Rio de Janeiro State University

About: Rio de Janeiro State University is a education organization based out in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 16631 authors who have published 30919 publications receiving 465753 citations. The organization is also known as: UERJ & Rio de Janeiro State University.

Association Between Mild Anemia and Executive Function Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Women: The Women's Health and Aging Study II

Abstract: Executive function impairment occurs commonly in older adults1 and is a risk factor for major adverse functional outcomes in community-dwelling older adults, including disability performing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs),2,3 diminished performance in objective performance-based tests of IADLs4 and mobility function,5 and decreased driving competence.6 Executive function reflects a set of higher-order cognitive abilities involved with the planning, initiation, sequencing, and monitoring of goal-directed activities, as well as problem solving in response to environmental feedback; thus, it is plausible that executive function impairment causally contributes to decline in physical function in older adults. A recent study of high-functioning community-dwelling older women showed that impairment in executive function but not in three other cognitive subdomains— verbal memory, spatial learning, and general memory—was associated with early IADL decline.4 Current literature suggests that executive function impairment might occur early in the disablement process experienced by older adults and might be important in causally mediating the onset and progression of functional decline. Thus, the identification of potentially modifiable risk factors for executive function impairment in relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults could ultimately contribute to the development of novel preventive opportunities aimed at the maintenance of autonomy in older ages. Recent studies have suggested that greater aerobic fitness produced by aerobic exercise may be protective against executive function impairment in older adults.7,8 Anemia, a common9 and potentially modifiable physiological impairment in older adults, may adversely affect physical conditioning and aerobic fitness.10 Thus, it is possible that anemia could negatively affect executive function in community-dwelling older adults. To the authors’ knowledge, this hypothesis has not been assessed. The objective of this study was to investigate, in a population-based sample of nondemented community-dwelling older women without advanced physical disability, the a priori hypothesis that mild anemia would be independently associated with executive function impairment, as measured by performance on the Trail Making Tests11 Part B (TMT-B) and Part A (TMT-A), and the difference between TMT-B and TMT-A (TMT-B – TMT-A).

Medication as a risk factor for falls resulting in severe fractures in the elderly

Abstract: Falls leading to fractures among the elderly are a major public problem. A case-control study was conducted on the use of certain drugs as a risk factor for hospitalization due to fractures after falls among individuals aged 60 years or over in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One hundred sixty-nine cases and 315 in-patient controls were matched by age, sex, and hospital. Odds ratios (OR) adjusted for potential confounders were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Increased risk of such accidents was found for calcium channel antagonists (OR = 1.96, 1.16-3.30) and benzodiazepines (OR = 2.09, 1.08-4.05), and decreased risk was associated with diuretics (OR = 0.40, 0.20-0.80). Antacids, digitalis, and laxatives were associated with reduced risk of fractures after falls that reached borderline statistical significance (0.05 < p < 0.10). The findings highlight the need to weigh risks and benefits of medication in the elderly. It is also important to advise such individuals and their families on how to avoid falls when such medication proves necessary.

Notas sobre as polÍticas de saÚde no Brasil de "transição democrática": anos 80

Abstract: As politicas de saude dos anos 80 constituem o nucleo tematico do artigo, analisando-se nelas os tTacos emergentes, conjunturais, e os tracos repetidos, continuados, estruturais. Para apreender as continuidades nos discursos e nas praticas de saude, analisam-se diversas conjunturas que precedem a dos anos 80, desde a Primeira Republica ate a conjuntura da 'abertura democratica', no final dos anos 70 e inicio de 80. Entre esses temas devem ser salientados a reforma sanitaria, a unificacao de servicos de saude, a descentralizacao e desconcentracao institucional, a hierarquizacao de atos e servicos medicos e a participacao popular em servicos de saude.

Associação entre fatores socioeconômicos e insegurança alimentar: estudo de base populacional na Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Abstract: OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalencia de inseguranca alimentar em familias de Duque de Caxias, municipio localizado na Regiao Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, e avaliar a associacao entre indicadores socioeconomicos e inseguranca alimentar. METODOS: Desenvolveu-se estudo transversal, de base populacional, em familias do distrito de Campos Eliseos, municipio de Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, que investigou amostra probabilistica composta por 1.085 domicilios. As informacoes sobre condicoes socioeconomicas foram obtidas por meio de entrevista, utilizando questionario estruturado. A inseguranca alimentar foi avaliada com o uso da Escala Brasileira de Inseguranca Alimentar, que permite classificar as familias em seguranca alimentar ou em inseguranca alimentar leve, moderada ou grave. As analises foram desenvolvidas levando em consideracao o efeito do desenho da amostra. Foi estimada a prevalencia de inseguranca alimentar, avaliando-se sua associacao com as variaveis socioeconomicas aplicando-se o teste do qui-quadrado (p<0,05). RESULTADOS: A prevalencia de inseguranca alimentar foi de 53,8%. As variaveis renda familiar mensal per capita, escolaridade do chefe da familia, nivel socioeconomico (avaliado segundo os criterios da Associacao Brasileira de Institutos de Pesquisa de Mercados), numero de pessoas e presenca de filtro de agua no domicilio, apresentaram associacao inversa significante com a inseguranca alimentar. CONCLUSAO: A renda familiar foi o indicador que discriminou tanto a seguranca quanto a inseguranca alimentar.