Sarcopenia and decline in appendicular skeletal muscle mass are associated with hypoperfusion in key hubs of central autonomic network on 3DSRT in older adults with progression of normal cognition to Alzheimer's disease.

AIM: Although sarcopenia is common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the neural substrates involved remain unclear. We investigated the relationship between sarcopenia, as well as its definition components, and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in older adults with progression of normal cognition to AD. METHODS: 99m Tc-ethyl-cysteinate-dimer single-photon emission computed tomography was carried out in 95 older adults with progression of normal cognition to AD (40 men and 55 women, mean ± SD age 80.9 ± 6.8 years). The associations of rCBF determined by 3-D stereotactic region of interest template software, with sarcopenia and its definition components, slower gait speed, weaker grip strength, and decline in appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) were analyzed. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis adjusted by age, sex, mini-mental state examination score and education showed that sarcopenia as well as ASMI less than the cut-off (men 7.0 kg/m2 , women 5.7 kg/m2 ) were associated with significantly reduced rCBF in the key hub of the central autonomic network, including the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, subcallosal area, rectal gyrus, hypothalamus, amygdala and caudate head. Sarcopenia and ASMI decline were associated with hypoperfusion in the aforementioned cortical hubs of the central autonomic network in men, but with hypoperfusion of the hypothalamus in women. Linear regression analysis showed significant correlations of ASMI/cut-off with rCBF in the bilateral medial frontal cortex, as well as rCBF in the aforementioned key hubs. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoperfusion in key hubs of central autonomic network is implicated in the emergence of sarcopenia, probably through ASMI decline in vulnerable older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 16-24.

Examination of Endoscopic Ultrasonographic Diagnosis for the Depth of Early Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is one of the helpful tools to diagnose depth of early gastric cancer (EGC). In this study, we examined efficiencies of EUS for EGC such as overall accuracy, risk factors of over/under-staging, and accuracies of each invasive distance. METHODS: A total of 403 EGC lesions that could be investigated by EUS during pre-operation and histological diagnosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgery were enrolled in this study. For the 403 cases, we analyzed the accuracies of depth by conventional endoscopy (CE) and EUS retrospectively. We evaluated the clinical survey items of CE and EUS which will be described later to compare the differences between "accuracy group" and "over-staging group", and between "accuracy group" and "under-staging group", retrospectively. Additionally, 78 EGC lesions which were confined to the submucosa and for which it was possible to measure accurate invasive distance from the muscularis mucosae were examined for the relationship between preoperative diagnosis of depth by CE and EUS and invasive distance retrospectively. RESULTS: The overall accuracies of both CE and EUS in predicting EGC invasion depth were 87.3%. For CE staging, histological classification was the factor which influenced over-staging. Gastric regions and tumor area were the factors which influenced under-staging of CE. For EUS staging, tumor area was the factor which influenced over-staging, and gastric regions were the factors which influenced under-staging. Both CE and EUS were not sufficient for predicting the lesions confined to < 500 µm from the muscularis mucosae because the accuracies of both in predicting depth were less than 50%. However, EUS has a higher accuracy than CE for the lesions confined to 500 - 2,000 µm. CONCLUSIONS: The overall accuracies of both CE and EUS in predicting EGC invasion depth were equal, but the contributing factors for over/under-staging were different. Both CE and EUS are not sufficient at present to predict the lesions confined to < 500 µm from the muscularis mucosae. However, the accuracy of EUS in predicting them may increase if high-performance EUS systems are developed in the future.

A Case of Refractory Esophageal Ulcer Caused by Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

A 77-year-old man who underwent radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma 6 months prior consulted for esophageal obstruction. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed an esophageal ulcer caused by radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. He was treated with dietary counseling and vonoprazan. After 9 months, the ulcer improved but a moderate stenosis remained. Several factors such as high fraction size, history of chemotherapy, and stress associated with food intake might involve in the development of a radiation-associated ulcer. Opportunities to choose radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma may increase, so we hypothesize that esophageal ulcers might be a complication that should be noted associated with this therapy.

Correction to: Relationship Between Blood Pressure Levels on Admission and the Onset of Acute Pneumonia in Elderly Patients With Cerebral Hemorrhage.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.14740/jocmr4330.].

Olfactory-cognitive index distinguishes involvement of frontal lobe shrinkage, as in sarcopenia from shrinkage of medial temporal areas, and global brain, as in Kihon Checklist frailty/dependence, in older adults with progression of normal cognition to Alzheimer's disease.

