Healthy Elderly Japanese Research Articles

Detection of the Relationship between the Multi-Dimensional Data Sets of Serially Measured Blood Pressure and the Future Risk of Death in Healthy Elderly Japanese Population.

Whether the multi-dimensional data of serially measured blood pressure contains information for predicting the future risk of death in elderly individuals in nursing homes is unclear. Of the elderly individuals staying in a nursing home, 19,740 and 40,055 individuals with serially measured blood pressure from day 1 to 365 (for AI-long) and 1 to 90 (for AI-short) along with the death information at day 366 to 730 and 91-365 were included. The neural network-based artificial intelligence (AI) was applied to find the relationship between BP time-series and the future risks of death in both populations. AI-long found a significant relationship between the serially measured BP from day 1 to day 365 days and the risk of death occurring 366-730 days with c-statistics of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.51-0.63). AI-short also found a significant relationship between the serially measured BP from day 1 to day 90 and the rate of death occurring 91-365 days with c-statistics of 0.58 (95%CI: 0.52-0.63). Our results suggest that neural network-based AI could find the hidden subtle relationship between multi-dimensional data of serially measured BP and the future risk of death in apparently healthy elderly Japanese individuals under nursing care.

Perilla seed oil in combination with nobiletin-rich ponkan powder enhances cognitive function in healthy elderly Japanese individuals: a possible supplement for brain health in the elderly.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) seed oil (PO), rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), can improve cognitive function in healthy elderly Japanese people. Here, supplements containing either PO alone or PO with nobiletin-rich air-dried immature ponkan powder were examined for their effects on cognitive function in 49 healthy elderly Japanese individuals. Patients were enrolled in a 12-month randomized, double-blind, parallel-armed study. Randomized participants in the PO group received soft gelatin capsules containing 1.47 mL (0.88 g of ALA) of PO daily, and those in the PO + ponkan powder (POPP) group received soft gelatin capsules containing both 1.47 mL of PO and 1.12 g ponkan powder (2.91 mg of nobiletin) daily. At the end of intervention, the POPP group showed significantly higher cognitive index scores than the PO group. The pro-cognitive effects of POPP treatment were accompanied by increases in ALA and docosahexaenoic acid levels in red blood cell plasma membranes, serum brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels, and biological antioxidant potential. We demonstrate that 12-month intervention with POPP enhances serum BDNF and antioxidant potential, and may improve age-related cognitive impairment in healthy elderly people by increasing red blood cell ω-3 fatty acid levels. Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000040863.

Perilla Seed Oil Enhances Cognitive Function and Mental Health in Healthy Elderly Japanese Individuals by Enhancing the Biological Antioxidant Potential.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in age-associated cognitive decline. We recently reported that dietary intake of perilla seed oil (PO), a rich source of α-linolenic acid (LNA, C18:3, ω-3), helps in maintaining good mental health in adults. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of dietary PO intake on cognitive functions and mental health in healthy, elderly Japanese individuals. Seventy-five healthy volunteers aged 64–84 years were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a PO-administered group. At baseline and at 12 months of intervention, cognitive function, mental health condition, fatty acid profile of the red blood cell plasma membranes (RBC-PM), and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated. Results showed that serum biological antioxidant potential and LNA levels in the RBC-PM at 12 months after the trial were significantly higher in the PO group compared to the control group. Further, both the cognitive function measures, as evaluated by the Frontal Assessment Battery test and the apathy scores, tended to be improved after 12 months in the PO group. Our results demonstrate that dietary PO intake enhances the antioxidant potential and prevents the age-related cognitive and mental decline in healthy elderly individuals by enhancing the blood LNA levels.

Beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid-enriched milk beverage intake on cognitive function in healthy elderly Japanese: A 12-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract Recent approaches to the management of dementia have focused mainly on continual preventive treatment. In this study, we investigated whether intake of 297 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 137 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day, which is a smaller amount than in previous reports, would maintain higher cognitive function in healthy elderly people. Eighty-seven participants were enrolled in this 12-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Cognitive function test, blood biochemical analysis and anthropometry were conducted at baseline, 6 and 12 months of DHA beverage intake. Intake of DHA-enriched milk beverage for 6 and 12 months significantly increased erythrocyte plasma membrane DHA and EPA levels. Furthermore, intake of DHA-enriched milk beverage for 12 months protected against age-related cognitive decline. The preventive mechanism of this small amount of DHA is not known. Thus, further investigation is needed to reveal the mechanism underlying its role in cognitive function. Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trial Registry, UMI31699.

