Nutrition, Frailty and Prevention of Disabilities with Aging.

The heterogeneous group of older adults may be differentiated into three subgroups in order to facilitate the development and implementation of personalized healthcare interventions: 1) "disabled individuals" (i.e., those needing assistance in the accomplishment of basic activities of daily living), 2) "frail individuals" (i.e., those presenting some limitations and impairments in the absence of functional disability), and 3) the "robust individuals" (i.e., those who are neither frail or disabled). Despite the growing evidence linking frailty to poor outcomes, this syndrome is yet adequately considered in the clinical practice. There is indeed a lack of recognition of frail individuals, frequently leading to inadequate or inappropriate offer of healthcare services. The assessment of frailty in older adults is recommended to preventively act before the activation of the irreversible cascade of disability. Characteristic features of frailty (e.g., weakness, low energy, slow walking speed, low physical activity, and weight loss) clearly suggest the existence of a close link between nutrition and the status of extreme vulnerability (to intend both from a physical and cognitive viewpoint). Interestingly, recent clinical experiences in the field of frailty and nutrition have demonstrated that this syndrome is often related to relevant prevalence of malnutrition and risk of becoming malnourished. In the present article, it is proposed a review of existing evidence in the field of nutrition and frailty. Potential nutritional interventions for preventing frailty and age-related disabling conditions are also discussed.

Hydration and cognitive performance.

A clinical link exists between severe dehydration and cognitive performance. Using rapid and severe water loss induced either by intense exercise and/or heat stress, initial studies suggested there were alterations in short-term memory and cognitive function related to vision, but more recent studies have not all confirmed these data. Some studies argue that water loss is not responsible for the observations made, and studies compensating water losses have failed to prevent the symptoms. Studies in children have suggested that drinking extra water helps cognitive performance, but these data rely on a small number of children. In older adults (mean age around 60) the data are not strong enough to support a relationship between mild dehydration and cognitive function. Data on frail elderly and demented people are lacking. Methodological heterogeneity in these studies are such that the relationship between mild dehydration and cognitive performance cannot be supported.

Balneotherapy, prevention of cognitive decline and care the Alzheimer patient and his family: outcome of a multidisciplinary workgroup.

According to the latest forecasts of the INSEE - Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (National Statistics and Economic Studies Institute), ageing of the French population will increase between 2005 and 2050: whereas 20.8% of the population living in continental France reached the age of 60 years or more in 2005, this proportion would be of 30.6% in 2035 and 31.9% in 2050. In 2050, 22.3 million persons will have reached the age of 60 years or more compared to 12.6 million in 2005, increasing by 80% in a 45-year period. In line with the actual age pyramid, ageing is unavoidable, as those who will reach 60 years of age in 2050 are already born (in 1989 or before). This expansion will be most important between 2006 and 2035, when the numerous "baby-boom" generations born between 1946 and 1975, will reach these ages. In future years, lifespan improvement will only emphasize this increase. Even if life expectancy stabilizes at the 2005 level, the number of seniors reaching 60 years or more would still increase to 50% between 2005 and 2050. This issue is identical in all countries of the European Union. Ageing is a major risk factor for dementia that will considerably worsen in the next years, if no curative therapies are found. Today, 25 million persons in the world suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). In France, it is estimated that 860,000 persons are affected and that 225,000 news cases are annually diagnosed. After 75 years of age, more than 20% of women and 13% of men are concerned. Forecasts for the coming years are frightening. Considering ageing of the population, the number of Alzheimer's disease cases should raise to 1.3 million in 2020 (20 patients for 1000 inhabitants) ant 2.1 million in 2040 (30 patients for 1000 inhabitants).