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Background: The association between subjective cognitive decline and falls has not been clearly determined.Aims: Our aim was to explore the effect of subjective cognitive decline on falls in community-dwelling older adults with or without objective cognitive decline.Methods: We included 470 older adults (mean age 73.6 ± 5.2; 329 women) living in the community and obtained data on fall history directly from the participants. Subjective cognitive decline was assessed using a self-administered question. Objective cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Statistical analyses were carried out separately for participants with objective cognitive decline and those without.Results: A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, among participants without objective cognitive decline, subjective cognitive decline was positively associated with falls [OR 1.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-3.12; p = 0.01). Conversely, among participants with objective cognitive decline, subjective cognitive decline was negatively associated with falls (OR 0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.85, p = 0.04).Discussion: The result suggests that the objective-subjective disparity may affect falls in community-dwelling older adults.Conclusions: The presence of subjective cognitive decline was significantly positively associated with falls among cognitively intact older adults. However, among their cognitively impaired peers, the absence of subjective cognitive decline was positively associated with falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate whether knee pain during various activities of daily living (ADLs) is associated with physical activity in patients with early and severe knee osteoarthritis (OA). We hypothesized that the painful ADLs associated with decreased physical activity differ according to disease severity. This cross-sectional study enrolled 270 patients with medial knee OA, assigned to either the early (Kellgren Lawrence [K/L] grade 1-2) or the severe group (K/L grade 3-4). Physical activity was assessed using a pedometer. Knee pain during six ADLs (waking up in the morning, walking on a flat surface, ascending stairs, etc.) was evaluated using a questionnaire. We performed multiple regression and quantile regression analysis to investigate whether knee pain during each ADL was associated with physical activity. In the early group, the more knee pain they experienced while ascending stairs, the lower their physical activity was (75th regression coefficient = −1033.70, P = 0.018). In the severe group, the more knee pain they experienced while walking on a flat surface or bending to the floor or standing up, the lower their physical activity was (unstandardized coefficients = −1850.87, P = 0.026; unstandardized coefficients = −2640.35, P = 0.010). Knee pain while ascending stairs and while walking on a flat surface or bending to the floor or standing up was a probable limiting factor for physical activity in early and severe knee OA, respectively. These findings suggested that a reduction in task-specific knee pain according to disease severity could improve physical activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The shuttle walking test (SWT) is a simple, widely used method for assessing endurance performance in the elderly. Despite widespread community use, its associated factors are unclear. Aims: We aim to identify previously undefined SWT association factors in community-dwelling elderly people. Methods: Herein, 149 healthy elderly Japanese subjects performed the SWT, and were assessed for height, weight, smoking history, 10-m walk time, Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores, handgrip strength, skeletal mass index (SMI), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), cardio-ankle vascular index, and ankle brachial index. We divided men and women into higher and lower SWT score groups, compared between-group parameters, and performed stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with SWT scores. Results: Age, BMI, 10-m walk time, TUG score, SMI, FVC (L; %-predicted), and FEV (L; %-predicted) were significantly different between SWT score groups for men, while in women, significant differences were observed in age, TUG score, handgrip strength, FVC (L; %-predicted), and FEV (L; %-predicted) ( p < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, 10-m walk time, and FEV showed significant associations with SWT results in men; among women, age was the only significantly associated factor ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Results indicate that better lung function and shorter walk time independently associate with SWT results in community-dwelling men; in women, age is the only association. Our findings may offer insight when considering the focus of community exercise programs among the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological characteristics of community-dwelling elderly subjects, aged ≥65 years, with airflow limitation in the Japanese community. Methods: Subjects were recruited through local press advertisement, and 180 individuals were enrolled. Data on age, body mass index (BMI), gender, smoking history, and past medical history were obtained, as were pulmonary function parameters, skeletal muscle mass index, and physical activity. Results: The final study population comprised 161 participants from whom we obtained valid spirometry results. The mean age of this population was 73.4 ± 4.4 years, and 78 participants (48.4 %) were men. The prevalence of airflow limitation was 29.2 % ( n = 47). Subjects with airflow limitation were significantly older ( P = 0.01) and had poorer pulmonary function ( P < 0.01), lower BMI ( P < 0.01), and lower skeletal muscle mass index ( P = 0.03) than healthy elderly subjects. Furthermore, skeletal muscle mass index was significantly correlated with the percentage of predicted forced vital capacity ( r = 0.45, P < 0.05) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s ( r = 0.50, P < 0.05) only in men with airflow limitation. Conclusions: We found that the skeletal muscle mass index was significantly reduced in community-dwelling elderly with airflow limitation, and the skeletal muscle mass index was correlated with pulmonary function only in men with airflow limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]