Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is a type of intermittent fasting in which no calories are commonly consumed for approximately 12–18 hours on a daily basis. The health benefits of this eating pattern have been shown in overweight adults, with improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors as well as the preservation of lean mass during weight loss. Although TRF has been well studied in younger and middle-aged adults, few studies have evaluated the effects of TRF in older adults. Thus, the goal of this study was to evaluate older-adult perspectives regarding the real-world advantages, disadvantages, and challenges to adopting a TRF eating pattern among participants aged 65 and over. A four-week single-arm pre- and post-test design was used for this clinical pilot trial TRF intervention study. Participants were instructed to fast for approximately 16 h per day with the daily target range between 14 and 18 h. Participants were provided with the TRF protocol at a baseline visit, along with a pictorial guide that depicted food items and beverages that were allowed and not allowed during fasting windows to reinforce that calorie-containing items were to be avoided. The trial interventionist called each participant weekly to promote adherence, review the protocol, monitor for adverse events, and provide support and guidance for any challenges faced during the intervention. Participants were instructed to complete daily eating time logs by recording the times at which they first consumed calories and when they stopped consuming calories. At the end of the intervention, participants completed an exit interview and a study-specific Diet Satisfaction Survey (Table 1) to assess their satisfaction, feasibility, and overall experience with the study intervention. Of the 10 participants who commenced the study (mean age = 77.1 y; 6 women, 4 men), nine completed the entire protocol. Seven of the ten participants reported easy adjustment to a 16-hour fast and rated the difference from normal eating patterns as minimal. Eight participants reported no decrease in energy during fasting periods, with greater self-reported activity levels in yardwork and light exercise. Adverse events were rare, and included transient headaches, which dissipated with increased water intake, and dizziness in one participant, which subsided with a small snack. The findings of the current trial suggest that TRF is an eating approach that is well tolerated by most older adults. Six participants, however, did not fully understand the requirements of the fasting regimen, despite being provided with specific instructions and a pictorial guide at a baseline visit. This suggests that more instruction and/or participant contact is needed in the early stages of a TRF intervention to promote adherence.
Reducing perceptions of illness intrusiveness may improve quality of life and mental health among patients with cardiopulmonary disease. To better understand relationships between coping style, locus of control, perceived illness intrusiveness, and disease severity, we analyzed data from 227 older Veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure. Regressions revealed illness intrusiveness to be associated with younger age and greater disease severity, less internal locus of control, and avoidant/emotion-focused coping. Avoidant/emotion-focused coping but not active coping mediated the relationship between illness severity and illness intrusiveness. Findings suggest that supportive psychological interventions may reduce illness intrusiveness by targeting an avoidant/emotion-focused coping style and associated behaviors.
For more than half a century, scientific research has documented widespread avoidance and even denial of aging. Though nothing new, aversive reactions to the elderly are not only unfortunate but dangerous today, as increasing life expectancy and consequent demand for specialized geriatric medical care vastly outpace the supply of qualified clinicians equipped to provide it. This discrepancy has led to a crisis that is not easily resolved. At the same time, geriatrics reports the highest level of physician satisfaction among medical specialties. How can this apparent disconnect be explained, and what can be done about it? Citing evidence from medicine and other health care disciplines, the authors address these questions by emphasizing the role of aging-related attitudes, a complex but theoretically modifiable construct. Successful educational interventions are described, including the authors' experience at the helm of a monthlong geriatrics clerkship for fourth-year medical students. Novel suggestions are provided to combat the daunting challenges to achieving a workforce that is sufficient both in number and training to effectively meet the needs of the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. As patients continue to age across most medical specialties, the importance of geriatric curricula, particularly those sensitizing learners to the need for a systems-based, biopsychosocial (i.e., interdisciplinary) model of care, cannot be overemphasized. Such training, it is argued, should be a standard component of medical education, and future research should focus on identifying specific curricular content and teaching methods that most effectively achieve this end.
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