burcu yavuz | Hacettepe University (original) (raw)

Papers by burcu yavuz

Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Neurology Special Topics, 2009

Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the link between the risk of developing coronary heart d... more The aim of this study was to investigate the link between the risk of developing coronary heart disease as determined by Framingham risk score (FRS) and the novel cardiac risk factors including serum levels of ferritin, C reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, creatinine, and uric acid. A total of 1698 patients aged 65 years or more were examined. Plasma concentrations of lipids, CRP, ferritin, homocysteine, uric acid, and creatinine were measured in all the patients. The FRS was calculated for each patient who were divided into three groups according to their FRSs: score 0-9, score 10-19, and score 20 or more group. Levels of creatinine, uric acid, CRP, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, folate, ferritin, and homocysteine were significantly different between the three groups. Homocysteine, ferritin, triglyceride, uric acid, and creatinine significantly increased the risk of passing from score 0-9 group to 10-19 group. Triglyceride and creatinine also increased the risk of passing from score 10-19 group to 20 or more group. An increase in homocysteine, uric acid, ferritin, creatinine, and triglyceride levels is associated with an increase in FRS in elderly people. The current findings support the use of these novel risk factors for diagnosis of coronary heart disease in elderly patients.

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 2006

Because medically useful information could also be gathered through hospital-based studies, the a... more Because medically useful information could also be gathered through hospital-based studies, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of HT among the elderly at a university hospital in Turkey. A total of 3,038 elderly were enrolled. Overall, 75.1% of the patients had HT. Among the hypertensive elderly, 88.9% were aware that they had HT, and only 20.9% had BPs that were under control. The low prevalence of control, even among individuals aware of their HT, suggests that the education of health care providers at all stages of professional training is especially important.

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2008

The most efficient strategy for combating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to prevent the onset of cli... more The most efficient strategy for combating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to prevent the onset of clinically significant symptoms. Determining the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and indices of cognitive reserve would help in achieving this goal. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for AD and vascular dementia (VD) in the elderly and to highlight the importance of risk factor modification in the early diagnosis. Consecutive 1436 patients (mean age = 72.7 AE 6.9 years, 34.2% male) were enrolled in the study. After a comprehensive geriatric and cognitive assessment, patients were grouped as AD group (n = 203), VD group (n = 73) and normal cognitive status (NCS) group (n = 1160). Thirty-three possibly related factors including demographic characteristics, coexisting diseases and laboratory parameters were examined. The results revealed that female sex, advanced age, depression, and intake of vitamin supplements were independent related factors for AD; whereas depression and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were independent related factors for VD. For every geriatric patient admitted for any reason, cognitive assessment should be performed, risk factors should be determined and the patients at high risk should be followed up carefully.

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2005

Dementia is an acquired impairment of intellectual and memory functioning. There are numerous fac... more Dementia is an acquired impairment of intellectual and memory functioning. There are numerous factors affecting neurocognitive functions like vascular factors, Vitamin B 12 and folate and homocysteine levels. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the serum levels of these metabolites and diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2010

The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2017

Background: Masked hypertension is described as high ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM... more Background: Masked hypertension is described as high ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) where office blood pressure measurements are normal. Effect of hypertension on cognitive functions is well known. However, the effect of masked hypertension on cognitive functions is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between masked hypertension and cognitive functions. Methods: One hundred-two normotensive patients admitted to the Geriatric Medicine outpatient clinic were included. Exclusion criteria were hypertension, dementia, major depression, and usage of antihypertensive medication. All patients underwent ABPM procedures and average daytime blood pressure, mean blood pressure at night and the 24-hour average blood pressure measurements were recorded. Comprehensive geriatric assessment tests and neuropsychological tests were administered. The diagnosis of masked hypertension was based on the definitions in the 2013 guideline of the European Society of Cardiology. Results: Forty-four patients (43%) were diagnosed with masked hypertension. Patients with masked hypertension had significantly lower scores on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test, Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Test (QMCI), and Categorical Fluency Test than the normotensive patients (p = .011; p = .046; and p = .004; respectively). Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale test score was lower in masked hypertension, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study may indicate that geriatric patients with masked hypertension, compared to normotensive patients have decreased cognitive functions. Masked hypertension should be kept in mind while assessing older adults. When masked hypertension is detected, cognitive assessment is essential to diagnose possible cognitive dysfunction at early stage.

