• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.16-22
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• 2006

Falling is a serious problem associated with aging. Unintentional injury, which most often results from falling, is one of the leading causes of death in elderly people. The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors of falls and to compare characteristics of people who fall with that of non-fallers among the rural community-dwelling elderly of Korea. A sample of 201 people, living in the community, aged 60 years and over was taken from the members of a center for seniors located in Jecheon city. The mean age of the participants was 70.5 years of age. The participants are comprised of 151 women and 50 men. Eighty four of the 201 participants (41.8%) fell during the previous year. Twenty two of the fallers (26.2%) fell down more than two times. It was found that fallers had poorer eyesight, multiple chronic diseases and a more difficult time walking than non-fallers. In the logistic regression analysis of falls, only the difficulty of walking one kilometer (OR=2.4) and chronic diseases (OR=2.5) have shown an increased risk of falls. The risk of recurrent falls is, in addition, influenced by the difficulty of walking one kilometer. The result of our study shows that the impairment of mobility was the strongest risk factor of recurrent falling.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.684-690
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• 2017

Objective : As increasing the size of the geriatric population, the number of elderly patients, who need the surgery for painful degenerative spinal stenosis has been increasing. The geriatric population may be relatively high complications, because of age and age-associated medical conditions. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the perioperative complications and outcomes in elderly patients with posterior lumbar inter body fusion with screw augmentation (PLIF). Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiographic studies of geriatric patients who had spine surgery of PLIF due to spinal stenosis for 11 years. We divided into 2 groups (A; 70-75 years, B; over then 76 years) according to the age. Surgical level of each groups, hospital day and postoperative day, co-morbidities, complications, clinical outcomes were analyzed. Operative reports, hospital and outpatient clinic charts, and radiographic studies were reviewed. Results : Group A was composed of 80 patients, their mean age was 72.21 and female dominant (n=46), and their mean surgically fused level was 1.52 level. Group B was 36 patients, their mean age was 78.83 and female dominant (n=20), and their mean surgically fused level was 1.36 level. Comparing between two groups, complications, postoperative hospital stay were slightly increase in group B and co-morbidity was statistically high in group B, however clinical outcomes were similar between two groups. Conclusion : Increasing age might be an important risk factor for complications in patients undergoing PLIF, however, we would like to recommend that if the situation of spine of extreme geriatric patients need PLIF, it should be in the surgeon's consideration after careful selection and clinical judgement.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2021

Background: To determine the benefit of pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) with visual biofeedback on promoting patient recovery from incontinence, we investigated variables associated with the early restoration of continence for patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods: Of the 83 patients enrolled, 41 consecutive patients completed PFME (the exercise group), and the other 42 consecutive patients just before the PFME program commenced (the control group). The primary outcome was whether PFME engagement was associated with zero pad continence restoration within 3 months of surgery. Results: Continence restoration percentages (defined as zero pads used per day) at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery were 49.4%, 77.1%, and 94.0%, respectively. The exercise group achieved significantly higher recovery rates at 1 month (p=0.037), 3 months (p<0.001), and 6 months (p=023). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that a lower Gleason score (<8; hazard ratio [HR], 2.167), lower prostate specific antigen (<20 ng/dL; HR, 2.909), and engagement in PFME (HR, 3.731) were independent predictors of early recovery from postprostatectomy incontinence. Stratification by age showed that those younger than 65 years did not benefit significantly from exercise (log-rank test, p=0.08), but that their elderly counterparts, aged 65-70 years (p=0.007) and >70 years old (p=0.002) benefited significantly. Conclusion: This study suggests that postoperative engagement in PFME with biofeedback speeds up the recovery of continence in elderly patients (≥65 years old) that undergo RARP.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2005

