title: Chronic wound repair and healing in older adults: current status and future research.
abstract: The incidence of chronic wounds is increased among older adults, and the impact of chronic wounds on quality of life is particularly profound in this population. It is well established that wound healing slows with age. However, the basic biology underlying chronic wounds and the influence of age-associated changes on wound healing are poorly understood. Most studies have used in vitro approaches and various animal models, but observed changes translate poorly to human healing conditions. The impact of age and accompanying multi-morbidity on the effectiveness of existing and emerging treatment approaches for chronic wounds is also unknown, and older adults tend to be excluded from randomized clinical trials. Poorly defined outcomes and variables, lack of standardization in data collection, and variations in the definition, measurement, and treatment of wounds also hamper clinical studies. The Association of Specialty Professors, in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging and the Wound Healing Society, held a workshop, summarized in this paper, to explore the current state of knowledge and research challenges, engage investigators across disciplines, and identify key research questions to guide future study of age-associated changes in chronic wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Wound Recovery and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, Kent Hospital, Warwick, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abadir
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brem
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Conner-Kerr
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DiPietro
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Falanga
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fife
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grice
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hazzard
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: High
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirsner
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McFarland Horne
authors.forename: May J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Dennis H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thom
authors.forename: Marjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomic-Canic
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walston
authors.forename: JoAnne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zieman
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmader
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D018450:Disease Progression; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents