Supporting Healthy Aging Through Preventative Care PDF

Supporting Healthy Aging Through Preventative Care Camra Hamilton, Caroline McAdams, Sarah Wells, Grace Dierwechter, Morgan Evans What is Healthy Aging? WHO defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that...

Supporting Healthy Aging Through Preventative Care Camra Hamilton, Caroline McAdams, Sarah Wells, Grace Dierwechter, Morgan Evans What is Healthy Aging? WHO defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” Objectives Define what constitutes "healthy aging" and the key factors that contribute to it. Discuss the importance of regular health screenings (e.g., cancer, cholesterol, vision, hearing). Identify ways to maintain physical activity and cognitive function in older adults. Explore strategies for managing chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension in aging populations. Advocate for social engagement and mental wellness as essential components of healthy aging  Let’s talk screenings… Importance of Regular Health Screenings Goal: maintain & promote health, reduce risk factors, early diagnosis, & complication prevention Examples: 1. Cancer Screenings 2. Hearing Loss Screenings 3. Vision Loss Screenings 4. Blood Pressure Screenings Benefits > Risks Cancer Screenings Importance: Expands treatment possibilities, increases survival rates, reduced treatment intensity & improves quality of life Breast Cancer Screening: with regular screenings most cases are diagnosed at stage I - Population: Women starting at age 40!!! Screening for Hearing Loss Childhood screenings: crucial component of wellness visits - Importance: Undetected hearing loss can lead to speech, language and social skill development Adult Screening: express concern or display signs - Importance: Hearing loss in adults can lead to a decreased quality of life Ex. Behavioral Audiometry Evaluation Mandate inquiring - Evaluates patient's response to sound about hearing loss at wellness visits Screening for Vision Loss Importance: detects & diagnoses American Academy of Ophthalmology Recommendations: Adults: - Once in 20s & twice in 30s - 40 = complete eye examination - > 65 years old checked every 1-2 years Glaucoma Screening: measure eye pressure, inspect drainage angle, optic nerve, peripheral vision, measure thickness of cornea Blood Pressure Screenings Importance: Works to reduce risks of heart attack, stroke & death - Rarely has symptoms until adverse outcome - Most often diagnosed with screenings Population: 18 & older without previous diagnosis of HTN 18-39 year old: every 3-5 years > 40 years old: annual  Managing Chronic Conditions in Aging Populations Arthritis Exercise Diabetes Weight reduction Hypertension Medication Monitor Glucose Surgery Diet (DASH) management and Exercise monitoring Avoid smoking Weight reduction and alcohol Diet Sleep Exercise Stress management Sleep Medication Medication  Diabetes HbA1c- Expressed as percentage of total hemoglobin that is “glycated” showing the trend of a patient's blood glucose over three months. (Why three months?) Weight loss of at least 10-15% can help maintain normal blood glucose without the need of medication (Aroda et al, 2022) Mediterranean, vegetarian, and vegan diets have been seen to have a better long term effect (> 6 months) on controlling weight and blood sugar and delaying the need for medication. Regular aerobic and resistance exercises have both been shown to help managing glucose levels as well as maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness, balance, and flexibility. Consistent good sleep hygiene can help with glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity Persistance and Consistancy is Key!!  Arthritis An exercise routine of low impact exercises focusing on strength and balance can improve the stability and mobility of affected joints. ( NIH:NIoA, 2022) Obesity is a risk factor of developing osteoarthritis, weight loss reduces the stress placed on the weight bearing joints such as back, knees and hips that are primarily affected. Medications such as OTC or prescription NSAIDS and topicals reduce inflammation and pain. A physician may also inject corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid into the joint. Hyaluronic acid derived from rooster combs lubricates the joint and reduces friction. In severe cases, surgeries can be performed to improve quality of life and mobility. This could be an osteotomy, relieves pressure by removing a small amount of bone, or a partial or complete replacement of the joint with plastic, metal or ceramic.  Hypertension Heart-healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and low in fat and sodium (DASH). Regular moderate exercise for at least 2.5 hours a week. Get plenty of sleep. Identify and treat sleep apnea. Alcohol, smoking, and stress can contribute to hypertension. Your physician may want to prescribe medication to help control your blood pressure and monitor it regularly.  