01 April 2008
Design and descriptive characteristics of the GHRAS: the Greek Health Randomized Aging Study
Stavroula Kanoni, George V. DedoussisMed Sci Monit 2008; 14(4): CR204-212 :: ID: 850298
Abstract
Background:The “GHRAS” study is aimed at investigating the interactions among socioeconomic, lifestyle, dietary, psychological, and biochemical factors determining the health status of elderly Greeks. The design and baseline sociodemographic, clinical, and dietary characteristics of the participants are presented here.
Material/Methods: A total of 782 elderly (>60 years of age) Greeks were randomly recruited in Athens. Standardized anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical procedures and extensive questionnaires were used to assess health parameters and lifestyle factors.
Results: A high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was found in both men and women (78.7% vs. 90.1%, p<0.001) as well as hypertension (81.3% vs. 71.8, p=0.005). Obesity was found in 43.6% of all participants and 42.7% was overweight. Elderly women demonstrated higher mean BMI values than the men (30.2±5.0 vs. 28.7±4.0, p<0.001). Only 13.4% of all subjects reported current smoking. The majority of the women (77.5%) had never smoked, while most of the men (53.4%) were former smokers. The women appeared more physically active and less adherent to the Mediterranean diet than the men. 36.2% of the women and 21.0% of the men had mild to severe depressive symptoms (p<0.001), while 28.4% of the women and 25.4% of the men had cognitive decline (p=0.430). A history of cardiovascular disease was present in 19.9% and diabetes in 13.9% of all participants.
Conclusions: The prevalence of morbidity risk factors in this population is high. Further investigation is required, including the interaction of compromising factors, to clarify their impact on the health status of the elderly.
Keywords: Health Surveys, Socioeconomic Factors, Smoking - epidemiology, Sex Characteristics, Random Allocation, Questionnaires, Obesity - epidemiology, Life Style, Hypertension - epidemiology, Hypercholesterolemia - epidemiology, Aging, Health Status, Health, Greece - epidemiology, Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology, Cholesterol - blood, Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology, Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, Aged, 80 and over
Editorial
01 July 2022 : Editorial
Editorial: World Health Organization (WHO) Variants of Concern Lineages Under Monitoring (VOC-LUM) in Response to the Global Spread of Lineages and Sublineages of Omicron, or B.1.1.529, SARS-CoV-2DOI: 10.12659/MSM.937676
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e937676
SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
27 June 2022 : Clinical Research
Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) in 16 Patients Following COVID-19 Vaccination Who...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.937430
04 June 2022 : Clinical Research
Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Students at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland Between November...Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936962
30 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Effects of Wearing Face Masks on Exercise Capacity and Ventilatory Anaerobic Threshold in Healthy Subjects ...Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936069
27 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Factors Associated with Falls During Hospitalization for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936547
In Press
01 Jul 2022 : Clinical Research
Does Early-Period Patient Dissatisfaction Turn Into Satisfaction Over Time After Total Knee Replacement?Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936792
30 Jun 2022 : Laboratory Research
Bcl-2 19-kDa Interacting Protein 3 (BNIP3)-Mediated Mitophagy Attenuates Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Human...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936760
30 Jun 2022 : Clinical Research
Antioxidant System and Ions Concentrations After Femoral Neck and Resurfacing Hip ArthroplastyMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936335
28 Jun 2022 : Meta-Analysis
Urodynamics in Early Diagnosis of Diabetic Bladder Dysfunction in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.937166
Most Viewed Current Articles
30 Dec 2021 : Clinical Research
Retrospective Study of Outcomes and Hospitalization Rates of Patients in Italy with a Confirmed Diagnosis o...DOI :10.12659/MSM.935379
Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e935379
08 Mar 2022 : Review article
A Review of the Potential Roles of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pharmacological Approaches for the Man...DOI :10.12659/MSM.936292
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936292
01 Nov 2020 : Review article
Long-Term Respiratory and Neurological Sequelae of COVID-19DOI :10.12659/MSM.928996
Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e928996
13 Nov 2021 : Clinical Research
Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Associated Factors Among Cancer Patients Attending the Oncology ...DOI :10.12659/MSM.932788
Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e932788