Use of psychotropic agents to treat agitation and aggression in Brazilian patients with Alzheimer's disease: A naturalistic and multicenter study.

We assessed psychotropic prescribing patterns in the clinical treatment of agitation and aggressive behavior in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) treated at specialist outpatient clinics in the Federal District of Brazil. This was a naturalistic, observational, multicenter study of a convenience sample of patients with AD (according to DSM-5) who had behavioral symptoms of aggression and/or agitation at outpatient visits, as assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and required pharmacologic intervention. Participants were recruited in 2018-2019 from 11 AD treatment centers. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected during routine visits. The sample consisted of 369 older adults with a mean age of 82.3 (SD, 7.7) years. The medications most commonly used in patients with behavioral disorders were antidepressants (79.1%), antipsychotics (70.2%), benzodiazepines (10.6%), and mood stabilizers (9.5%). Quetiapine was the most frequently prescribed antipsychotic medication (48.5%), at a mean dose of 57.4 (SD, 40.7) mg. Citalopram was the most widely used antidepressant medication (32.0%), at a mean daily dose of 24.1 (SD, 8.1) mg. In this sample, two or more pharmacologic agents were frequently used together to control aggression and agitation. Benzodiazepine was not frequently used.

Prevalência e fatores associados à síndrome da fragilidade no idoso do Distrito Federal / Prevalence and factors associated with the frailty syndrome in older adults in the Brazilian Federal District

INTRODUÇÃO: A síndrome da fragilidade no idoso (SFI) tem sido reconhecida como uma condição de vulnerabilidade fisiológica associada ao envelhecimento, resultante de uma reserva homeostática reduzida e da dificuldade do organismo em responder adequadamente ao estresse, característica altamente preditiva de uma variedade de desfechos clínicos adversos associados, que incluem declínio funcional, institucionalização e mortalidade. OBJETIVO: Identificar a prevalência e os fatores associados à SFI em população assistida por uma unidade ambulatorial de atenção secundária em centro especializado de atendimento em geriatria e gerontologia do Distrito Federal. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo observacional, descritivo, transversal e analítico realizado com idosos atendidos no centro especializado em geriatria e gerontologia da Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal (SES/DF). Na avaliação dos idosos, foram coletados dados para identificação do perfil, capacidade funcional, informações referentes às multimorbidades e desfechos clínicos, como quedas. Os idosos também foram classificados na SFI pelos critérios de Fried. Para a análise estatística, utilizaram-se o teste de χ2 e a regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: No presente estudo, 24% da amostra total foi considerada frágil, 32,9% pré-frágil e 42,1% não frágil. Com relação aos aspectos sociodemográficos, houve associação de fragilidade com maior faixa etária e menor nível educacional. Diabetes, hipertensão arterial sistêmica, incontinência urinária, polifarmácia, depressão, quedas e alteração cognitiva tiveram associação com maior risco de fragilidade. CONCLUSÃO: Mediante os resultados obtidos, será possível definir medidas e estratégias para prevenção de morbimortalidade e proporcionar melhor qualidade de vida para os idosos.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty syndrome (FS) in older adults has been recognized as a physiological vulnerability condition associated with aging, resulting from reduced homeostatic reserve and a difficulty of the body to respond adequately to stress, a highly predictive feature of a variety of adverse clinical outcomes including functional decline, institutionalization, and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with FS in a population assisted by an outpatient geriatric unit at a specialized geriatric and gerontological care center in the Brazilian Federal District. METHODS: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with older people who were assisted at the specialized center for geriatrics and gerontology of the Brazilian Federal District Health Department. In the baseline evaluation of the participants, data were collected to identify the profile, functional capacity, multimorbidities and clinical outcomes such as falls, as well as the level of frailty, which was classified according to Fried's criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and Poisson's regression. RESULTS: In the present study, 24% of the total sample was considered frail, 32.9% pre-frail and 42.1%, non-frail. Regarding sociodemographic aspects, there was an association of frailty with the higher age group and with lower educational level. Diabetes, systemic arterial hypertension, incontinence, polypharmacy, depression, falls, and cognitive impairment were directly related to higher risk of frailty. CONCLUSION: The results obtained were useful to help define measures and strategies to prevent morbidity and mortality as well as to provide better quality of life for older adults.

My legs are getting old: sinvastatin-induced polyneuropathy.

Axonal degeneration is the most common type of neuropathy induced by medication. The literature describes isolated cases in which polyneuropathy of the lower limb was observed during treatment with statins. The authors present a case of polyneuropathy associated with the use of a statin. An 82-year-old female patient presented with a complaint of weakness and discomfort in her lower limbs after 7 years of therapy with simvastatin. The results of an electromyographic study were compatible with polyneuropathy (sensorimotor axonal neuropathy--moderate to severe). One month after the therapy with simvastatin was discontinued, the symptoms were reduced.