Risk Assessment of Mortality in Elderly Individuals: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: There are several methods that are used to predict emergency room visits or rehospitalization for the elderly. However, existing risk assessment models of mortality in elderly people are limited. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the factors that affect all-cause mortality and to show the risk assessment model of mortality in elderly Koreans. METHODS: This was a cohort study conducted using the health checkup data of 246,422 individuals aged ≥60 years, which was provided by the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012. The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of several conditions and all-cause deaths were estimated using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. A nomogram was constructed to visualize the risk factors of mortality; a calibration plot and area under the curve (AUC) were also used to verify the nomogram. RESULTS: Being 85 years or older (100 points) had the greatest influence on all-cause mortality, followed by being underweight (57 points), having more than five chronic diseases (49 points), and ages 78-84 years (45 points); smoking and lack of regular exercise affected mortality to a similar degree. The calibration curves showed good agreement between predictions and observations. The AUC of our nomogram was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.72-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed the relationship between each condition and mortality rate among elderly individuals in Korea. Our nomogram showed a satisfactory performance in the assessment of the risk of all-cause mortality in elderly Korean people.

Obesity, abdominal obesity and subsequent risk of kidney cancer: a cohort study of 23.3 million East Asians.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists regarding associations between obesity and kidney cancer among Asians. We examined the associations between obesity measures and risk of kidney cancer. METHODS: We included 23,313,046 adults who underwent health examinations provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service 2009-2012 and performed multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. RESULTS: During 5.4 years of follow-up, 18,036 cases of kidney cancer were recorded, and cumulative incidence was 0.12%. General and abdominal obesity were associated with 1.32-fold increased risk of kidney cancer compared with groups without either obesity status. Underweight individuals showed decreased adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for kidney cancer (0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.68-0.85) compared to those with normal body mass index (BMI), while the HRs increased among individuals with BMI 23-24.9 kg/m2 (1.23, 1.18-1.28), 25-29.9 kg/m2 (1.41, 1.36-1.46) and ≥30 kg/m2 (1.77, 1.65-1.90) (P for trend < 0.001). HRs of kidney cancer increased with increasing waist circumference (WC) (P for trend < 0.001). Compared to non-obese condition, the coexistence of general and abdominal obesity increased the HR (1.45, 1.40-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated positive associations of BMI and WC with kidney cancer risk. General and abdominal obesity may be risk factors of kidney cancer.

Impact of body mass index and body weight variabilities on mortality: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There is limited information regarding the impact of body mass index (BMI) and body weight (BWt) variabilities on mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association between BMI, BWt variabilities and subsequent mortality in the Korean population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study used a representative sample cohort enrolled in the national health examination program conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Service, and 125,391 individuals were included and followed up until 2013 (mean follow-up period = 84 months). BMI and BWt variabilities were estimated as the standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of serial measurements of BMI and BWt (BMI_SD, BWt_SD, BMI_CV, and BWt_CV). Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the all-cause and cause-specific mortality according to variability indices. RESULTS: Baseline BMI showed a non-linear association with all-cause mortality. The highest quartile (Q4) groups of variability indices were associated with increased all-cause mortality risk compared to the lowest quartile (Q1) groups after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.23 [1.11-1.37] for BMI_SD; 1.25 [1.06-1.47] for BMI_CV; 1.33 [1.20-1.48] for BWt_SD; 1.42 [1.28-1.58] for BWt_CV). The hazard ratios of all-cause mortality increased from the Q2 to the Q4 groups of variability indices, in each sex group and among individuals aged ≥40 years. Furthermore, Q4 groups of variability indices were positively associated with cause-specific mortality compared to groups with Q1-Q3 of the indices (1.28 [1.05-1.56] for BWt_SD, 1.21 [1.001-1.47] for BMI_CV, 1.29 [1.06-1.56] for BWt_CV regarding cardiovascular diseases mortality; 1.18 [1.03-1.36] for BWt_SD, 1.21 [1.06-1.39] for BMI_CV, 1.26 [1.10-1.44] for BWt_CV regarding cancer mortality). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that BMI and BWt variabilities are independent risk factors for all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Efficacy and safety of fermented garlic extract on hepatic function in adults with elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Alcoholic liver disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis are well-known risk factors for liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma; it is a major global health concern, but there are few effective and safe management options. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of fermented garlic extracts (FGEs) on hepatic function in adults with mild hepatic dysfunction without underlying hepatic disease. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, seventy-five adults with elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels were included in a FGE-administered group (n = 36) or a placebo group (n = 39), and received either two sachets/day containing FGEs or placebo over a 12-week period. Primary endpoint was the change in serum GGT levels. Data were analysed using a generalized linear mixed effects model. RESULTS: Significant group × time interactions for serum levels of GGT (F = 3.98, P = 0.022) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; F = 3.28, P = 0.043) were observed with an improvement in levels of GGT (P = 0.066) and ALT (P = 0.014) in the FGE group compared to that reported for the placebo group at the 12-week visits. There was no intergroup difference in the prevalence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Intake of FGEs improved serum GGT and ALT levels in adults with mildly elevated serum GGT level without reported adverse side effects. FGEs might be effective and safe management options for mild hepatic dysfunction.

