The relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and macular pigment optical density in hypertensive patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Inflammation may be associated with macular pigment optical density (MPOD) degradation. Objectives: The relationship between inflammation and MPOD is evaluated using inflammatory biomarkers, including high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), lipid level and ratio, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI). Method: In this cross-sectional design, 62 hypertensive patients were recruited between January 6 and January 8, 2022, at a primary care unit. The MPOD was measured using the Macular pigment screener II. Blood tests for hsCRP, lipid profile, WC measurement, BMI calculation, and completing a questionnaire were conducted, and statistical analysis was done by using Microsoft Excel 2019 and Stata version 16.1. Spearman's rank correlation test was used to evaluate correlations. Multivariate analysis for adjusting confounders was done by logistic regression. Result: There was a significant negative correlation between hsCRP >3 and MPOD (r = -0.26, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Inflammation was linked to MPOD. Anti-inflammatory agents may be beneficial in preventing MPOD degradation.

Do Home- and Community-Based Services Delay Frailty Onset in Older Adults With Low Care Needs?

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether using adult day services or personal assistance services can delay the onset of frailty among older adults with low care needs during a 5-year follow-up study. DESIGN: This prospective cohort study was conducted using long-term care and health insurance claims data. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a population-based study of 3 municipalities in Osaka, Japan. Initially, 655 nonfrail or prefrail individuals were included from a cohort of 790 population-based adults aged ≥65 years, who were newly certified as being on a support level of the long-term care insurance program from September 2012 to March 2013. METHODS: Using long-term care and health insurance claims data from the Southern Osaka Health and Aging Study, conducted between April 2012 and March 2017, monthly usage of adult day and personal assistance services was measured. Data were analyzed from December 2021 to January 2022. RESULTS: Of the 655 individuals (median age at baseline: 79 years), 436 (66.6%) were female, 388 (59.2%) were nonfrail, and 267 (40.8%) were prefrail, according to the Veterans Affairs Frailty Index. During the 5-year follow-up period, 222 individuals (33.9%) experienced the onset of frailty. The time-dependent Cox regression models showed that using adult day services lowered the risk of frailty when compared with not using such services [hazard ratio (HR) 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.86; P = .006], although personal assistance services usage was not associated with the onset of frailty (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.48-1.03, P = .07). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Using adult day services lowered the risk of frailty in older adults with low care needs over the 5-year follow-up period. The findings support the value of providing adult day services to prevent frailty for those in need of long-term care.

Mucin-Derived O-Glycans Act as Endogenous Fiber and Sustain Mucosal Immune Homeostasis via Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in Rat Cecum.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal mucins escape digestion and enter the large bowel where they are degraded by the microbiota. To what extent and how mucins impact large-bowel physiology remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the large-bowel fermentation characteristics of mucins and mucin-derived O-glycan sugars and whether they affect gut immunity. METHODS: Mucin secretion from the terminal ileum was determined from feces of ileorectostomized male Wistar rats (age 6 wk) fed an AIN76-based control diet (CD) for 15 d (experiment 1). Normal male Wistar rats (age 6 wk; 4 wk for experiment 4) were fed CD ± porcine stomach mucin (PM) at 6 or 12 g/kg diet, equivalent to 1.5 and 3 times the daily mucin secretion, for 14 d (experiment 2); CD ± N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), fucose, or N-acetylneuraminic acid at 10 g/kg diet for 14 d (experiment 3); or CD ± PM (15 g/kg diet) or GlcNAc (10 g/kg diet) for 29 d (experiment 4). SCFAs, microbial composition, and cecal O-glycan content were assessed. IgA+ plasma cells and regulatory T cells and inflammatory cytokine expression in the cecum were evaluated (experiment 4). RESULTS: Daily mucin secretion corresponded to 43.2 µmol of O-glycans. Cecal O-glycan contents were comparable between CD- and PM-fed rats. PM-fed rats harbored more mucin-degrading bacteria. Cecal concentrations of acetate (+37%) and n-butyrate (+73%) were higher in 12-g/kg PM diet-fed rats versus CD (P < 0.05). Among O-glycan sugars, only GlcNAc produced higher n-butyrate concentrations (+68%) versus CD (P < 0.05), with increased numbers of butyrate-producing bacteria. GlcNAc increased the abundance of IgA+ plasma cells (+29%) and regulatory T cells (+33%) versus CD, whereas PM increased IgA+ plasma cells (+25%) (all P < 0.05). GlcNAc and PM decreased expression of Tnfa (-30%, -40%) and Ifng (-30%, -70%) versus CD (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mucin-derived O-glycans act as endogenous fiber and maintain mucosal immune homeostasis via large-bowel SCFA production in rats.