The association between masticatory ability and lower Timed Up & Go Test performance among community-dwelling Japanese aging men and women: The Toon Health Study

Objectives@#Few studies examined the association between deterioration of masticatory ability assessed by objective marker and physical function. Therefore, we examined the association between salivary flow rate which is one of the objective and surrogate marker of masticatory ability and lower Timed Up & Go (TUG) performance which is one of major measurement of physical function among aging Japanese. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study enrolled 464 Japanese aged 60e84 years old. Participants chewed tasteless and odorless gum for 5 min, calculated stimulated salivary flow rate (g/min) during all chews.The 3 m TUG was conducted, and 75th percentile value (6.8 s for men and 7.0 s for women) or higher was defined as lower TUG performance. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between stimulated salivary flow rate and lower TUG performance. @*Results@#We found that the stimulated salivary flow rate tended to be negatively associated with the TUG time. We also observed significant negative association between stimulated salivary flow rate and lower TUG performance; the multivariable-adjusted OR (95% confidence interval, CIs) of lower TUG performance for the highest quartile of stimulated salivary flow rate compared with the lowest quartile was0.34 (0.16e0.69, P for trend ¼ 0.02). Further adjusting for BMI, the association was attenuated but remaind significant; the OR (95% CIs) in highest quartile was 0.37 (0.18e0.76, P for trend ¼ 0.04). @*Conclusions@#Higher stimulated salivary flow, which means well masticatory ability, was inversely associated with lower TUG performance in the aging Japanese population.

Preventive role of community-level social capital in the need for long-term care and impairment in instrumental activities of daily living: a multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND@#Individual-level social capital is an important determinant of older adults' long-term care needs; however, there is scant evidence regarding community-level social capital. Therefore, we investigated the association between community-level social capital and the prevalence of the need for long-term care among older adults.@*METHODS@#Between January and February 2018, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among all older adults (n = 13,558) aged 65 to 74 years in a rural municipality in Japan (total population, n = 72,833). A self-reported questionnaire was used to identify community-level social capital, comprising civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios of the need for long-term care and a decline in social activity competence as assessed by instrumental activities of daily living. For the analysis, the community levels were divided into 76 voting districts and adjusted for daily life, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, health conditions, and the three social capital subscale scores at the individual level.@*RESULTS@#After adjusting for the covariates, we observed a tendency that a higher community level of reciprocity was associated with a lower prevalence of long-term care needs (OR: 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-1.00), whereas a high community level of social cohesion was associated with a significantly reduced decline in instrumental activities of daily living (OR per standard deviation increase: 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.79-0.96). No significant association was found with civic participation. Similarly, individual-level social capital was associated with the need for long-term care and decline in instrumental activities of daily living.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings suggest that good community-level reciprocity or social cohesion as well as good individual social capital status may help prevent the need for long-term care among older adults.

Optimization and validation of a highly sensitive method for determining glyphosate in human urine by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry: a methodological study

BACKGROUND@#Glyphosate and its salt formulations are nonselective herbicides that have been extensively used worldwide, both for residential and agricultural purposes. The possible carcinogenicity and teratogenicity of glyphosate remain to be elucidated. We developed a sensitive and high-throughput analytical method for urinary glyphosate using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with the aim of contributing to glyphosate exposure assessment in epidemiological studies.@*METHODS@#After urine dilution (creatinine matching dilution to 0.05 g creatinine/L), glyphosate was extracted using two types of solid phase extraction columns (SCX and NH2) with automated sample preparation instruments. The eluate was dried and dissolved in the mobile phase, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The optimized method was applied to urine samples obtained from 54 Japanese adults and children.@*RESULTS@#The results from the validation study demonstrated good recoveries (91.0-99.6%), within- and between-run precisions (< 15%), low detection limits (0.1 μg/L), and lower limit of quantification (0.3 μg/L). The detection frequency and median concentration of the urinary glyphosate in Japanese subjects were 59% and 0.25 μg/L (0.34 μg/g creatinine).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our reliable determination method was successful in measuring urinary glyphosate concentration. Moreover, this is the first biomonitoring report of urinary glyphosate levels in the Japanese general population.

