Thickened beverages or swallowing aid jelly (SAJ), commonly used as tablet-swallowing aids for dysphagic patients, may influence the disintegration of orally administered tablets. With this in mind, we evaluated the disintegration times of therapeutic tablets immersed in thickened beverages or SAJ compared to immersion in ones without them. Thickened beverages and SAJs were prepared with various beverages (water, orange juice, and milk) using food thickeners and SAJ powders marketed in Korea. The tablet disintegration times were the same in thickened beverages and SAJs, and there was no statistically significant difference associated with the thickness levels of the thickened beverages. The disintegration times of Tylenol immersed in orange juice or milk were slightly higher compared to those immersed in water. Moreover, there was no difference in disintegration time when using the thickened beverages and SAJs. The disintegration times of Aspirin were similar in all of the thickened beverages or SAJs, and there were no differences between non-immersed and immersed tablets. These results demonstrate that the disintegration of Tylenol and Aspirin is not greatly affected by immersion in any of the thickened beverages and SAJs.
Malnutrition affect clinical outcomes in hospitalized old age patients, but the data on the related outcomes on the basis of different age categories are still limited. We aimed to investigate the interplay of associations among body mass index (BMI), falls risk, and mortality rate in different older adult patient age categories. This retrospective study included hospitalized patients aged ≥ 65 years who received artificial nutrition. Demographic, biochemical, and survival data were collected. BMI was evaluated using the World Health Organization BMI cutoffs for Asians, and patients were classified into high (≥ 23.0 kg/m2), normal (18.5−22.9 kg/m2), and low (< 18.5 kg/m2) BMI groups. The Morse Fall Scale was used to assess falls risk. By age categories, all patients (n = 4,642) were divided into the 65−74 (n = 2,649) and ≥ 75 (n = 1,993) years age groups. We found that the proportion of low-BMI and high risk of falls increased with age. Further, low-BMI was associated with increased falls risk in both age groups. Overall survival rate tended to be lower in the low-BMI and ≥ 75 years group than that in other patient groups, but did not differ significantly compared with the low-BMI and 65–74 years group. Low-BMI was associated with increased falls risk and mortality; however, the association depended on specific patient age groups.
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The study aimed to investigate the basic data to derive plans for snack provision to improve the nutritional status of older adults living in long-term care facilities (LFs) or long-term care hospitals (LHs). The 252 respondents (118 from LHs and 134 from LFs) were included in the study. The questionnaire of nationwide cross-sectional survey was developed by the authors and registered dietitians. The written questionnaire was sent to the food service managers across 800 LFs or LHs. The online survey was introduced using the online platform and network site for dietitians. More than 70% of live-in and non-live-in LFs provided snacks, which were mainly provided one to two times a day. Most institutions provided fruits one to three times a week. The main considerations when providing fruit were in the order of residents’ preference, cost, and ease of consumption. The reasons for not serving fruit included cost and differences in the residents’ eating and mastication abilities. Most institutions also provided dairy products at a frequency of one to three times a week. The reasons for not serving dairy products included cost and the lack of awareness of the need to provide them. To improve the quality of life and the offer benefits of fruits and dairy products to older people, efforts are needed to propose a plan to expand the provision of snacks in appropriate quantities and varieties.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome caused by diets containing excessive fatty acids is increasing worldwide. Patients with metabolic syndrome exhibit abnormal lipid profiles, chronic inflammation, increased levels of saturated fatty acids, impaired insulin sensitivity, excessive fat accumulation, and neuropathological issues such as memory deficits. In particular, palmitic acid (PA) in saturated fatty acids aggravates inflammation, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and synaptic failure. Recently, adiponectin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glucose-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) have been investigated to find therapeutic solutions for metabolic syndrome, with findings suggesting that they are involved in insulin sensitivity, enhanced lipid profiles, increased neuronal survival, and improved synaptic plasticity. We investigated the effects of adiponectin, BDNF, and GLP-1 on neurite outgrowth, length, and complexity in PA–treated primary cortical neurons using Sholl analysis. Our findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of adiponectin, BDNF, and GLP-1 in enhancing synaptic plasticity within brains affected by metabolic imbalance. We underscore the need for additional research into the mechanisms by which adiponectin, BDNF, and GLP-1 influence neural complexity in brains with metabolic imbalances.
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Numerous studies have indicated that low levels of serum adiponectin are linked with the development of various chronic diseases. While some recent research has suggested that soy has a positive impact on serum adiponectin levels, the results are inconsistent. Therefore, we aim to conduct a thorough systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigate the effects of soy on serum adiponectin levels in adults. The search was conducted until March 2024 on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify RCTs that studied the effects of soy supplementation on serum adiponectin levels. A random-effects model was used to pool the weighted mean differences (WMDs). Ten and nine RCTs were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. After analyzing data from 9 eligible RCTs, it was found that soy supplementation did not significantly impact the concentrations of adiponectin (WMD = −0.24 μg/mL; 95% confidence interval, −1.56 to 1.09; p = 0.72). However, there was significant heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 89.8%, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed that overall estimates were not affected by the elimination of any study. We did not observe any evidence regarding publication bias. In conclusion, soy supplementation did not have a significant effect on adiponectin levels in adults. However, further RCTs are needed with longer intervention duration, higher doses, and studies conducted in different countries.
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Anxiety disorder is a prevalent psychiatric issue that affects 4.05% of the global population. As complementary and alternative medicine gains popularity, many individuals with anxiety symptoms seek herbal remedies. This systematic review aims to explore the sedative efficacy of chamomile as an herbal medicine for anxiety treatment. Our search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases until August 2023. Among 389 papers found, after removing duplicates and irrelevant papers, 10 clinical trials investigating the effect of oral consumption of chamomile on anxiety were included. Two researchers independently completed all steps, including the screening process and data extraction. Out of the 10 articles selected, 9 studies have concluded that chamomile is effective in reducing anxiety. Even though, the exact mechanism of chamomile’s anxiolytic action is not well understood, evidence suggests that its active compounds, including apigenin, may modulate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis by affecting neurotransmitter pathways. This systematic review showed that chamomile potentially has an anxiolytic effect. In addition, due to the side effects of drugs used to treat anxiety disorders, the use of chamomile seems to be effective and less dangerous.
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