Association of watching sports games with subsequent health and well-being among adults in Japan: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.

OBJECTIVE: Although the health benefits of playing sports are well-known, the association between watching sports and health is not well understood. We examined the longitudinal association of watching sports with 20 different health and well-being outcomes. METHODS: Three-wave cohort data from 6327 adults (4851 workers) in the Meiji Yasuda LifeStyle study were used to draw causal inferences. We assessed the frequency of watching sports games on media or in-person using a self-reported questionnaire in 2018. Outcomes, including health behaviors, physical, mental, and work-related outcomes, were evaluated in 2019. In 2017, sociodemographic factors, prior exposure, and outcome values were evaluated and used as covariates. Three different statistical models (logistic, modified Poisson, or linear regression) were used according to the nature of the outcome variable. RESULTS: Watching sports on media had a favorable dose-response association with a lower risk of becoming physically inactive and skipping breakfast, as well as higher happiness (p for trend <0.05). Conversely, watching sports on media had an adverse dose-response association with higher body mass index and increased risks of developing hypertension and diabetes (p for trend <0.05). Watching sports in-person had a dose-response association with lower risks of exhibiting the precontemplation stage of health behavior change, moderate/severe psychological distress, and dyslipidemia (p for trend <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the observed detrimental association between watching sports and cardiometabolic health, which should be interpreted cautiously and studied further, the study findings suggest that watching sports could be a new modifiable protective factor for developing healthy lifestyles and improving mental well-being.

Changes in accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior from before to after COVID-19 outbreak in workers.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic may have reduced opportunities for engaging in physical activity (PA) and increased sedentary behavior (SB) among workers. However, most previous studies used self-reported assessments. This study aimed to examine the changes in accelerometer-measured PA and SB from before to after COVID-19 outbreak among Japanese workers. METHODS: This one-year longitudinal study used data from the annual health check-ups of workers who lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Baseline and follow-up data were collected from June to November, 2019 and June to November, 2020, respectively. Participants were asked to wear the accelerometer on their hip during awake hours for at least 10 days in both the surveys. Before the analysis, considering the difference in wearing time, time spent in PA and SB were converted to the percentage of wearing time. To investigate the changes in PA or SB from before to during COVID-19 outbreak, paired t-tests were performed. RESULTS: Of the 757 eligible participants, 536 were included in the analysis (70.8%). Participants' mean age was 53.3 years; 69.6% were female; and most were full-time employees. Time spent in PA decreased, regardless of weekdays or weekends, although changes on the weekends were not significant. Conversely, time spent in SB increased on both weekdays and weekends in 2020. These changes corresponded to approximately 10 minutes per day increase/decrease in PA/SB. CONCLUSION: Objectively measured PA decreased and SB increased by approximately 10 minutes per day after the COVID-19 outbreak among Japanese workers.

Association of 24-h movement behaviors with phase angle in community-dwelling older adults: a compositional data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Phase angle (PhA) is an indicator of cellular conditions. Recent studies have suggested that PhA supports healthy aging. Identifying modifiable lifestyle factors for PhA is important. The associations of PhA in 24-h movement behaviors, including physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep, have not been studied in older adults. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the cross-sectional associations between 24-h movement behaviors and PhA in community-dwelling older adults while appropriately considering the co-dependent nature of daily time use using compositional data analysis. METHODS: The participants were 113 healthy older adults. PhA was measured using a bioelectrical impedance device. Time spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA), and SB was measured using a tri-axial accelerometer. Sleep duration information was self-reported in a questionnaire. Compositional multiple linear regression and compositional isotemporal substitution were performed to examine the associations of 24-h movement behaviors with PhA and hypothetical time reallocation in movement behaviors with PhA, respectively. RESULTS: Even after adjusting for potential confounders, relative to other behaviors more time spent in MVPA was significantly associated with higher PhA (p < 0.001). The 30 min/day of time reallocation from the other behaviors (SB, LPA, and sleep) to MVPA was predicted to be 0.12 higher PhA (corresponding to 2.3% increase; 95% CI 0.01, 0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that increasing or maintaining the daily time spent in MVPA is important for managing PhA in older adults, regardless of the other behaviors time consumed instead.