American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 2017

The objective of this study was to validate the Turkish version of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impai... more The objective of this study was to validate the Turkish version of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Q mci-TR) screen. In total, 100 patients aged ≥65 years referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic with memory loss were included. The Q mci was compared to the Turkish versions of the standardized Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The Q mci-TR had higher accuracy than the MoCA in discriminating subjective memory complaints (SMCs) from cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment [MCI] or dementia), of borderline significance after adjusting for age and education ( P = .06). The Q mci-TR also had higher accuracy than the MoCA in differentiating MCI from SMC, which became nonsignificant after adjustment ( P = .15). A similar pattern was shown for distinguishing MCI from dementia. Test reliability for the Q mci-TR was strong. The Q mci-TR is a reliable and useful screening tool for discriminating MCI from SMC and dementia in a Turkish popu...

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are geriatric syndromes leading to ... more BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are geriatric syndromes leading to physical disability, poor quality of life and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and SO in nursing homes in Turkey and to define local disparities for diagnosing sarcopenia and SO. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional multicenter study was performed in 711 patients in 14 nursing homes. Comprehensive geriatric assessment tests, handgrip strength and calf circumference (CC) measurements were carried out. Sarcopenia was both defined by handgrip strength and CC criteria. RESULTS: According to handgrip strength measurement, 483 (68%) of patients were sarcopenic (male: 72%, female: 63.8%), 228 were non-sarcopenic. The prevalence of SO was 22% (13.7% in men, 30.2% in women). Patients (82.5%) who were diagnosed as sarcopenic by the handgrip strength test were not sarcopenic according to CC sarcopenia criteria. Therefore, we tried to determine the optimal CC value for diagnosing sarcopenia in our population. CONCLUSIONS: Both sarcopenia and SO were prevalent among Turkish nursing home elderly residents. Most of the patients with sarcopenia were obese or overweight. We showed that diagnosing sarcopenia with CC measurement underestimated the sarcopenia prevalence assessed by handgrip strength. So we concluded that, although different assessment methods are recommended for the diagnosis of sarcopenia local disparities should be considered.

Cardiovascular …, 2010

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 2 Depa... more 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 2 Department of Cardiology, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 3 Department of Biochemistry, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 4 Department ...

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2015

Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz ADL) is a widely used tool t... more Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz ADL) is a widely used tool to assess the level of independency in older adults. The objective of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the six item Katz ADL in geriatric patients aged 65 years and older. The participants were recruited in a geriatric medicine outpatient clinic (n=211). The Katz ADL was translated to Turkish and it was administered with the Barthel index (BI) and SF-36 physical functioning subscale (SF-36 PF) which are already validated in Turkish. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency, interrater and test-retest analysis. Construct validity was assessed by Spearman correlations between the Katz ADL and other functional status indices. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α=0.838). The test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were excellent (ICC 0.999 [0.999-1.000 95% CI]). Regarding the convergent validity strong associations between Katz ADL, BI and SF-36 PF were demonstrated (rs=0.988, p<0.001 and rs=0.674, p<0.001). Validating an instrument, which has originally been developed in a different culture, is a complex but neccessary task. It provides an opportunity for comparison of information across different cultures. To our knowledge, this is the only study to demonstrate reliability and validity of the Katz ADL-six item version in the geriatric population living in Turkey. Turkish version of the Katz ADL is a valid and reliable scale to detect the disability status in the basic activities of daily living in older adults.

Acta medica

Background: Plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D level and various disorders such as metabolic syndrome, type... more Background: Plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D level and various disorders such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular problems, dementia, chronic renal disease, chronic pulmonary disease, colorectal cancer were shown to be associated. However, recent studies indicate that para-thyroid hormone (PTH) may also have an impact on the development of aforementioned disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate plasma vitamin D and serum PTH status and cerebrovascular accident association in the elderly. Material and Methods: Totally, 1078 adult patients aged 65 year-old or older (103 patients with a past medical history of stroke and 975 patients without stroke history) were included in this cross sectional study. After comprehensive geriatric assessment, laboratory investigations including plasma vitamin D and serum PTH levels were evaluated. Results: The median of plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D levels (16.28 vs. 18.00 ng/ml) was significantly lower and the median of serum P...

