 1994 and June 1997. Patients were arbitrarily arbitrarily by age less than 70 years(176 patients) and 70 years or more(35 patients), and their medical records were reviewed. Result: There were no differences in pathologic staging and diagnosis. But there were differences in surgical methods, complications, and mortality rates between the two groups. There were much more complications in the 70 years or more group(p=0.02). We chose less invasive surgical methods in the 70 years or more group. Conclusion: More complications were experienced in the 70 years or more group. Although thoracic operation imparts the greatest survival advantage, this benefit is diminished in elderly patients because of their high complications and mortality rate. We recommend serious consideration of surgical indications and operative methods.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.222-229
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Aging is an imperative problem for many countries in this century, and presents several challenges for the maintenance of good nutritional status. This study aims to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle and health status on the nutritional status among the elderly in Taiwan. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Mei Jau Health Management Institution, which is a private health evaluation provider with multiple health screening centers in Taiwan and Asia. This study included 7947 adults aged 65 years or above. The data were extracted between 2001 to 2010. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric data, biochemical data and dietary intake information. RESULTS: Among the 7947 participants with mean age of 70.1 (SD = 4.5) years, 20.2%, 6.6%, 10.5% and 52.5% experienced underweight, protein malnutrition, anemia and inadequate dietary intake in the past month, respectively. Age was negatively correlated with body weight (r = -0.19, P = 0.02), body mass index (r = -0.41, P < 0.001), albumin level (r = -0.93, P < 0.001) and hemoglobin level (r = -0.30, P = 0.008). Age above 70 years, gender, unmarried status, retirement, lack of education, low family income, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration of 6-8 hours, vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity and dysphagia were positively associated with malnutrition in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight and inadequate dietary intake are prevalent among the elderly in Taiwan. Vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity, dysphagia and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking and sleep duration of 6-8 hours are risk factors for undernutrition in older adults.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of pain, fatigue, and illness duration in elderly women with osteoarthritis. Methods: The subjects of the study were one hundred and thirty five elderly women (age over 65years) who have an osteoarthritis. Data were gathered from September 2002 to June 2005 using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed with the SPSS Win 11.0 using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: Pain in the elderly women with osteoarthritis correlated with fatigue (r= .447, p= .00). Pain showed a significantly positive correlation to illness duration (r= .197, p= .02). Fatigue showed a significantly positive correlation to illness duration (r= .213, p= .01). Conclusion: It is suggested that we need to develop the pain and fatigue control program considering illness duration should be provided for elderly women with osteoarthritis.