Mental health = healthy aging? Mental health is a critical component of both physical and mental wellbeing in older populations. One study found that people who were prepared for losses in physical function, and who were optimistic regardless of these losses, were better able to maintain better physical functioning, and lower depressive symptoms (Wurm & Benyamini, 2014). Another found that respondents suffering from symptoms of depression had lower levels of wellness and resilience, and higher rates of negative age perception (Fullen & Granello, 2018). While negative mental health is detrimental to overall health alone, it also has effects on the choices made that impact physical health (which increases risks of diabetes, HTN, etc). ○ A longitudinal study on nearly 10,000 Chinese adults aged 78+ found that those with more negative self-perception of aging tended to engage How do we prevent mental & physical health decline in aging? One answer is social engagement There have been numerous studies showing the correlation between lack of a social network and the onset of dementia. One meta-analysis that was comprised of a total of over 2 million patients supported this conclusion (Penninkilampi et. al., 2018). Another (more recent) meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies found that strong social engagement & frequent social contact were correlated with a decreased risk of dementia. (Shanshan, W. et. al, October 2022). An international cross-sectional survey found that older adults’ social engagement positively predicts life satisfaction and negatively predicts depression and loneliness (Hsin-Yen et al., 2021) Maintaining Cognitive function Exercise can help increase and maintain nerve pathways in the brain! Never stop learning and keep the brain working! {Read, learn a new skill, take a class) NUTRITION: Eat from the earth - Type 3 diabetes (sugar + inflammation → Alzheimer's) - Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress and damage from inflammation and benefits… - Neuromodulators (ex. proper hormone synthesis) - Vascular function - Immune system - Redox imbalance Physical Activity with Aging Strength Balance - Lift at least 2 days a week - Balance therapy (weights, bands, or - Improve posture, yoga bodyweight) - Walk barefoot - Activate sensory nerves in your - Include all muscle groups weekly, feet to help with proprioception 8-12 repetitions and activate foot muscles - Simple actions like standing up from a chair without using the arm rest can strengthen legs! Physical Activity with Aging Health - Aerobic exercise… Walking, water Movement aerobics, cycling, running - Silver Sneakers - Cardiovascular - Local fitness classes/ Trainer - Improved lipid panel - Increases your HDL… bonus points - Light activity sports for exercising in the Sun! - House chores, gardening, walk - SWEAT - Helps the kidneys in detoxing daily pollutants, heavy metals, etc - A 10 minute walk can help uptake - Mental health: Depression into your muscles to help with Glucose insensitivity To conclude… We want to focus on maintaining autonomy with our patients! ○ Promote physical well-being AND mental well-being Preventative care through routine screenings Promote physical activity! Social engagement helps prevent dementia Partake in activities that stimulate the mind & not just the body Educate!  We want to hear from you! 1. What are other ways to promote staying healthy as we age? 2. What are other ways our geriatric population can participate in social engagement now that there are so many technological advances? 3. How can we incentivize people to routinely go to their screenings (i.e vision, blood pressure, etc)? 4. What are some ways to increase social engagement in aging populations? Works Cited 1. Healthy ageing and functional ability. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/healthy-ageing-and-functional-ability. Published October 1, 2024. 2. Moleyar-Narayana P, Leslie SW, Ranganathan S. Cancer screening. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563138/. Published May 31, 2024. 3. Breast cancer: screening. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast- cancer-screening. Published April 30, 2024. 4. Dang JC, Hsu NM. Hearing loss Screening Guidelines. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597360/. Published November 5, 2023. 5. Shaver N, Beck A, Bennett A, et al. Screening for hypertension in adults: protocol for evidence reviews to inform a Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline update. Systematic Reviews. 2024;13(1). doi:10.1186/s13643-023-02392-1 6. Eye exam and vision testing basics. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/eye-exams-101. Published February 14, 2024. 7. Understanding glaucoma: Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma. Published October 29, 2024.  Works cited 8. Davies, M. J., Aroda, V. R., Collins, B. S., Gabbay, R. A., Green, J., Maruthur, N. M., Rosas, S. E., Del Prato, S., Mathieu, C., Mingrone, G., Rossing, P., Tankova, T., Tsapas, A., & Buse, J. B. (2022). Management of hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes, 2022. A consensus report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetologia, 65(12), 1925–1966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-022-05787-2 9. Fullen MC, Granello DH. Holistic Wellness in Older Adulthood: Group Differences Based on Age and Mental Health. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2018; 36(4):395-407. doi:10.1177/0898010118754665. 10. Hsin-Yen, Y, et al. (2021, December). Social Engagement for Mental Health: An international survey of older populations - yen - 2022 - international nursing review - wiley online library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inr.12737 11. Penninkilampi, R., et al. (2018, Jan 1). ‘The Association Between Social Engagement, Loneliness, and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ 619 – 1633.https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad180439 12.Wurm, S., & Benyamini, Y. (2014). 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