Association of taurine intake with changes in physical fitness among community-dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese adults: an 8-year longitudinal study.

Introduction: Taurine has diverse valuable biological functions, including antioxidant activity and regulation of osmotic pressure. Maintaining physical fitness from middle age is important for healthy life expectancy. Although taurine administration improves muscle endurance and strength, its role in maintenance remains unclear.

Age-Related Changes in Physical Fitness Among Community-Living Middle-Aged and Older Japanese: A 12-Year Longitudinal Study.

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. : 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.

Effectiveness of a home hazard modification program for reducing falls in urban community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To evaluate the potential improvement of fall prevention awareness and home modification behaviors and to decrease indoor falls by applying a home hazard modification program (HHMP) in community-dwelling older adults followed up to 1 year in this randomized controlled trial.

Methods: The present authors randomly assigned 130 older adults living in the Tokyo metropolitan region to either the HHMP intervention group (n = 67) or the control group (n = 63). Both groups received four, 2 h fall prevention multifactorial programs including education regarding fall risk factors, food and nutrition, foot self-care, and exercise sessions.

Mobility limitation as a predictor of inpatient care in the last year of life among community-living older people.

Background And Aims: Need for inpatient care increases toward the end of life. We studied whether mobility limitation assessed approximately 5.8 years prior to death predicts the number of days in care during the last year of life.

Relationship between low free testosterone levels and loss of muscle mass.

We assessed longitudinal relationships between baseline testosterone and muscle mass changes in Japanese men. Data were collected from community-dwelling 957 adult men who participated in a longitudinal study of ageing biennially from 1997-2010. Appendicular muscle mass (AMM) was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and follow-up examinations.

Relationship between physical activity and brain atrophy progression.

Introduction: Brain atrophy is associated with impairment in cognitive function and learning function. The aim of this study was to determine whether daily physical activity prevents age-related brain atrophy progression.

Methods: The participants were 381 men and 393 women who had participated in both the baseline and the follow-up surveys (mean duration = 8.

Spatiotemporal components of the 3-D gait analysis of community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly Japanese: age- and sex-related differences.

Aim: To describe age- and sex-related differences in gait patterns of community-living men and women using 3-D gait analysis.

Methods: Subjects (n=2006) aged 40-84 years participated in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA). Spatiotemporal components, including velocity, step length, step frequency, and double support time during a gait cycle, were calculated from 3-D coordinates and vertical force data.

Social support as a moderator in a fall prevention program for older adults.

This study examined the moderating effects of social support in a fall prevention program for community-dwelling older adults. Twenty-six Japanese older adults age 65 and older participated in a 2-month exercise program and were measured in anthropometrical, physical, and psychological functioning at baseline, 2 months (intervention termination), and 5 months (3 months after intervention termination). Analyses indicated that the program did not improve participants' body mass index, balance, or walking speed.

Age differences in the effect of physical activity on depressive symptoms.

This study examined associations between physical activity and depressive symptoms in 1,151 community-dwelling adults in Japan. Physical activity was measured using a pedometer, whereas depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. A structural equation modeling with a cross-lagged panel design revealed that for the older adults (65-79 years of age), daily walking at baseline predicted fewer depressive symptoms at the 2-year follow-up, even after adjusting for confounders.

[Epidemiology of falls among community-dwelling elderly people].

The purpose of the present study was to report the prevalence and circumstances of falls among community-dwelling elderly people in order to contribute to prevention of falls in the community. The subjects were 2,774 elderly people who participated in health examinations conducted by Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture in 2002. The variables investigated in the present study were demography and history of falls in the past one-year.