AIM: Olfactory impairment as a prodromal symptom, as well as sarcopenia, frailty and dependence as geriatric syndromes, is often associated with cognitive decline in older adults with progression of Alzheimer's disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the associations of olfactory and cognitive decline with these geriatric syndromes, and with structural changes of the brain in older adults. METHODS: The participants were 135 older adults (47 men and 88 women, mean age 79.5 years), consisting of 64 with normal cognition, 23 with mild cognitive impairment and 48 with Alzheimer's disease. Olfactory function was evaluated by the Open Essence odor identification test. Shrinkage of the regional brain was determined by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis with Open Essence, Mini-Mental State Examination, age and sex as covariates showed higher olfactory-cognitive index (|coefficient for Open Essence (a) / coefficient for Mini-Mental State Examination (b)|) in participants with sarcopenia (Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia), and lower values of (|a/b|) in participants with Barthel Index dependence, Kihon Checklist frailty, Lawton Index dependence and support/care-need certification as objective variables. Logistic regression analysis adjusted by age and sex also showed significant shrinkage of the frontal lobe in participants with AWGS sarcopenia, especially in women, and shrinkage of the medial temporal areas and global brain in participants with Kihon Checklist frailty/dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Olfactory-cognitive index (|a/b|) might be a useful tool to distinguish involvement of frontal lobe shrinkage, as in sarcopenia from shrinkage of the medial temporal areas, and global brain, as in frailty/dependence, in older adults with progression of normal cognition to Alzheimer's disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.

Relationship Between Blood Pressure Levels on Admission and the Onset of Acute Pneumonia in Elderly Patients With Cerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: We have reported that hypertension on admission in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction is an independent predictor for the development of acute pneumonia. However, the relationship between blood pressure on admission owing to cerebral hemorrhage and the development of pneumonia has not been fully investigated. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between blood pressure levels on admission and the development of pneumonia in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage who were in the acute phase. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 117 elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage who were in the acute phase and were emergently admitted to the Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University between 2005 and 2015 (59 males and 58 females, the mean age ± standard deviation (SD) of 80 ± 8 years, and the range of 65 - 98 years). Blood pressure levels on admission were classified into the following four groups: normal blood pressure/mild hypertension group (systolic blood pressure of < 160 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of < 100 mm Hg), moderate hypertension group (systolic hypertension of 160 - 179 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 100 - 109 mm Hg), severe hypertension group (systolic hypertension of 180 - 199 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 110 - 119 mmHg), and serious hypertension group (systolic blood pressure of ≥ 200 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of ≥ 120 mm Hg). Between the two groups (group of patients with acute pneumonia and group of those with absence of pneumonia), age, sex, body mass index (BMI), history of stroke, history of heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, prehypertension, blood pressure on admission, Japan Coma Scale (JCS) on admission, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, bleeding sites, bleeding amount, and the presence or absence of centerline shift on brain computed tomography (CT) images were retrospectively evaluated. Furthermore, factors related to cerebral hemorrhage in the development of acute pneumonia in patients with cerebral hemorrhage were verified. RESULTS: Of the 117 patients, 30 (25.6%) had acute pneumonia. Age, sex, bleeding amount, midline shift, blood pressure classification on admission, JCS, white blood cell count, CRP, albumin, diabetes were adopted as confounding factors in the development of acute pneumonia. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed significant differences between these two groups in the following four items: CRP, white blood cell count, JCS, and blood pressure classification on admission. After adjustment of these confounding factors, the incidence of acute pneumonia in the blood pressure groups other than serious hypertension group was set as 1, and the odds ratio of pneumonia onset in serious hypertension group was revealed to be 5.54, with the 95% confidence interval of 1.49 - 20.6. CONCLUSIONS: We found that serious hypertension on admission is a risk factor for the development of acute pneumonia in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage who are in the acute phase.

Relationship Between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Endoscopic Finding "Iodine-Unstained Streak".

