Polypharmacy, a common condition among the older population, is associated with adverse outcomes, including higher mortality, falls and hospitalization rates, adverse drug reactions, drug–drug interactions, medication nonadherence, and consequently increased healthcare costs. Background/Objectives: This study aims to explore the prevalence of polypharmacy and its associated factors among older adults across 27 European countries and Israel. Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, we used data from participants aged 65 years or older from Wave 9 of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) database. The variables studied were classified into the following categories: sociodemographic, behavioral factors, physical functioning, physical health, mental health, and living conditions. Results: Our results showed an overall prevalence of polypharmacy of 36.2%, ranging from 25.0 to 51.8%. Slovenia, Greece, and Switzerland were the countries with the lowest prevalence, whereas Portugal, Israel, and Poland were the countries where the prevalence of polypharmacy was the highest. Polypharmacy was shown to be associated with variables from all categories. Conclusions: Polypharmacy is a highly prevalent condition in the older population. Identification of variables associated with polypharmacy, such as those identified in this study, is important to identify and monitor older groups, which are most vulnerable to polypharmacy. Interventions designed to reduce polypharmacy should consider these associations.

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are transforming healthcare delivery through personalised, evidence-based interventions that offer a cost-effective approach to health management. However, their widespread adoption faces significant barriers including privacy concerns, usability issues, and integration challenges within healthcare systems. This review assesses the current evidence on DTx, with a particular focus on the role of co-creation in enhancing design and usability. A narrative review was conducted to identify studies exploring co-creation in DTx development. Three studies were selected for in-depth analysis, demonstrating that co-creation processes significantly improve the usability and effectiveness of DTx interventions. Findings underscore challenges in DTx implementation, including complex regulatory processes, digital inequality, high development costs, and difficulties in integrating with existing healthcare systems. Despite the existence of discrete examples of co-creation in DTx and its acknowledged value in the healthcare domain, systematic research in this field remains markedly limited. Future studies should prioritise establishing best practises for co-creation, with particular emphasis on methods to enhance data privacy and security, standardisation protocols, and patient engagement strategies to optimise DTx adoption and effectiveness. This review contributes to the growing body of literature on DTx by highlighting the potential of co-creation while also identifying critical areas for future research.

Background/Objectives: The rapid ageing of the European population presents growing challenges for mental health, highlighting the need to identify factors that can prevent or delay psychological decline and promote a higher quality of life in later life. This study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive overview of mental health among older adults in Europe by examining the prevalence of depressive symptoms and identifying key associated factors. Methods: We analysed data from individuals (n = 45,601) aged 65 years and older across 27 European countries and Israel who participated in Wave 9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). This study assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms, which were evaluated using the EURO-D scale (score range: 0–12), with a cut-off of ≥4 indicating clinically relevant symptoms. It also explored associations with sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, behavioural factors, social participation, internet skills and living conditions. Results: Our findings confirm that depressive symptoms remain highly prevalent among older adults in Europe, with 35.1% of women and 21.5% of men affected, reflecting persistent gender disparities in mental health. Depression in later life was significantly associated with poor physical health, loneliness and lower quality of life. Conversely, moderate involvement in grandchild care and in social participation emerged as potential protective factors. Conclusions: Late-life depression has substantial implications for both mental and physical well-being. Our findings suggest that social integration, gender related factors and physical health are closely associated with depressive symptoms in older adults. These associations highlight the importance of considering these domains when designing interventions and policies aimed at promoting mental health in ageing populations.

Urban environments and climate-related challenges impact older adults’ health and well-being. To address these challenges, climate adaptation strategies and urban design guidelines should be tailored to older adults’ needs. Ethnographic studies can help identify these needs by involving them directly in the research process. This study uses ethnographic research to explore older adults’ perceptions and behaviours regarding climate change risks and impacts, health, and mobility challenges in a vulnerable urban area—São Roque da Lameira, Porto, Portugal. It studies the applicability and complementarity of four participatory methods that can inform urban design: (I) semi-structured interviews, (II) ‘go-along’ interviews, (III) user observations, and (IV) emotional mapping. The qualitative data collected were analysed through thematic and spatial analysis. Common themes emerged between the four methods, including concerns about accessibility, safety, and comfort, such as uneven pavements, lack of seating, and poor infrastructure for people with reduced mobility. Participants recommended improvements, such as more green spaces and better pedestrian infrastructure quality. Notably, each method uncovered distinct dimensions, highlighting the added value of a multi-method approach. This study demonstrates that combining participatory methods offers deeper, context-specific insights to inform age-friendly and climate-resilient urban design. Future research should take climate-focused methods and a multidisciplinary approach into consideration.

Smart furniture represents a growing field that integrates Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems and assistive technologies, yet lacks a comprehensive synthesis of its components and applications. This PRISMA-guided systematic review analysed 35 studies published between 2014 and 2024, sourced from PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. The included studies presented prototypes of smart furniture that used IoT, sensors or automation. The focus was on extracting data related to technological configurations, functional uses, validation methods, maturity levels and commercialisation. Three technological pillars emerged, data collection (n = 31 studies), transmission/processing (n = 30), and actuation (n = 22), often combined into multifunctional systems (n = 14). Health monitoring was the dominant application (n = 15), followed by environmental control (n = 8) and assistive functions for older adults (n = 8). Validation methods varied; 37% relied solely on laboratory testing, while 20% only involved end-users. Only one solution surpassed Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 and is currently on the market. Current research remains pre-commercial, with gaps in AI integration, long-term validation, and participatory design. Smart furniture shows promise for healthcare and independent living, but requires standardised evaluation, ethical data practices, and co-creation to achieve market readiness.

Amid growing concerns over global warming, ensuring the outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) of public urban spaces is crucial for creating liveable and resilient cities. This study focused on the intensification of the urban heat island (UHI) effect and the heat stress experienced by the vulnerable older population. Evidence was found through the case study in a highly vulnerable area of Porto, with a high ageing ratio. The primary aim was to assess the influence of design-based adaptation strategies on OTC using ENVI-met, with a specific focus on older adults. Thermal stress was evaluated using the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index. The analysis confirms that older adults consistently experience higher PET values (+2–5 °C) and larger areas of thermal discomfort than active-age adults. Simulations reveal that the effectiveness of adaptation measures depends on the characteristics of the urban space but enhanced green infrastructure achieves the most significant heat mitigation results. Artificial shading only provides localized thermal relief. Cool pavements contribute meaningfully by lowering surface heat storage and reducing longwave radiation. However, their impact on PET, beneficial or detrimental, depends significantly on the morphology of the outdoor space and the materials used. In the analysed street canyon, PET was higher in the central hours of the day for both age ranges, when the pavement material had a higher albedo. An effective heat mitigation needs a combination of vegetation-based strategies and climate-responsive materials to ensure comfortable and age-inclusive public spaces. This research presents an actionable methodological approach for evaluating and enhancing OTC, advocating the use of microclimate simulations in a carefully selected set of public spaces within an intervention urban area to define effective climate adaptation measures for each space.