[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gait speed and various factors in ambulatory patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. [Subjects] Fifty ambulatory patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease who were admitted to an outpatient clinic were included in this cross-sectional study. [Methods] The Hoehn and Yahr Scale was used for measurement of the disease severity. Gait speed was measured by the 10-Meter Walk Test. Mobility status was assessed by Timed Up and Go Test. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used for evaluation of emotional state. Cognitive status was examined with the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Downton Index was used for fall risk assessment. Balance was evaluated with the Berg Balance Scale. Comorbidity was measured with the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey was completed for measurement of quality of life. [Results] The mean age was 66.7 (47–83) years. Twenty-eight (56%) patients were men. Gait speed was correlated positively with height, male gender, Mini-Mental Examination score, Berg Balance Scale score and physical summary scores of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. On the other hand, there was a negative correlation between gait speed and age, disease severity, TUG time, Downton Index, fear of falling, previous falls and the anxiety and depression scores of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. There was no correlation between gait speed and comorbidity. [Conclusion] The factors related with the slower gait speed are, elder age, clinically advanced disease, poor mobility, fear of falling, falling history, higher falling risk, and mood disorder.

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This study demonstrated an increase in the frequency of metabolic syndrome, which is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis in patients with PsA. Patients with PsA should be closely followed in terms of cardiovascular events, and aggressive treatment should be performed for both cardiovascular risk factors and the disease itself.

The aim of this study was to compare the body composition, including lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and bone mineral content, of the paretic leg with that of the nonaffected leg in patients with stroke and to evaluate the effects of time since stroke, spasticity, and motor recovery on the body composition specifically within the first year after stroke. Thirty-five stroke patients with mean age and standard deviation of 62.69+/-9.54 years were included in the study. A full physical examination including Brunnstrom motor recovery and modified Ashworth spasticity scale was performed. Fat tissue mass (grams), lean tissue mass (grams), and bone mineral content (grams) of both the paretic and nonaffected lower extremities were obtained from the total body scans determined by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Lunar DPX-PRO). Lean tissue mass and bone mineral content of the paretic side were found to be significantly lower than those of the nonaffected side (P<0.05). A significant correlation was found between the lean tissue mass and bone mineral content of both the paretic and nonaffected legs after adjusting for age and weight (P=0.000, r=0.679; P=0.000, r=0.634, respectively). Bone mineral content and lean tissue mass of both the paretic and nonaffected sides showed a significant negative correlation with time since stroke in patients with stroke for < or =1 year (P<0.05). A higher lean tissue mass and bone mineral content were found in patients with moderate to high spasticity in comparison with patients with low or no spasticity (P<0.05). Stroke causes loss of lean tissue mass and bone mineral content prominently in the paretic side. The loss increases with increasing time since stroke. Spasticity seems to help in preventing the loss of bone mineral content and lean tissue mass.

Background: Palliative therapies have an important role in increasing the quality of healthcare and in dealing with physical and psychosocial problems due to cancer. We here aimed to evaluate the managerial perspectives and opinions of the hospital managers and clinical directors about specialized palliative care centers. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two large-scale hospitals in which oncology care is given with medical directors (n:70). A questionnaire developed by the researchers asking about demographic characteristics and professional experience, opinions and suggestions of medical directors about providing and integrating palliative care into healthcare was used and responses were analyzed. Results: Potential barriers in providing palliative care (PC) and integrating PC into health systems were perceived as institutional by most of the doctors (97%) and nurses (96%). Social barriers were reported by 54% of doctors and 82% of nurses. Barriers due to interest and knowledge of health professionals about PC were reported by 76% of doctors and 75% of nurses. Among encouragement ideas to provide PC were dealing with staff educational needs (72%), improved working conditions (77%) and establishing a special PC unit (49)%. An independent PC unit was suggested by 27.7% of participants and there was no difference between the hospitals. To overcome the barriers for integration of PC into health systems, providing education for health professionals and patient relatives, raising awareness in society, financial arrangements and providing infrastructure were suggested. The necessity for planning and programming were emphasized. Conclusions: In our study, the opinions and perspectives of hospital managers and clinical directors were similar to current approaches. Managerial needs for treating cancer in efficient cancer centers, increasing the capacity of health professionals to provide care in every stage of cancer, effective education planning and patient care management were emphasized.