Usefulness of Vitamin D Deficiency Questionnaire for Japanese (VDDQ-J) for Screening of Vitamin D Deficiency and Low Muscle Mass in Relatively Healthy Japanese Anti-Aging Health Checkup Examinees.

The Vitamin D Deficiency Questionnaire for Japanese (VDDQ-J) has been developed as an alternative indicator of the vitamin D nutritional status when serum 25(OH)D measurement is unavailable. In the present study, we compared the usefulness of the VDDQ-J with that of serum 25(OH)D concentration and examined the relationship among vitamin D, DXA-based body composition, and muscle strength in 163 anti-aging health check examinees. The median age, 25(OH)D concentration and VDDQ-J score were 62.0 y, 20.1 ng/mL and 22.0 points, respectively. In total, 47.9% of the subjects had serum 25(OH)D concentrations of <20 ng/mL. The VDDQ-J score was significantly negatively correlated with the serum 25(OH)D concentration, and the positive predictive value for vitamin D deficiency was 86.3%. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.1%. Low 25(OH)D levels and high VDDQ-J scores were significantly associated with low muscle mass in both univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The serum 25(OH)D level showed a significant negative correlation with body fat mass. The VDDQ-J score was selected as a significant determinant of low skeletal muscle mass index (<7.0 kg/m2 for men and <5.4 kg/m2 for women) by a multiple logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, the present study showed that a low vitamin D nutritional status as indicated by both low 25(OH)D levels, and high VDDQ-J scores was associated with low muscle mass and the VDDQ-J is considered useful not only for the detection of vitamin D deficiency but also in the screening of individuals with low muscle mass and a high risk of sarcopenia.

Association of High-Density Lipoprotein Subclasses Levels with Sleep Duration and Other Lifestyles in Middle-Aged and Elderly Women: Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: We aimed at investigating the association of high-density lipoprotein subclasses (HDL2-C and HDL3-C) levels with sleep duration, in comparison to other lifestyles in middle-aged and elderly women. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 women aged older than 40 who underwent "Anti-aging Health Checkups" were enrolled in the study. The analyses were conducted for all the subjects using personal data regarding clinical characteristics and lifestyle. Sleep duration was categorized into two groups of less than or more than 6 hrs. First, an analysis was performed to assess the correlation of two major HDL subclasses with various factors. Next, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the association for each HDL2-C and HDL3-C with lifestyles such as sleep duration, daily breakfast, dinner time, habitual exercise, and drinking. Moreover, we examined the associations between HDL2-C and sleep duration combined with other lifestyle factors such as dinner time, daily breakfast, habitual exercise, and drinking. Results: In comparison to lifestyles, sleep duration had a strong association with only HDL2-C after adjustment for confounders. The "less 6 hrs sleep" group in combination with the "no exercise habit" or the "routine drinking habit" significantly decreased HDL2-C levels more than the assumed reference group. Regarding breakfast, there is a significant association between the "less than 6 hrs sleep with no daily breakfast" and the "more than 6 hrs sleep with daily breakfast." Conclusion: The results of this study may suggest that sufficient sleep might be significant for maintaining appropriate HDL2-C levels in middle-aged and elderly women under the condition that lifestyle might change during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.