There is substantial evidence that physical disability results from chronic diseases and that the number of chronic diseases is associated with the presence and severity of disability. There is some evidence that interactions between specific diseases are of import in causing disability. Beyond arthritis, however, little is known of the disease pairs that may be […]
Abstract Topics: Aging
Association of NIDDM and hearing loss.
Objective: To evaluate the association of NIDDM with hearing loss in a large population-based study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND p. Methods: Data from population-based longitudinal studies of aging conducted in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, were used in these analyses. Hearing thresholds were determined by pure-tone air- and bone-conduction audiometry performed by trained technicians following American Speech-Language-Hearing Association specifications. Hearing loss was […]
Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, selected cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the 5-year incidence of age-related cataract and progression of lens opacities: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.
Purpose: To describe the relationships of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and selected cardiovascular disease risk factors to cumulative incidence of age-related cataract and to progression of lens opacities over a 5-year interval. p. Methods: A follow-up examination of the Beaver Dam Eye Study cohort was performed 5 years after the baseline evaluation. Ages at the census […]
Do medical conditions affect cognition in older adults?
Analyses of a nationally representative sample who completed a list recall task (weighted n = 6,446) and 2 mental status tasks (weighted n = 6,646) were conducted to determine whether specific medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes as well as general health ratings predict cognitive performance in adults aged 70 to 103. […]
Prevalence of chronic medical conditions in adults with mental retardation: comparison with the general population.
We interviewed caregivers and reviewed medical records of 278 adults with mental retardation with and without Down syndrome, 45 to 74 years of age. Standardized morbidity ratios were used to compare frequency of medical disorders in these adults to frequency in the general population. In adults with mental retardation, the frequency of common age-related disorders […]
Emotional vitality among disabled older women: the Women’s Health and Aging Study.
Objective: To examine correlates of high overall level of emotional functioning (emotional vitality) in disabled older women. p. Design: A community-based study: The Women’s Health and Aging Study. POPULATION: A total of 1002 moderately to severely disabled women aged 65 and older living in the community. MEASUREMENTS: Emotional vitality was defined as having a high sense […]
Aging and life adjustment after spinal cord injury.
Design: A field study of aging after spinal cord injury (SCI) was conducted by surveying the life adjustment of a large sample of participants with SCI. Objective: The purpose of the current study was to compare life adjustment scores between cohorts of participants based on chronologic age, age at injury onset, time since injury and percentage […]
Expectations of life and health among spinal cord injured adults.
While our understanding of aging and mortality in spinal cord injury is evolving, precise estimates are still not available for expectations of life and health following a spinal cord injury. In order to derive these estimates, information about mortality and health must be combined into a single estimate. Health expectancy estimates have been widely used […]
Depression and dementia in aging adults with Down syndrome: a case study approach.
Patterns of symptoms associated with depression and dementia were examined in 3 aging adults with Down syndrome. A case study approach (Yin, 1994) was employed to identify and link these symptoms. Results of the case analyses provide further insight into distinguishing between depression and dementia in older persons with Down syndrome. […]
Depression and life satisfaction in aging polio survivors versus age-matched controls: relation to postpolio syndrome, family functioning, and attitude toward disability.
Objective: To compare depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in aging polio survivors with age-matched controls and to relate these outcomes to scores to psychosocial and disability-related variables. Design: A planned medical, functional, and psychosocial study with multivariate analyses. p. Setting: A large, urban rehabilitation center. Participants: A volunteer sample of 121 polio survivors and an age-matched […]