Relationship between mortality risk and health-related factors and sense of coherence in residents ofa rural area in Japan / Journal of Rural Medicine

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between mortality risk and health-related factors and sense of coherence (SOC) in a cohort study of residents from a rural area of Japan.Materials and Methods: We followed-up with 3,416 baseline respondents over 3.76 years. Residents were subdivided into three groups based on SOC score: low, middle, and high. We used the total SOC score of the low-level SOC group as the standard, and calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for the middle- and high-level SOC groups. For all three SOC groups, health-related factors were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, and lifestyle and history were analyzed using the χ2 test. Results were also analyzed by gender and age.Results: For men in the low-level SOC group, the SMR value was defined as 1, and for men in the high-level SOC group (0.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.77), the SMR value was significantly lower. There was a statistically significant reduction in the percentage of smokers in the men in the high-level SOC group.Conclusion: In this study, high-level SOC was associated with low mortality risk. This finding was particularly pronounced in the men.

Skipping breakfast is correlated with obesity / Journal of Rural Medicine

<i>Objectives:</i> Despite the fact that the total energy intake of Japanese people has decreased, the percentage of obese people has increased.This suggests that the timing of meals is related to obesity. <br>The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the timing of meals and obesity, based on analyses of physical measurements, serum biochemical markers, nutrient intake, and lifestyle factors in the context of Chrononutrition.<br><i>Participants and Methods:</i> We analyzed data derived from 766 residents of Toon City (286 males and 480 females) aged 30 to 79 years who underwent detailed medical examinations between 2011 and 2013. These medical examinations included. (1) physical measurements (waist circumference, blood pressure, etc.); (2) serum biochemical markers (total cholesterol, etc.); (3) a detailed questionnaire concerning lifestyle factors such as family structure and daily habits (22 issues), exercise and eating habits (28 issues), alcohol intake and smoking habits; (4) a food frequency questionnaire based on food groups (FFQg);and (5) a questionnaire concerning the times at which meals and snacks are consumed.<br><i>Results:</i> The values for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were higher for participants who ate dinner less than three hours before bedtime (<3-h group) than those who ate more than three hours before bedtime (>3-h group). The Chi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in eating habits, e.g., eating snacks, eating snacks at night, having dinner after 8 p.m., and having dinner after 9 p.m., between the <3-h group and the >3-h group. <br>Multiple linear regression analysis showed that skipping breakfast significantly influenced both waist circumference (β = 5.271) and BMI (β = 1.440) and that eating dinner <3-h before going to bed only influenced BMI (β = 0.581).<br><i>Conclusion:</i> Skipping breakfast had a greater influence on both waist circumference and BMI than eating dinner <3-h before going to bed.

Skipping Breakfast is Correlated with Obesity / Journal of Rural Medicine

<b>Objective:</b> Despite the fact that the total energy intake of Japanese peoplehas decreased, the percentage of obese people has increased. This suggests that the timingof meals is related to obesity. The purpose of the study was to investigate therelationship between the timing of meals and obesity, based on analyses of physicalmeasurements, serum biochemical markers, nutrient intake, and lifestyle factors in thecontext of Chrononutrition.<br><b>Participants and Methods:</b> We analyzed data derived from 766 residents ofToon City (286 males and 480 females) aged 30 to 79 years who underwent detailed medicalexaminations between 2011 and 2013. These medical examinations included. (1) physicalmeasurements (waist circumference, blood pressure, etc.); (2) serum biochemical markers(total cholesterol, etc.); (3) a detailed questionnaire concerning lifestyle factors suchas family structure and daily habits (22 issues), exercise and eating habits (28 issues),alcohol intake and smoking habits; (4) a food frequency questionnaire based on food groups(FFQg); and (5) a questionnaire concerning the times at which meals and snacks areconsumed.<br><b>Results:</b> The values for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference werehigher for participants who ate dinner less than three hours before bedtime (<3-hgroup) than those who ate more than three hours before bedtime (>3-h group). TheChi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in eating habits, e.g.,eating snacks, eating snacks at night, having dinner after 8 p.m., and having dinner after9 p.m., between the <3-h group and the >3-h group. Multiple linear regressionanalysis showed that skipping breakfast significantly influenced both waist circumference(β = 5.271) and BMI (β = 1.440) and that eating dinner <3-h before going to bed onlyinfluenced BMI (β = 0.581).<br><b>Conclusion:</b> Skipping breakfast had a greater influence on both waistcircumference and BMI than eating dinner <3-h before going to bed.