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

ABSTRACT Purpose: The mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) has been used most frequently for the det... more ABSTRACT Purpose: The mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) has been used most frequently for the determination of malnutrition in older adults; however it is not suitable for some hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to identify the nutritional status of the elderly hospitalized patients by MNA and by other assessment methods including anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and laboratory parameters and to demonstrate the correlation of them with MNA. Patients: A total of 100 patients were included in the study. Linear regression analysis was performed to compare the effects of parameters on MNA scores. Results: By MNA; 69% of the patients were found to have nutritional risk, 12% were malnourished and 19% were well nourished. Skinfold thicknesses, calf circumference, prealbumin, albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and some of the BIA parameters including body fat, free fat mass index, extracellular, intracellular and total body water were significantly correlated with MNA score in univariate analysis. On the other hand; only suprailiac skinfold thickness (OR: 0.106, 95%CI: 0.031-0.181, P: 0.006), prealbumin (OR: 0.256, 95%CI: 0.158-0.354, P < 0.001) and GFR (OR: 0.036, 95%CI: 0.014-0.057, P: 0.01) were significantly correlated with MNA in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: These parameters or their combinations can be used for the evaluation of nutritional status in hospitalized older adults when the MNA cannot be used.

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006

As life expectancy increases, the elderly population grows accordingly. Today, physicians interfa... more As life expectancy increases, the elderly population grows accordingly. Today, physicians interface with elderly patients more frequently and, therefore, geriatric education should be a part of medical training. Examining medical students' knowledge and attitudes about elderly will provide valuable information in planning the geriatric education in medical school. The aim of this study is to determine and compare the attitudes and knowledge of class-1, -4 and -6 Turkish medical students about the elderly. A questionnaire that included statements about physical and social situations of the elderly, developed by Reuben et al., was used. Five-hundred-thirty-five students educating in Hacettepe University Medical Faculty took part in the study. Age, gender and the number of people aged >65 living with the students were also asked. Gender and number of old people living with the students had no significant effect on the answers. Social statements were answered positively, and ther...

Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006

Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication ca... more Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication can cause delirium. Here, we report a 71-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a sudden change in mental status, which later resolved. An electrocardiogram was consistent with acute myocardial infarction. The patient later developed symptoms of delirium, and haloperidol was administered. The symptoms did not resolve, and risperidone was initiated instead. The patient subsequently became hypotensive, and treatment was again changed to olanzapine. He returned to full consciousness with olanzapine treatment. When the potential hypotensive effects of haloperidol and risperidone are taken into consideration, in patients with high cardiac risk, olanzapine may provide a better option for the treatment of delirium.

Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases, 2005

Oral acylovir treatment rarely results in renal dysfunction. In reported cases concerning renal f... more Oral acylovir treatment rarely results in renal dysfunction. In reported cases concerning renal failure due to oral acyclovir, baseline creatinine levels were unknown or impaired or a predisposing factor for nephrotoxicity was present. We report a 78-y-old female with documented normal baseline renal function and no contributing possible nephrotoxic factor, who developed irreversible renal dysfunction after oral acyclovir treatment. We suggest that in geriatric age groups chronic renal insufficiency should be taken into consideration during oral acyclovir therapy.

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2013

Increasing evidence supports the theory that oxidative stress plays an important role in the path... more Increasing evidence supports the theory that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Homocysteine (Hcy), uric acid (UA), bilirubin, and albumin are simple laboratory parameters that are related to oxidative stress. In this study we compared serum Hcy and antioxidant levels in patients with AD and normal cognitive function. In this cross-sectional study, 143 AD patients and 1,553 patients with normal cognitive function aged 65 years and over were enrolled. Mean values of UA and albumin levels of AD patients were significantly lower than normal cognitive function subjects (p: 0.003 versus p < 0.001, respectively). Mean value of Hcy levels of AD patients was significantly higher than normal cognitive function subjects (p = 0.031). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Mini-nutritional assessment short form (OR: 0.905, 95% CI: 0.850-0.965, p = 0.002), hypertension (OR: 1.573, 95% CI: 1.148-2.155, p = 0.005), UA (OR: 0.879...

