The spectrum of Ih ice using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.

Here, we report the frequency-dependent spectrum of ice Ih in the range of 0.2-2 THz. We confirm the presence of a feature that blue-shifts from around 1.55-1.65 THz with a decreasing temperature from 260 to 160 K. There is also a change in the trend of the refractive index of ice corresponding to a dispersion, which is also around 1.6 THz. The features are reproduced in data acquired with three commercial terahertz time-domain spectrometers. Computer-simulated spectra assign the feature to lattice translations perpendicular to the 110 and 1̄10 planes of the ice Ih crystal. The feature's existence should be recognized in the terahertz measurements of frozen aqueous solution samples to avoid false interpretations.

Non-Contact, Non-Destructive Testing in Various Industrial Sectors with Terahertz Technology.

In this article, we survey various non-contact, non-destructive testing methods by way of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging designed for use in various industrial sectors. A brief overview of the working principles of THz spectroscopy and imaging is provided, followed by a survey of selected applications from three industries-the building and construction industry, the energy and power industry, and the manufacturing industry. Material characterization, thickness measurement, and defect/corrosion assessment are demonstrated through the examples presented. The article concludes with a discussion of novel spectroscopy and imaging devices and techniques that are expected to accelerate industry adoption of THz systems.

Gut microbiota composition correlates with diet and health in the elderly.

Alterations in intestinal microbiota composition are associated with several chronic conditions, including obesity and inflammatory diseases. The microbiota of older people displays greater inter-individual variation than that of younger adults. Here we show that the faecal microbiota composition from 178 elderly subjects formed groups, correlating with residence location in the community, day-hospital, rehabilitation or in long-term residential care. However, clustering of subjects by diet separated them by the same residence location and microbiota groupings. The separation of microbiota composition significantly correlated with measures of frailty, co-morbidity, nutritional status, markers of inflammation and with metabolites in faecal water. The individual microbiota of people in long-stay care was significantly less diverse than that of community dwellers. Loss of community-associated microbiota correlated with increased frailty. Collectively, the data support a relationship between diet, microbiota and health status, and indicate a role for diet-driven microbiota alterations in varying rates of health decline upon ageing.

Physician and practice characteristics associated with immunoglobulin test ordering.

Background: Primary care test requests for serum immunoglobulins are rising rapidly, with concerns that many requests may be unnecessary. Evidence suggests some characteristics of general practitioners (GPs) and practices are associated with higher test ordering. Objective: To identify the physician and practice characteristics associated with immunoglobulin test ordering. Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional study using routine laboratory data on primary care serum immunoglobulin requests. Data were linked with GP patient list size data. The primary outcome measure was the count of test requests per GP. Predictor variables were physician gender, years experience, practice region and type (number of GPs), GP patient list size and composition. Mixed-effects multilevel regression models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between physician and practice characteristics and GP requesting. Sensitivity analysis was performed by limiting the model to the more than 70 years age category. Results: In total, 5990 immunoglobulin tests were ordered by 481 GPs in the South of Ireland during 2013. The number of tests ordered by individual GPs varied from one to 377. In the final fully adjusted Poisson regression analysis, female gender (IRR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.45-2.26) and less experience (IRR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.47-3.51) were associated with higher requesting (P < 0.001). None of the practice factors were associated with test ordering. Sensitivity analysis on the 70 years or more age category found similar results. Conclusion: Further research is required to explore the potential reasons for higher requesting among GPs with fewer years of experience and also among female GPs.

Case fatality ratios for serious emergency conditions in the Republic of Ireland: a longitudinal investigation of trends over the period 2002-2014 using joinpoint analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the Republic of Ireland has undertaken significant reconfiguration programmes to improve emergency services. During this time the public healthcare system experienced a large real decrease in resources. This study assesses national and regional population outcomes over the period 2002-2014, and whether changes coincide with system reconfiguration and the financial restrictions imposed by the 2008 recession. METHODS: Case fatality ratios (CFRs) were constructed for emergency conditions for 2002-2014. Total emergency conditions and individual condition trends were analysed nationally using joinpoint analysis. National results informed the investigation of trends at a regional and county level using an inverse standard error weighted generalised linear model with a log link to construct funnel plots. County-level CFRs were compared for the first and last 3 years of the period to further investigate the changes to county results over the 13 year period, specifically in comparison to the national-level CFR. RESULTS: Nationally, there was an annual fall in CFRs (2.1%). The decline was faster from 2002 to 2007 (annual percentage change = - 3.4; 95% CI-4.4, - 2.4), compared to 2007-2014 (annual percentage change = - 1.2; 95% CI -1.9, - 0.5). The South-East had a lower rate of decrease and the West had a higher rate. Cross sectional analysis of two periods (2002-2004 and 2012-2014) showed high consistency in the counties performance relative to the national CFR in both periods. CONCLUSION: Change in the national trend coincided with the onset of economic stress on the public health system. Attributing the decline in CFR improvement to economic factors is weakened by the uneven nature of the trend change. No distinct pattern of change was identified among regions which underwent substantial reconfiguration of emergency services.

