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Background and Objective: Ageing is a bio-cognitive which can be described as a progressive and degenerating process in human. One of the major changes in the elderly is loss of teeth, which can affect on dietary intake and nutritional status. This study was designed to assess the dental health in elderly people in Gorgan, North of Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 subjects (211 female and 189 male) aged 60 years and above in two selected health centers in Gorgan-Iran. Data were collected by questionnaire and oral and dental examination. Data was analyzed by using SPSS-13 software and chi-square test. Results: The mean age of the subjects were 66.7+-6.7 Sixty percent of the participants were without natural teeth and forty percent had natural teeth. only 10.5 percent of subjects had complete natural teeth. 19.7 participants had decayed teeth. The mean of decayed teeth was 9.2 (rang 1-28) and filled teeth was 4.8 (rang 1-16) in 12.5 percent of participants. Age, level of education and level of income were significantly associated with the number of existed teeth (P<0.05). Conclusion: In regard to high prevalence of without natural and decay teeth in the elderly population, this study, it is recommended the serial assessment of dental health to be screened on routine bases.

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The Iranian elderly population is rapidly growing. Currently more than 5 million Iranians are over 60 years of age which corresponds to nearly 7.26 percent of the population of the country. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of the population of the country will be elderly in the forthcoming twenty years. Structural and physiological changes which occur in the elderly cardiovascular system include: stiffness of the vasculature, decreased relaxation capacity of the heart during diastole, decreased efficiency of cardiac contraction during exercise, weakened heart muscle response to stimulation by adrenaline, and orthostatic hypotension. In the elderly people we are confronting with increased frequency of cardiovascular diseases especially myocardial infarction, stroke, isolated systolic hypertension, calcific aortic stenosis, orthostatic hypotension, and syncopal attacks due to sick sinus syndrome, complete heart block, atrial fibrillation or other rhythm disorders. Alteration in cardiovascular status in the elderly has undesirable effects on their quality of life and longevity. Myocardial infarction is the most common cause of death in the elderly however cardiac arrhythmias and valvular heart disease are other important cardiovascular disease in the old people. Diagnosis of these disorders in the elderly requires special consideration since coexistence of structural/functional changes in the old age with cardiovascular disease would alter the classic features of these disorders and result in delay in their appropriate management. Biological aging as evaluated by reduced telomere length has a strong impact on the incidence of cardiovascular disorders especially coronary heart disease and chronic heart failure. This phenomenon could possibly explain interindividual susceptibility to cardiovascular disorders.

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Background and Objective: The incidence rate of elderly misbehavior increased in the past two decades. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of elderly misbehavior in northern Iran. Method: This descriptive - analytic study was done on 247 more than 60 years old (137 males, 110 females) in north of Iran during 2012. In order to determine misbehavior, an elderly questionnaire was filled for each subject. Results: The mean age of subjects was 68.8±7.08 years. The prevalence of lack of attention, care, financial, authentic was 34.8%, 33.6%, 29.1% and 22.3%, respectively. The prevalence of psychological, physical, isolation and financial misbehavior were 26.7%, 26.7%, 2.6% and 21.9%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between income and marital status with misbehavior maner (P<0.05). Conclusion: Elderly misbehavior particularly lack of attention and care are more perevlant in northern Iran.

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Background and Objective: Adiponectin is one of the adiposaitocines which secret from adipose tissue and is very effective in the pathogenesis of obesity and its associated disorders, especially in elderly people who are at risk for cardiovascular disease. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of eight weeks of endurance and resistance training on adiponectin level, insulin resistance index in inactive elderly men. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 24 inactive elderly men were non-randomly divided into interventional and control groups. The combined training included endurance training (with intensity of 60-70% of maximum heart rate reserve) and resistance training (with intensity of 70% one repetition maximum). The training performed 3 times per week (one hour session) for 8 weeks. Results: The eight weeks of combined training increased the adiponectin level in interventional group compared to the controls (P<0.05). Insulin and FBS levels, insulin resistance index, and body fat percentage significantly reduced in interventional group compared to the controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: The eight weeks of combined training increases the adiponectin level and reduces insulin resistance in elderly men.