Sex differences in the association between obesity and albuminuria among Korean adults: a cross-sectional study using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and albuminuria in the general population remains unclear. We aimed to identify the association between obesity and albuminuria as well as sex differences regarding the associations using several obesity indices, including waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHR). METHODS: This study included 3841 subjects (1730 males and 2111 females; age 20-80 years) who participated in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2011. Subjects with hypertension, diabetes, renal failure, or a malignant tumor and those who were pregnant or menstruating were excluded. Albuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. Anthropometric parameters were categorized into sex-specific quartiles. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between each anthropometric parameter and albuminuria. RESULTS: All of the obesity indices of the fourth quartile group of females showed a twofold higher risk for albuminuria than the second quartile group, and it was persistently significant after adjusting for age, smoking, and physical activity. After further adjustment for high blood pressure and impaired fasting glucose and triglyceride levels, WC and BMI of the fourth quartile group of females still showed a significantly higher risk for albuminuria than the second quartile group (odds ratios 1.96 and 2.24; 95 % confidence intervals 1.03-3.74 and 1.15-4.37). None of the associations between albuminuria and the obesity indices were significant in males. CONCLUSION: Higher WC and BMI were significantly associated with the risk of albuminuria among females, but not males.

Utility of obesity indicators for metabolically healthy obesity: an observational study using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010).

BACKGROUND: Obese individuals who are not at an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease are described as having metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). We sought to identify clinically useful indicators of MHO. METHODS: Records of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010) were used to analyze 3,770 obese subjects (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2), who were divided into metabolic syndrome and MHO groups. Persons who met less than 3 of the criteria of metabolic syndrome (MS) were defined as having MHO. We estimated age-specific prevalence rates according to the number of MS criteria that were satisfied (patients meeting 0, ≤1, and ≤2 criteria of MS). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to identify the best indicators of MHO. RESULTS: The prevalence of MHO among obese patients decreased with age. When MHO was defined by the fulfillment of ≤2 criteria of MS, the areas under the curves (AUC) for waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were 0.743 and 0.747 in men and 0.712 and 0.741 in women, respectively. Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were the most accurate predictors of MHO for all investigated definitions. CONCLUSIONS: Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio provide useful indicators for diagnosing MHO, and are more accurate than body mass index, fat percentage, or weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass in the Korean population.

