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Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been suggested to be associated with skeletal muscle mass maintenance. However, the role of dietary SCFAs in preserving muscle strength in the older population remains unclear., Objectives: To clarify the longitudinal association between the dietary intake of SCFAs and the development of low muscle strength in older community dwellers., Methods: Data were obtained from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging cohort. The participants included 441 men and 382 women who participated in the baseline survey (the fifth wave, between 2006 and 2008) and at least one follow-up examination (sixth to ninth waves, between 2008 and 2022) and were ≥60 years old and did not have low muscle strength (defined as a grip strength of <28 kg for men and <18 kg for women) at baseline. Baseline nutrient intakes were assessed with a 3-day dietary record. A generalized estimating equation was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for low muscle strength per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in the intake of SCFAs and other nutrients at baseline (adjusted for sex, age, follow-up time, baseline grip strength, physical activity, smoking, family income, education, and disease histories)., Results: The mean (SD) follow-up time and number were 7.8 (3.2) years and 3.2 (1.0) times, respectively. Approximately 8.1 % of the participants exhibited muscle strength loss in at least one follow-up assessment. The multivariate-adjusted OR (95 % CIs) was 0.77 (0.63-0.93) for each 1-SD increase in SCFA intake (268 mg/day), and the ORs for the highest through the lowest tertiles of SCFA intake were 1.00 (reference), 1.44 (0.95-2.17), and 1.83 (1.20-2.78), respectively (trend p = 0.005). The results remained significant after multivariate adjusting for energy or fat intake., Conclusion: Dietary intake of SCFAs may prevent muscle strength decline in community-dwelling older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Carriers of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOEɛ4) have an increased risk of developing dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). However, it is less clear whether the APOEɛ4 might also be involved in cognitive aging among the non-clinical population of older adults. While some studies have suggested that the APOEɛ4 is related to accelerated cognitive decline in the normal aging process, others have failed to provide compelling evidence of such an impact. Notably, these discrepancies may depend on methodological shortcomings, including short time spans, few assessments, and small sample sizes. The present study overcomes the above limitations and aims to clarify the impact of the APOEɛ4 genotype on long-term longitudinal changes in cognitive functions in middle-aged and older adults in Japan., Methods and Results: The data were retrieved from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA) survey (N = 1832; 40 to 79 years of age at baseline). The participants were tested over nine waves covering a period of approximately 20 years. Latent Growth Curve (LGC) modeling was employed to test the impact of the interaction between APOEɛ4 status and age on several cognitive functions. Four tests of the WAIS-R were administered: Information, Similarities, Picture completion, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). The results showed that the APOEɛ4 carriers experienced a more pronounced decline in the DSST (p = 0.001) and Similarities (p = 0.022) tests. A similar tendency was found in the Information test (p = 0.034). By contrast, no effect was found in the Picture completion test (p = 0.563)., Conclusions: APOEɛ4 carriers seem to exhibit a steeper cognitive decline, which becomes apparent in old age. This effect is more robust in fluid cognitive skills (DSST) than crystallized cognitive skills (Information and Similarities). Overall, the APOEɛ4 genotype may be a significant risk factor in normal (i.e., non-clinical) cognitive aging., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Hearing loss is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, and the use of a hearing aid (HA) may prevent cognitive decline alongside hearing loss. We aimed to elucidate the prevalence of self-reported HA usage in Japanese community-dwelling elders with hearing loss, and the effect of hearing and HA on cognitive impairment., Methods: A total of 1193 participants, who had audiometric defined hearing loss and were aged 60 years or over, had their cumulative 3260 observations followed up for 10 years from a large cohort of a Japanese study. Association between hearing (pure-tone average threshold level at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz from the better hearing ear: PTABHE) and HA usage with cognitive impairment (total score of Mini-Mental State Estimation was under 27 or diagnosed as dementia) was analyzed using generalized estimating equations., Results: The HA usage rate of the 1193 community-dwelling elders with hearing loss was 6% during the first involvement. The majority (59.2%) of HA users always used an HA. HA usage rate was 0.7% for the mild hearing loss group and 32.4% for the moderate or greater hearing loss group in the latest participating wave. PTABHE was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (odds ratio for every 10 dB 1.36; 95% CI 1.21-1.53, p<0.0001) after adjusting for age, sex, education, depressed mood, smoking status, alcohol intake, income, activity, obesity, histories of hypertension, dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, stroke, ear disease, and occupational noise exposure. PTABHE was also significantly associated with cognitive impairment in the mild hearing loss group (odds ratio for every 10 dB 1.34; 95% CI 1.05-1.72, p = 0.020) and moderate hearing loss group (odds ratio for every 10 dB 1.82; 95% CI 1.27-2.61, p = 0.001). HA use showed a significant suppressive effect on cognitive impairment in those with moderate hearing loss who always use an HA (odds ratio 0.54; 95% CI 0.30-1.00, p = 0.049)., Conclusion: The prevalence of HA usage among Japanese community-dwelling elders with hearing loss is consistent, at around 10%. The hearing level remained a primary risk factor for cognitive impairment among elders with hearing loss after adjusting for several confounding factors. Regular HA use may have a protective effect on cognitive impairment in those with moderate hearing loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the effects of dietary diversity on a decline in higher-level functional capacity among middle-aged and elderly subjects in Japan., Methods: Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 1317 men and women aged 40 to 79 at baseline (1997-2000) who participated in a follow-up postal survey (2013). Higher-level functional capacity was measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology index of competence (total score and 3 subscales). Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-d dietary record, and dietary diversity was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity (QUANTIDD). The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for a decline in higher-level functional capacity in the follow-up study according to quartiles of QUANTIDD at baseline were estimated, controlling for age, sex, higher-level functional capacity scores at baseline, body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activity, depressive score, household income, education, smoking, and disease history., Results: A total of 214 (16%), 145 (11%), 70 (5%), and 136 (10%) subjects showed a decline in total score for higher-level functional capacity (≥2), instrumental self-maintenance (≥1), intellectual activity (≥2), and social role (≥2), respectively. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the score for intellectual activity decline according to the lowest through highest quartiles of QUANTIDD were 1.00 (reference), 0.47 (0.23-0.95), 0.44 (0.22-0.90), and 0.41 (0.20-0.83), respectively (P for trend = 0.06)., Conclusions: Daily intake of various foods may protect against a decline in intellectual activity among middle-aged and elderly community dwellers in Japan., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Although the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) has often been used for female lower urinary tract symptoms (FLUTS), the psychometric properties of IPSS for FLUTS have not been studied. We investigated the reliability and validity of IPSS for FLUTS., Methods: Two samples were prepared. Sample A consisted of 227 women and 455 men who consulted a hospital doctor and sample B consisted of 519 women and 419 men who consulted a general practitioner. Eighty-nine percent of participants completed all IPSS items and quality of life index. Cronbach's alpha coefficients and Spearman's rho were calculated for reliability and validity assessment, respectively. A factor analysis was also conducted to explore the underlying structure., Results: Significant differences were found in age and each IPSS item score between the 2 samples. Cronbach's alpha of IPSS in women was approximately 0.8 in both samples, comparable to that in men. The relatively high Spearman's rho among most of IPSS voiding items and among most storage items and low Spearman's rho among most of the different categories described indicated good convergent and discriminant validity. The factor analysis showed 2 components in IPSS for FLUTES. The first was consistently related to IPSS items 1, 3, 5, and 6 and the second was related to IPSS items 2, 4, and 7. In men, however, IPSS item 4 comprised different components between samples A and B., Conclusions: Although the subject background somewhat affects the psychometric properties, the IPSS can be relevant when used to examine women, as well as men.