Older Adult Disorders and Chronic Conditions Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms, conditions, risk factors, diagnostics, treatments, and nursing considerations related to older‐adult health, mobility, sensory disorders, perfusion, hormone regulation, and chronic diseases covered in the lecture notes.

Integumentary Changes in Aging

Decreased skin turgor, subcutaneous fat and dermal connective tissue, producing dry, wrinkled, transparent skin.

Presbycusis

Age-related, bilateral loss of ability to hear high-pitched sounds.

Vital Capacity

Maximum amount of air expelled after full inhalation; decreases with aging, raising infection risk.

Decreased Peripheral Circulation

Age-related reduction in arterial blood flow to extremities, often causing cold feet and delayed healing.

Night Blindness

Difficulty seeing in low light because aging eyes adjust slowly from light to dark.

Saliva Production Decrease

Age-related drop in salivary secretion, contributing to dry mouth and impaired taste.

Decalcification of Bones

Loss of calcium from bone matrix with aging, reducing bone density.

Prostate Hypertrophy

Enlargement of the prostate gland in older males, leading to urinary retention.

Decreased T-Cell Function

Age-related decline in cell-mediated immunity, lowering infection resistance.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Atherosclerotic narrowing of coronary arteries; major cardiovascular risk in older adults.

Osteoporosis

Chronic metabolic bone disorder with low bone density from resorption exceeding formation, causing fragile bones.

Bone Resorption

Breakdown of bone tissue by osteoclasts, releasing calcium into blood.

Osteoclasts

Bone cells that resorb or break down bone matrix.

Osteoblasts

Bone-forming cells responsible for new bone deposition.

Common Osteoporotic Fracture Sites

Hip, wrist, and vertebral spine are most frequently fractured in osteoporosis.

Modifiable Osteoporosis Risk Factors

Low calcium/vitamin D intake, smoking, alcohol, caffeine, steroids, inactivity, low body weight.

Non-modifiable Osteoporosis Risk Factors

Advanced age, female sex, family history, early menopause, small frame.

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

Imaging test measuring bone mineral density to diagnose osteoporosis.

T-Score

DXA result comparing patient BMD to healthy young adult; ≤ −2.5 indicates osteoporosis.

Z-Score

DXA comparison of patient BMD to age-matched peers to detect secondary causes.

Bisphosphonates

Drug class that inhibits osteoclast activity, slowing bone resorption in osteoporosis.

Alendronate

Oral bisphosphonate taken weekly on empty stomach; remain upright 30 min to prevent esophagitis.

Ibandronate

Monthly oral or yearly IV bisphosphonate for osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

Risedronate

Bisphosphonate tablet taken 30 min before food to increase bone mass.

Zoledronate

IV bisphosphonate infused once yearly to treat or prevent osteoporosis.

Esophagitis (Bisphosphonate Risk)

Inflammation/ulceration of esophagus caused by improper oral bisphosphonate administration.

Osteonecrosis of Jaw

Rare jawbone death linked to IV bisphosphonates; dental exam recommended pre-therapy.

Teriparatide

Recombinant parathyroid hormone analog that stimulates new bone formation; SC up to 2 years.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Degenerative joint disease with cartilage breakdown, osteophyte formation and joint pain.

Degenerative Joint Disease

Synonym for osteoarthritis; progressive deterioration of articular cartilage.

Crepitus

Grating or crunching sound felt in OA joints during movement.

Heberden’s Nodes

Bony enlargements of distal interphalangeal joints seen in OA.

Bouchard’s Nodes

Bony enlargements of proximal interphalangeal joints seen in OA.

Acetaminophen

First-line analgesic for OA; max 3 g/day to avoid hepatotoxicity.

NSAIDs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, celecoxib) relieving OA pain and synovitis.

Lidocaine Patch 5 %

Topical anesthetic patch providing localized OA joint pain relief.

Arthroplasty

Surgical replacement of a diseased joint with prosthetic components.

Total Knee Replacement

Surgical replacement of distal femur, tibial plate and patellar surface.

Total Hip Replacement

Replacement of acetabular cup, femoral head and stem to relieve hip OA.

Continuous Passive Motion (CPM)

Post-knee-replacement machine that gently flexes/extends knee to prevent stiffness.

Abduction Pillow

Wedge placed between legs post-hip arthroplasty to prevent dislocation.

Parkinson Disease

Progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability.

Bradykinesia

Slowness of voluntary movement, cardinal feature of Parkinson disease.

Pill-Rolling Tremor

Resting tremor involving thumb and forefinger, typical in Parkinson disease.

Postural Instability

Impaired balance and stooped posture occurring in late Parkinson disease.

Dopamine

Inhibitory neurotransmitter deficient in Parkinson disease, causing motor symptoms.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Excitatory neurotransmitter unopposed in Parkinson disease, leading to muscle rigidity.

Impaired Cognition

Deficits in memory, judgment or language affecting daily functioning.

Delirium

Acute, fluctuating, reversible disturbance in attention and cognition.

