Soltalk March 2019 | Page 48
Doctor’s notes
Dr Rik Heymans is a general practitioner in Nerja and writes
on developments in the world of medicine
Exercise
of limited value, and the duration of efficacy can be short-
lived. The effects of RET were comparable to those of AET,
with the moderate-sized effect of RET on depressive
symptoms consistent with previously reported effects of other
types of physical exercise on depressive symptoms and with
recently reported associations of RET with anxiety reduction.
Exercise interventions, particularly aerobic exercise, are known
to be helpful in treating depressive symptoms without the
adverse events (AEs) and high costs of antidepressant
medications and psychotherapy. In addition, Resistence
Exercise Training (RET)- basically “going to the Gym”, with
weightlifting and strength enhancing exercises - also have
demonstrated benefits for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which
is the leading cause of mortality among persons with major
depressive disorder (MDD), a new study has found.
Malnutrition in seniors
Six percent to 30% of American seniors living in the
community are malnourished, and up to half may be at risk,
according to West Health, a San Diego-based non-profit
organisation that advances research and policy to improve the
lives of seniors.
Investigators analysed trials that encompassed almost 2000
participants who engaged in RET and found that the
intervention was associated with a significant reduction in
depressive symptoms, regardless of how long the intervention
or sessions lasted, how frequent they were, or how much
exercise was prescribed. These benefits were seen in both men
and women, were present in participants with physical or
mental illnesses, and in participants who did not experience an
increase in strength.
A 2017 report by Meals on Wheels America found that more
than 10 million older Americans (16%) face hunger each year,
driven largely by food insecurity—the inability to access
enough food for an active, healthy life. At its simplest,
malnutrition is defined as "any disorder of nutrition, including
overnutrition and undernutrition," according to the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
Currently, frontline treatments for depression include
medication and psychotherapy, but both can be expensive or
A 2012 consensus statement from the AND and the American
Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition proposed that
adults be considered malnourished if they have any two of the
following conditions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Inadequate food and nutrient intake;
Weight loss;
Loss of subcutaneous fat;
Muscle loss;
Fluid accumulation; and
Reduced grip strength.
Malnutrition as a diagnosis is complex, and its causes are
multiple: financial, social, physical, emotional, and mental.
One important reason is the fact that accessing food—
especially nutritious food—and enjoying that food is often
complicated for older adults who live alone, or just with their
spouse in a home. They have to be able to get to the shop,
select appropriately healthy foods, get the food back home,
and prepare it and store it safely. Social contact is important
for the enjoyment of food, as is having all of the senses intact.
Another factor is that certain medications - some of them used
commonly and on a daily basis, can affect the patients’ sense of
taste and smell. Also, smell declines with age, leading to
changes in taste. A decline in vision and hearing can also
interfere with enjoyment of food. And a person who is
hearing-impaired might tend toward isolation because he or
she can't follow the conversation at a meal…
All these factors can lead, also here in Europe, to malnourished
elderly patients, especially if they live on their own.
© Dr RIK HEYMANS
c/ Angustias 24, Nerja.
Tel: 95 252 6775
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