Successful treatment with lenvatinib in a patient with thymic carcinoma presenting with cardiac tamponade: a case report and review of literature.

Thymic carcinoma (TC) presenting with cardiac tamponade has a poor prognosis because of the difficulty in controlling malignant pericardial effusion using conventional chemotherapy. Lenvatinib, a multitargeted kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and other kinases, has recently been proven effective against TC. As the inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling is effective in malignant pericardial effusion, lenvatinib may also be effective in TC presenting with cardiac tamponade. However, no reports have shown that lenvatinib is effective in such cases. Herein, we present a case of successful treatment with lenvatinib in a patient with TC presenting with cardiac tamponade. The present case suggests that lenvatinib should be considered an effective treatment option for such cases.

Association of domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behavior with cardiometabolic health among office workers.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have reported opposite effects of occupational or non-occupational physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) on health outcomes. However, no study has investigated the relationship between domain-specific movement behaviors and cardiometabolic health (CMH) among office workers, considering the compositional nature of time-use data. We investigated the associations of accelerometer-measured PA and SB for each domain (working time, non-working time on workday, and non-workday) with CMH indicators among office workers, using compositional data analysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1258 Japanese office workers. The time spent on SB, light-intensity PA (LPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) were assessed using an accelerometer. CMH indicators were retrieved from the annual health check-up data. RESULTS: Compositional multiple linear regression indicated that PA and SB during non-working time on workdays, but not working time or non-workdays, were significantly associated with CMH. In particular, during non-working time, time reallocations from SB to LPA and from SB to MVPA were associated with favorable changes in cardiometabolic risk score and lipid metabolism, respectively. Paradoxically, a greater proportion of LPA during non-working time was associated with favorable diastolic blood pressure (ß = 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02, 3.19), whereas occupational LPA was detrimental (ß = -2.48; 95% CI = -4.87, -0.09). CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that reducing SB and increasing PA during non-working time on workdays may be effective for managing CMH among office workers. Future longitudinal studies using compositional data analysis are required to confirm our results.

Distinct effects of orexin receptor antagonist and GABAA agonist on sleep and physical/cognitive functions after forced awakening.

The majority of patients with insomnia are treated with hypnotic agents. In the present study, we evaluated the side-effect profile of an orexin receptor antagonist and γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptor agonist on physical/cognitive functions upon forced awakening. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was conducted on 30 healthy male subjects. Fifteen minutes before bedtime, the subjects took a pill of suvorexant (20 mg), brotizolam (0.25 mg), or placebo and were forced awake 90 min thereafter. Physical- and cognitive-function tests were performed before taking the pill, after forced awakening, and the next morning. Polysomnographic recordings revealed that the efficacies of the hypnotic agents in prolonging total sleep time (∼30 min) and increasing sleep efficiency (∼6%) were comparable. When the subjects were allowed to go back to sleep after the forced awakening, the sleep latency was shorter under the influence of hypnotic agents (∼2 min) compared to the placebo trial (24 min), and the rapid eye movement latency was significantly shorter under suvorexant (98.8, 81.7, and 48.8 min for placebo, brotizolam, and suvorexant, respectively). Although brotizolam significantly impaired the overall physical/cognitive performance (sum of z score) compared with placebo upon forced awakening, there was no significant difference in the total z score of performance between suvorexant and placebo. Notably, the score for static balance with the eyes open was higher under suvorexant compared to brotizolam administration. The energy expenditure was lower under suvorexant and brotizolam compared with the placebo. The effect size of brotizolam (d = 0.24) to reduce the energy expenditure was larger than that of suvorexant (d < 0.01).

Electrophilic Spirocyclization of a 2-Biphenylacetylene via Conformational Fixing within a Hollow-Cage Host.

