Consumo de alcohol en el adulto mayor chileno que viaja / Alcohol consumption among traveling Chilean older people

Background: Problems associated with alcohol consumption are prevalent in Chile, but little is known about the situation in the elderly. Aim: To perform a screening to detect alcohol-related problems and risks in the Chilean older people who travel. Material and Methods: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire was answered by 1,076 travelers aged 60 to 93 years (66% females), who participated in trips organized by the Chilean National Tourism Service (SERNATUR). Results: Seventy six percent of respondents acknowledged to have ingested an alcoholic drink during the last month. The average AUDIT score was of 2.2 ± 2.6. Only 3.7% of the sample had a score equal or higher than eight, considered as risky use. Within this last group, 60% had symptoms of alcohol dependence. A higher alcohol consumption was associated with male gender (p < 0.01), being younger than 75 years of age (p < 0.01), having a medium-low economic income (p < 0.01) and having a higher education level (p = 0.03). There was no significant association with the respondents´ occupation. Conclusions: In this sample of Chilean traveling older people, there was a high prevalence of alcohol consumption, and nearly 4% of respondents had alcohol related problems.

Niveles de vitamina D en adultos mayores saludables chilenos y su relación con desempeño functional / Vitamin D levels in older healthy Chilean adults and their association with functional performance

Background: People over 60 years old are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, which can affect functional performance, since this vitamin is involved in muscle function and protein synthesis. Aim: To measure 25OH vitamin D levels in healthy older people from Santiago de Chile, and evaluate their relationship with functional performance. Subjects and Methods: Healthy subjects aged 60 years or more and living in the community were invited to participate. People with chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, physical disability, smokers and those consuming more than three medications per day were excluded. Hand grip and gait speed were measured and a blood sample was obtained to measure 25OH vitamin D by radioimmunoanalysis. Results: One hundred and four participants aged 60 to 98 years (55% females) were studied. Mean vitamin D levels were 17.3 ± 6.1 ng/mL. Females had lower levels than males (15.6 ± 5.8 and 19.2 ± 6.0 ng/mL respectively p < 0.01). Eighty three percent of females and 55.3% of males had values below 20 ng/mL (the cutoff point for deficiency). Only 3.5% of females and 8.5% of males had values of 30 ng/ml or higher. There was a significant correlation between vitamin D levels, gait speed and grip strength (r = 0.32 and 0.34 respectively, p < 0.01), especially in women over 74 years. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is almost universal in healthy adults over 60 years living in Santiago de Chile, especially in women. This deficiency is associated with a deranged functional performance and is a potentially modifiable risk factor for disability.