This study was to performed to assess social factors and physical health status. The subjects of the study were 103 elderly people of age over 85 years living in Ganghwa-gun area. The method of this research was based on the interview-survey with questionnaire. Chi-square test was the main data analysis method. The subject group was composed of 36 males and 67 females, the average age being 91.0 $\pm$ 3.2 years old for the males and 91.1 $\pm$ 3.4 years old for the females. The aged average height and weight were 161.0 $\pm$ 7.9 cm and 54.6 $\pm$ 7.8 kg in males, 141.0 $\pm$ 8.2 cm and 42.2 $\pm$ 7.9 kg in females which were lower than the Korean average standard but the mean BMIs of both male and female showed normal range. Their level of education was lower and they tended to be religious. The aged population might be economically poor. Their level of living standards tended to have been lower-middle and lower class. The mean age of their parents' death were 64.3 $\pm$ 17.2 years in males, 59.0 $\pm$ 14.9 years in females for the father and 70.9 $\pm$ 15.5 years in males, 66.8 $\pm$ 16.6 years in females for the mother. The rate of living together with their family or spouse in the female aged was $83.2\%$ higher than in the male aged. They tended to have engaged in hobbies that require less movement. Of the kinds of hobby, 'TV watching ($47.8\%$ in male and $44.9\%$ in female) was the highest. Ratios of the drinking and the smoking elderly were $30.6\%$, $25.0\%$ in male and $7.5\%$, $18.8\%$ in female but they tended to have never drunken and smoked. Of the subjects, $42.9\%$ spend 8$\~$9 hours for sleeping in male and $35.8\%$ spend 10 hours for sleeping in female. They tended to have not done any particular health behavior. The most common diseases were digestive disease in male, arthritis and hypertension in female. Most elderly males ($47.3\%$) and females ($61.2\%$) had 1$\~$2 diseases.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.603-614
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• 2002

In this study, the nutrient intakes, dietary quality, and muscle strength of elderly women in a social-welfare center of a large city were compared with those of elderly women at home in a large city. Also, the relationships between muscle strength and nutrient intake status were investigated in both elderly group. The results of this study were as follows: The ages of elderly in the social welfare center and of elderly in general home residing elderly were 68.2 and 70.3 years, respectively. The average energy and nutrient intakes of both groups were lower than the Korean RDA. There were no differences between the groups in terms of macro-nutrient composition and quantity. The elderly in center showed significantly lower intakes of vitamin $B_2$, niacin and calcium than the home-residing elderly. The hand grip strength and back muscle strength were lower in the elderly of social welfare center, but a significant difference was found only in the left hand grip strength. The muscle strength, especially the left hand grip strength of those in social welfare center, showed significant correlations with various nutrient intakes. In contrast, generally no relationship between muscle strength and nutrients intakes status could be found in the home residing elderly. The variances in the mean hand grip strength and the left hand grip strength 19.0% and 18.6% respectively, were explained by their ages. This is in contrast to 22.3% and 32.4% of calorie intake and vegetable protein intake in the elderly of the social welfare center. In conclusion, the status of nutrient intake in those in the social welfare center seems to be low, and it is assumed that the low calorie and vegetable protein intake may contribute to the muscle strength decline in the socioeconomically high risk elderly.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2017

Background: In elderly patients who have atrial fibrillation (AF), surgical ablation of the arrhythmia during cardiac surgery may be challenging. Despite the reported advantages of ablating AF with the Cox maze procedure (CMP), the addition of the CMP may complicate other cardiac operations. We evaluated the effect of the CMP in elderly patients concurrent with other cardiac operations. Methods: From October 2007 to December 2015, we enrolled 27 patients aged >70 years who had AF and who underwent the CMP concurrently with other cardiac operations. The mean preoperative additive European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score was $8{\pm}11$ (high risk). Results: Only 1 hospital death occurred (4%). The Kaplan-Meier method showed a high 5-year cumulative survival rate (92%). At mean follow‐up of 51 months, 23 patients (89%) had sinus rhythm conversion. The postoperative left atrial dimensions did not significantly differ between the 8 patients who had reduction plasty for giant left atrium ($53.4{\pm}7.5cm$) and the 19 patients who did not have reduction plasty ($48.7{\pm}5.7cm$). Conclusion: In patients aged >70 years, concurrent CMP may be associated with a high rate of sinus rhythm conversion without increased surgical risk, despite the added complexity of the main cardiac procedure.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.289-293
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• 2006

