Few studies have assessed the quality of life (QOL) related to chronic respiratory diseases in the elderly. In the framework of the geriatric study on the health effects of air quality in elderly care centers (GERIA) study, a questionnaire was completed by elderly subjects from 53 selected nursing homes. It included various sections in order to assess respiratory complaints, QOL (World Health Organization QOL (WHOQOL)-BREF), and the cognitive and depression status. The outcome variables were the presence of a score lower than 50 (<50) in each of the WHOQOL-BREF domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health). Chronic bronchitis, frequent cough, current wheezing, asthma, and allergic rhinitis were considered as potential risk factors. The surveyed sample was (n = 887) 79% female, with a mean age of 84 years (SD: 7 years). In the multivariable analysis, a score of <50 in the physical domain was associated with wheezing in the previous 12 months (odds ratio (OR): 2.03, confidence interval (CI): 1.25-3.31) and asthma (OR: 1.95, CI: 1.12-3.38). The psychological domain was related with a frequent cough (OR: 1.43, CI: 0.95-2.91). A score of <50 in the environmental domain was associated with chronic bronchitis (OR: 2.89, CI: 1.34-6.23) and emphysema (OR: 3.89, CI: 1.27-11.88). In view of these findings, the presence of respiratory diseases seems to be an important risk factor for a low QOL among elderly nursing home residents.

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The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) has a known potential for the detection of cognitive impairment in populations with dementia, especially Alzheimer disease (AD). Our aim was to compare the clinical utility of 3 CDT scoring systems (Rouleau, Cahn, and Babins) in several pathologies with cognitive compromise from a tertiary center memory clinic. We selected patients with a clinical diagnosis of mild stage AD, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (FTD), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson disease with dementia (PDD). The results showed significant differences between the several diagnoses with the following pattern of results: AD, DLB < FTD, VaD, PDD. Qualitative analysis of clock drawing errors confirmed the stimulus-bound response as a hallmark of AD, while conceptual deficit was significantly more prevalent in patients with AD and DLB. Our results supported the CDT potential as a cognitive screening measure for mild dementia, particularly sensitive to AD and DLB, especially when we used the Cahn scoring system and its analysis of qualitative errors.

high levels of PM10 were associated with 3-fold odds of allergic rhinitis. No association was found between indoor air chemical and biological contaminants and respiratory symptoms.

In this study an etiologic agent could be found in 60% of the acute respiratory episodes. These data provides information about the circulating viruses in ECC and highlights the importance of searching both viruses and atypical bacteria in severe ARI.