Dementia

Progressive, irreversible decline in memory and other cognitive abilities.

Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)

Bedside tool used to detect delirium based on acute onset, inattention and disorganized thinking.

Sensory Overload

Excessive stimulation leading to anxiety, restlessness and impaired focus; reduce stimuli.

Sensory Deprivation

Insufficient meaningful stimuli causing boredom, confusion or depression; provide sensory input.

Glaucoma

Group of disorders with elevated intraocular pressure damaging optic nerve.

Open-Angle Glaucoma

Chronic glaucoma with blocked trabecular meshwork causing gradual IOP rise and peripheral vision loss.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Sudden blockage of iris-cornea angle causing rapid IOP rise and severe eye pain; emergency.

Intraocular Pressure (IOP)

Fluid pressure inside the eye; normal 10–21 mm Hg.

Timolol Maleate

Topical beta-blocker reducing aqueous humor production to lower IOP.

Pilocarpine

Miotic cholinergic drug increasing aqueous outflow by constricting pupil in glaucoma.

Cupping of Optic Disc

Excavation of optic nerve head seen on ophthalmoscopy in glaucoma.

Cataract

Progressive clouding of the eye’s lens leading to painless, blurry vision.

Lens Opacity

Loss of lens transparency characteristic of cataracts.

Macular Degeneration

Age-related deterioration of macula causing central vision loss.

Dry AMD

Most common form due to retinal capillary blockage and drusen accumulation; gradual onset.

Wet AMD

Less common form with neovascularization leaking fluid/blood under macula; rapid vision loss.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Impaired sound transmission in outer or middle ear, often improved in noisy settings.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Damage to inner ear or auditory nerve causing poor hearing in noisy environments and tinnitus.

Rinne Test

Tuning-fork test comparing air and bone conduction to differentiate hearing loss types.

Weber Test

Tuning-fork mid-skull test lateralizing sound to identify conductive vs sensorineural loss.

Diabetes Mellitus

Metabolic disorder of hyperglycemia from insulin deficiency (type 1) or resistance (type 2).

Type 1 Diabetes

Autoimmune beta-cell destruction causing absolute insulin deficiency, usually <30 years.

Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin resistance and relative deficiency associated with obesity and age >30 years.

Hyperglycemia

Fasting plasma glucose >126 mg/dL or random >200 mg/dL with symptoms.

Polyuria

Excessive urination due to osmotic diuresis from hyperglycemia.

Polydipsia

Excessive thirst resulting from dehydration in uncontrolled diabetes.

Polyphagia

Excessive hunger from cellular glucose deprivation in diabetes.

Hemoglobin A1c

Glycosylated hemoglobin reflecting average blood glucose over 2–3 months; goal <7 %.

Fasting Plasma Glucose

Blood glucose after 8-hour fast; ≥126 mg/dL on 2 occasions diagnoses diabetes.

Metformin

Biguanide lowering hepatic glucose output and increasing insulin sensitivity; hold before contrast dye.

Sulfonylureas

Oral agents (glipizide) that stimulate pancreatic insulin secretion; risk hypoglycemia.

Glipizide

Second-generation sulfonylurea taken 30 min before meals to lower glucose.

Thiazolidinediones

Pioglitazone class increasing insulin sensitivity but may cause fluid retention and hepatotoxicity.

Pioglitazone

TZD improving insulin action; monitor weight gain, liver enzymes, heart failure signs.

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors

Acarbose class delaying intestinal carbohydrate absorption; treat hypoglycemia with glucose, not sucrose.

Acarbose

Oral drug taken with first bite of meal to blunt post-prandial glucose rise.

DPP-4 Inhibitors

Sitagliptin class enhancing incretin action to raise insulin and lower glucagon.

Sitagliptin

Once-daily DPP-4 inhibitor; watch for pancreatitis or upper respiratory infection.

Macrovascular Complications

Large-vessel damage in diabetes causing CAD, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral artery disease.

Microvascular Complications

Small-vessel damage leading to retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy in diabetes.

Diabetic Nephropathy

Kidney damage evidenced by microalbuminuria; controlled with ACE inhibitors and BG control.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinal capillary damage causing vision loss; leading blindness cause in diabetics.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Symmetric distal nerve damage causing numbness, tingling and loss of protective sensation.

Foot Care

Daily inspection, hygiene and proper footwear to prevent diabetic ulcers and amputations.

Albuminuria

Presence of albumin in urine indicating early diabetic nephropathy.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Measure of kidney function; declines with diabetic nephropathy progression.

Hypertension

Persistent BP ≥130/80 mm Hg; major cardiovascular risk factor.

Stage 1 Hypertension

Systolic 130-139 mm Hg or diastolic 80-89 mm Hg.

Stage 2 Hypertension

Systolic ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg.

DASH Diet

Eating plan rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, low sodium to lower BP.

Beta Blockers

Drugs (metoprolol) reducing HR and contractility; mask hypoglycemia symptoms.