Is there an obesity paradox in the Japanese elderly population? A community-based cohort study of 13 280 men and women.

Aim: Despite increased interest in an obesity paradox (i.e. a survival advantage of being obese), evidence remains sparse in Japanese populations.

Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and the risk of death from hemorrhagic stroke and lung cancer in Shizuoka, Japan.

A number of studies have linked exposure to long-term outdoor air pollution with cardiopulmonary disease; however, the evidence for stroke is limited. Furthermore, evidence with the risk for lung cancer (LC) is still inconsistent. We, therefore, evaluated the association between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and cause-specific mortality.

Does habitual physical activity prevent insomnia? A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of elderly Japanese.

Few epidemiological studies have examined the potential protective effects of physical activity on insomnia. The authors thus evaluated the association between physical activity and insomnia in a large population-based study in Shizuoka, Japan. Individual data were obtained from participants in an ongoing cohort study.

[Relationship between cognitive function and physical activities: a longitudinal study among community-dwelling elderly].

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether physical activities reduce the risk of cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly. We investigated correlations between cognitive functions at baseline and physical activities, correlations between cognitive functions at baseline and cognitive decline over 4 years, as well as correlations between physical activity at baseline and cognitive decline over 4 years.

Methods: At baseline, 2,431 community-dwelling elderly completed the cognitive screening by telephone (TICS-J), and answered the questionnaires about physical activities.

[Relationship between quality of life and chronic illnesses in community-dwelling elderly people].

Aim: Chronic illnesses are common among elderly people, and may considerably affect to their quality of life (QOL). We investigated the impact of chronic conditions on QOL among community-dwelling elderly people, and the stability of QOL over time.

Methods: A total of 2,762 community-dwelling elderly persons (men: 47.

Physical activity and mortality risk in the Japanese elderly: a cohort study.

Background: Physical activity recommendations for older adults with poor health needs to be understood.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the association between the frequency of physical activity and mortality among a sample of elderly subjects, most of whom were under treatment for pre-existing disease.

Methods: Data on the frequency of leisure-time physical activity, walking for transportation, and non-exercise physical activity were obtained from a population-based cohort study in Shizuoka, Japan.

Beneficial effect of physical activity on blood pressure and blood glucose among Japanese male workers.

Aims: To examine the appropriate type and frequency of physical activity for the beneficial effect on hypertension and hyperglycemia.

Methods: The incidence of hypertension and hyperglycemia was assessed using the results of annual physical checkups over 4 years for 5843 male employees aged 18-57 years old. Associations of different types of physical activity with the incidence of these two risk factors were examined with Cox proportional-hazard models.

Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and mortality in Shizuoka, Japan.

Objectives: The number of studies investigating the health effects of long-term exposure to air pollution is increasing, however, most studies have been conducted in Western countries. The health status of Asian populations may be different to that of Western populations and may, therefore, respond differently to air pollution exposure. Therefore, we evaluated the health effects of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution in Shizuoka, Japan.

Green tea consumption and mortality among Japanese elderly people: the prospective Shizuoka elderly cohort.

Purpose: To investigate the association between green tea consumption and mortality from all causes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among elderly people.

Methods: In a population-based, prospective cohort study, a total of 14,001 elderly residents (aged 65-84 years), randomly chosen from all 74 municipalities in Shizuoka, Japan, completed questionnaires that included items about frequency of green tea consumption. They were followed for up to 6 years, from December 1999 to March 2006.

Sleep duration, sleep quality and cardiovascular disease mortality among the elderly: a population-based cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the associations between sleep duration and mortality in the elderly by controlling for sleep quality.

Method: Data were collected from participants in a cohort study in Shizuoka, Japan. A total of 14,001 elderly residents (aged 65-85 years), randomly chosen from all 74 municipalities in the prefecture, completed questionnaires that evaluated sleep duration, sleep complaints, and the use of hypnotics.

[Relationship between Quality of Life (QOL) and cognitive function among community-dwelling elderly].

Aim: It has become important for elderly to live better rather than to live longer. There have been many reports about quality of life (QOL) of the elderly, but we have no knowledge about the relation between the QOL and the cognitive function. We investigated the relationship between the QOL and the cognitive function among community-dwelling elderly.

[Cognitive function screening of community-dwelling elderly by Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J)].

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J) is accepted among community-dwelling elderly, to examine the correlations among gender, age or the duration of education and the TICS-J, as well as to grasp the subjects with probable cognitive impairment.

Methods: A total of 12,059 community-dwelling elderly were invited to join the cognitive screening by the TICS-J, among which 3,482 responded, of these we were actually able to measure 2,620 and found out the educational back ground of the 2,431. They counted 1,186 men (age 72.

Screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage on admission to a geriatric hospital.

Our objective is to identify risk factors for carriage of MRSA on admission to a geriatric hospital where MRSA is endemic. A prospective screening for MRSA carriage was conducted by swabbing anterior nares and anal skin for 6 weeks. One hundred and thirty-eight patients aged over 65 were enrolled after obtaining their informed consent.

[Exercise therapy for patients with mild hypertension].

We reviewed exercise therapy of mild hypertension, a way of thinking for exercise therapy, and exercise prescription. Hypotensive effect of mild to moderate aerobic exercise was evident. Our previous report revealed that more than 60 minutes exercise a week was sufficient to decrease blood pressure.

Postural stability and physical performance in social dancers.

This cross-sectional study examined the benefits of social dancing on postural stability and physical performance in dancers aged 50 years or more. Walking speed, lower limb reaction time and low back flexibility were measured in 202 social dancers and 202 community-dwelling comparison subjects aged 50-87 years. The results showed that dancers who were older than 60 years had better postural stability and faster leg reaction times, whilst dancers aged 50-59 showed only better flexibility, when compared with the controls.

Platelet-derived growth factor-BB amplifies PGF2alpha-stimulated VEGF synthesis in osteoblasts: function of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

We have reported that prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) stimulates the synthesis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In addition, we recently showed that phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase activated by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) negatively regulates the interleukin-6 synthesis in these cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of PDGF-BB on the PGF2alpha-induced VEGF synthesis in MC3T3-E1 cells.

Validation of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in Japanese.

Background: In recent years, the population of elderly people in Japan with dementia has increased. Detection of cognitive impairment in the early stages is important for adequate treatment, care, and prevention.

Aim: To investigate whether the reliability and validity of the instrument would carry over to a different population and language before using it for population-based epidemiological studies.

[Development of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in Japanese].

In recent years, population of elder people has increased in Japan, following augmentation of the number of people with dementia in Japan. Then it is important to detect cognitive impairment in early stage for adequate treatment, care and prevention. We studied 135 subjects, 49 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 86 healthy controls using Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), and developing Japanese version of the TICS (TICS-J).

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate suppresses endothelin-1-induced interleukin-6 synthesis in osteoblasts: inhibition of p44/p42 MAP kinase activation.

We previously showed that endothelin-1 (ET-1) stimulates the synthesis of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a potent bone resorptive agent, in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells, and that protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase plays a part in the IL-6 synthesis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the major flavonoids containing in green tea, on ET-1-induced IL-6 synthesis in osteoblasts and the underlying mechanism. EGCG significantly reduced the synthesis of IL-6 stimulated by ET-1 in MC3T3-E1 cells as well primary cultured mouse osteoblasts.

[Development of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) in Japanese].

In recent years, population of elder people has increased in Japan, following augmentation of the number of people with dementia in Japan. Then it is important to detect cognitive impairment in early stage for adequate treatment, care and prevention. We studied 135 subjects, 49 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 86 healthy controls using Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), and developing Japanese version of the TICS (TICS-J).

Negative regulation by p70 S6 kinase of FGF-2-stimulated VEGF release through stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase in osteoblasts.

Unlabelled: To clarify the mechanism of VEGF release in osteoblasts, we studied whether p70 S6 kinase is involved in basic FGF-2-stimulated VEGF release in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In this study, we show that p70 S6 kinase activated by FGF-2 negatively regulates VEGF release through SAPK/JNK in osteoblasts.

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in bone metabolism.

(--)-epigallocatechin gallate enhances prostaglandin F2alpha-induced VEGF synthesis via upregulating SAPK/JNK activation in osteoblasts.

Catechin, one of the major flavonoids presented in plants such as tea, reportedly suppresses bone resorption. We previously reported that prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) stimulates the synthesis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. To clarify the mechanism of catechin effect on osteoblasts, we investigated the effect of (--)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the major green tea flavonoids, on the VEGF synthesis by PGF(2alpha) in MC3T3-E1 cells.

Up-regulation by zinc of FGF-2-induced VEGF release through enhancing p44/p42 MAP kinase activation in osteoblasts.

We previously reported that basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) activates stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase resulting in the stimulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether zinc affects the VEGF release by FGF-2 in MC3T3-E1 cells. The FGF-2-induced VEGF release was significantly enhanced by ZnSO(4) but not Na(2)SO(4).