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2006

Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Neurology Special Topics, 2009

Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the link between the risk of developing coronary heart d... more The aim of this study was to investigate the link between the risk of developing coronary heart disease as determined by Framingham risk score (FRS) and the novel cardiac risk factors including serum levels of ferritin, C reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, creatinine, and uric acid. A total of 1698 patients aged 65 years or more were examined. Plasma concentrations of lipids, CRP, ferritin, homocysteine, uric acid, and creatinine were measured in all the patients. The FRS was calculated for each patient who were divided into three groups according to their FRSs: score 0-9, score 10-19, and score 20 or more group. Levels of creatinine, uric acid, CRP, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, folate, ferritin, and homocysteine were significantly different between the three groups. Homocysteine, ferritin, triglyceride, uric acid, and creatinine significantly increased the risk of passing from score 0-9 group to 10-19 group. Triglyceride and creatinine also increased the risk of passing from score 10-19 group to 20 or more group. An increase in homocysteine, uric acid, ferritin, creatinine, and triglyceride levels is associated with an increase in FRS in elderly people. The current findings support the use of these novel risk factors for diagnosis of coronary heart disease in elderly patients.

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 2006

Because medically useful information could also be gathered through hospital-based studies, the a... more Because medically useful information could also be gathered through hospital-based studies, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of HT among the elderly at a university hospital in Turkey. A total of 3,038 elderly were enrolled. Overall, 75.1% of the patients had HT. Among the hypertensive elderly, 88.9% were aware that they had HT, and only 20.9% had BPs that were under control. The low prevalence of control, even among individuals aware of their HT, suggests that the education of health care providers at all stages of professional training is especially important.

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2008

The most efficient strategy for combating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to prevent the onset of cli... more The most efficient strategy for combating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to prevent the onset of clinically significant symptoms. Determining the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and indices of cognitive reserve would help in achieving this goal. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for AD and vascular dementia (VD) in the elderly and to highlight the importance of risk factor modification in the early diagnosis. Consecutive 1436 patients (mean age = 72.7 AE 6.9 years, 34.2% male) were enrolled in the study. After a comprehensive geriatric and cognitive assessment, patients were grouped as AD group (n = 203), VD group (n = 73) and normal cognitive status (NCS) group (n = 1160). Thirty-three possibly related factors including demographic characteristics, coexisting diseases and laboratory parameters were examined. The results revealed that female sex, advanced age, depression, and intake of vitamin supplements were independent related factors for AD; whereas depression and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were independent related factors for VD. For every geriatric patient admitted for any reason, cognitive assessment should be performed, risk factors should be determined and the patients at high risk should be followed up carefully.

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2005

Dementia is an acquired impairment of intellectual and memory functioning. There are numerous fac... more Dementia is an acquired impairment of intellectual and memory functioning. There are numerous factors affecting neurocognitive functions like vascular factors, Vitamin B 12 and folate and homocysteine levels. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the serum levels of these metabolites and diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2010

The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2017

Background: Masked hypertension is described as high ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM... more Background: Masked hypertension is described as high ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) where office blood pressure measurements are normal. Effect of hypertension on cognitive functions is well known. However, the effect of masked hypertension on cognitive functions is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between masked hypertension and cognitive functions. Methods: One hundred-two normotensive patients admitted to the Geriatric Medicine outpatient clinic were included. Exclusion criteria were hypertension, dementia, major depression, and usage of antihypertensive medication. All patients underwent ABPM procedures and average daytime blood pressure, mean blood pressure at night and the 24-hour average blood pressure measurements were recorded. Comprehensive geriatric assessment tests and neuropsychological tests were administered. The diagnosis of masked hypertension was based on the definitions in the 2013 guideline of the European Society of Cardiology. Results: Forty-four patients (43%) were diagnosed with masked hypertension. Patients with masked hypertension had significantly lower scores on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test, Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Test (QMCI), and Categorical Fluency Test than the normotensive patients (p = .011; p = .046; and p = .004; respectively). Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale test score was lower in masked hypertension, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study may indicate that geriatric patients with masked hypertension, compared to normotensive patients have decreased cognitive functions. Masked hypertension should be kept in mind while assessing older adults. When masked hypertension is detected, cognitive assessment is essential to diagnose possible cognitive dysfunction at early stage.

