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The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and overall efficiency of serum cross-linked N-telopeptides of bone collagen (NTx) and aminoterminal procollagen extension propeptide (PINP) measurements for identifying women with decreased spine, femoral neck and total body bone mineral density (BMD). Serum NTx and PINP levels and dual X-ray absorptiometry were performed on 196 healthy elderly women, aged 60-90 years. Twelve women were classified as having decreased BMD on the basis of regional and total skeletal densitometric values that were 1.5 to 2.5 standard deviations (SD) below the respective, age-stratified means and were compared with 184 women with BMD values greater than 1.5 SD below the mean. The results of receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that a cutoff level of more than 15.0 nmol BCE/L for serum NTx, as measured by the Osteomark assay (Ostex International, Seattle WA USA) was associated with a 100% sensitivity and 70% specificity rate for identifying postmenopausal women with low BMD. The positive likelihood ratio was 3.3 and the negative predictive value was 1.0 using the 15.0 nmol decision level for NTx. The overall diagnostic efficiency of a single NTx measurement for identifying women with low BMD was 89%. A cutoff level of >45.0 microg/L for PINP as measured by the Orion Diagnostica RIA assay (Espoo, Finland) had a diagnostic sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 64% for identifying women with decreased BMD. The positive likelihood ratio was 2.3. the negative predictive value 0.98 and the overall diagnostic efficiency 73% using the 45.0 microg/L decision level for PINP. These results warrant future studies using larger populations that are inclusive of more women with low bone mineral density.

1) To compare serum vitamin B12, C and folate concentrations in a randomly selected sample of elderly (age 65 years or older) male and female Hispanics and nonHispanic whites (NHW) and 2) to examine associations between serum B12, C and folate concentrations compared to measures of cognitive and affective (depression) functions.Equal numbers of male and female Hispanics and NHW were randomly sampled from the Health Care Financing Administration (Medicare) registrant list for Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and asked to volunteer for a paid home interview followed by a paid comprehensive interview/examination covering health and health-related issues. In addition to serum determinations of B12, C and folate, associations were examined between these vitamins and measures of cognitive and affective functions.Males and Hispanics had lower serum vitamin B12, C and folate concentrations than females and NHW respectively. Participants taking a multivitamin supplement (MVI) had higher serum vitamin concentrations than those not taking MVI. There were significant associations between serum folate concentrations and measures of cognitive function, not seen with B12 or C, nor between any of the vitamins and affective function.Hispanics, even after adjustments for gender, age, vitamin supplementation, vitamin content of dietary foods, education and household income, had lower serum concentrations of B12, C and folate than NHW. The most significant associations observed were those between serum folate and various measures of cognitive function, even after adjusting for presence of depression.

The purpose of this study was to determine if performance (copy, immediate, and 30-min recall) on the Rey-Osterrieth Figure deteriorates after age 70 and, if so, if it deteriorates differentially for the three conditions. Accuracy and approach to the drawing were scored in three age groups of healthy elderly subjects (ages 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80 to 91 years). Accuracy decreased somewhat with age in all three conditions, but there was no significant age by condition effect, suggesting that aging did not affect one condition (process) more than another. Use of a configural approach was associated with greater accuracy, but approach did not vary as a function of age. These results support the notion that aging produces mild deterioration at every level of processing of the Rey-Osterrieth Figure.

This study examined how high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) correlated with a 3-day food record of fat, protein, carbohydrate, and alcohol consumption in a group of 270 healthy subjects over age 60. HDL-C concentrations correlated with alcohol consumption (expressed as grams/day) (r = + .25, P less than .001), and inversely with total carbohydrate (r = - .18, P less than .01) and refined carbohydrate (r = - .17, P less than .01) ingestion (expressed as a percent of total caloric intake). Subjects consuming diets low in either total carbohydrate or refined carbohydrate had 10 to 20% higher HDL-C levels than did those consuming diets high in these food substances. The relationships between HDL-C levels and alcohol and carbohydrate ingestion were independent of other variables which correlated with HDL-C levels. Dietary fat (total fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and cholesterol) did not correlate with HDL-C. LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not correlate with any dietary variable measured.