A 2-biphenylacetylene was fixed into a specific conformation within the confined cavity of a hollow cage, where it underwent a regioselective spirocyclization in the presence of an electrophile. A 5-endo-dig cyclization proceeded selectively in the cage, which stands in sharp contrast to the 6-endo-dig cyclization that normally occurs in common organic media. The folded conformation adopted by the substrate within the cage was examined by 1 H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Effects of Morning Versus Evening Home-Based Exercise on Subjective and Objective Sleep Parameters in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether the timing of exercise influenced the effects of home-based low-intensity stepping exercises on the sleep parameters of older adults. METHOD: For 8 weeks, 60 healthy older adults participated in a randomized controlled trial, performing low-intensity aerobic exercise (70-80 bpm) for about 30 minutes every day at home, either in the morning (from waking until 12:00) or evening (18:00 to bedtime). RESULTS: In the evening exercise group, both subjectively and objectively measured sleep latency significantly improved throughout the intervention. Further, postintervention subjective sleep satisfaction was significantly higher in the evening group (6.2 ± 1.3 points) than in the morning group (5.2 ± 1.4 points; P = .006). Additionally, sleep variables related to evening exercise had larger effect sizes (Cohen d) than those performed in the morning. CONCLUSION: Engaging in low-intensity stepping exercises during the evening is potentially a useful nonpharmacological approach to improving sleep quality among older adults.

Combined effect of daily physical activity and social relationships on sleep disorder among older adults: cross-sectional and longitudinal study based on data from the Kasama study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated whether daily physical activity of older adults, combined with social relationships, is associated with the risk of sleep disorder. Further, it determined whether a high level of one variable with a low level of the other, leads to a significantly lower risk of sleep disorder than low levels of both. METHODS: The sample comprised 1339 community-dwelling older Japanese adults: 988 in Study 1 and 351 in Study 2. The level of daily physical activity and range of social relationships were assessed using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly and the Lubben Social Network Scale, respectively. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep disorder. To test the combined relationships and effects in Studies 1 and 2, the medians for the respective scores of each of the following four groups that the participants were categorized into, were calculated: (1) low activity group with low social relationships, (2) low activity group with high social relationships, (3) high activity group with low social relationships, and (4) high activity group with high social relationships. After adjusting for potential confounders, a logistic regression analysis was conducted in Study 1. After adjusting for potential confounders, a Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted in Study 2. RESULTS: Study 1 revealed that the high activity group with high social relationships showed a significantly lower risk of sleep disorder (ORs: 0.585, 95% CI: 0.404-0.847) than the low activity group with low social relationships. Study 2 also revealed that the high activity group with high social relationships showed a significantly lower prevalence of sleep disorder (HRs: 0.564, 95% CI: 0.327-0.974) than the low activity group with low social relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that for older adults with high social relationships, being physically active is favorably associated with sleep quality. However, a high level of one variable with a low level of the other has not been confirmed in improving sleep quality among older adults.

Associations between exercising in a group and physical and cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study using data from the Kasama Study.

[Purpose] To examine the associations of exercise habits, particularly exercising in a group, with physical and cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults. [Participants and Methods] A total of 615 older adults participated in this cross-sectional study. We conducted three physical performance tests (grip strength, five times sit-to-stand, and 5-meter walk tests) and the Five-Cog test (attention, memory, visuospatial, language, and reasoning). We investigated exercise habits using questionnaires and classified the participants into three groups as follows: those who did not exercise (n=86), those who exercised alone (n=168), and those who exercised in a group (n=362). To clarify the associations of exercise habits with physical and cognitive functions, we used the analysis of covariance with adjustment for potential confounders. [Results] The participants who exercised in a group had better lower limb strength than those who exercised alone and better scores for all the variables than the non-exercisers. Furthermore, those who exercised in a group scored significantly higher on the attention, memory, visuospatial, and overall cognitive function tests than those who exercised alone. [Conclusion] Our results highlight the importance of the social aspects associated with exercising, such as the presence of exercise peers, to improve the physical and cognitive health of older adults.

Effects of sedentary behavior and physical activity on sleep quality in older people: A cross-sectional study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the influence of replacing sedentary time with time engaged in one of two levels of physical activity on sleep quality using an isotemporal substitution model. The participants were 70 community-dwelling older Japanese adults (approximately 70% female). Physical activity types were measured using a triaxial accelerometer and categorized based on intensity as sedentary, light-intensity, and vigorous-intensity. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index assessed subjective sleep quality. Objective sleep parameters were assessed using an actigraph. A series of multi-linear regression models analyzed the statistical relationships. Our findings showed that replacing 30 min of sedentary activity per day with an equal period of light-intensity physical activity significantly influenced sleep quality parameters. However, there was no significant difference in sleep quality when light-intensity activity was replaced with vigorous-intensity activity. Engaging in one activity type means less available time for other types of activity; habitual replacement of sedentary activity with light-intensity physical activity might have long-term benefits on the sleep quality of older people.

Cross-sectional study of the optimal types of physical exercise for cognitive function in older Japanese adults.

AIM: This study aimed to determine whether practicing coordination exercises, compared with other physical exercise types, is associated with better cognitive function in older Japanese adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from a health checkup project carried out from 2015 to 2019 among older adults living in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Data from 569 participants (mean age 74.0 ± 5.4 years, 53.8% women) were analyzed. The types of physical exercise practiced within the seven preceding days were identified. The Five-Cog test and Trail Making Test were used to evaluate general cognitive function and executive function, respectively. The cognitive functions of practitioners and non-practitioners of each type of physical exercise - coordination, endurance, resistance, and stretching - were examined using an analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Although practitioners of any physical exercise did not have significantly better cognitive function than non-practitioners, in an analysis stratified by exercise amount, those who practiced more coordination exercise had better general cognitive function than non-practitioners (P = 0.046), in a fully adjusted model. CONCLUSION: Those who practiced more coordination exercises had better general cognitive function. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••-••.

Associations of Working From Home Frequency With Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Japanese White-Collar Workers: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Meiji Yasuda LifeStyle Study.

BACKGROUND: The association of working from home (WFH) with physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) has been explored; however, this association during periods without stringent measures to combat coronavirus disease 2019 is undercharacterized. Particularly, few studies have evaluated the potential effect modification on its associations. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the associations of WFH frequency with accelerometer-measured PA and SB, along with its effect modifiers, among Japanese white-collar workers during the later pandemic period. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1133 white-collar workers residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area was conducted between April 2022 and March 2023. WFH frequency was evaluated through a self-report questionnaire, while SB and PA during weekdays were measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders were used to examine the association of WFH frequency with PA and SB. RESULTS: Regardless of activity intensity, individuals who worked at home, even for 1 to 2 days per week, demonstrated lower levels of PA and higher levels of SB as compared with those who did not (P < .05). For example, difference between never and ≥5 days per week WFH was approximately 70 minutes/day for total PA and about 4000 steps/day for step counts. Associations between WFH and decreased PA were more pronounced in workers who were older, female, less educated, in sales and service work, nonregular staff, and precontemplating changes in exercise and eating habits. CONCLUSIONS: We report that WFH was associated with decreased PA and increased SB in Japanese white-collar workers with pronounced associated in several subgroups.

Promoting health and productivity management in small companies through outreach-based public-private partnership: the Yokohama Linkworker Project.

Introduction: With health promotion initiatives in small companies lagging behind those in larger corporations, strengthening health and productivity management in small companies through innovative strategies is an urgent priority. We hypothesized that an outreach strategy involving a public-private partnership would be beneficial for this purpose. The present study examines the implementation of a public-private partnership strategy in Yokohama City, Japan, assessing its impact on health and productivity management in small enterprises, focusing on implementation outcomes. Methods: As part of the Yokohama Linkworker Project (Y-Link Project), this study describes and examines a public-private partnership program in Yokohama City, Japan, involving the city's government and a private life insurance company. Trained insurance sales representatives served as "Linkworkers" for the program, reaching out to small enterprises in the city. These Linkworkers provided tailored support to these companies, assisting them with obtaining the "Yokohama Health and Productivity Management Certification" issued by the City of Yokohama authorities and collaborating with external entities to offer health promotion programs for employees. Program interventions took place from August to September 2020. The RE-AIM framework was utilized to evaluate the Project. Data were extracted from Linkworkers' activity records, certification records, the Linkworker survey, and follow-up surveys with participating companies at 6- and 18- months post-interventions. Results: Within 2 months, 71 Linkworkers visited 500 companies (50% were small firms, <50 employees). Among them, 224 (45%) enterprises received certifications, contributing to an increased regional certification rate. Linkworker-assisted companies tended to be significantly smaller in size. The odds ratios of implementing workplace health promotion programs in certified firms, compared to non-certified firms, were 4.09 (95% CI: 1.79-9.35) at 6 months and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.04-5.11) at 18 months. For small firms, the odds ratios were 6.87 (95% CI: 1.74-27.06) at 6 months and 3.42 (95% CI: 1.17-10.03) at 18 months. The certification retention rate at 24 months was 60%, irrespective of company size. Linkworkers perceived the outreach strategy as having a positive impact on their primary operations. Conclusion: The Y-Link Project's outreach strategy enhanced health and productivity management in small enterprises in Yokohama City, enabling long-term health promotion programs addressing program availability disparities related to company size.