Exploring diurnal variation using piecewise linear splines: an example using blood pressure.

BACKGROUND: There are many examples of physiological processes that follow a circadian cycle and researchers are interested in alternative methods to illustrate and quantify this diurnal variation. Circadian blood pressure (BP) deserves additional attention given uncertainty relating to the prognostic significance of BP variability in relation to cardiovascular disease. However, the majority of studies exploring variability in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) collapse the data into single readings ignoring the temporal nature of the data. Advanced statistical techniques are required to explore complete variation over 24 h. METHODS: We use piecewise linear splines in a mixed-effects model with a constraint to ensure periodicity as a novel application for modelling daily blood pressure. Data from the Mitchelstown Study, a cross-sectional study of Irish adults aged 47-73 years (n = 2047) was utilized. A subsample (1207) underwent 24-h ABPM. We compared patterns between those with and without evidence of subclinical target organ damage (microalbuminuria). RESULTS: We were able to quantify the steepest rise and fall in SBP, which occurred just after waking (2.23 mmHg/30 min) and immediately after falling asleep (-1.93 mmHg/30 min) respectively. The variation about an individual's trajectory over 24 h was 12.3 mmHg (standard deviation). On average those with microalbuminuria were found to have significantly higher SBP (7.6 mmHg, 95% CI 5.0-10.1) after adjustment for age, sex and BMI. Including an interaction term between each linear spline and microalbuminuria did not improve model fit. CONCLUSION: We have introduced a practical method for the analysis of ABPM where we can determine the rate of increase or decrease for different periods of the day. This may be particularly useful in examining chronotherapy effects of antihypertensive medication. It offers new measures of short-term BP variability as we can quantify the variation about an individual's trajectory but also allows examination of the variation in slopes between individuals (random-effects).

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and the Risk of Overweight and Obesity in School-Aged Children.

PURPOSE: Globally, public health policies are targeting modifiable lifestyle behaviors. We explore the independent association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior on the risk of childhood overweight/obesity. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of children aged 8-11 years (N = 826). Objective body mass index was used to classify children as normal weight or overweight/obese. Children wore wrist-worn Geneactiv accelerometers for 7-days and thresholds were applied to categorize MVPA and sedentary time. Screen time (ST) was parent reported. Poisson regression examined the independent association of (1) MVPA (2), objective sedentary time and (3) ST on the risk of overweight/obesity. RESULTS: Overall, 23.7% (95% CI, 20.8-26.6%) of children were overweight/obese. On average, children spent 10.8% of waking time at MVPA and 61.3% sedentary. One-fifth (22.1%, 95% CI, 19.3-25.0%) of children achieved MVPA recommendations (≥ 60 min each day) and 17.5% (95% CI, 14.9-20.1%) met ST recommendations (<2 hr per day). Time spent at MVPA was inversely associated with the risk of overweight/obese independent of total sedentary time. Total time spent sedentary was not associated with overweight/obese independent of MVPA. ST was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obese independent of physical activity. CONCLUSION: Few schoolchildren met physical activity and screen time recommendations suggesting population based measures are needed.