BACKGROUND: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with iodine stain is a useful and diffused method for diagnosing esophageal cancer. We can perform the procedure easily with endoscopic system which does not comprise image-enhanced endoscopy. Several studies advocated that iodine-unstained streaks are a characteristic finding of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, there are only a few reports about the subject. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of iodine chromoendoscopy for GERD consultation. METHODS: The study was conducted with 154 GERD cases in which EGD with iodine stain to the esophagus was performed. For the 154 cases, we analyzed the existence of reflux esophagitis finding and iodine-unstained streaks. In 47 GERD cases (proton pump inhibitor (PPI): 45 cases, histamine H2-receptor antagonist (H2-RA): two cases) where medication was started after EGD, we examined predictive factors of the symptom improvement such as sex, age, weight, reflux esophagitis finding, and iodine-unstained streak. RESULTS: An iodine-unstained streak was observed in 50/154 cases (32.5%). For 50 cases with iodine-unstained streak, there were only 24/50 cases (48.0%) that had both reflux esophagitis findings (≥ Los Angeles classification: grade M) and an iodine-unstained streak. For 47 cases in which medication was started, 34 cases showed improvement in their symptoms, and 13 cases did not show improvement. An iodine-unstained streak was observed more often in "Improved" group rather than in "Not improved" group (P < 0.01). When we supposed an iodine-unstained streak to be the predictive factor of the medication effect for GERD, sensitivity was 61.8% and specificity was 84.6%. CONCLUSIONS: No erosion was often found in the GERD cases without reflux esophagitis, and iodine-unstained streak was observed more often in "Improved" group rather than in "Not improved" group. We think that iodine-unstained streak can be useful for diagnosing of GERD and predictive factor of the medication effect.

Clusters of COVID-19 in long-term care hospitals and facilities in Japan from 16 January to 9 May 2020.

AIM: To clarify the association of cluster number and size of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in long-term care (LTC) hospitals/facilities, general medical/welfare facilities and non-medical/welfare facilities with morbidity and mortality in 47 prefectures during 16 January to 9 May 2020 in Japan. METHODS: Information on COVID-19 clusters (n ≥2), and morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 was collected. RESULTS: A total of 381 clusters with 3786 infected cases were collected, accounting for 23.9% of 15 852 cumulated cases on 9 May 2020. Although the cluster number (/107 subjects) in LTC hospitals/facilities was significantly smaller compared with those in the other two groups, the cluster size in LTC hospitals/facilities was significantly larger than that in non-medical/welfare facilities. Cluster numbers in general medical/welfare facilities and in non-medical/welfare facilities were significantly positively correlated with morbidity (/105 ), indicating relatively early identification of clusters in these facilities. Unlike in these facilities, cluster size in LTC hospitals/facilities was significantly positively correlated with morbidity, indicating that clusters in LTC hospitals/facilities were finally identified after already having grown to a large size in areas where infection was prevalent. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both cluster number and cluster size only in LTC hospitals/facilities were independently associated with higher mortality (≥median 0.64/105 subjects) after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive efforts against COVID-19 outbreaks even at the early phase of the epidemic are critically important in LTC hospitals/facilities, as both the larger number and size of clusters only in LTC hospitals/facilities were independently linked to higher mortality in prefectures in Japan. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 715-719.

Non-participation in health checkup and Kihon Checklist predicts loss of certification-free survival in community-dwelling older adults.

AIM: Despite efforts toward health promotion and preventive care for older adults, including health checkups and postal Kihon Checklist survey, one fifth of community-dwelling older adults do not participate in them. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between this non-participation and the end of certification-free survival in older adults. METHODS: In a cohort of 4120 older adults with no prior history of Long-Term Care Insurance certification, the associations of non-participation with risk of later death without certification and support/care-need certification for 72 months were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Of them, 4022 (mean age 72.7 years, 54.7% women) were followed up (97.6%). At baseline, 1072 received health checkups, 2085 replied to the Kihon Checklist alone and 865 did not participate. During 72 months, 310 deaths without certification and 701 certifications occurred. After adjustment, non-participating individuals had significantly higher hazard ratios for death up to 72 months and for certification up to 36 months, compared with the other two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed associations of increasing incidence of certification due to stroke in pre-old (aged 65-74 years) men for 72 months, and due to arthralgia/fracture and dementia in old (aged ≥75 years) women for 24 months, with non-participation in health promotions. Certified non-participating individuals incurred higher estimated Long-Term Care Insurance expenditure per person for 72 months, especially in pre-old men and old women. CONCLUSIONS: Health promotion by health checkup and even Kihon Checklist survey increases certification-free survival in older residents, and decreases Long-Term Care Insurance expenditure. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1206-1214.