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Prior evidence suggests that subjective well-being (SWB) remains relatively stable across adulthood. However, longitudinal evidence is sparse except in Western societies such as North America and Western Europe. We examined age-related changes in SWB (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect) among middle-aged and older Japanese. We applied multilevel growth models to 14-year seven-wave longitudinal data of a dynamic cohort study. A total of 3,890 participants aged 40-81 at first assessment were included in the analysis. The longitudinal results demonstrated differential trajectories of SWB. Life satisfaction exhibited an accelerated increase in middle age but decreased and leveled off in old age. Positive affect increased in midlife and declined in late life. Negative affect remained stable in middle age but increased in old age. Demographics, health, and methodological correlates did not fully account for age-related changes in SWB. Of note, increases in negative affect in old age remained evident even after controlling for the correlates. In conclusion, life satisfaction was stable across adulthood, which was not the case with positive and negative affect. We discussed the possible mechanisms in these observed trajectories of SWB, in particular, negative affect in late life.

Physical fitness is one of the key factors in healthy aging. Although physical fitness is widely recognized to decline with age, age-related decreases in the individual dimensions of physical fitness in later life are less clear. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to describe the age-related changes in six fitness components covering a variety of motor dimensions in men and women through a 12-year longitudinal epidemiological study. Method: Participants were randomly selected community-living men (n = 1,139) and women (n = 1,128) aged 40 to 79 years at baseline who were repeatedly tested over a mean (standard deviation) follow-up period of 9.8 (3.4) years with a mean of 4.9 (2.3) examinations. The six physical fitness tests were sit-and-reach, grip strength, sit-ups, one-leg standing, reaction time and leg extension power. The effect of age on each physical fitness task was analyzed using a mixed-effects model controlling for habitual physical activity level. Results: The fixed effect of the interaction of age and time in all fitness tests was significant in men. Higher age at baseline was significantly associated with a greater decrease over time except in one-leg standing. In women, no significant interaction effect of age and time was found in grip strength or reaction time. Age-related changes in grip strength and reaction time were constant with increasing age. Conclusion: Twelve-year longitudinal data showed that the age-related decrease in physical fitness over time, especially musculoskeletal fitness in men, was pronounced, whereas in women, the decrease was less pronounced.

Background/Objectives Dietary habits are known to affect health, including the rate of brain ageing and susceptibility to diseases. This study examines the longitudinal relationship between dietary diversity and hippocampal volume, which is a key structure of memory processing and is known to be impaired in dementia. Subjects/Methods Subjects were aged 40-89 years (n = 1683, men: 50.6%) and participated in a 2-year follow-up study of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. Dietary intake was calculated from 3-day dietary records, and dietary diversity was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity at baseline. Longitudinal changes in hippocampal and total grey matter volumes were estimated by T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging and FreeSurfer software. Estimated mean brain volume change in relation to dietary diversity score quintiles was assessed by the general linear model, adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity, and comorbidities. Results The mean ([plus or minus] standard deviation) % decreases in hippocampal and total grey matter volume during the 2-year follow-up were 1.00% ([plus or minus]2.27%) and 0.78% ([plus or minus]1.83%), respectively. Multivariate-adjusted decreases in total grey matter volume were associated with dietary diversity score (p = 0.065, p for trend = 0.017), and the % decrease in hippocampal volume was more strongly associated with the dietary diversity score: the estimated mean ([plus or minus] standard error) values were 1.31% ([plus or minus]0.12%), 1.07% ([plus or minus]0.12%), 0.98% ([plus or minus]0.12%), 0.81% ([plus or minus]0.12%), and 0.85% ([plus or minus]0.12%), according to dietary diversity quintiles in ascending order (p = 0.030, p for trend = 0.003). Conclusions Among community dwellers, increased dietary diversity may be a new nutritional strategy to prevent hippocampal atrophy., Author(s): Rei Otsuka [sup.1] , Yukiko Nishita [sup.2] , Akinori Nakamura [sup.3] , Takashi Kato [sup.3] , Kaori Iwata [sup.3] , Chikako Tange [sup.1] , Makiko Tomida [sup.1] , Kaori [...]

Objectives Cognitive and physical functions are both associated with disability and death. Recent studies have addressed the relationship between cognitive declines and physical declines; however, whether various facets of cognition are diversely associated with specific physical functions is yet to be ascertained. The present work examines the longitudinal associations between fluid and crystallized cognitive functions (Gf and Gc) and physical functions. Methods The sample consisted of 863 community-dwelling older adults (baseline age 60–79 years) from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. The participants were tested on a set of Gf and Gc tests and physical tests (grip strength and gait speed). We ran a series of Multivariate Latent Growth Curve models. Specifically, we tested the relationship between cognitive and physical functions in terms of baseline performance (intercept) and rate of change (slope). Results The slope–slope correlations between Gf and physical function were large (grip strength r = 0.64 and gait speed r = 0.68, p s <.001). By contrast, the slope correlations between Gc and physical functions were weak (r s ≤ 0.31) and barely or marginally significant (p s ≤.06). Discussion The results show that distinct domains of cognitive functions have different associations with physical functions. Namely, the aging-associated declines in the tested physical functions are robustly correlated with the declines in Gf , but are only weakly correlated with the declines in Gc. Therefore, Gc measures may be poor proxies for the patient's frailty and should be considered with caution in clinical assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]