Effects of concomitant use of prasugrel with edoxaban on bleeding time, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of edoxaban in healthy elderly Japanese male subjects: a clinical pharmacology study

BackgroundDual therapy with a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) plus a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is recommended in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention. Thus, we evaluated the effects of DOAC edoxaban plus P2Y12 receptor inhibitor prasugrel on bleeding time (BT), and pharmacodynamics (PD) and pharmacokinetics (PK) of edoxaban in healthy elderly Japanese male subjects.MethodsA single-center, clinical pharmacology study with randomized, open-label, repeated dosing enrolled 24 participants in two groups of 12 receiving 30 mg edoxaban once daily for 3 days; then 30 mg edoxaban plus 2.5 mg prasugrel (Group 1) or 30 mg edoxaban plus 3.75 mg prasugrel (Group 2) once daily for 5 days. Primary endpoint was BT by the Ivy method. Secondary endpoints were the PD parameters of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 (F1 + 2), and P2Y12 reaction units (PRU), and PK profiles of edoxaban alone and in combination with prasugrel.ResultsGeometric least squares mean of BT ratios (vs. baseline) for 3-day edoxaban treatment were 1.097 (90% confidence interval (CI) 0.911–1.321) in Group 1 and 1.327 (90% CI 1.035–1.703) in Group 2; for 5-day edoxaban plus 2.5 mg and 3.75 mg prasugrel, they were 1.581 (90% CI 1.197–2.087) and 1.996 (90% CI 1.482–2.690), respectively. Contributions of prasugrel to the effects (edoxaban + prasugrel/edoxaban) were 1.442 (90% CI 1.096–1.897) in Group 1 and 1.504 (90% CI 1.172–1.930) in Group 2. Edoxaban prolonged PT and aPTT and decreased F1 + 2. Adding on prasugrel did not appreciably change PT, aPTT, or F1 + 2. Prasugrel reduced PRU, whereas edoxaban had no effect on PRU. We recorded 26 adverse events; 23 were treatment-emergent (positive fecal occult blood test). All participants with adverse events recovered during follow-up.ConclusionsCoadministration of 2.5 mg and 3.75 mg prasugrel with 30 mg edoxaban prolonged BT in healthy elderly Japanese male subjects. The effect was dependent on the dose of prasugrel. Prasugrel did not affect PD or PK profiles of edoxaban. Edoxaban had no effect on PD of prasugrel.Trial registrationJapan Registry of Clinical Trials No. jRCTs071190006; registration date, 26-April-2019.

Relationship among independence of daily living, human relationships, and preparation for bereavement among healthy elderly Japanese people.

Given Japan's rapidly ageing society, an increasing number of elderly people live in their communities with mutual support after the death of their spouse. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship among independence of daily living, human relationships, and preparation for bereavement. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was given to 864 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 and older who attended an Elderly Citizens' Welfare Study Group. A total of 404 responses (effective response ratio: 46.8%) were analyzed. Their mean ± SD age was 75.6 ± 5.1 years. The purpose of the questionnaire was to obtain demographic information as well as information about three scales: independence of daily living, human relationships, and preparation for bereavement. The factor structure of the scales was studied by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship among independence of daily living, human relationships, and preparation for bereavement. This study's protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Okayama Prefectural University. Factor analysis indicated a three-factor second-order factor model for independence of daily living and human relationships and a one-factor model for preparation for bereavement. Structural equation modelling showed that independence of daily living was significantly correlated with human relationships (r = 0.261, P < 0.001), and human relationships was significantly correlated with preparation for bereavement (r = 0.295, P < 0.001). There was no significant direct correlation between the independence of daily living and preparation for bereavement. Encouraging elderly people to form good human relationships may help their preparation for bereavement. Further studies are required to determine whether this actually attenuates difficulties after bereavement.

