Epidemiology of Geriatric Syndromes: Life Course Risk or Protective Factors

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to serve as the Guest Editor of this Special Issue about geriatric syndromes related to life course risk or protective factors. A Special Issue is not an issue of the journal. All submissions follow the same peer review process as regular papers and are published in the journal’s regular issues when accepted. However, they are additionally labeled as belonging to a Special Issue and are discoverable within the collection. A Special Issue with more than ten articles can be published as a dedicated e-book.

Early life exposures (prenatal, childhood, youth, or early adulthood), a mix of physical and psychosocial factors (modifiable and non-modifiable), may determine the long-term development of physical and mental diseases or affect aging. These exposures include traumatic or stressful life events, adverse childhood experiences, deprivation, or adversity in social determinants of health. Many studies have focused on youth or adulthood, but fewer studies have focused on exposure consequences for middle-aged or older people. Potential risk factors include chronic stress, environmental or neighborhood exposures, socioeconomic adversity, isolation, abuse, and discrimination. Potential protective factors include exercise, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, social support, social participation, resilience, and spirituality. In theory, all later-life diseases or geriatric syndromes might be associated with early-life exposures. These syndromes include frailty, sarcopenia, multimorbidity, falls, fear of falling, sleep disorders, cognitive decline, delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, depressive disorders, and functional decline. However, early life exposures could also determine the onset or worsening of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (stroke, heart disease), hypertension, diabetes, or cancer, as the leading causes of death in middle-aged or older populations around the world. They may also determine risky behaviors (alcohol, smoking, or others). Alternatively, early life exposures may determine quality-of-life measures, such as sexual life, self-rated health, or spiritual life.

This Special Issue aims to identify early life exposures as risk and protective factors determining health outcomes later in life, focusing on the development of the association with geriatric syndromes or chronic diseases. The broad scope of this Special Issue aims to encourage the coverage of a wide range of potential factors related to the development of geriatric syndromes or chronic diseases worldwide. Articles may be original research (quantitative, qualitative), reviews (comprehensive reviews and systematic reviews), or case reports.

Dr. Carlos Alfonso Reyes-Ortiz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• older adults
• geriatric syndromes
• chronic disease
• early life adversity
• adverse childhood experiences
• risk factors
• protective factors