Does social vulnerability predict cognitive decline in a prospective cohort of older Canadians?
Increasing social vulnerability, defined by using a social vulnerability index incorporating many social factors, was associated with increased odds of cognitive decline during a period of 5 years in this study of older Canadians. Further study of social vulnerability in relation to cognition is warranted, with particular attention to potential interventions to alleviate its burden.
Urinary and bowel dysfunction were not part of the "normal" aging process. Erectile dysfunction was significantly more prevalent in older men. In men treated for localized prostate cancer, decreasing urinary or bowel function is thus not attributable to age, but may well be related to prior treatment. Decreasing erectile function, however, may be attributable to other causes as well. These data provide a benchmark for urologic functioning in men after treatment relative to age-related patterns, and will enable better interpretation of treatment outcomes.