The effect of complex workplace dietary interventions on employees' dietary intakes, nutrition knowledge and health status: a cluster controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on effective workplace dietary interventions is limited. The comparative effectiveness of a workplace environmental dietary modification and an educational intervention both alone and in combination was assessed versus a control workplace on employees' dietary intakes, nutrition knowledge and health status. METHODS: In the Food Choice at Work cluster controlled trial, four large, purposively selected manufacturing workplaces in Ireland were allocated to control (N=111), nutrition education (Education) (N=226), environmental dietary modification (Environment) (N=113) and nutrition education and environmental dietary modification (Combined) (N=400) in 2013. Nutrition education included group presentations, individual consultations and detailed nutrition information. Environmental dietary modification included menu modification, fruit price discounts, strategic positioning of healthier alternatives and portion size control. Data on dietary intakes, nutrition knowledge and health status were obtained at baseline and follow-up at 7-9months. Multivariate analysis of covariance compared changes across the four groups with adjustment for age, gender, educational status and other baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Follow-up data at 7-9months were obtained for 541 employees (64% of 850 recruited) aged 18-64years: control: 70 (63%), Education: 113 (50%), ENVIRONMENT: 74 (65%) and Combined: 284 (71%). There were significant positive changes in intakes of saturated fat (p=0.013), salt (p=0.010) and nutrition knowledge (p=0.034) between baseline and follow-up in the combined intervention versus the control. Small but significant changes in BMI (-1.2kg/m(2) (95% CI -2.385, -0.018, p=0.047) were observed in the combined intervention. Effects in the education and environment alone workplaces were smaller and generally non-significant. CONCLUSION: Combining nutrition education and environmental dietary modification may be an effective approach for promoting a healthy diet and weight loss at work.

A study protocol of a randomised controlled trial to measure the effects of an augmented prescribed exercise programme (APEP) for frail older medical patients in the acute setting.

BACKGROUND: Older adults experience functional decline in hospital leading to increased healthcare burden and morbidity. The benefits of augmented exercise in hospital remain uncertain. The aim of this trial is to measure the short and longer-term effects of augmented exercise for older medical in-patients on their physical performance, quality of life and health care utilisation. DESIGN & METHODS: Two hundred and twenty older medical patients will be blindly randomly allocated to the intervention or sham groups. Both groups will receive usual care (including routine physiotherapy care) augmented by two daily exercise sessions. The sham group will receive stretching and relaxation exercises while the intervention group will receive tailored strengthening and balance exercises. Differences between groups will be measured at baseline, discharge, and three months. The primary outcome measure will be length of stay. The secondary outcome measures will be healthcare utilisation, activity (accelerometry), physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery), falls history in hospital and quality of life (EQ-5D-5 L). DISCUSSION: This simple intervention has the potential to transform the outcomes of the older patient in the acute setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02463864 , registered 26.05.2015.

Epidemiology of diabetes and complications among adults in the Republic of Ireland 1998-2015: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accurate estimates of the burden of diabetes are essential for future planning and evaluation of services. In Ireland, there is no diabetes register and prevalence estimates vary. The aim of this review was to systematically identify and review studies reporting the prevalence of diabetes and complications among adults in Ireland between 1998 and 2015 and to examine trends in prevalence over time. METHODS: A systematic literature search was carried out using PubMed and Embase. Diabetes prevalence estimates were pooled by random-effects meta-analysis. Poisson regression was carried out using data from four nationally representative studies to calculate prevalence rates of doctor diagnosed diabetes between 1998 and 2015 and was also used to assess whether the rate of doctor diagnosed diabetes changed over time. RESULTS: Fifteen studies (eight diabetes prevalence and seven complication prevalence) were eligible for inclusion. In adults aged 18 years and over, the national prevalence of doctor diagnosed diabetes significantly increased from 2.2 % in 1998 to 5.2 % in 2015 (p trend ≤ 0.001). The prevalence of diabetes complications ranged widely depending on study population and methodology used (6.5-25.2 % retinopathy; 3.2-32.0 % neuropathy; 2.5-5.2 % nephropathy). CONCLUSIONS: Between 1998 and 2015, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of doctor diagnosed diabetes among adults in Ireland. Trends in microvascular and macrovascular complications prevalence could not be examined due to heterogeneity between studies and the limited availability of data. Reliable baseline data are needed to monitor improvements in care over time at a national level. A comprehensive national diabetes register is urgently needed in Ireland.

A person-centred analysis of the time-use, daily activities and health-related quality of life of Irish school-going late adolescents.

PURPOSE: The health, well-being and quality of life of the world's 1.2 billion adolescents are global priorities. A focus on their patterns or profiles of time-use and how these relate to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may help to enhance their well-being and address the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in adulthood. This study sought to establish whether distinct profiles of adolescent 24-h time-use exist and to examine the relationship of any identified profiles to self-reported HRQoL. METHOD: This cross-sectional study gathered data from a random sample of 731 adolescents (response rate 52%) from 28 schools (response rate 76%) across Cork city and county. A person-centred approach, latent profile analysis, was used to examine adolescent 24-h time-use and relate the identified profiles to HRQoL. RESULTS: Three male profiles emerged, namely productive, high leisure and all-rounder. Two female profiles, higher study/lower leisure and moderate study/higher leisure, were identified. The quantitative and qualitative differences in male and female profiles support the gendered nature of adolescent time-use. No unifying trends emerged in the analysis of probable responses in the HRQoL domains across profiles. Females in the moderate study/higher leisure group were twice as likely to have above-average global HRQoL. CONCLUSION: Distinct time-use profiles can be identified amongst adolescents, but their relationship with HRQoL is complex. Rich mixed-method research is required to illuminate our understanding of how quantities and qualities of time-use shape lifestyle patterns and how these can enhance the HRQoL of adolescents in the twenty-first century.

Psychosocial complexity in multimorbidity: the legacy of adverse childhood experiences.

BACKGROUND: To effectively meet the health care needs of multimorbid patients, the most important psychosocial factors associated with multimorbidity must be discerned. Our aim was to examine the association between self-reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and multimorbidity and the contribution of other social, behavioural and psychological factors to this relationship. METHODS: We analysed cross-sectional data from the Mitchelstown study, a population-based cohort recruited from a large primary care centre. ACE was measured by self-report using the Centre for Disease Control ACE questionnaire. Multimorbidity status was categorized as 0, 1 or ≥2 chronic diseases, which were ascertained by self-report of doctor diagnosis. Ordinal logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for multimorbidity, using ACE as the independent variable with adjustment for social (education, public health cover), behavioural (smoking, exercise, diet, body mass index) and psychological factors (anxiety/depression scores). RESULTS: Of 2047 participants, 45.3% (n = 927, 95% CI: 43.1-47.4) reported multimorbidity. ACE was reported by 28.4% (n = 248, 95% CI: 25.3-31.3%) of multimorbid participants, 21% (n = 113, 95% CI: 18.0-25.1%) of single chronic disease participants and 16% (n = 83, 95% CI: 13.2-19.7%) of those without chronic disease. The OR for multimorbidity with any history of ACE was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.4-2.0, P < 0.001). Adjusting for social, behavioural and psychological factors only marginally ameliorated this association, OR 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1-1.7, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Multimorbidity is independently associated with a history of ACEs. These findings demonstrate the psychosocial complexity associated with multimorbidity and should be used to inform health care provision in this patient cohort.

The use of a dietary quality score as a predictor of childhood overweight and obesity.

BACKGROUND: The use of dietary quality scores/indices to describe diet quality in children has increased in the past decade. However, to date, few studies have focused on the use of these scores on disease outcomes such as childhood obesity and most are developed from detailed dietary assessments. Therefore, the aims of this study were: firstly to construct a diet quality score (DQS) from a brief dietary assessment tool; secondly to examine the association between diet quality and childhood overweight or obesity; thirdly we also aim to examine the associations between individual DQS components and childhood overweight or obesity. METHODS: A secondary analysis of cross sectional data of a sample of 8,568 9-year-old children and their families as part of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study. Subjects were drawn from a probability proportionate to size sampling of primary schools throughout Ireland over the school year 2007-2008. Height and weight were measured by trained researchers using standardised methods and BMI was classified using the International Obesity Taskforce cut-points. The DQS (un-weighted) was developed using a 20-item, parent reported, food frequency questionnaire of foods consumed over the past 24 h. Adjusted odds ratios for overweight and obesity were examined by DQS quintile, using the first quintile (highest diet quality) as the reference category. RESULTS: The prevalence of normal weight, overweight and obese was 75, 19 and 6% respectively. DQS ranged from -5 to 25, higher scores indicated higher diet quality in the continuous score. In analyses adjusted for gender, parent's education, physical activity and T.V. viewing, child obesity but not overweight was significantly associated with poor diet quality: OR of 1.56 (95% CI 1.02 2.38) in the 5th compared to the 1st DQS quintile. Findings from individual food items were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that diet quality may be an important factor in childhood obesity. A simple DQS developed from a short dietary assessment tool is significantly associated with childhood obesity.

Capturing changes in dietary patterns among older adults: a latent class analysis of an ageing Irish cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Data-driven approaches to dietary patterns are under-utilized; latent class analyses (LCA) are particularly rare. The present study used an LCA to identify subgroups of people with similar dietary patterns, explore changes in dietary patterns over a 10-year period and relate these dynamics to sociodemographic factors and health outcomes. DESIGN: The 1998 baseline and 2008 follow-up of the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study. Diets were assessed with a standard FFQ. LCA, under the assumption of conditional independence, was used to identify mutually exclusive subgroups with different dietary patterns, based on food group consumption. SETTING: Republic of Ireland. SUBJECTS: Men and women aged 50-69 years at baseline (n 923) and at 10-year follow-up (n 320). RESULTS: Three dietary classes emerged: Western, Healthy and Low-Energy. Significant differences in demographic, lifestyle and health outcomes were associated with class membership. Between baseline and follow-up most people remained 'stable' in their dietary class. Most of those who changed class moved to the Healthy class. Higher education was associated with transition to a healthy diet; lower education was associated with stability in an unhealthy pattern. Transition to a healthy diet was associated with higher CVD risk factors at baseline: respondents were significantly more likely to be smokers, centrally obese and to have hypertension (non-significant). CONCLUSIONS: LCA is useful for exploring dietary patterns transitions. Understanding the predictors of longitudinal stability/transitions in dietary patterns will help target public health initiatives by identifying subgroups most/least likely to change and most/least likely to sustain a change.

Chronic disease burden associated with overweight and obesity in Ireland: the effects of a small BMI reduction at population level.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity prevalence has risen dramatically in recent decades. While it is known that overweight and obesity is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases, the cumulative burden of chronic disease in the population associated with overweight and obesity is not well quantified. The aims of this paper were to examine the associations between BMI and chronic disease prevalence; to calculate Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs) associated with overweight and obesity; and to estimate the impact of a one unit reduction in BMI on the population prevalence of chronic disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 10,364 adults aged ≥18 years from the Republic of Ireland National Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN 2007) was performed. Using binary regression, we examined the relationship between BMI and the selected chronic diseases. In further analyses, we calculated PAFs of selected chronic diseases attributable to overweight and obesity and we assessed the impact of a one unit reduction in BMI on the overall burden of chronic disease. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity prevalence was higher in men (43.0% and 16.1%) compared to women (29.2% and 13.4%), respectively. The most prevalent chronic conditions were lower back pain, hypertension, and raised cholesterol. Prevalence of chronic disease generally increased with increasing BMI. Compared to normal weight persons, the strongest associations were found in obese women for diabetes (RR 3.9, 95% CI 2.5-6.3), followed by hypertension (RR 2.9, 95% CI 2.3-3.6); and in obese men for hypertension (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.6-2.7), followed by osteoarthritis (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.2). Calculated PAFs indicated that a large proportion of chronic disease is attributable to increased BMI, most noticeably for diabetes in women (42%) and for hypertension in men (30%). Overall, a one unit decrease in BMI results in 26 and 28 fewer cases of chronic disease per 1,000 men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity are major contributors to the burden of chronic disease in the population. The achievement of a relatively modest reduction in average BMI in the population has the potential to make a significant impact on the burden of chronic disease.

Composition, variability, and temporal stability of the intestinal microbiota of the elderly.

Alterations in the human intestinal microbiota are linked to conditions including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and obesity. The microbiota also undergoes substantial changes at the extremes of life, in infants and older people, the ramifications of which are still being explored. We applied pyrosequencing of over 40,000 16S rRNA gene V4 region amplicons per subject to characterize the fecal microbiota in 161 subjects aged 65 y and older and 9 younger control subjects. The microbiota of each individual subject constituted a unique profile that was separable from all others. In 68% of the individuals, the microbiota was dominated by phylum Bacteroides, with an average proportion of 57% across all 161 baseline samples. Phylum Firmicutes had an average proportion of 40%. The proportions of some phyla and genera associated with disease or health also varied dramatically, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Faecalibacteria. The core microbiota of elderly subjects was distinct from that previously established for younger adults, with a greater proportion of Bacteroides spp. and distinct abundance patterns of Clostridium groups. Analyses of 26 fecal microbiota datasets from 3-month follow-up samples indicated that in 85% of the subjects, the microbiota composition was more like the corresponding time-0 sample than any other dataset. We conclude that the fecal microbiota of the elderly shows temporal stability over limited time in the majority of subjects but is characterized by unusual phylum proportions and extreme variability.