Low plasma tryptophan is associated with olfactory function in healthy elderly community dwellers in Japan

BackgroundDecreased circulating tryptophan (Trp) levels are frequently observed in elderly patients with neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer’s disease. Trp may serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring disease risk in elderly people. We aimed to investigate the association between low plasma Trp levels and olfactory function, which is known to predict age-related diseases including dementia in elderly people.MethodsA total of 144 healthy elderly Japanese community (≥ 65 years old) dwellers from the Health, Aging and Nutritional Improvement study (HANI study) were the subjects of our analysis. Low Trp levels were classified using the lower limit values of the reference interval according to a previous report. Olfactory function was assessed using a card-type test called Open Essence, which includes 12 odour items that are familiar to Japanese people. The elderly subjects with low circulating Trp levels were compared to a control group with normal plasma Trp levels.ResultsWe conducted the analyses using 144 people aged 65 years or older (mean age 73.7 ± 5.5 years; 36.1% men). The subjects showed normal serum albumin levels (4.4 ± 0.2 g/dL) and no daily living disabilities. Low plasma Trp levels (low Trp group) were found in 11.1% of the study population. The low Trp group showed a significantly lower correct-answer rate for the items india ink, perfume, curry and sweaty smelling socks than control group (P < 0.05). There was also a significant association between low Trp levels and low olfactory ability, after adjusting for age and sex.ConclusionsLower plasma Trp levels were associated with a decrease in olfactory function in functionally competent older individuals. Because olfactory dysfunction predicts age-related diseases, low plasma Trp levels may represent a clinical sign of disease risk in elderly people.

Characteristics of physical prefrailty among Japanese healthy older adults.

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the characteristics of frailty at an early stage (prefrailty) in a healthy elderly Japanese population. The participants were 620 healthy older adults (age range 60-89years) who were current students or graduates of a community college for older adults in Japan. All participants were evaluated using the Kihon Checklist, a tool developed to screen for frailty in Japan. The participants were categorized by the Fried criteria (lost weight, handgrip strength, walking speed, exhaustion, physical activity) into either a prefrailty (1-2 criteria) or a non-frailty (0 criterion) group. In the logistic regression model for the prevalence of prefrailty, significant and independent determinants were chronic constipation (odds ratio [OR] 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-3.90, P=0.016), occurrence of incontinence (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.39-2.82, P<0.001), unable to climb stairs (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.26-7.02, P=0.013), dry mouth (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.029), a lack of fulfillment (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.26-7.93, P=0.015), found easy tasks difficult (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.30-5.85, P=0.008) and felt helpless (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.02-4.39, P=0.044). These results suggest that the appearance of autonomic failure, oral malfunction and some psychological factors in relation to depressed mood, but not anthropometric measurements, are characteristic of prefrailty. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1568-1574.

Estimated Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Major Food and Beverage Sources among Elderly Japanese.

Estimating polyphenol intake contributes to the understanding of polyphenols’ health benefits. However, information about human polyphenol intake is scarce, especially in the elderly. This study aimed to estimate the dietary intake and major sources of polyphenols and to determine whether there is any relationship between polyphenol intake and micronutrient intake in healthy elderly Japanese. First, 610 subjects (569 men, 41 women; aged 67.3 ± 6.1 years) completed food frequency questionnaires. We then calculated their total polyphenol intake using our polyphenol content database. Their average total polyphenol intake was 1492 ± 665 mg/day, the greatest part of which was provided by beverages (79.1%). The daily polyphenol intake differed largely among individuals (183–4854 mg/day), also attributable mostly to beverage consumption. Coffee (43.2%) and green tea (26.6%) were the major sources of total polyphenol; the top 20 food items accounted for >90%. The polyphenol intake did not strongly correlate with the intake of any micronutrient, suggesting that polyphenols may exert health benefits independently of nutritional intake. The polyphenol intake in this elderly population was slightly higher than previous data in Japanese adults, and beverages such as coffee and green tea contributed highly to the intake.

Tracking of Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity in Healthy Elderly Japanese People.

Tracking refers to the tendency for an individual to maintain their rank within a group over time. This study longitudinally investigated the 8-year tracking of pedometer-determined physical activity among physically independent elderly Japanese people aged 72 to 80 years. Steps/day were measured when participants were aged 72 and assessed again after 2, 5, and 8 years. The number of participants with a 2-year follow-up (72 to 74 years) was 177 (101 males, 76 females), with a 5-year follow-up (72 to 77 years) was 183 people (110 males, 73 females), and with an 8-year follow-up (72 to 80 years) was 145 people (91 males, 54 females). Step counts were continuously measured for 1 week in January, April, July, and October during each year of assessment. A high rank correlation coefficient for steps/day exceeding 0.60 was obtained at the 2-, 5- and 8-year follow-up examinations for both males and females. This study suggests that the rank within a group of pedometer-determined steps/day remains stable over up to 8 years in healthy Japanese people aged between 72 to 80 years old.