Hashimoto Thyroiditis and Mortality in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: The National Epidemiologic Survey of Thyroid Cancer in Korea and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGRUOUND: Many studies have shown that Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) acts as a protective factor in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), but little is known about its effects on mortality. Therefore, this study was performed to reveal the prognosis of HT on mortality in patients with DTC. METHODS: This study included two types of research. RESULTS: retrospective cohort study using the National Epidemiologic Survey of Thyroid cancer (NEST) in Korea and meta-analysis study with the NEST data and eight selected studies. RESULTS: Of the 4,398 patients with DTC in NEST, 341 patients (7.8%) died during the median follow-up period of 15 years (interquartile range, 12.3 to 15.6). Of these, 91 deaths (2.1%) were related to DTC. HT was associated with a smaller tumor size and less aggressive DTC. In Cox regression analysis after adjusting for age and sex, patients with HT showed a significantly lower risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.96) and DTC-related death (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.77). The analysis with inverse probability of treatment weight data adjusted for age, sex, and year of thyroid cancer registration showed similar association. The meta-analysis showed that patients with HT showed a lower risk of all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR], 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.47) and thyroid cancer-related mortality (RR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.40) in comparison with patients without HT. CONCLUSION: This study showed that DTC co-presenting with HT is associated with a low risk of advanced DTC and presents a low risk for all-cause and DTC-related death.

Association between body composition and the risk of mortality in the obese population in the United States.

Background: Recent studies have presented the concept of the obesity paradox, suggesting that individuals with obesity have a lower risk of death than those without obesity. This paradox may arise because body mass index (BMI) alone is insufficient to understand body composition accurately. This study investigated the relationship between fat and muscle mass and the risk of mortality in individuals with overweight/obesity. Methods: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2006 and 2011 to 2018, which were linked to mortality information obtained from the National Death Index. Multiple Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate mortality risk. Subgroup analysis was conducted using propensity score-matched (PSM) data for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results: This study included 16,555 participants who were overweight/obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2). An increase in appendicular skeletal muscle mass index was associated with a lower mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.856; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.802-0.915). This finding was consistent with the subgroup analysis of the PSM data. Contrastingly, a high fat mass index was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Sarcopenic overweight/obesity was significantly associated with high mortality compared to obesity without sarcopenia (HR: 1.612, 95%CI: 1.328-1.957). This elevated risk was significant in both age- and sex-based subgroups. This finding was consistent with the subgroup analysis using PSM data. Conclusion: In contrast to the obesity paradox, a simple increase in BMI does not protect against mortality. Instead, low body fat and high muscle mass reduce mortality risk.

A Longitudinal Retrospective Observational Study on Obesity Indicators and the Risk of Impaired Fasting Glucose in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women.

The impact of obesity could differ according to menopausal status since women undergo significant physiologic and metabolic changes due to menopause. We investigated the association between various major obesity indicators and the risk of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) according to menopausal status using nationally representative data. A total of 571,286 premenopausal and 519,561 postmenopausal women who underwent both Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) cancer screening in 2009 and health check-ups in 2017 were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of independent variables of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in 2009, on dependent variable IFG in 2017. After adjusting for potential confounders, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of developing IFG were analyzed. In the premenopausal group, the OR of obese BMI (≥25 kg/m2, <30 kg/m2) women was increased to 2.228 (95% CI: 2.139−2.321) compared to the normal BMI (≥18.5, <23 kg/m2) women as a reference. In the postmenopausal group, there was also a higher OR of 1.778 (95% CI: 1.715−1.843) in the obese BMI women compared to the normal group. A similar association of increasing ORs for IFG was shown in both groups when stratified by WC and WHtR. This nationwide study revealed that obesity and abdominal obesity, defined by various obesity indicators, consistently increased odds of acquiring IFG after 8 years in both pre- and postmenopausal groups, with the association being more robust in the premenopausal group. Our findings suggest that weight management and lifestyle modification may require more attention in premenopausal women.

Association between body shape index and risk of mortality in the United States.

The body mass index (BMI) neither differentiates fat from lean mass nor does it consider adipose tissue distribution. In contrast, the recently introduced z-score of the log-transformed A Body Shape Index (LBSIZ) can be applied to measure obesity using waist circumference (WC), height, and weight. We aimed to investigate the association between LBSIZ and mortality. We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014 and linked the primary dataset to death certificate data from the National Death Index with mortality follow-up through December 31, 2015. A multiple Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortalities with adjustment for baseline characteristics. LBSIZ, WC, and BMI showed positive association with total fat percentage (P < 0.001); however, only WC and BMI were positively associated with appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) (P < 0.001). In the multiple Cox regression analysis, only LBSIZ showed a significant HR for all-cause and CVD mortalities. Under restricted cubic spline regression, mortality risk increased with LBSIZ. However, BMI and WC showed a U-shape association. In conclusion, LBSIZ is strongly associated with all-cause and CVD mortalities. Since LBSIZ is independent of BMI, LBSIZ complements BMI to identify high-risk groups for mortality even in individuals with low or normal BMI.

Eating Alone and Cognitive Decline in Korean Older Adults: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Eating alone is a critical factor in nutritional risk screening among older adults. We investigated whether changes in eating status (eating alone or with others) in late-life affected cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: We used data from the Survey of the Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons. Nutritional risk, including eating status, was assessed using seven questions from the Nutrition Screening Initiative checklist, and cognitive function was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). On the basis of changes in eating status between baseline (2008) and the 3-year follow-up (2011), the subjects were divided into four groups: group 1 (eating with others at both visits), group 2 (eating alone in 2008 and eating with others in 2011), group 3 (eating with others in 2008 and eating alone in 2011), and group 4 (eating alone at both visits). Generalized linear models were used to compare the changes in MMSE scores over the 3-year period among the four groups. RESULTS: Among older women, group 2 had the least decline in MMSE scores (-0.55±0.46), whereas group 3 had the greatest decline (-1.76±0.37) (p=0.034). We observed no difference in the change in MMSE scores among the four eating groups in older men. CONCLUSION: Deprivation of mealtime partners in late life enhanced cognitive decline compared with gaining mealtime partners. Eating alone may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment; thus, meal programs reinforcing social integration might help preserve cognitive function.

Fall predictors beyond fall risk assessment tool items for acute hospitalized older adults: a matched case-control study.

We investigated whether clinical factors including comorbidities, medications, and laboratory results predict inpatient fall risk in older adults. The participants in this case-control study included hospitalized older adults with acute conditions who had falls during their hospital stay (case group) and 410 hospitalized older adults who did not experience falls (control group). Data on medical history, fall risk assessment (Morse Fall Scale; MFS), medications, and laboratory results were obtained. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between clinical factors and falls. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine whether clinical factors could discriminate between fallers and controls. We evaluated three models: (M1) MFS, (M2) M1 plus age, sex, ward, and polypharmacy, and (M3) M2 plus clinical factors. Patients with diabetes mellitus or MFS scores ≥ 45 had the highest risk of falls. Calcium channel blockers, diuretics, anticonvulsants, and benzodiazepines were associated with high fall risk. The AUC of the three models was 0.615, 0.646, and 0.725, respectively (M1 vs. M2, P = 0.042 and M2 vs. M3, P < .001). Examining clinical factors led to significant improvements in fall prediction beyond that of the MFS in hospitalized older adults.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Frailty in Community-Dwelling Korean Elderly Adults in Primary Care Settings.

Aging has become a global problem, and the interest in healthy aging is growing. Healthy aging involves a focus on the maintenance of the function and well-being of elderly adults, rather than a specific disease. Thus, the management of frailty, which is an accumulated decline in function, is important for healthy aging. The adaptation method was used to develop clinical practice guidelines on frailty management that are applicable in primary care settings. The guidelines were developed in three phases: preparation (organization of committees and establishment of the scope of development), literature screening and evaluation (selection of the clinical practice guidelines to be adapted and evaluation of the guidelines using the Korean Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool), and confirmation of recommendations (three rounds of Delphi consensus and internal and external reviews). A total of 16 recommendations (five recommendations for diagnosis and assessment, 11 recommendations for intervention of frailty) were made through the guideline development process. These clinical practice guidelines provide overall guidance on the identification, evaluation, intervention, and monitoring of frailty, making them applicable in primary care settings. As aging and "healthy aging" become more and more important, these guidelines are also expected to increase in clinical usefulness.