By means of microsurgical free-tissue transfer providing a large amount of required tissue, the surgeon can resect tumoral tissue more safely, which allows tumor-free margins and enhances the reliability of the ablative surgery that otherwise could not be performed radically. The morbidity of elective free-tissue transfer seems to be quite low, carrying acceptable risks for most patients. But the elderly patients are at risk for cardiac and respiratory problems, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary emboli and infection merely as a function of age. This study was undertaken to define further risks of the elderly population with regards to free-tissue transfer. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 110 microsurgical free-tissue transfers for head and neck reconstruction in patients greater than 60 years of age. Microsurgical procedures in all cases were preformed by the plastic and reconstructive department at Yonsei medical center. The investigated parameters were patient demographics, past medical history, American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) status, site and cause of defect, the free tissue transferred and postoperative complication including free-flap success or failure. There were 46 patients in the age group from 60 to 64 years, 34 patients from 65 to 70 years, and 30 patients 70 years or older. There happened 3 flap losses, resulting in a flap viability rate of 97%. Patients with a higher ASA designation experienced more medical complication(p=0.05, 0.01, 0.03 in each age group I, II, III) but not surgical complication p=0.17, 0.11, 0.54 in each age group I, II, III). And the relationship between postoperative complication and age groups was not significant. These observations suggest that major determinant for postoperative medical complication be the patient's American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and chronologic age alone should not be an exclusion criterion when selecting patients for free-tissue transfer

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.667-674
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of motion-based game exercise program and stretching exercise program on static and dynamic standing balance in elderly women. Methods : Subjects participated in the exercise program was 40 eldery women took part in this study. The average age of the elderly was 70.60 years. All subjects could walk without an assistive device. All subjects were participated in this study during 4 weeks(3 days per week, 30min/day). All participants were assessed on berg balance scale(BBS), functional reach test(FRT), timed up&go test(TUG). Results : The data were analyzed using paired t-test. After 4 weeks exercise training, the result of this study were as follows: The BBS of the elderly was significant difference between test-retest(p<0.05). The TUG of the elderly were significant difference between test-retest(p<0.05). The Motion-Based game from FRT of the was more significant difference than stretching exercise program(p<0.05). we also found significant differences for both groups FRT scores, and changes in mean BBS, TUG scores, but BBS, TUG were not significant. Conclusion : We findings suggest that elderly women person could improve their standing balance through Motion-Based game exercise program, and stretching exercise program.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of endodontic treatment of mandibular second molar with C-shaped canal in elderly patients and related factors affecting the survival of the tooth. Materials and Methods: From 2010 to 2015, the survival rate following endodontic treatment was evaluated in elderly patients over 60 years who visited the Veterans Health Service Medical Center for endodontic treatment. The presence of C-shaped canals was confirmed using clinical records and radiographic features. Patient's age, sex, systemic diseases, tooth location, vitality, signs and symptoms, fractures, caries, apical radiolucency, canal shaping methods, sealer leakage, filling voids, and restoration of prosthesis were included in the analyses as confounding variables. The survival rate of teeth was analyzed using Kaplan-Meire analysis and the relationship between the survival rate and variables was analyzed using Simple and Multiple Cox regression analysis. Result: In total, 107 teeth in elderly patients had C-shaped canal. The survival rate of teeth that received endodontic treatment was 63.70%. None of the factors investigated significantly influenced the survival rate (P>0.05). Conclusion: In elderly patients with C-shaped canal, the survival rate after root canal treatment was not significantly different from that of other mandibular molars.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2009

Purpose: To investigate the relationships among stress, depression, family function, and activities of daily living in elderly females. Methods: Using a descriptive correlation for the study design, data was collected from 134 elderly females older than 60 years of age. Result: The level of depression among the subjects was 6.04($\pm5.30$) and level of stress was 1.62($\pm.70$). The performance capacity of the activities of daily living was 17.79($\pm0.87$), and the instrumental activities of daily living was 22.33($\pm2.66$). The family function was 2.82($\pm3.47$). Depression and stress showed a positive correlation(p<.001) and had a negative correlation with family function(p=.025), as the correlation with instrumental activities of daily living was negatively related(p=.008). Stress had a positive relationship with family function(p<.001). and was negatively related to instrumental activities of daily living (p=.041). Conclusion: For health promotion of elderly females, it is critical to make an effort to establish and constantly develop a program, as well as policy for the health of the elderly considering and understanding gender differences.