Blood zinc, copper and magnesium in aging. A study in healthy home-living elderly.

BACKGROUND: Blood concentrations of copper, zinc and magnesium were determined in healthy elderly to assess whether aging interferes with mineral and micronutrient status. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: case series. SETTING: Internal Medicine and Geriatrics ambulatories in a University Hospital in Pisa, a city of Central Italy. PARTICIPANTS: 143 healthy outpatients of both sexes, who underwent a cardiological examination. INTERVENTION: no treatment and intervention were performed. MEASURES: copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and magnesium--both intraerythrocytic (iMg) and extracellular (eMg)--were measured. RESULTS: The concentrations of Cu and eMg were found significantly higher in the elderly: Cu 117.5 +/- 17.0 micrograms/dl in the elderly vs 102.5 +/- 19.6 micrograms/dl in the younger (p < 0.001); eMg 1.8 +/- 0.2 in the elderly vs 1.7 +/- 0.2 mEq/l in the younger (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the levels of Zn and iMg did not differ in the two groups: Zn 113.3 +/- 14.9 micrograms/dl in the elderly vs 118.0 +/- 17.3 micrograms/dl in the younger, p = n.s.; iMg 4.3 +/- 0.4 mEq/l in the elderly vs 4.2 +/- 0.4 mEq/l in the younger, p = n.s. No correlation was found between age and single elements. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the healthy free-living elderly have an adequate mineral intake. Nutrient supplements may by useful in the elderly with chronic diseases, comorbidities, and polypharmacy to prevent further age dysfunctions.

[Falls and fractures in the elderly. Causes and consequences]. / Cadute e fratture nell'anziano. Cause e consequenze.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the causes of non-pathologic traumatic fractures in the elderly and their consequences on quality of life. DESIGN: A prospective trial. FOLLOW-UP: 12 months for the inpatients and 3 months for the outpatients. SETTING: Basal assessment in orthopaedic hospital; follow-up in geriatric unit. PATIENTS: Both inpatients and outpatients, 65 years and over, both sexes, both living in a nursing home and in their own home, admitted to an orthopaedic hospital because of a fall, with diagnosis of a subsequent fracture. Criteria of exclusion: patients with pathologic fracture. 121 patients were enrolled, 108 had a complete follow-up. SURVEYS: Health and functional status prior to the fracture, causes and concomitant causes of the fall, site of the fracture, complications and functional disabilities. RESULTS: The most frequent cause of fracture is an accidental fall, especially in younger elderly, other causes being acute cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Fractures occur more frequently in females. The most serious injuries affect frailer subjects, with advanced age, neurologic and multiple chronic diseases. Fracture of femur is the most frequent fracture and it has the highest risk complications, functional disabilities and death. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high frequency of accidental falls, the authors emphasize the necessity of primary prevention, especially the removal of architectural barriers both at home and in public environment.