Variabilities in Weight and Waist Circumference and Risk of Myocardial Infarction, Stroke, and Mortality: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the association between variabilities in obesity measures and health outcomes is limited. We aimed to examine the association between variabilities in obesity measures and cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality. METHODS: We identified 4,244,460 individuals who underwent health examination conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Service during 2012, with ≥3 anthropometric measurements between 2009 and 2012. Variabilities in body weight (BW) and waist circumference (WC) were assessed using four indices including variability independent of the mean (VIM). We performed multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. RESULTS: During follow-up of 4.4 years, 16,095, 18,957, and 30,200 cases of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality were recorded. Compared to individuals with the lowest quartiles, incrementally higher risks of study outcomes and those of stroke and all-cause mortality were observed among individuals in higher quartiles of VIM for BW and VIM for WC, respectively. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing the highest versus lowest quartile groups of VIM for BW were 1.17 (1.12 to 1.22) for MI, 1.20 (1.16 to 1.25) for stroke, and 1.66 (1.60 to 1.71) for all-cause mortality; 1.07 (1.03 to 1.12) for stroke and 1.29 (1.25 to 1.33) for all-cause mortality regarding VIM for WC. These associations were similar with respect to the other indices for variability. CONCLUSION: This study revealed positive associations between variabilities in BW and WC and cardiovascular outcomes and allcause mortality. Our findings suggest that variabilities in obesity measures are associated with adverse health outcomes in the general population.

Severe Fear of Falling Is Associated With Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: Fear of falling (FOF) is common in older adults. We investigated whether FOF affects development of cognitive decline over a 3-year period in community-dwelling older adults with intact cognition. DESIGN: Retrospective, cohort, observational. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data for 4280 older adults with normal cognition at baseline from the Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons (2008 and 2011). METHODS: History of falls and severity of FOF (no fear, somewhat fearful, or very fearful) were assessed at baseline (2008). We evaluated cognitive function using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination in 2008 and 2011, and defined cognitive decline as a decrease of ≥3 points over the 3-year study period. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between FOF and cognitive decline. RESULTS: The prevalence of being somewhat fearful of falling was 54.6% and that of being very fearful was 9.7%. The participants who were somewhat fearful of falling had a 1.2-fold higher risk of cognitive decline; this finding lost significance in adjusted models. The participants who were very fearful of falling had a 1.45-fold higher risk of cognitive decline than those with no FOF after adjusting for confounders [odds ratio (OR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.95]. When we divided the participants according to age, sex, and baseline cognitive function, the association was significant in men (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.24-4.25), participants age >70 years (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.06-2.33), and those with a Mini-Mental State Examination score <30 (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.07-1.98). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Being very fearful of falling increased the risk of cognitive decline in older Korean adults. Physicians should be aware of the risk of development of cognitive impairment in older individuals with FOF.

Association Between Sodium Density and Grip Strength Among Older Korean Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: Handgrip strength is a key diagnostic criterion for sarcopenia, and sodium is an essential mineral for muscle contraction. We investigated the association between grip strength and sodium intake using sodium density. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 2982 older adults (aged ≥65 years) from the 2014-2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. Dietary intake was assessed by a 24 hr dietary recall, and grip strength was measured using a digital grip strength dynamometer. Based on the recommendation of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, low grip strength (dynapenia) was defined as <26 kg for men and <18 kg for women. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and to investigate the association between the quartiles of sodium per calorie (mg/1000 kcal; sodium density) and dynapenia. RESULTS: A total of 577 subjects (19.3%) had dynapenia. Subjects in the second quartile of sodium density had the lowest prevalence of dynapenia and were defined as the reference group. Among women, those in the highest quartile of sodium density showed a significantly higher risk for dynapenia (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.10-2.07). ORs in the first and third quartiles of sodium density were 1.01 (95% CI 0.74-1.38) and 1.18 (95% CI 0.89-1.58), respectively. However, there was no association between sodium density and dynapenia in men. CONCLUSION: High sodium density was associated with dynapenia in older women. A balanced diet of minerals is important to preserve muscle strength among older adults.

