End-of-Life planning among older Filipinos

Purpose@#The number of older Filipinos continues to rise resulting in increasing numbers of people who live in a modernized world which offers numerous options to prepare for the End-of-Life (EoL). Henceforth, EoLplanning among older Filipinos and the factors which could potentially influence the propensity to plan ahead needs further investigation. This study ascertained the level of health, relationship, funerary, legal and financial-related EoL planning among older Filipinos, and established the association between EoL planning and sex, chronologic age, religious affiliation, ethnicity, health and financial status.@*Methods@#The study utilized a descriptive survey design, including 400 respondents, chosen through purposive sampling and met the inclusion of Filipino, Baguio residents, aged 60 and above, able to read and understand English, Filipino or Ilokano, and without psychological disturbances or cognitive deficits. The researchers used a self-made questionnaire after establishing validity (0.96) and reliability (0.82). The Saint Louis University Research Ethics Committee ensured the ethical conduct of this research. Data were treated with statistics using frequency, mean and Chi-square test.@*Findings@#The responses indicated moderate levels of EoL planning overall. Moreover, statistical tests revealed that only health status has a significant association with EoLplanning.@*Conclusions@#Based on the findings, the researchers conclude that EoL planning remains not widely used in the Philippines, thus, intensifying the call for more aggressive interventions to make EoL planning salient and acceptable to older people. In addition, health status affects EoL planning considerably, and that knowing the sex, chronologic age, religious affiliation, ethnicity and financial status did not help predict EoLplanning.

Effect of acute exercise on plasma nitric oxide level in humans.

Since nitric oxide [NO] plays an important role in regulating vascular tone and changes in the plasma concentration of the end product of NO [nitrite/nitrate] have been observed during exercise, we studied the influence of acute exercise on nitrite/nitrate plasma levels in a group of semiprofessional football players and in younger and older sedentary subjects. The subjects exercised for 10 min on a cycle ergometer and blood samples were obtained at rest and immediately after exercise. Plasma samples were analysed for nitrite/nitrate. The acute physical exercise induced a significant increase in nitrite/nitrate plasma levels both in sedentary and in active subjects. No difference was evident between the younger and older subjects, both in the basal level and after exercise, indicating that the changes could not be due to age. The higher basal plasma level of nitrite/nitrate observed in the active subjects compared with sedentary groups indicates that the state of physical conditioning had an effect on resting NO concentration. It seems that either acute exercise, even for a short time, or training can induce an increase in circulating NO

Role of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in gastroprotection induced by lipopolysaccharide in ethanol - mediated damage in rats

This study was designed to investigate the role of endogenous nitric oxide [NO] and prostaglandin E2 [PGE2] in the gastroprotection induced by lipopolysaccharide [LPS]. Ethanol was used to induce gastric lesions in control rats and in rats pretreated with graded doses of LPS administered at different time intervals and with inhibitors of NO synthase or prostaglandin synthesis. The ethanol-induced damage on gastric mucosa was assessed by measuring the extent of the lesion. We evaluated nitrite, a breakdown of NO, and PGE2 accumulation in ex vivo gastric mucosa. The ex vivo production of both NO and PGE2 was increased in a dose-dependent manner by LPS injected 5 h before ethanol. Pretreatment with L-N6-[1-iminoethyl]lysine[dihydrochloride] inhibited the protection associated with LPS and the ex vivo increase of both NO and PGE2. Indomethacin was ineffective in suppressing LPS-mediated protection against ethanol-induced damage and in suppressing ex vivo increase of nitrite whereas the ex vivo increase of PGE2 was prevented in a dose-dependent manner. When ethanol was administered 30 min after LPS, there was a lack of protection and a lack of increase of NO and PGE2. These results indicate that the reduction in ethanol-mediated damage in LPS-treated rats depends on endogenous PGE2 formation and on endogenous NO produced by stimulation of inducible NO synthase