Clinical features and prognosis of conjunctival melanoma in Japanese patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features and prognosis of conjunctival melanoma in Japanese patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: Twenty patients (8 men and 12 women) diagnosed with conjunctival melanoma at a singlehospital between 2003 and 2017 were analyzed. Data on clinical presentation, sex, age, the affected eye, tumor location, tumor origin, tumor stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system (eighth edition), treatment, outcomes, local recurrence, metastasis, and survival were extracted from the patients' medical records and reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 64.2 ± 14.8 years. Tumor locations at the first examination included the bulbar conjunctiva (n = 19), plica (n = 13), and fornix (n = 12). The tumor stage was T1 in 5 cases (25%), T2 in 12 cases (60%), T3 in 3 cases (15%), and T4 in none. The mean follow-up duration was 91.7 ± 46.0 months. The local recurrence rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 5.0%, 18.8%, and 31.5%, respectively, whilst the metastasis rates were 5.0%, 25.6%, and 32.4%, respectively. Four of the 6 patients who experienced metastasis died; duration from metastasis to death was 17.5 months (range, 7-25). The 5-year survival rate for conjunctival melanoma was 78.8%. Tumor thickness was significantly associated with survival duration on univariate Cox regression analyses. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate for conjunctival melanoma in the Japanese population was lower and higher than that reported in the Chinese and United States populations, respectively. Tumor thickness was a prognostic factor for survival in patients with conjunctival melanoma.

Urotensin II receptor (UTR) exists in hyaline chondrocytes: a study of peripheral distribution of UTR in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis.

Urotensin II (UII) and UII-related peptide (URP) exhibit diverse physiological actions including vasoconstriction, locomotor activity, osmoregulation, and immune response through UII receptor (UTR), which is expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues of fish and mammals. In amphibians, only UII has been identified. As the first step toward elucidating the actions of UII and URP in amphibians, we cloned and characterized URP and UTR from the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. Functional analysis showed that treatment of UII or URP with Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the cloned receptor increased the intracellular calcium concentration in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the administration of the UTR antagonist urantide inhibited UII- or URP-induced Ca(2+) mobilization. An immunohistochemical study showed that UTR was expressed in the splenocytes and leukocytes isolated from peripheral blood, suggesting that UII and URP are involved in the regulation of the immune system. UTR was also localized in the apical membrane of the distal tubule of the kidney and in the transitional epithelial cells of the urinary bladder. This result supports the view that the UII/URP-UTR system plays an important role in osmoregulation of amphibians. Interestingly, immunopositive labeling for UTR was first detected in the chondrocytes of various hyaline cartilages (the lung septa, interphalangeal joint and sternum). The expression of UTR was also observed in the costal cartilage, tracheal cartilages, and xiphoid process of the rat. These novel findings probably suggest that UII and URP mediate the formation of the cartilaginous matrix.

Rhodopsin-positive cell production by intravitreal injection of small molecule compounds in mouse models of retinal degeneration.

