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Introduction: Although arterial stiffness has been suggested to be associated with poor physical function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), its association with cognitive frailty (CF), a comorbidity of both, is unclear. This study aims to examine the association between CF and arterial stiffness in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 511 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older (mean age 73.6 ± 6.2 years, 63.6% women), who participated in a community cohort study (Tarumizu Study, 2019), was conducted. Poor physical function was defined as either slowness (walking speed <1.0 m/s) or weakness (grip strength <28 kg for men and <18 kg for women). MCI was defined by the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Functional Assessment Tool as a decline of at least 1.5 standard deviation from age- and education-adjusted baseline values in any one of the four cognitive domains (memory, attention, executive, and information processing). CF was defined as the combination of poor physical function and MCI. Arterial stiffness was measured using the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), and the average of the left and right sides (mean CAVI) was used. Results: Multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates was performed with the four groups of robust, poor physical function, MCI, and CF as dependent variables and mean CAVI as an independent variable. Using the robust group as reference, the poor physical function and MCI groups showed no significant relationship with the mean CAVI. The mean CAVI was significantly higher in the CF group (odds ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.14–2.29). Conclusion: A significant association was found between CF and the higher CAVI (progression of arterial stiffness). Careful observation and control of CAVI, which is also an indicator of arterial stiffness, may be a potential target for preventive interventions for CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical frailty accelerates the timing of both subsequent disability and death; however, evidence regarding the impact of frailty on the period from disability onset to death and sex differences of this impact is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship among physical frailty, disability, death, and sex differences. Methods: This Japanese cohort study included 10,524 community‐dwelling people aged ≥65 years. Physical frailty was operationalized by key phenotypes as per Fried's criteria (slowness, weakness, exhaustion, weight loss, and low activity) at baseline. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for disability onset and post‐disability survival according to the frailty status. Results: During a 5‐year follow‐up, the risk of disability onset for pre‐frailty (HR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.51–2.00) and frailty (HR: 3.27, 95% CI: 2.77–3.87) were significantly higher than that for robust people. Furthermore, among participants who developed disabilities within 5 years (n = 1481), the risk of post‐disability death for pre‐frailty was not different from that for robust (HR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.99–2.24), but frailty showed a higher risk of post‐disability death than did robust people. (HR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.13–2.72). In the sex‐stratified analysis, although the female group showed no association between frailty status and post‐disability death (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.63–2.33 in pre‐frailty; HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.60–2.57 in frailty), the male group showed higher risk of post‐disability death in both pre‐frailty (HR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.03–2.96) and frailty (HR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.32–4.09). Conclusions: Physical frailty shortens the period from disability onset to death. Additionally, the impact of frailty on post‐disability death is greater for males than for females. Our findings suggest that physical frailty is an important clinical indicator distinct from disability and that interventions to prevent and address frailty in men need further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aimed to examine whether dietary diversity is associated with cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), in community‐dwelling older Japanese adults. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was carried out in a general community setting. MCI and global cognitive impairment (GCI) were assessed using the Mini‐Mental State Examination and National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology‐Functional Assessment Tool, which are multicomponent neurocognitive tests that include memory attention, executive function and processing speed. Dietary diversity was assessed using the diet variety score. The diet variety score assessed the 1‐week consumption frequency of 10 food groups, and either 0 or 1 point was allocated to each category based on the following responses: (i) "eat almost every day" (1 point); and (ii) "not eaten almost daily" (0 points). Older adults with a diet variety score of ≥3 points were defined as having high dietary diversity. Results: Data included 8987 older adults (mean age 73.9 ± 5.5 years; men 44.3%). The overall prevalences of MCI and GCI were 17.1% (n = 1538) and 8.4% (n = 753), respectively. The proportion of patients with a high dietary diversity was 69.9% (n = 6286). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed high dietary diversity was associated with MCI (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.73–0.94) and GCI (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65–0.92) after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: This study had a large sample size of older Japanese adults, and showed that high dietary diversity was associated with a lower proportion of MCI and GCI among older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 75–81. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults who cease driving are more likely to experience psychosomatic decline than those who continue driving. This mixed-methods study was intended to examine differences in psychosomatic functions depending on driving status and lifestyle activities, and factors affecting engagement in additional lifestyle activities after driving cessation. The quantitative analysis included individuals aged 60 and above. Driving status, lifestyle activities, and psychosomatic functions were assessed. For qualitative analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the driving-cessation group to determine the factors affecting involvement in various lifestyle activities after driving cessation. Analysis of covariance was used for quantitative data, while text mining and qualitative inductive analysis were used for qualitative data. Older adults who engaged in more lifestyle activities walked faster than those who engaged in fewer lifestyle activities, even after driving cessation. Actively using local and personal resources may increase engagement in lifestyle activities after driving cessation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study aimed to determine the effects of walking-only intervention (walking was the only exercise in which people participated) on physical function, fall-related outcomes, and health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults. We conducted a systematic search across five electronic databases, assessing risk of bias using Minds Manual for Guideline Development. Meta-analyses were performed, and pooled standardized mean differences were calculated. Nine studies (a total of 1,309 participants) were included, showing that walking-only interventions improved walking endurance (standardized mean difference: 1.11, 95% confidence interval: [0.08, 2.15]) and health-related quality of life (standardized mean difference: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: [0.18, 1.25]). However, there were no significant improvements in other outcomes. The certainty of the evidence based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach for all outcomes was graded as very low, primarily due to significant inconsistency and imprecision. Our results suggest that walking-only intervention can be effective for enhancing walking endurance and health-related quality of life for community-dwelling older adults. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of walking-only intervention. This need stems from the limited number of randomized controlled trials, heterogeneous intervention settings and results, and the very low certainty of the evidence.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the combination of low physical activity and low dietary diversity with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older Japanese adults., Methods: Data from 600 older adults (mean age 74.1 ± 6.4 years; 62.0% women) were analyzed. We evaluated dietary variety based on the Food Frequency Score (FFS) (maximum 30 points) by assessing the one-week consumption frequencies of ten foods. An FFS of ≤ 16 indicated low dietary diversity. We assessed MCI using the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) Functional Assessment Tool. Physical activity levels was determined based on participant responses to two questions: "Do you engage in moderate levels of physical exercise or sports aimed at health?" and "Do you engage in low levels of physical exercise aimed at health?". Participants who responded "No" to both questions were classified as having low physical activity levels. We classified the participants into robust, low-dietary diversity, low-physical activity, and coexistence groups., Results: The overall prevalence of MCI was 20.7%, with rates in the robust, low dietary diversity, low physical activity, and coexistence groups of 17.7%, 24.7%, 25.0%, and 41.9%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that low dietary diversity and physical activity were associated with MCI in older adults (odds ratio [OR] 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-6.28)., Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated the association of the co-occurrence of low dietary diversity and low physical activity with MCI. Older adults with both risk factors may require early detection, as well as physical activity and dietary interventions.

Background: The use of transport other than cars is a modifiable factor in the association between driving cessation and social frailty. Clarifying this relationship may serve as a new preventive measure against social frailty among current non-drivers. This study examined the potential association of driving status and transport use with social frailty, as well as between the frequency of transport use and social frailty, among current non-drivers., Methods: This study included 977 middle-aged and older adults (average age 65.3 ± 4.8 years). The participants were classified as transport users (more than a few times a week) and transport non-users (less than a few times a month). Based on driving status and transport use, the groups were further classified into current driver, current non-driver/transport user, and current non-driver/transport non-user groups. We performed statistical analyses to examine the relationships between driving status, transport use, and social frailty., Results: The current non-driver/transport non-user group showed a significant association with a higher social frailty. The current non-driver/transport user group showed no association with social frailty compared with the current driver group. The current non-driver/transport non-user group showed a significant association with a higher social frailty rate (OR 2.14, 95%CI 1.25-3.73)., Conclusions: Participants who did not drive or take transport showed significant associations with increased social frailty. Compared with current driver/transport use, current non-driver/transport non-use was associated with social frailty.

With the rapid development of information and communication technology, smartphone ownership has increased among older adults. While previous research has examined the impact of smartphone use on the health of older adults, this study focuses on the less-explored relationship between smartphone use, proficiency, and health-related outcomes including higher-level competence. The study was a cross-sectional survey of 208 community-dwelling older adults who used smartphones daily. Smartphone use, including years of use and applications, was assessed and categorized by age group. Health-related outcomes were measured, including cognitive and psychological function, higher-level competence, basic daily abilities, and physical function. The results indicated that smartphone proficiency decreased with age, with older adults primarily using basic smartphone applications. Notably, higher smartphone proficiency was positively associated with higher-level competence and physical functions. The study underscores the importance of considering smartphone proficiency when assessing older adults' life skills and physical performance in our digital society., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.