Clinical Features of Geriatric Syndromes in Older Koreans with Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the prevalence and clinical characteristics of geriatric syndromes among Korean older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: We used data from the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans to analyze the classic geriatric syndromes of polypharmacy, urinary incontinence, falls, cognitive impairment, and functional impairment according to the presence of DM. RESULTS: Among 10,299 participants aged 65 years or older, 2,395 had DM. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 64.1% in the DM group and 31.6% in the non-DM group (p<0.001). One or more falls per year occurred in 18.7% of participants with DM compared with 14.9% of those without DM (p<0.001). The prevalence of urinary incontinence was significantly higher in the DM group (3.8%) than in the non-DM group (2.5%) (p=0.001). The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 17.7% in the DM group versus 14.9% in the non-DM group (p=0.001). Functional impairment occurred in 32.2% of participants in the DM group compared with 26.8% of participants in the non-DM group (p<0.001). Finally, the number of geriatric syndromes was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with DM. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed a higher prevalence of geriatric syndromes among older Korean adults with DM. In addition, the coexistence of multiple geriatric syndromes was associated with CVD and CKD among patients with DM. These findings support the current guidelines for older adults with DM that recommend assessment for geriatric syndromes.

Association between Body Fat and Bone Mineral Density in Normal-Weight Middle-Aged Koreans.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and osteopenia are characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. Although the risk of fractures is higher in underweight people than in overweight people, the accumulation of body fat (especially abdominal fat) can increase the risk of bone loss. This study aimed to evaluate the association between body fat percentage and BMD in normal-weight middle-aged Koreans. METHODS: This study included 1,992 adults (mean age, 48.7 years; 52.9% women). BMD and body fat were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multiple linear regression analyses and analysis of covariance were used to assess the association between BMD and body fat. Body fat percentage was grouped by cut-off values. The cut-off values were 20.6% and 25.7% for men with a body mass index of 18.5-22.9 kg/m2 , while the cut-off values were 33.4% and 36% for women. RESULTS: Body fat percentage tended to be negatively associated with BMD. Increased body fat percentage was associated with reduced BMD in normal-weight middle-aged adults. The effects of body fat percentage on BMD in normal-weight individuals were more pronounced in men than in women. CONCLUSION: There was a negative correlation between BMD and body fat percentage in middle-aged Korean men and women with normal body weight. This association was stronger in men than in women.

Sex differences in the relationship between cognitive impairment and overweight or obesity in late life: A 3-year prospective study.

The relationship between body weight changes in late life and cognitive function is controversial.We investigated whether weight gain or loss in late life affected cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults over a 3-year period.Our study used data from the Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons and included 3859 subjects (aged ≥65 years) with normal cognition at baseline. At baseline and the 3-year follow-up, body weight and height were measured, and cognitive function was assessed using the mini-mental state examination. Based on their body mass index (BMI) at baseline and follow-up, we divided the subjects into 4 groups: weight gain (baseline BMI <23 kg/m and follow-up BMI ≥23 kg/m); weight loss (baseline BMI ≥23 kg/m and follow-up BMI <23 kg/m); stable overweight/obese (BMI ≥23 kg/m at both visits); and stable non-overweight/obese (BMI <23 kg/m at both visits). Incidence rates (IRs) of cognitive impairment per 100 persons and IR ratios (IRRs) were calculated for each group and adjusted for confounding variables.At the 3-year follow-up, 610 cases of cognitive impairment (15.8%) were identified. The stable overweight/obese group had the lowest IR (14.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 12.45-15.71) and was therefore used as the reference group when calculating IRRs for cognitive impairment. When men and women were evaluated separately, IRs between groups were significantly different only for women. The stable non-overweight/obese group (IRR 1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.22) and the weight gain group (IRR 1.93, 95% CI 1.24-3.01) had higher IRs than those in the stable overweight/obese group. As a gain or loss of adiposity, the IR of the weight gain group (IRR 1.17, 95% CI 0.74-1.84) was not different from that of the stable non-overweight/obese group. Also, the IR of weight loss group (IRR 1.09, 95% CI 0.71-1.67) was not significantly different from that of the stable overweight/obese group.We suggest that overweight or obese older women at baseline had cognitive benefits. However, additional gain or loss of adiposity in late life did not affect the risk of cognitive impairment.