Positive Association between Circulating CD34-Positive Cells and Urinary Sodium Excretion in Elderly Japanese Men: The Nagasaki Islands Study

Increasing evidence points to involvement of circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) in maintenance of the vasculature. On the other hand, daily salt intake is reportedly associated with vascular damage such as seen in atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. However, no study has investigated the association between circulating endothelial progenitor cells and salt intake in relation to vascular status. To investigate the association between EPCs (CD34-positive cells) and estimated total volume of daily urinary sodium excretion, which is known to be a marker of daily salt intake, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 94 elderly Japanese men aged 60-89 years who underwent general health checks. There was a slightly but significantly positive association between number of circulating CD34- positive cells and daily urinary sodium excretion especially for the participants without a history of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). A simple analysis of the relationship between these two variables yielded r=0.21 (P=0.039) for total subjects, r=0.29 (P=0.009) for participants without and r=0.18 (P=0.538) for participants with a history of CVD. This suggests that vascular damage due to a high daily intake of salt may stimulate EPC production in healthy elderly Japanese men especially in those without a history of CVD.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Safety and Tolerability of Darexaban, an Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibitor, in Healthy Elderly Japanese Subjects.

The clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and tolerability of darexaban after single and multiple once-daily doses of 60, 120, and 240 mg in healthy elderly Japanese subjects were assessed. Following oral administration, darexaban was rapidly and extensively metabolized to darexaban glucuronide, which is an active glucuronide metabolite. Plasma concentrations of darexaban glucuronide increased with dose, and Cmax and AUC increased dose-dependently after both single and repeated doses. Cumulative urinary excretion of darexaban glucuronide up to 24 hours after repeated doses ranged from 28.59% to 36.50%. PT-INR, aPTT, and FXa activity were prolonged or decreased dose-dependently after both single and repeated doses of darexaban. The time-profile of pharamcodynamic parameters closely followed the time-concentration profile of darexaban glucuronide. Five adverse events occurred in the present study (4: darexaban [16.7%]; 1: placebo [8.3%]), all of which were mild in severity and required no treatment.

Determination of Persons at a High Risk of Falling in a Population of Healthy Community-dwelling Elderly Japanese

Falling is an important social issue for the elderly. This study’s aim is to determine useful risk factors that could be used to screen for the elderly at high risk of falling. Participants included 965 healthy elderly individuals ≥ 60 years of age (349 males and 616 females; men age: 70.1 ± 7.1 years). We assessed fall risk in these elderly using Demura et al’s fall-risk assessment scale (DFRA), which consists of previous experiences with falls and 50 other fall-risk assessment items representing the five risk factors related to the potential for falling, physical function, disease and physical symptoms, environment, and behavior and character (Demura et al., 2010). Receiver-operating characteristics analysis was conducted using previous experiences with falls (faller or non-faller) as the dependent variable and each fall-risk factor score in the DFRA as the independent variable. The potential for falling was calculated as the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.80; sensitivity = 0.87; specificity = 0.75). However, it was difficult to screen for the elderly as high risk of falling using other fall-risk factor scores. These results suggest that the potential for falling is a useful risk factor that can be used to screen for the elderly at high risk of falling.

Risk factors for cognitive impairment in the healthy elderly Japanese

Risk factors for cognitive impairment in the healthy elderly Japanese

Seasonal Blood Pressure Variation and Its Relationship to Environmental Temperature in Healthy Elderly Japanese Studied by Home Measurements

The purpose of the present study was to examine seasonal blood pressure variation and its relationship to environmental temperature in healthy elderly Japanese, as studied by home measurements. Fifteen healthy elderly Japanese (79.3 ± 5.9 yrs) measured their blood pressure at home each morning for more than 25 times per month for 3 years. Monthly mean outdoor temperatures were obtained from the Takamatsu meteorological Observatory. The highest levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured at home were observed in February (129 ± 14 and 81 ± 13 mmHg). The lowest levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured at home were observed in August (117 ± 11 and 73 ± 10 mmHg). Likewise, the lowest and highest means of outdoor temperature were observed in February (5.0°C) and August (29.2°C), respectively. Hence, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure demonstrated a close inverse correlation with the means of outdoor temperature (r = −0.973, p < 0.001 and r = −0.985, p < 0.001, respectively). A 1°C decrease in the mean outdoor temperature was associated with rises of 0.43 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 0.29 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Seasonal variations in home blood pressure and outdoor temperature showed complete correspondence in healthy elderly Japanese, with the blood pressures being inversely related to the ambient temperature. These seasonal home blood pressure variations should be kept in mind when controlling blood pressure in elderly patients.

