The aging population requires cutting-edge approaches to geriatric care, with digital health technologies playing a crucial part in meeting the challenging demands of healthcare. Current approaches frequently fall short of the goal of providing comprehensive, real-time monitoring and merging contextually complex information for use in the treatment of patients. This paper addresses these limitations by integrating the innovative approaches within the RO-SmartAgeing system and the NeuroPredict platform to boost geriatric-care outcomes. It emphasizes the multifaceted design and development processes of these digital health solutions, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach and a meticulous choice of decision-making tools. This paper presents the inclusion of decision-making tools, namely the Medical Blackbox and Gaitband, into the RO-SmartAgeing system and the NeuroPredict platform; these tools have been developed for the purpose of gathering complex physiological data and allow for in-depth evaluations of gait patterns and vital health parameters in elderly individuals. The present research emphasizes major breakthroughs in sensing technology and decision-making capabilities, illustrating the manner in which these tools enhance patient outcomes by providing timely, data-driven insights. The results demonstrate that these tailored decision-making tools significantly improve patient outcomes, underscoring the need for such ongoing improvements able to address digital health solutions tailored to the dynamic demands of an increasingly aging population.

Background/Objectives: Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that lead to abnormal movements and postures; it has a major impact on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to examine the HRQoL of Romanian patients with dystonia using the EQ-5D-5L instrument. Methods: Responses to the EQ-5D-5L and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were collected alongside demographic and clinical characteristics. Health profiles were analyzed via the metrics of the EQ-5D-5L, severity levels, and age groups. Using Shannon’s indexes, we calculated informativity both for patients’ health profile as a whole and each individual dimension. Level sum scores (LSS) of the EQ-5D-5L were calculated and compared with scores from the EQ-5D-5L index and VAS. The HRQoL measures were analyzed through demographic and clinical characteristics. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U or Kruskall–Wallis H) were used. The level of agreement between HRQoL measures was assessed using their intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Results: A sample of 90 patients was used, around 75.6% of whom were female patients, and the mean age at the beginning of the survey was 58.7 years. The proportion of patients reporting “no problems” in all five dimensions was 10%. The highest frequency reported was “no problems” in self-care (66%), followed by “no problems” in mobility (41%). Shannon index and Shannon evenness index values showed higher informativity for pain/discomfort (2.07 and 0.89, respectively) and minimal informativity for self-care (1.59 and 0.68, respectively). The mean EQ-5D-5L index, LSS, and VAS scores were 0.74 (SD = 0.26), 0.70 (SD = 0.24), and 0.61 (SD = 0.21), respectively. The Spearman correlations between HRQoL measures were higher than 0.60. The agreement between the EQ-5D-5L index and LSS values was excellent (ICC = 0.970, 95% CI = 0.934–0.984); the agreement was poor-to-good between the EQ-5D-5L index and VAS scores (ICC = 683, 95% CI = 0.388–0.820), and moderate-to-good between the LSS and VAS scores (ICC = 0.789, 95% CI = 0.593–0.862). Conclusions: Our results support the utilization of the EQ-5D-5L instrument in assessing the HRQoL of dystonia patients, and empirical results suggest that the EQ-5D-5L index and LSS measure may be used interchangeably. The findings from this study highlight that HRQoL is complex in patients with dystonia, particularly across different age groups.

Introduction: From the observation of a negative relationship between UV-B exposure and cancer rates, we hypothesized that vitamin D (VD) may play a protective role in oncogenesis. Moreover, repurposing a well-known and relatively safe drug for conditions with dismal prospects, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is a tempting idea. Thus, we aimed to summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of VD in the prevention and treatment of PDAC. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of VD and PDAC using Medline-indexed studies accessed through PubMed as the primary data source. This study aimed to identify articles focusing on the role of VD as a risk and prognostic factor for PDAC, mechanistic studies evaluating the effects of VD or vitamin D analogs (VDAs) in PDAC models, and clinical trials on VDAs in PDAC. After the screening, 97 studies were included in the final manuscript. Conclusion: Even though the results from epidemiologic studies were contradictory, basic research has demonstrated that VD can act on PDAC cells either directly, inhibiting proliferation, apoptosis, EMT, migration, invasion, and stemness, or indirectly, through stromal remodeling. A better understanding of the consequences of VD-induced tumor–stroma cross-talk alterations is needed to determine whether VD/VDAs can be used to our own advantage in the treatment of PDAC.

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases have a high prevalence among the elderly, together with frailty syndrome, and both conditions negatively affect quality of life and limit patient autonomy. This study aimed to explore potential relationships between cardiovascular and metabolic parameters, renal function, and frailty domains to identify potential intervention targets. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2024 and April 2025 at the National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics “Ana Aslan”, including 359 patients aged over 40 years. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected through interviews, medical records, and standardized assessments of frailty components (weakness, exhaustion, slow gait, balance impairment, reduced activity, cognitive decline, and weight loss), as well as cardiovascular diseases and comorbidities. Results: Most participants were aged 65–79 years. ROC curve identified triglycerides as a good indicator of both alcohol consumption (AUC = 0.631, p = 0.042) and smoking status (AUC = 0.676, p = 0.004), while HDL cholesterol showed an inverse association with smoking status (AUC = 0.356, p = 0.019). Reduced renal function was significantly associated with smoking status, balance, gait impairment, and reduced functional mobility. The Up and Go Test indicated a good discriminatory ability for renal function decline (AUC = 0.656, p < 0.001). Muscle strength, MMSE, and Tinetti scores showed inverse associations with renal function. Conclusions: Renal impairment appears to be a reliable indicator across multiple frailty domains, acting as an accelerator of frailty progression. Triglycerides reflect lifestyle-related factors, while the Up and Go Test may serve as a practical screening tool for renal dysfunction in frail older adults. These findings suggest the need to adapt traditional cardiovascular risk management to the frail geriatric population.

Background/Objectives: Autonomy and the ability to live independently are priority goals for older adults and are closely linked to healthy aging and quality of life (QoL). However, nutrition, although a crucial and modifiable determinant, remains undervalued. Cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent in middle-aged and older adults and increase the risk of functional impairment, burdening the economy and limiting the patient’s autonomy. This study aimed to analyse the quality of life in older adults and its relationship with functional impairment and nutritional status. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 359 patients with a mean age of 71.52 years who were admitted to the National Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics “Ana Aslan”, between January 2024 and April 2025. Data were collected through interviews, medical records, and standardized instruments, including the Up and Go Test, Tinetti Test, Downton Fall Risk Index, and handgrip strength assessment. Quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L and the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Nutritional status assessed using MNA showed significant moderate-to-strong correlations with EQ-5D-5L mobility (r = −0.326, p = 0.007 in the ≥80 years’ group), anxiety/depression (r = −0.544, p < 0.001 in the ≥80 years’ group), self-care (r = −0.271 to −0.311, p < 0.05 in patients over 65), and usual activities (r = −0.294, p = 0.016 in the ≥80 years’ group). In contrast, BMI showed moderate positive correlations with EQ-5D-5L pain/discomfort across all age groups (r = 0.365 to 0.524, p < 0.002). Functional assessment revealed strong negative correlations between EQ-5D-5L mobility and the Tinetti Test (r = −0.583 to −0.728, p < 0.001), with weaker correlations for pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions. While BMI-EQ-5D-5L pain/discomfort correlations were consistent across age groups, a stronger correlation was observed in the ≥80 years’ group for MNA-EQ-5D-5L anxiety/depression. Conclusions: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, MNA and BMI were associated with different quality of life domains. Lower MNA scores were more frequently associated with anxiety/depression and certain functional domains, particularly in the ≥80 years’ group, whereas higher BMI was more consistently associated with pain/discomfort across age groups.

Background/Objectives: Dystonia, traditionally regarded as a purely motor disorder, is now increasingly recognized as involving clinically significant non-motor symptoms (NMSs) that can adversely affect patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to assess HRQoL in Romanian patients with isolated dystonia and to evaluate the impact of two key NMSs, depression and cognitive impairment, on their HRQoL. We hypothesized that depression would have a greater adverse effect on HRQoL than cognitive impairment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 65 adult Romanian patients with isolated dystonia. HRQoL was measured using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), including the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and cognitive impairment was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and parametric and non-parametric tests were used. Multiple regression analysis was employed to evaluate associations between NMS and HRQoL. Results: The mean (SD) age was 56.6 (14.3) years, and 80% of participants were female. Depression and cognitive function were significantly associated with PCS (0.33 and −0.51, respectively) and MCS (0.26 and −0.78, respectively). Multiple regression analysis showed that the two NMS explained 38% of the variance in PCS and 58% of the variance in MCS. Depression had a greater impact on PCS and MCS than cognitive impairment (−0.47 vs. 0.33 and −0.72 vs. 0.16, respectively). Cognitive impairment (MoCA < 26) was present in 35.4% of patients, while 46.2% had at least mild depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 5); 23.1% met criteria for moderate-to-severe depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10). Depressive symptoms showed strong negative correlations with all SF-36 domains, while cognitive performance correlated modestly. Conclusions: Both depression and cognitive impairment have a significant negative impact on HRQoL in dystonia, with depression having a stronger effect, as we hypothesized. Routine screening for non-motor symptoms is essential to support better clinical outcomes and enhance patients’ quality of life.