American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 2017

The objective of this study was to validate the Turkish version of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impai... more The objective of this study was to validate the Turkish version of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Q mci-TR) screen. In total, 100 patients aged ≥65 years referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic with memory loss were included. The Q mci was compared to the Turkish versions of the standardized Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The Q mci-TR had higher accuracy than the MoCA in discriminating subjective memory complaints (SMCs) from cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment [MCI] or dementia), of borderline significance after adjusting for age and education ( P = .06). The Q mci-TR also had higher accuracy than the MoCA in differentiating MCI from SMC, which became nonsignificant after adjustment ( P = .15). A similar pattern was shown for distinguishing MCI from dementia. Test reliability for the Q mci-TR was strong. The Q mci-TR is a reliable and useful screening tool for discriminating MCI from SMC and dementia in a Turkish popu...

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are geriatric syndromes leading to ... more BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are geriatric syndromes leading to physical disability, poor quality of life and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and SO in nursing homes in Turkey and to define local disparities for diagnosing sarcopenia and SO. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional multicenter study was performed in 711 patients in 14 nursing homes. Comprehensive geriatric assessment tests, handgrip strength and calf circumference (CC) measurements were carried out. Sarcopenia was both defined by handgrip strength and CC criteria. RESULTS: According to handgrip strength measurement, 483 (68%) of patients were sarcopenic (male: 72%, female: 63.8%), 228 were non-sarcopenic. The prevalence of SO was 22% (13.7% in men, 30.2% in women). Patients (82.5%) who were diagnosed as sarcopenic by the handgrip strength test were not sarcopenic according to CC sarcopenia criteria. Therefore, we tried to determine the optimal CC value for diagnosing sarcopenia in our population. CONCLUSIONS: Both sarcopenia and SO were prevalent among Turkish nursing home elderly residents. Most of the patients with sarcopenia were obese or overweight. We showed that diagnosing sarcopenia with CC measurement underestimated the sarcopenia prevalence assessed by handgrip strength. So we concluded that, although different assessment methods are recommended for the diagnosis of sarcopenia local disparities should be considered.

Cardiovascular …, 2010

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 2 Depa... more 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 2 Department of Cardiology, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 3 Department of Biochemistry, Kecioren Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey 4 Department ...

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2015

Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz ADL) is a widely used tool t... more Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz ADL) is a widely used tool to assess the level of independency in older adults. The objective of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the six item Katz ADL in geriatric patients aged 65 years and older. The participants were recruited in a geriatric medicine outpatient clinic (n=211). The Katz ADL was translated to Turkish and it was administered with the Barthel index (BI) and SF-36 physical functioning subscale (SF-36 PF) which are already validated in Turkish. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency, interrater and test-retest analysis. Construct validity was assessed by Spearman correlations between the Katz ADL and other functional status indices. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s α=0.838). The test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were excellent (ICC 0.999 [0.999-1.000 95% CI]). Regarding the convergent validity strong associations between Katz ADL, BI and SF-36 PF were demonstrated (rs=0.988, p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001 and rs=0.674, p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.001). Validating an instrument, which has originally been developed in a different culture, is a complex but neccessary task. It provides an opportunity for comparison of information across different cultures. To our knowledge, this is the only study to demonstrate reliability and validity of the Katz ADL-six item version in the geriatric population living in Turkey. Turkish version of the Katz ADL is a valid and reliable scale to detect the disability status in the basic activities of daily living in older adults.

Acta medica

Background: Plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D level and various disorders such as metabolic syndrome, type... more Background: Plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D level and various disorders such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular problems, dementia, chronic renal disease, chronic pulmonary disease, colorectal cancer were shown to be associated. However, recent studies indicate that para-thyroid hormone (PTH) may also have an impact on the development of aforementioned disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate plasma vitamin D and serum PTH status and cerebrovascular accident association in the elderly. Material and Methods: Totally, 1078 adult patients aged 65 year-old or older (103 patients with a past medical history of stroke and 975 patients without stroke history) were included in this cross sectional study. After comprehensive geriatric assessment, laboratory investigations including plasma vitamin D and serum PTH levels were evaluated. Results: The median of plasma 25-(OH) Vitamin D levels (16.28 vs. 18.00 ng/ml) was significantly lower and the median of serum P...