We aimed to verify whether the intravitreal injection of small molecule compounds alone can create photoreceptor cells in mouse models of retinal degeneration. Primary cultured mouse Müller cells were stimulated in vitro with combinations of candidate compounds and the rhodopsin expression was measured on day 7 using polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining. We used 6-week-old N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-treated and 4-week-old rd10 mice as representative in vivo models of retinal degeneration. The optimal combination of compounds selected via in vitro screening was injected into the vitreous and the changes in rhodopsin expression were investigated on day 7 using polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining. The origin of rhodopsin-positive cells was also analyzed via lineage tracing and the recovery of retinal function was assessed using electroretinography. The in vitro mRNA expression of rhodopsin in Müller cells increased 30-fold, and 25% of the Müller cells expressed rhodopsin protein 7 days after stimulation with a combination of 4 compounds: transforming growth factor-ß inhibitor, bone morphogenetic protein inhibitor, glycogen synthase kinase 3 inhibitor, and γ-secretase inhibitor. The in vivo rhodopsin mRNA expression and the number of rhodopsin-positive cells in the outer retina were significantly increased on day 7 after the intravitreal injection of these 4 compounds in both N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-treated and rd10 mice. Lineage tracing in td-Tomato mice treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea suggested that the rhodopsin-positive cells originated from endogenous Müller cells, accompanied with the recovery of the rhodopsin-derived scotopic function. It was suggested that rhodopsin-positive cells generated by compound stimulation contributes to the recovery of retinal function impaired by degeneration.

Impact of exercising alone and exercising with others on the risk of cognitive impairment among older Japanese adults.

PURPOSE: This longitudinal study investigates the influence of the stratified frequency of exercising alone and exercising with others on the prevention of cognitive impairment among older Japanese adults. METHODS: This four-year follow-up study targeted 4,358 individuals (mean age: 76.9 ± 5.6 years, female: 51.8%) who participated in an inventory mail survey in one region of Japan. The exercise forms surveyed involved the frequency of exercising alone and with others. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the nationally standardized dementia scale proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Adjusted Cox proportional-hazard models were used to examine the association between the exercise forms and the development of cognitive impairment, and calculate population-attributable fractions (PAFs). RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of cognitive impairment throughout the study was 7.7%. Participants who exercised ≥ 2 times/week alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61-0.998) had a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than those who did not exercise alone. Similarly, participants who exercised ≥ 2 times/week with others (HR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.47-0.94) showed a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than those who did not exercise with others. The scenarios involving PAFs demonstrated that, if all participants exercised alone or with others ≥ 2 times/week, the risk of cognitive impairment decreased by 15.1% and 29.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both forms of exercise reduced the development of cognitive impairment, with exercising with others potentially being highly effective in preventing cognitive impairment.

Acceptable walking and cycling distances and functional disability and mortality in older Japanese adults: An 8-year follow-up study.

We prospectively investigated the association between acceptable travel distances (i.e., walking and cycling) and the incidence of functional disability and mortality among older Japanese adults. A baseline survey was conducted in 2013 among 7618 individuals aged ≥65 years in Kasama City, Japan, and they were tracked through the city's database until 2021. Acceptable travel distances were assessed using a questionnaire. Outcomes (i.e., functional disability and mortality) were gathered as binary (incident or not) with survival time. A multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards model indicated that shorter acceptable walking and cycling distances were markedly linked with higher risks of functional disability and mortality. In conclusion, acceptable distances of ≤500 m for walking and ≤1 km for cycling were associated with higher risks of functional disability and mortality among older adults.

Physical Activity Intensity and Suspected Dementia in Older Japanese Adults: A Dose-Response Analysis Based on an 8-Year Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) may reduce the risk of dementia; however, few studies have examined the effects of PA intensity on dementia risk. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively examine the dose-response relationship of PA intensity with the incidence of suspected dementia in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: We conducted a baseline mail survey with an 8-year follow-up of 3,722 older adults in Japan. We assessed PA levels using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form and calculated the amount of time per week spent performing moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA (VPA). Information regarding suspected dementia was obtained from the city database during the follow-up period. Cox proportional-hazard models with age as time scale, and delayed entry and restricted cubic spline regression as variables were used to estimate risk of developing suspected dementia, excluding cases occurring < 1 year after baseline evaluation. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of suspected dementia during the follow-up period was 12.7%. Compared with those who did not practice moderate-intensity PA (MPA), those who practiced≥300 min (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.56-0.95) of MPA showed a lower risk of developing suspected dementia. Furthermore, when the dose-response relationship was examined, the hazard of developing suspected dementia decreased almost linearly with MPA. A significantly lower hazard was observed from 815 minutes/week. There was no significant association between VPA and suspected dementia. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that MPA is often practiced in older adults and this PA intensity has a sufficiently favorable effect on dementia prevention.