Menopause is a natural stage of hormonal aging in women, accompanied by a series of symptoms that reduce the quality of life of a fully active person. As no therapy is entirely satisfactory, the race for a better option is in full swing. Our study objective is to investigate the most recent menopause studies on pharmacological resources, emerging therapies, and the particularities of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). For this purpose, a comprehensive search was conducted in two main databases (PubMed and Web of Science) guided by the specific keywords “menopause” and “therapy” or “estrogen” or “progesterone” or “hormone replacement” during the last ten years period. Studies were eligible if they met certain criteria: randomized controlled trials (RCT) in adult women with menopause and hormonal or non-hormonal therapies. We selected 62 RCTs, which are focused on four main topics: (a) epidemiology of menopause-related symptoms, (b) hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) selective estrogen receptor modulators, (c) emerging therapies, and (d) menopause. HRT has proven a real health benefit for menopausal women; besides, complementary interventions must be considered. Further studies are needed on menopause and menopause-related therapies. The continuous updating of clinical experience will strengthen the therapeutic benefit and the decision to treat patients safely. This goal will fully access all therapeutic resources to address an unresolved health issue of active adult women.

Introduction: Geriatric Medicine (GM) has evolved in Europe over the past few decades, although variably across countries. The aim of this paper is to explore the GM specialty status, postgraduate and undergraduate education for medical students, nurses and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), academic development and GM clinical services in Europe. Methods: We collected cross-sectional data from 38 European countries as listed by the World Health Organization with an online quantitative survey. This study is part of the PROGRAMMING COST Action, which stands for PROmoting GeRiAtric Medicine in countries where it is still eMergING and is funded by the European Cooperation for Science and Technology. Results: GM is recognised as a distinct specialty in 24 countries (63.15%), while specialty training is available in 21 countries (55.26%). Principles of GM are included in the undergraduate curricula for medical students in all or most medical universities in 24 countries (63.15%), for nurses in 26 countries (68.42%) and for AHPs in 19 countries (50%). Geriatric hospital wards are present in 28 countries (73.68%), and in eight countries, there are no GM clinical services available, especially in Southern Europe. GM is a standalone academic discipline in 20 countries (52.63%), and advanced academic doctoral study is available in 18 countries (47.36%). GM is more established in Northern and Western Europe. Conclusion: Our study highlights the inconsistent development of GM across European countries. It provides a foundation for policy development and educational reform to meet the needs of Europe’s ageing population.

Background: Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults and are influenced by comorbidities and polypharmacy. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their associated treatments are particularly prevalent in this population and may contribute to fall risk. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the association between cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and fall risk in older adults and to identify potential preventive strategies. Methods: This observational case–control study was conducted between June and December 2024 and included 200 participants aged over 55 years who provided informed consent. Participants were assessed using the Downton Fall Risk Index and divided into two equal groups, with those at high risk of falling and controls. All participants underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment, including anamnesis, clinical evaluation, and laboratory testing focused on cardiovascular risk factors. The prevalence of CVD and the use of specific cardiovascular medications were analyzed. Results: Patients at high risk of falling showed significant differences compared to the control group in several parameters, including systolic blood pressure (SBP: 140.41 mmHg vs. 151.28 mmHg, p = 0.001), ankle brachial index (left ABI: 1.09 vs. 1.15., p = 0.033), and presence of cardiovascular diseases (p = 0.001), as well as total cholesterol (p = 0.005) and triglyceride levels (p = 0.047). Certain cardiovascular medications were significantly associated with increased fall risk, including spironolactone (OR = 4.10, p = 0.001), beta-blockers (OR = 1.88, p = 0.031), and calcium channel blockers (OR = 2.05, p = 0.014), especially in combination with one another. Additional risk factors included frailty, cognitive impairment, diabetes, and neurological or osteoarticular conditions. Interventions such as medication review, deprescribing, and dosage adjustments may help reduce fall risk without compromising cardiovascular disease management. Conclusions: Cardiovascular diseases and related pharmacotherapy are significantly associated with an increased risk of falls in older adults. Regular medication reviews, deprescribing where appropriate, and individualized treatment plans may help minimize fall risk while maintaining the effective cardiovascular care of this vulnerable population.

Background/Objectives: The primary objective of our study was to find a potential use for images generated by imagistic investigations by comparing the appearance of a healthy digestive tract to that of a pathological one. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study involving 60 older adult patients admitted to and followed up at a primary center in Romania. Our focus was on different diagnostic methods and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools integrated into the electronic health records system. Results: Currently, imagery, laboratory values and electronic health records (EHR) can also be used to train AI models. Comparative imagery to predict the appearance of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be used as a predictor model. Conclusions: Our findings indicate with certainty that training a tool in the diagnosis and prevention of relapses in older adults with IBD is promising for further integrating these models into patient care.

Background: Nutriepigenetics, the study of nutritional effects on gene expression, offers new insights into the clinical variability and relapse frequency of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As older adult populations are frequently unrepresented in the literature regarding their nutrition’s influence on their gene expression, we considered that studying this aspect would shed light on this population group. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study on 60 IBD patients, categorized by age, residence, and nutrition access. Patients were grouped according to age groups (“young”-old—65–74 years old and old-old—75–86 years old), gender, IBD type, organic diet preference, Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI), and Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) at diagnosis and after diet change. All patients were followed up at the Fundeni Clinical Institute in Bucharest, Romania, and received personalized dietary recommendations, in accordance with the European guidelines. Results: Our findings revealed that a diet that was predominantly organic had a positive impact on decreasing the number of relapse episodes, irrespective of IBD type. Predominant diets, rich in dairy and saturated fats, mostly from non-organic sources, exacerbated inflammation and increased the frequencies of relapses. Conclusions: Older adult patients who adopted a predominantly organic diet had a reduction in frequency of relapse episodes, thus proving that diet is an important part of the treatment regimen of this population.

Background: Europe’s population is ageing. Therefore, all medical students should receive basic geriatric medicine education. It is essential to gain insights into their perceived educational needs and attitudes towards geriatric medicine. Aims: To explore: medical students’ perceived knowledge, relevance, and interest across key geriatric topics and skills; their aspirations to become a geriatrician and interest in geriatric medicine. Methods: We analysed data from the multinational multilingual open online cross-sectional survey on educational needs by COST Action PROmoting GeRiAtric Medicine in countries where it is still eMergING (PROGRAMMING) 21,122. Medical students were asked to rate their perceived knowledge, the relevance to their profession and their interest in further training in each of 33 geriatric topics or skills, from “very low” (scored as 1) to “very high” (scored as 5). They were also asked about their exposure to and attitudes towards geriatric medicine. Results: A total of 448 medical students-274 (61.2%) women, 238 (53.1%) studying in EU-27 countries- completed the survey. Students’ mean (standard deviation, SD) perceived knowledge was highest in bone health (3.53, 0.86), depression (3.17, 0.93), and falls and mobility (3.16, 0.94), while lowest in gerodontology (2.14, 1.06), geriatric rehabilitation (2.45, 0.95), and orthogeriatrics (2.54, 0.99). Overall, 312 (69.7%) students reported exposure to geriatric medicine through specific courses and 257 (57.4%) through rotations in acute hospital wards. Only 30 (7%) students wanted to become geriatricians, while 147 (32.8%) students expressed high or very high enjoyment in engaging with older people. Conclusion: Medical students reported limited knowledge in several key geriatric medicine topics and skills and relatively low interest in careers in geriatric medicine. In many cases learning experiences were limited to traditional lecture-based teaching and ward-based rotations. Active learning approaches such as case-based and problem-based learning were preferred.