Phy36 An Occupational Therapy Pilot Programme for Healthy Elderly Japanese at a University With Multi-disciplinary Collaboration

Phy36 An Occupational Therapy Pilot Programme for Healthy Elderly Japanese at a University With Multi-disciplinary Collaboration

Oral motor function and masticatory performance in the community-dwelling elderly

This study was performed to ascertain the relationships between oral motor functions, such as those of the tongue and lips, and age in the community-dwelling elderly, as well as to investigate the effects of these factors on masticatory performance. The subjects were 268 healthy elderly Japanese living in Kyoto. They were divided into four age groups and further classified into the following two groups by the presence or absence of posterior occlusal support: Eichner A or B1-B3 (group A), and Eichner B4 or C (group B). They were wearing removable or fixed dentures if they had missing teeth. Oral function evaluation items included (1) masticatory performance and (2) oral motor skills. Significant differences were noted among the age groups in tongue pressure within group A (P < 0.01) and group B (P < 0.05), and in the number of repetitions of the syllables /ta/ and /ka/ in group B (/ta/: P < 0.05, /ka/; P < 0.01). The number of natural teeth (beta = 0.463, P < 0.001) in group A and tongue pressure (beta = 0.436, P < 0.001) in group B were the only predictors of masticatory performance when the data were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The tongue may compensate for the missing teeth in masticatory performance of those elderly who have lost their natural teeth. The results of this study highlight the importance of tongue function in masticatory performance.

Positive effects of a qigong and aerobic exercise program on physical health in elderly Japanese women: an exploratory study

To determine the effects of a 12-week qigong and aerobic exercise program on the physical well-being of relatively healthy elderly Japanese women. In the first study, 72 elderly Japanese women who were relatively healthy and naive to qigong completed the 12-week qigong and aerobic exercise program. Physical function, body composition, and abdominal fat were evaluated. In the second study, we examined the effects of qigong alone on physical function. Twenty-nine participants in each of two groups (divided according to their residences) underwent a 12-week program: qigong and aerobic exercise (residents in Yura Town) or qigong exercise alone (residents in Mihama Town). In the first study, physical function including lung capacity, trunk bending, normal walking for 30 m, and rising from a supine position significantly improved after the 12-week program. In addition, body fat diminished significantly during the program. In the second study, both exercise programs ("qigong and aerobic" and "qigong alone") similarly increased walking speed (normal and maximum walking) and rising speed. The findings of this exploratory study demonstrated that a 12-week qigong and aerobic exercise program was associated with improvements in physical function and a reduction in body fat. The qigong exercise program alone positively influenced physical function. The qigong program appears to be an appealing means of improving the physical health of elderly persons.

Genotyping of triallelic SNPs using TaqMan® PCR

Methods for analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are well developed. However, most ready-made SNP genotyping kits (e.g., those that use TaqMan PCR) are based on the assumption that the SNP is biallelic. Thus, most kits are unsuitable for triallelic SNPs. We have experienced difficulty genotyping an SNP using TaqMan PCR. In the present study, we developed a method of genotyping a triallelic SNP (rs3091244: alleles C, A and T) using TaqMan PCR. We used 2 different genotyping kits: one for C/A allele genotyping, and one for C/T allele genotyping. The results of these 2 kits were combined to complete the genotyping. The subjects were 320 essentially healthy elderly Japanese. The frequencies of the C, A and T alleles were 0.78, 0.155 and 0.065, respectively. This double-tube method using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays was very accurate and convenient, and it should be useful for genotyping in case-control association studies or linkage studies.

Impact of dry mouth and hyposalivation on oral health-related quality of life of elderly Japanese

To determine the association of hyposalivation and the perception of dry mouth with oral health-related quality of life for independently living elderly. The study sample consisted of 287 participants (mean age, 66.1 years) at a Senior Citizen educational system. Stimulated salivary flow rates during chewing were measured. The OHIP-14 to measure the impact of oral conditions on health-related quality of life was used, and summary OHIP-14 scores combining the response codes for the 14 items were analyzed. A logistic regression analysis showed that a higher OHIP-14 score indicating a poorer quality of life was related to fewer residual teeth, perception of dry mouth on eating (OR: 4.01, P = .012) and hyposalivation (OR: 2.71, P = .006). It is suggested that both dry mouth and hyposalivation are important problems influencing the quality of life in independently living, relatively healthy elderly Japanese.