Background: We aimed to analyze the prevalence of prescription anxiolytics and antidepressants in elderly individuals in Spain between the years 2003 and 2009, and to identify those factors associated with the likelihood of consumption of these drugs during the study period.

Methods: We used individualized secondary data retrieved from the 2003 and 2006 Spanish National Health Surveys (SNHS) and the 2009 European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) for Spain to conduct a nationwide, descriptive, cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiology study on psychotropic medication in the population aged 65 years and over in Spain. A total of 12,228 interviews were analyzed (5,117 from 2003; 7,084 from 2006; and 5,144 from 2009). The dichotomous dependent variables chosen were the answers “yes” or “no” to the question “In the last two weeks have you taken the following medicines and were they prescribed for you by a doctor?” referring to intake of anxiolytics and antidepressants. Independent variables were sociodemographic, comorbidity, and healthcare resources.

Results: Multivariate analysis highlighted the association between increased psychoactive drug intake and female gender, depression, polypharmacy, and negative perception of health. We observed a significant increase in the consumption of prescription anxiolytics (AOR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.06–1.10]) and antidepressants (AOR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.08–1.14]) in individuals aged ≥65 years in Spain between the years 2003 and 2009.

Conclusions: The prevalence of anxiolytics and antidepressants consumption is higher in elderly women than men, and increases with negative perception of health. The Spanish elderly individuals taking antidepressants reported having problems to manage these medicines in their own homes.

Individuals with diabetes mellitus have a 1.39 times increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, a 2.38 times increased risk of vascular dementia, and a faster rate of cognitive decline compared to individuals without diabetes (Lu et al., 2009). In a study, over a 9-year follow-up diabetes was associated with accelerated progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, but was not associated with progression from no impairment to MCI (Xu et al., 2010). Many previous studies on cognitive impairment and diabetes are limited by the use of cognitive screens to diagnose and assess cognitive impairment. A few studies diagnosing cognitive impairment with comprehensive neuropsychological batteries provide mixed results. For instance, Luchinger et al. (2007) found that diabetes was correlated with the presence of MCI, whereas diabetes was not associated with the presence of dementia versus no dementia in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study ADAMS; (Llewellyn et al., 2010).

The growing importance of involving volunteers and the wider community in research is well recognized. Participants are no longer mere “subjects” but are active partners in the research process, and for these engagements to be successful, effective communication is vital. Researchers are well practiced at disseminating their findings to the wider scientific community, but what are the gold standards when disclosing results, both individual and aggregate, to study participants? Shalowitz and Miller (2008a) emphasize the need to offer research results as an “appropriate and obligatory expression of respect for persons,” and the implications of receiving results have been widely examined (Shalowitz and Miller, 2008b; Fernandez et al., 2004). Despite the interest in this area, however, very few studies have looked at dementia research and how best to convey study information and results to participants so as to maximize their involvement and ownership of research. In an attempt to address this gap in the evidence base, we undertook an audit of the views concerning a study newsletter, which had been designed to provide some feedback to those volunteering for the research.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use has been researched widely; however, studies with older adults and Australian populations are limited. The profile of Australian women CAM users has been mapped using the 1996 data from the ALSWH (Adams et al., 2003). Mid-age adults were frequent CAM users (28%) followed by young adults (19%) and older adults (15%). No consistent characteristics of CAM users across age groups were identified. Generally, CAM users lived in non-urban settings, and reported poorer physical and mental health. Predictors of CAM use for Australian women have not yet been explored.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by chorea, hypokinesia, psychiatric symptoms, and dementia. The age of onset is usually between 30 and 50 years; the duration of illness is from 10–20 years. The rate of suicide in patients is higher than in the general population and is the second most common cause of death in HD after pneumonia (Bindler et al., 2009). Currently, symptomatic treatment is available, but there is no cure. The identification of HD-gene in 1993 made DNA testing possible in individuals at risk.