It was aimed to evaluate KL-6 glycoprotein levels to determine if it may be a diagnostic marker for the connective tissue diseases (CTDs) predicting CTD-related interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) (CTD-ILD) development and to examine if there was a difference between patients and healthy controls. The study included 113 patients with CTD (45 CTD without lung involvement, 68 CTD-ILD) and 45 healthy control subjects. KL-6 glycoprotein levels were analyzed with ELISA in patients and the control group. The relationship between KL-6 glycoprotein levels and CTD-ILD was assessed. In the comparison of all the groups in the study, significantly higher levels of KL-6 were determined in the CTD-ILD group than in either the CTD without pulmonary involvement group or the healthy control group (p < 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the KL-6 levels in the healthy control group and the CTD without pulmonary involvement group (p = 0.289). The KL-6 levels did not differ significantly according to the connective tissue diseases in the diagnostic groups (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue disease, scleroderma, polymyositis/ dermatomyositis). In the healthy control group, there was a statistically significant difference between KL-6 levels in smokers and non-smokers. Smokers had significantly higher serum KL-6 levels compared with non-smokers (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between smoking status (pack-year) and serum KL-6 levels. There was no statistically significant correlation between serum KL-6 levels and time since diagnosis of CTD and CTD-ILD. The level of KL-6 as a predictive factor could be used to identify the clinical development of ILD before it is detected on imaging modality. Further prospective clinical studies are needed to define whether levels of KL-6 might have prognostic value or might predict progressive ILD.

The ability to screen Turkish-speaking older adults for cognitive impairment by phone is lacking. The aim of this study was to translate the existing version of the telephone cognitive screen (T-CogS) into Turkish version (T-CogS-TR) and evaluate its reliability and validity in community-dwelling older adults. We prospectively recruited 104 community-dwelling participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and healthy controls. The T-CogS-TR was administered twice via telephone at home, first within 3 days of an in-person administration and again 4 weeks later. We observed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach α coefficient = 0.738) and internal reliability. The test–retest reliability was excellent. The T-CogS-TR demonstrated significant correlations with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, Clock-Drawing Test, and Clinician Dementia Rating ( P’s < .0001). The cutoff value of ≤22 exhibited sensitivity of 96.8%, specificity of 90.2%, positive predictive value of 93.9%, and negative predictive value of 94.9%. The T-CogS-TR can be useful as a valid and reliable tool for detecting AD in Turkish elderly patients. Also, this tool may be considered suitable for patients who need more frequent follow-up and cannot easily return to in-person visits.

F alls are a significant common problem in older adults, reducing function and quality of life, increasing the risk for fear of falling syndrome, and causing morbidity and mortality. One-third of community-dwelling people aged over 65 years fall one or more times each year and repeated falls occur in half of them [1]. Brain trauma, hip fractures, hospitalization and death are worst outcomes of falls. Accidents are the seventh cause of deaths in older people and the majority are associated with falls [2]. Most falls arise from one or more combination risk factors, including advanced age, impaired cognitive function, comorbidities, sensory factors and environmental hazards. Drugs are another major modifiable risk factor for falls. Of those, psychoactive drugs are the most common cause associated with falls, with sedation, impaired balance, and coordination that result in gait problems. Psychoac-ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Data on the relationship between fall and psychoactive drug use among Turkish older people are limited. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of falls and the associations between psychoactive drug use and falls in communitydwelling Turkish older people. METHODS: This single center study was performed using the medical records of subjects aged over 65 years admitted to the geriatric care unit. Demographic and lifestyle factors, clinical characteristics, medications, and data on mood, cognitive status, and functional performance were obtained from the comprehensive geriatric assessment records. Based on a fall history in the last 12 months, subjects were grouped as fallers and non-fallers. Subjects treated with a psychoactive drug were identified. RESULTS: Among the total of 429 subjects, there were 184 (42.9%) fallers and 245 (57.1%) non-fallers. Of those, 33.3% were on psychoactive drug treatment. The proportion of psychoactive drug users was higher in the fallers group compared to non-fallers (45.1% vs. 24.5%, p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed age ≥75 years (OR=1.83; CI: 1.09-3.09; p=0.023), female gender (OR=2.70; CI: 1.6-4.50; p<0.001), and psychoactive drug use (OR=2.14; CI: 1.32-3.48; p=0.002) as independent predictors of falls. CONCLUSION: We found that about one-third of geriatric outpatients were on psychoactive drug treatment in Turkey that was independently associated with the risk of falls.

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