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Background and Objective: The elderly population is rising rapidly in the world and one of the criteria for assessing the needs and health of the elderly is life quality. Mindfulness is a kind of consciousness, and it comes about when we encounter our experiences with a more precise and detailed in the present and without judgment. This study was done to determine the effect of mindfulness training on personal well-being and mental health in elderly women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was done on 46 elderly women over 60 years of age who displaced in the only daily nursing home in Gorgan, northern Iran .The subjects were non-randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in eight sessions of two-hour mental education training. Personal information questionnaire, general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and personal well-being index – adult (PWI-A). PWI-A and mental health questionnaires were completed by the elderly at the beginning and the end of the study.
Results: In the intervention group, mindfulness education significantly increased the subscale of personal well-being in the post-test (57.4±3.5) compared to the pre-test (43.2±10.6), and the subscale of mental health and its components in the post-test (13.47±5.5) compared to the pre-test (35.6±10.9) (P<0.05). In the control group, the subscales of personal well-being and mental health and its components at the prior and the end of the study was not different.
Conclusion: Mental education improves subscales of personal well-being and mental health in elderly women.

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Background and Objective: The phenomenon of aging is one of the evolutionary stages of life and it is an inevitable part of human society that can lead to poor balance and consequent harm, loss of independence and early death. This study was done to determine the effect of Pilates exercise on functional balance of elderly men.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was done on 28 elderly men with an average age of above 60 years. Subjects were non-randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Eldely men in intervention group were received Pilates training for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week. To measure the functional balance was used of the timed up and go test. Pre-test and post-test of was done for functional balance in intervention and control groups.
Results: The functional balance significantly reduced in intervention group (10.11±0.53 sec) in compared to controls (12.61±1.14 sec) (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Pilates training have an important role in improving the performance balance of elderly men.

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Background and Objective: There are few studies that highlighted the effectiveness of exercise on unstable surfaces in eldely subjects. This study was done to evaluate the effect of training on stable and unstable surfaces on walking kinematic and timed-up-and go (TUG) test variables in elderly wemon.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 75 elderly women were non-randomly assigned to exercises and control groups. Cadence, step length, stride length, step width, walking speed, and TUG were measured. Gait kinematics (cadence, stride length, walking speed, step width) was recorded by an image recording camera. Gait kinematics variables were measured. The average of three repetitions was recorded for analysis for each subject.
Results: Exercise training had a significant effect on the step length, stride length, step width, walking speed, and time of TUG (P<0.05). Although, there was a significant difference in gait kinematics after exercise training, training on foam with (9cm height) created the highest mean difference in TUG, cadence, step length, and training on sand resulted in the greatest mean difference in step length and walking speed variables.
Conclusion: Training on stable and unstable surfaces improves walking kinematic and TUG time variables in elderly wemon.

 

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Background and Objective: Cancer can cause many problems in all aspects of the physical, mental, social, economic and family life of the elderly patients. This study was done to determine the supportive care needs of the elderly people with cancer in north of Iran.
Methods: This descriptive- analytical study was carried out on 248 elderly patients with cancer whom referred to governmental and private medical centers in Gorgan, Northern Iran during 2018. Data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire "Supportive Care Needs Survey-SCNS" consisted of five domains of physical needs and daily functioning, health system and information, supportive and care, mental, and sexual chracteristics.
Results: There was a significant relationship between physical activity and daily functioning, sexual domain, support and care, health and information system with gender (P<0.05). Female seniors were more in need of assistance in the areas of physical and daily functioning, and male seniors in the areas of sex, support and care, health systems, and information.
Conclusion: This study showed that unmet needs in the elderly with cancer are particularly high in physical and functional areas.