Health care utilization and the associated costs attributable to cardiovascular disease in Ireland: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and disability globally. We examined healthcare service utilization and costs attributable to CVD in Ireland in the period before the introduction of a major healthcare reform in 2016. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from 8 113 participants of the first wave of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. CVD was defined as having a self-reported doctor's diagnosis of myocardial infarction, angina, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation or transient ischaemic attack. Participants self-reported the utilization of healthcare services in the year preceding the interview. Negative binomial regression with average marginal effects (AME) was used to estimate the incremental number of general practitioner (GP) and outpatient department (OPD) visits, accident and emergency department attendances and hospitalisations in population with CVD relative to population without CVD. We calculated the corresponding costs at individual and population levels, by gender and age groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of CVD was 18.2% (95% CI: 17.3, 19.0) Participants with CVD reported higher utilization of all healthcare services. In adjusted models, having CVD was associated with incremental 1.19 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.39) GP and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.65, 0.93) OPD visits. There were twice as many incremental hospitalisations in males with CVD compared to females with CVD (AME (95% CI): 0.20 (0.16, 0.23) vs 0.10 (0.07, 0.14)). The incremental cost of healthcare service use in population with CVD was an estimated €352.2 million (95% CI: €272.8, €431.7), 93% of which was due to use of secondary care services. CONCLUSION: We identified substantially increased use of healthcare services attributable to CVD in Ireland. Continued efforts aimed at CVD primary prevention and management are required.

Alterations in intestinal microbiota of elderly Irish subjects post-antibiotic therapy.

OBJECTIVES: The human intestinal microbiota composition alters naturally with age, but is unusually perturbed by antibiotic therapy. The impact of antibiotic therapy on the composition of the intestinal microbiota of a cross-section of elderly Irish subjects (n = 185, ≥ 65 years) was investigated, taking into consideration their residence location. METHODS: Forty-two of the 185 elderly subjects were treated with at least one antibiotic within 1 month prior to faecal microbiota profiling. The residence locations of the subjects varied from long-term nursing care and rehabilitation wards to day hospitals and the community. RESULTS: Culture-dependent methods indicated that faecal Bifidobacterium spp. numbers were significantly reduced following antibiotic treatment (P = 0.004, 7-fold reduction), while levels of Lactobacillus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were unaffected. The largest decrease in Bifidobacterium spp. numbers was linked to the administration of nucleic acid synthesis inhibitors (P = 0.004, 23-fold reduction). Microbiota profiling revealed a significant compositional change across nine genera following antibiotic therapy, including a relative increase in Lactobacillus spp. (P = 0.031), as well as a decrease in the number of genera identified in the antibiotic-treated subjects (n = 58), when compared with untreated subjects (n = 79). More alterations in the intestinal microbiota were observed post-nucleic acid synthesis inhibitor therapy, most notably a decrease in relative Faecalibacterium spp. numbers (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of antibiotic therapy on the intestinal microbiota in the elderly should be considered for long-term health effects, and differential susceptibility may require the development of products (e.g. prebiotics and probiotics) for at-risk subjects.

Vitamin D status of Irish adults: findings from the National Adult Nutrition Survey.

Previous national nutrition surveys in Irish adults did not include blood samples; thus, representative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) data are lacking. In the present study, we characterised serum 25(OH)D concentrations in Irish adults from the recent National Adult Nutrition Survey, and determined the impact of vitamin D supplement use and season on serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Of the total representative sample (n 1500, aged 18+ years), blood samples were available for 1132 adults. Serum 25(OH)D was measured via immunoassay. Vitamin D-containing supplement use was assessed by questionnaire and food diary. Concentrations of serum 25(OH)D were compared by season and in supplement users and non-users. Year-round prevalence rates for serum 25(OH)D concentration < 30, < 40, < 50 and < 75 nmol/l were 6.7, 21.9, 40.1 and 75.6 %, respectively (11.1, 31.1, 55.0 and 84.0 % in winter, respectively). Supplement users had significantly higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared to non-users. However, 7.5 % of users had winter serum 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/l. Only 1.3 % had serum 25(OH)D concentrations >125 nmol/l. These first nationally representative serum 25(OH)D data for Irish adults show that while only 6.7 % had serum 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/l (vitamin D deficiency) throughout the year, 40.1 % had levels considered by the Institute of Medicine as being inadequate for bone health. These prevalence estimates were much higher during winter time. While vitamin D supplement use has benefits in terms of vitamin D status, at present rates of usage (17.5 % of Irish adults), it will have only very limited impact at a population level. Food-based strategies, including fortified foods, need to be explored.