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

ABSTRACT Purpose: The mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) has been used most frequently for the det... more ABSTRACT Purpose: The mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) has been used most frequently for the determination of malnutrition in older adults; however it is not suitable for some hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to identify the nutritional status of the elderly hospitalized patients by MNA and by other assessment methods including anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and laboratory parameters and to demonstrate the correlation of them with MNA. Patients: A total of 100 patients were included in the study. Linear regression analysis was performed to compare the effects of parameters on MNA scores. Results: By MNA; 69% of the patients were found to have nutritional risk, 12% were malnourished and 19% were well nourished. Skinfold thicknesses, calf circumference, prealbumin, albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and some of the BIA parameters including body fat, free fat mass index, extracellular, intracellular and total body water were significantly correlated with MNA score in univariate analysis. On the other hand; only suprailiac skinfold thickness (OR: 0.106, 95%CI: 0.031-0.181, P: 0.006), prealbumin (OR: 0.256, 95%CI: 0.158-0.354, P &lt; 0.001) and GFR (OR: 0.036, 95%CI: 0.014-0.057, P: 0.01) were significantly correlated with MNA in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: These parameters or their combinations can be used for the evaluation of nutritional status in hospitalized older adults when the MNA cannot be used.

European Geriatric Medicine, 2013

Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006

As life expectancy increases, the elderly population grows accordingly. Today, physicians interfa... more As life expectancy increases, the elderly population grows accordingly. Today, physicians interface with elderly patients more frequently and, therefore, geriatric education should be a part of medical training. Examining medical students' knowledge and attitudes about elderly will provide valuable information in planning the geriatric education in medical school. The aim of this study is to determine and compare the attitudes and knowledge of class-1, -4 and -6 Turkish medical students about the elderly. A questionnaire that included statements about physical and social situations of the elderly, developed by Reuben et al., was used. Five-hundred-thirty-five students educating in Hacettepe University Medical Faculty took part in the study. Age, gender and the number of people aged >65 living with the students were also asked. Gender and number of old people living with the students had no significant effect on the answers. Social statements were answered positively, and ther...

Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006

Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication ca... more Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication can cause delirium. Here, we report a 71-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a sudden change in mental status, which later resolved. An electrocardiogram was consistent with acute myocardial infarction. The patient later developed symptoms of delirium, and haloperidol was administered. The symptoms did not resolve, and risperidone was initiated instead. The patient subsequently became hypotensive, and treatment was again changed to olanzapine. He returned to full consciousness with olanzapine treatment. When the potential hypotensive effects of haloperidol and risperidone are taken into consideration, in patients with high cardiac risk, olanzapine may provide a better option for the treatment of delirium.

Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases, 2005

Oral acylovir treatment rarely results in renal dysfunction. In reported cases concerning renal f... more Oral acylovir treatment rarely results in renal dysfunction. In reported cases concerning renal failure due to oral acyclovir, baseline creatinine levels were unknown or impaired or a predisposing factor for nephrotoxicity was present. We report a 78-y-old female with documented normal baseline renal function and no contributing possible nephrotoxic factor, who developed irreversible renal dysfunction after oral acyclovir treatment. We suggest that in geriatric age groups chronic renal insufficiency should be taken into consideration during oral acyclovir therapy.

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2013

Increasing evidence supports the theory that oxidative stress plays an important role in the path... more Increasing evidence supports the theory that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Homocysteine (Hcy), uric acid (UA), bilirubin, and albumin are simple laboratory parameters that are related to oxidative stress. In this study we compared serum Hcy and antioxidant levels in patients with AD and normal cognitive function. In this cross-sectional study, 143 AD patients and 1,553 patients with normal cognitive function aged 65 years and over were enrolled. Mean values of UA and albumin levels of AD patients were significantly lower than normal cognitive function subjects (p: 0.003 versus p < 0.001, respectively). Mean value of Hcy levels of AD patients was significantly higher than normal cognitive function subjects (p = 0.031). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Mini-nutritional assessment short form (OR: 0.905, 95% CI: 0.850-0.965, p = 0.002), hypertension (OR: 1.573, 95% CI: 1.148-2.155, p = 0.005), UA (OR: 0.879...

Atherosclerosis Supplements, 2006