No abstract

BackgroundThe association between diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment and dementia is not well understood.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemia, and dementia risk.Research design and methodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacological treatment of diabetes and incident or progressive cognitive impairment. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, and PsychINFO from inception to 18 October 2017. We included cross-sectional, case–control, cohort, and randomized controlled studies. The study was registered with PROSPERO (ID CRD42017077953).ResultsWe included 37 studies into our systematic review and 13 into our meta-analysis. Ten studies investigated any antidiabetic treatment compared with no treatment or as add-on therapy to prior care. Treatment with an antidiabetic agent, in general, was not associated with incident dementia (risk ratio (RR) 1.01; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.10). However, we found differential effects across drug classes, with a signal of harm associated with insulin therapy (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.39), but potentially protective effects with thiazolidinedione exposure (RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.93). Severe hypoglycemic episodes were associated with a nearly twofold increased likelihood of incident dementia (RR 1.77; 95% CI 1.35 to 2.33). Most studies did not account for DM duration or severity.Conclusions and limitationsThe association between treatment for diabetes and dementia is differential according to drug class, which is potentially mediated by hypoglycemic risk. Not accounting for DM duration and/or severity is a major limitation in the available evidence base.

Identifying those least willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine is critical for increasing uptake via targeted outreach. We conducted a survey of 23,819 Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging participants from September 29 to December 29, 2020, to assess factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine willingness and reasons for willingness or lack thereof. Among adults aged 50-96 in Canada, 84.1% (95% CI: 83.7-84.6) were very or somewhat willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine; 15.9% (95% CI: 15.4-16.3) were uncertain or very or somewhat unwilling. Based on logistic regression, those who were younger, female, had lower education and income, non-white, and lived in a rural area were less willing. After controlling for these factors, recent receipt of influenza vaccine (aOR=14.3; 95% CI: 12.5-16.2) or plans to receive influenza vaccine (aOR=10.5; 95% CI: 9.5-11.6) compared to not planning to was most strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccine willingness. Willingness was also associated with believing one had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing negative pandemic consequences. Safety concerns were most common. Our comprehensive assessment of COVID-19 vaccine willingness among older adults in Canada, a prioritized group due to risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, provides a roadmap for conducting outreach to increase uptake, which is urgently needed.

IMPORTANCE Difficulty maintaining balance is common among individuals aged 40 years or older and increases the risk of falls. However, little is known about the association of balance function with long-term mortality outcomes in adults.OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of balance function with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among US adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A prospective, population-based cohort study of a nationally representative sample of 5816 adults (weighted population, 92 260 641) from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was conducted from 1999 to 2004. Individuals aged 40 years or older who completed the modified Romberg Test of Standing Balance on Firm and Compliant Support Surfaces were included. Participants were linked to mortality data from the test date through December 31, 2015. Data analysis was conducted from February 1 to June 1, 2020. EXPOSURES The modified Romberg Test of Standing Balance on Firm and Compliant Support Surfaces was used to measure balance function and define balance disorder according to sensory input. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mortality associated with all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. RESULTS A total of 5816 adults (weighted mean [SE] age, 53.6 [0.2] years; 2897 [49.8%]women) were included in this cohort study. During up to 16.8 years of follow-up (median, 12.5 years; 68 919 person-years), 1530 deaths occurred, including 342 associated with CVD and 364 associated with cancer. Participants with balance disorder were at a higher risk of death from all causes, CVD, and cancer. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and chronic conditions, the hazard ratios (HRs) among participants with balance disorder compared with those without balance disorder were 1.44 (95% CI, 1.23-1.69) for all-cause mortality, 1.65 (95% CI, 1.17-2.31) for CVD mortality, and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.03-1.83) for cancer mortality. Furthermore, vestibular balance disorder was associated with increased mortality from all causes (

ImportanceLoneliness and social isolation are public health concerns faced by older adults due to physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes that develop with aging. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.ObjectiveTo evaluate interventions, targeting older adults, associated with a reduction in loneliness and social isolation.Data SourcesOVID, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Embase, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to March 2020.Study SelectionPeer-reviewed randomized clinical trials measuring loneliness and social isolation or support in adults aged 65 years or older. Only English language articles were included.Data Extraction and SynthesisTwo independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Random-effects models were performed to pool the overall effect size by intervention. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with the I2 statistic and by estimating prediction intervals. Data were analyzed from November 2021 to September 2022.Main Outcomes and MeasuresQuantitative measures of loneliness, social isolation, or social support based on an effect size of standardized mean differences.ResultsSeventy studies were included in the systematic review (8259 participants); 44 studies were included in the loneliness meta-analysis (33 in the community with 3535 participants; 11 in long-term care with 1057 participants), with participants’ ages ranging from 55 to 100 years. Study sizes ranged from 8 to 741 participants. Interventions included animal therapy, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, multicomponent, counseling, exercise, music therapy, occupational therapy, reminiscence therapy, social interventions, and technological interventions. Most interventions had a small effect size. Animal therapy in long-term care, when accounting for studies with no active controls, had the largest effect size on loneliness reduction (−1.86; 95% CI, −3.14 to −0.59; I2 = 86%) followed by technological interventions (videoconferencing) in long-term care (−1.40; 95% CI, −2.37 to −0.44; I2 = 70%).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this study, animal therapy and technology in long-term care had large effect sizes, but also high heterogeneity, so the effect size’s magnitude should be interpreted with caution. The small number of studies per intervention limits conclusions on sources of heterogeneity. Overall quality of evidence was very low. Future studies should consider measures of social isolation in long-term care and identify the contextual components that are associated with a reduction in loneliness.