Background and Objectives: Sarcopenia is a major geriatric condition associated with functional decline and adverse outcomes. Cardiac fat depots exhibit metabolic activity and are linked to cardiometabolic risk; however, the extent to which epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) quantified on standard thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans are associated with sarcopenia in older inpatients remains inadequately explored. This study investigated the associations of EAT and PCAT thickness with sarcopenia. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study using CT data obtained for clinical purposes and routine geriatric assessment data. In this single-center retrospective study, 101 inpatients aged ≥65 years who underwent unenhanced thoracic CT and bioelectrical impedance analysis within 3 months were included. EAT and PCAT thicknesses were measured using standardized methods. Sarcopenia status was based on a previously established clinical diagnosis according to EWGSOP2 criteria. Multivariable logistic regression, body mass index (BMI)-stratified analyses, and ROC curve evaluations were performed. Results: The participants had a mean age of 78.5 ± 7.6 years; 54.5% were female. Fifty-five patients (54.5%) met the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia. PCAT was significantly thicker in sarcopenic participants relative to non-sarcopenic ones (12.25 ± 2.50 vs. 11.17 ± 2.32 mm, p = 0.028), while no corresponding difference was observed for EAT (p = 0.959). After controlling for age, sex, and BMI, each 1 mm increase in PCAT thickness was independently associated with an increased odds of sarcopenia (OR 1.399, 95% CI 1.133–1.727, p = 0.002). With the addition of the PCAT, the discriminatory power was modest (AUC 0.637 overall and 0.715 for BMI ≥25 kg/m²). In exploratory stratified analyses, the association was numerically larger in the BMI ≥25 kg/m² subgroup (OR 1.48, p = 0.008); however, the formal BMI-by-PCAT interaction was not statistically significant (p = 0.290), so this subgroup finding is considered hypothesis-generating. Conclusions: PCAT thickness measured on routine non-contrast thoracic CT was associated with prevalent sarcopenia, whereas EAT thickness was not. ROC analyses showed modest discrimination; therefore, any proposed cut-offs should be considered exploratory and require prospective validation and external confirmation before clinical use.

Background and Objectives: Impaired autophagy has been implicated in neurodegeneration, but circulating autophagy-related proteins have shown inconsistent associations with cognitive impairment. We compared serum autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) among older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and examined its relationship with global cognitive performance. Materials and Methods: This single-centre cross-sectional study enrolled 164 older adults (55 with normal cognition, 55 with MCI, and 54 with clinically diagnosed AD). Cognitive status was determined through integrated clinical assessment rather than a single test cut-off. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to quantify serum ATG5, yielding quantifiable values for 156 participants, right-censored observations above the highest calibrator for six, and unmeasurable results for two. Since the two 96-well plates, drawn from one ELISA kit lot and processed on the same day, exhibited a substantial discrepancy in measurement scale across runs, they were analysed as distinct strata, with the principal group contrast estimated via a right-censored Tobit regression of log-transformed ATG5 within each plate, controlling for cognitive group, age and sex; a pooled plate-adjusted model also provided support. Supportive analyses used within-plate z-standardised ATG5. Associations with clinical variables were assessed using age- and sex-adjusted partial Spearman correlations with false discovery rate correction. Results: Across both analytical strata (plate 1 omnibus p = 0.293; plate 2 p = 0.264) and within the supportive pooled model (p = 0.143; AD vs. normal geometric mean ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.73–1.09), serum ATG5 concentrations did not differ significantly between cognitive groups. Concentrations on plate 2 were 47% lower (GMR 0.53, 95% CI 0.45–0.62), a gap exceeding the inter-assay imprecision declared by the manufacturer and unexplained by the calibrator values from plate 2; since relative dispersion matched across both plates (likelihood ratio p = 0.730), the pattern suggests a multiplicative scale shift of unknown origin. Serum ATG5 levels were weakly associated with global cognitive performance assessed via the S-MMSE (partial ρ = 0.283, p < 0.001, FDR p = 0.010), an association that persisted after adjusting for education, albumin and folate and retained a similar magnitude within a linear model (β = 0.044, p = 0.014). Incorporating ATG5 into a model that included age, sex and education failed to enhance discrimination (ΔAUC +0.012 and +0.000). Conclusions: Serum ATG5 did not discriminate normal cognition, MCI, and clinically diagnosed AD. A weak rank-based association with S-MMSE was observed, but the effect was small. These findings do not support serum ATG5 as a diagnostic discriminator for clinically defined cognitive status.

Objectives: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to ocular diseases that impair vision, quality of life, and functional independence. Understanding ophthalmology outpatient visit patterns in this population is essential for planning age-sensitive eye care services. This study aimed to analyze the primary reasons for ophthalmology outpatient visits among older adults in Turkey. Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients aged ≥65 years attending an outpatient ophthalmology clinic between January and December 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic characteristics, presenting visual acuity, and primary clinical diagnoses were recorded and descriptively analyzed using predefined diagnostic categories. Results: Results: Patients aged ≥65 years accounted for 17.5% of all ophthalmology outpatient visits. Ocular surface diseases were the most common diagnostic category, followed by refractive errors and lens- and anterior segment–related conditions. The most frequent diagnoses were refractive errors, dry eye disease, and blepharitis. Most patients were aged 65–74 years, with a higher proportion of females. Visual impairment increased progressively with age. Conclusion: Ophthalmology outpatient visits among older adults are largely driven by common, potentially preventable or manageable conditions. Frequent ocular surface disorders, such as dry eye disease and blepharitis, may be effectively managed at the primary care level with appropriate referral pathways. Strengthening early identification and first-line management may reduce unnecessary specialist visits and help preserve visual function, supporting the planning and optimization of geriatric eye care services within a public health framework in Turkey.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association between laboratory-based metabolic, inflammatory, and nutritional markers and in-hospital mortality among patients aged 65 years and older with diabetic foot ulcers. Materials and Methods: The retrospective study included 110 patients who were followed up for diabetic foot ulcers. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, Wagner stage, length of stay, and routine laboratory parameters were recorded. The association of HbA1c, leukocyte count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), CRP/albumin ratio (CAR), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), urea, and albumin levels with in-hospital mortality was evaluated. Patients discharged and those who died were compared. Factors associated with mortality were examined using logistic regression analysis, while discriminant performance was investigated using ROC analysis. Results: The median age of the patients was 73 years, and 67.3% were male. The median length of hospital stay was 23 days, and the median Wagner stage was 4. In-hospital mortality occurred in 24 patients (21.8%). In the death group, WBC, RDW, urea, and HbA1c levels were higher, and albumin levels were lower. The median HbA1c value was 7.50 in the discharge group and 9.90 in the death group. In multivariate analyses, HbA1c maintained its independent association with in-hospital mortality. In ROC analysis, HbA1c showed high discriminant performance (AUC: 0.944; 95% CI: 0.898–0.978; p