Forskningsartikler

Purpose
Information about outcomes of particular relevance to older prostate cancer survivors is limited. This study aimed to compare health, activities of daily living (ADL), and use of health care services between survivors and matched controls.

Methods
A single-centre study on men treated for prostate cancer with curative intent at the age ≥ 70 years 2 to 7 years earlier. Controls matched on age and education were drawn (1:3) from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) in Norway. Self-reported general health, independence in ADL and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), hospital admissions and emergency room visits were compared by estimating non-adjusted and adjusted (age, education, comorbidity, cohabitant status and pack years of smoking) regression models.

Results
The majority of both survivors (N = 233) and controls (N = 699) reported good (58.7% vs. 62.7%) or very good (11.2% vs. 6.8%) health and independence in ADL (95.6% vs. 96.3%) and IADL (82.7% vs. 81.9%). Hospital admission was reported by 17.3% vs. 18.2% and emergency room visit by 23.6% vs. 26.7%. Regression models showed no significant differences between survivors and controls.

Conclusions
Older prostate cancer survivors reported similar health, independence in ADL and use of emergency room and hospital admissions as matched controls.

Implications for Cancer Survivors.

This study shows that survivors after curatively intended treatment of prostate cancer have as good health as matched controls, indicating that many patients tolerate such treatment well despite being of old age and that current practice for selection of patients offered such treatment is appropriate.

Sletten, Reidun & Jordhoy, Marit & Oldervoll, Line & Skjellegrind, Håvard & Saltyte Benth, Jurate & Åstrøm, Lennart & Kirkevold, Øyvind & Bergh, Sverre & Grønberg, Bjørn & Rostoft, Siri & Bye, Asta & Mork, Paul & Christiansen, Ola

Abstract

Background
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) refers to the capacity of the cardiovascular and respiratory system to process oxygen. CRF is associated with depressive symptoms and findings suggest that CRF decreased significantly in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, purchase of prescribed antidepressants before and after the pandemic lockdown by CRF level in older adults has not yet been described.

Methods
This longitudinal study included 1221 community-dwelling older adults ≥70 years old participating in the Norwegian HUNT4 Trondheim 70+ study (2018–2019). Data on estimated CRF (eCRF) were linked to the Norwegian Prescribed Drug Registry and utilized defined daily doses (DDDs) of antidepressants from January 2019 throughout December 2021. Paired t-tests were performed to assess changes in DDDs before and after the Norwegian COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Results
Participants had a mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) age of 76.5 (5.2) years, 53.6% were women. In the total sample, the results showed a significant rise in purchase of antidepressants from before (M = 1.25, SD = 7.17) compared to after the lockdown (M = 1.52, SD = 7.86); t (1220) = −2.47, p = 0.014). The number of participants purchasing antidepressants also increased in the total sample and within each of the eCRF groups. In the different eCRF groups, only individuals in the highest eCRF tertile showed a significant higher purchase of antidepressants after the lockdown (M = 1.44, SD = 6.65); t (413) = −2.63, p = 0.009) compared to the year before (M = 0.99, SD = 5.21).

Conclusions
Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the utilization of antidepressants increased in community-dwelling older adults, with the steepest increase observed among those with the highest eCRF levels.

Maren Lerfald, Linn Marita Hagen, Ekaterina Zotcheva, Federico Palumbo, Audun Havnen, Linda Ernstsen