Comparison of Regional Differences in Health Indicators and Standard Mortality Ratio for Stroke in Subjects in Ehime Prefecture / Journal of Rural Medicine

<b>Objective:</b> The purpose of this study was to investigate regional differences in the standard mortality ratio (SMR) and risk factors (including dietary habits) for stroke across the three regions of Ehime Prefecture - <i>Toyo</i> (east), <i>Chuyo</i> (central), and <i>Nanyo</i> (south).<br><b>Participants and methods:</b> We obtained medical records derived from 956,979 medical examinations carried out at JA Ehime Kouseiren Medical Examination Centers between April 1994 and March 2006. We analyzed data from 132,090 subjects (<i>Toyo</i> - 47,654, <i>Chuyo</i> - 38,435, <i>Nanyo</i> - 46,001) who underwent their first medical examination during this period. To analyze differences between the three regions, we first calculated the SMR for stroke based on data from the Basic Residential Registers and Health Statistics Bureau. Secondly, we calculated significant differences in body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), blood glucose (Glu), and total cholesterol (T-CHO). Thirdly, we used the Chi-square test to calculate significant differences in the percentage of subjects who consumed the following foods on a daily basis: rice, bread, eggs, fish, meat, vegetables, dairy products, and fruit juice.<br><b>Results:</b> Despite the fact that regional differences in the SMR for stroke have been decreasing, in both men and women in <i>Nanyo</i>, the mean values for SBP and DBP were significantly higher and the mean value for T-CHO was significantly lower than in <i>Toyo</i> and <i>Chuyo</i>. In <i>Nanyo</i>, the percentage of subjects who consumed rice and fish (men and women), meat (men), and juice (women) on a daily basis was higher than in <i>Toyo</i> and <i>Chuyo</i>.<br><b>Conclusion:</b> In <i>Nanyo,</i> higher SMR for stroke may be related to high SBP and DBP and low T-CHO. As background to these results, it is also thought that regional differences in dietary habits may have an influence.

Daily Rice Intake Strongly Influences the Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in Japanese Men Aged 40-59 Years / Journal of Rural Medicine

<b>Objectives:</b> The first objective of this study was to classify men aged 40-74 yrs with metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to daily rice intake, and the second was to investigate physical measurements, physiological examinations, blood biochemical assays, intake of food other than rice and lifestyle and environmental factors in the study group. <br><b>Methods:</b> We analyzed data from 6095 men aged 40-74 yrs who had undergone full medical examinations. The men were classified into 3 age groups: (1) 40-49 yrs, (2) 50-59 yrs, and (3) 60-74 yrs. The men were classified further into 3 groups according to daily rice intake: group 1 (≤300 g), group 2 (300-450 g), and group 3 (≥450 g). The relationship between daily rice intake and the following factors was analyzed in the three age brackets: (1) physical measurements including waist circumference, (2) physiological measurements, (3) serum biochemical indices, (4) whether or not the person was taking medication for hypertension, diabetes mellitus or serum lipid abnormalities, (5) lifestyle, and (6) consumption of foods other than rice. <br><b>Results:</b> Daily rice intake was related strongly to the occurrence of MetS in all three age brackets. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed (1) a significant increase in the odds ratio for MetS (1.461 times) for group 3 compared with group 1 in men aged 40-49 yrs and (2) a significant increase in the odds ratio for MetS (1.501 times) for group 3 compared with group 1 in men aged 50-59 yrs. However, there was no significant difference in the odds ratio for MetS among rice intake groups in the 60-74 age bracket. <br><b>Conclusion:</b> In men aged 40-59 yrs, daily rice intake strongly influenced the incidence of MetS, whereas in men aged 60-74 yrs, there was no relationship between daily rice intake and MetS.