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Background: Although diets rich in carotenoids are associated with muscle health and a reduced risk of disability, the relationship between carotenoids and low lean body mass has not been fully elucidated., Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and low lean body mass over 4 y in older Japanese community-dwellers., Methods: A total of 750 adults aged ≥60 y participated in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. Individuals with a low lean body mass and muscle strength or gait speed at baseline were excluded. Baseline serum α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, and lycopene were measured. Low lean body mass was defined as appendicular lean mass relative to the measured height (ALM/ht 2 ) of <7.0 kg/m 2 in males and <5.4 kg/m 2 in females, according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. A generalized estimating equation was used to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for low lean body mass according to tertiles of total and individual carotenoids at baseline, adjusted for sex, age, season, follow-up months, education years, economic status, current smoking status, a history of ischemic heart disease, stroke, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic equivalents., Results: Low serum total carotenoids were associated with low ALM/ht 2 , and the odds ratios of low ALM/ht 2 in the third tertile of total carotenoids were significantly lower than those in the first tertile after adjusting for covariates. The odds ratios of low ALM/ht 2 in the third tertile of β-cryptoxanthin were significantly associated with those in the first tertile after adjusting for covariates (P = 0.03); however, no trend was observed for this relationship., Conclusions: These findings indicate that low serum total carotenoids and serum β-cryptoxanthin are associated with low lean body mass in older Japanese community-dwellers., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study examined the association between frailty development and physical activity including the number of steps, the time of light-intensity physical activity (LPA) with <3.0 metabolic equivalents (METs), and the time of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) with ≥3.0 METs in community-dwelling older Japanese adults., Design, Setting, and Participants: Study subjects were 401 older adults at the baseline examination (April 2000-May 2002) who participated at least once in the follow-up examination of the longitudinal study of aging. Their 1787 cumulative data points (mean number of repeat visits, 3.5) were used for analysis., Measures: The number of steps, time of LPA, and time of MVPA were recorded at baseline using a uniaxial accelerometer. Frailty was defined according to 5 frailty criteria: shrinking, exhaustion, low physical activity, low grip strength, and slow gait speed., Results: The fully adjusted odds ratio for frailty among subjects walking <5000 steps was 1.85 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-3.11]. The fully adjusted odds ratio for frailty among subjects with MVPA for <7.5 minutes was 1.80 (95% CI, 1.05-3.09). No significant association was observed between frailty and LPA., Conclusions and Implications: The risk for developing frailty was substantially lower in older people walking ≥5000 steps/d or exercising for at least 7.5 minutes/d at an intensity >3.0 METs. These data could be applicable to the community interventions that aim to prevent frailty., (Copyright © 2019 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)