Yuki Ohara

Sarcopenia: Prevalence and associated factors based on different suggested definitions in community-dwelling older adults.

The age‐related loss of muscle mass and/or strength and performance, sarcopenia, has been associated with geriatric syndromes, morbidity and mortality. Although sarcopenia has been researched for many years, currently there is a lack of consensus on its definition. Some studies define sarcopenia as low muscle mass alone, whereas other studies have recently combined low muscle mass, strength and physical performance suggested by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, as well as the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The arbitrary use of various available sarcopenia definitions within the literature can cause discrepancies in the prevalence and associated risk factors. The application of population‐specific cut‐off values in any sample population can be problematic, particularly among different ethnicities. Using commonly used cut‐off points to define sarcopenia, including solely muscle mass and combined definitions, on a community‐dwelling elderly Japanese population, the prevalence of sarcopenia ranged from 2.5 to 28.0% in men and 2.3 to 11.7% in women, with muscle mass measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and 7.1–98.0% in men and 19.8–88.0% in women measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Body mass index was the most prominent related factor for sarcopenia across the definitions in this Japanese sample. However, other associated hematological and chronic condition factors varied depending on the definition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16 (Suppl. 1): 110–122.

Relationship Between Frailty and Oral Function in Community‐Dwelling Elderly Adults

To determine the standard values of and age‐related changes in objective oral function of healthy older people; compare oral function of robust, prefrail, and frail older people; and determine the association between oral function and frailty.

Masseter muscle tension and chewing ability in older persons

Aim:  Mastication is an important function to maintain, not only for oral health, but also for quality of life. An easy‐to‐use method to evaluate the chewing ability of elderly people in any environment is necessary. Few studies have discussed the effectiveness of the masseter muscle by palpation. The purpose of this study was to clarify the availability of masseter muscle tension assessment methods by investigating its relationship with oral health status, and comparing it with other methods of assessing chewing ability.

Relationship between swallowing function and the skeletal muscle mass of older adults requiring long-term care.

The present study investigated the risk factors for dysphagia among older adults who require long‐term care, and also examined their systemic decrease in skeletal muscle mass.

Eating Alone as Social Disengagement is Strongly Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES Depression in later life poses a grave challenge for the aging countries. The reported key risk factors include social disengagement, but the lack of social companionship during mealtimes, namely eating alone, has not been examined extensively, especially in relation to living arrangement. Past studies on changes along geriatric trajectories in the association between social engagement and depression also remain inadequate. This study aims to examine the association between social engagement and depressive symptoms with a particular focus on eating alone and how the association changes along the aging and mental frailty trajectories. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTING Kashiwa-city, Chiba-prefecture in Japan. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1856 community-dwelling older adults. MEASUREMENTS The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. The indicators used to assess social engagement included eating alone, living arrangement, reciprocity of social support, social participation, social stressors and social ties. RESULTS Social engagement was significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Those who live with their families yet eat alone were found to be at particular risk (odds ratio = 5.02, 95% confidence interval 2.5-9.9 for young-old; odds ratio = 2.41, 95% confidence interval 1.2-4.8 for old-old). Younger and less mentally frail populations showed stronger associations. CONCLUSIONS Eating alone was a key risk factor for depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. The living arrangement in which they eat alone is important in identifying those with the greatest risk. Mental health management for older adults requires comprehensive assessment of their social relations that takes into account their companionship during mealtimes. Social preventive measures need to involve early interventions in order to augment their effectiveness against mental frailty.

Relationship between Skeletal Muscle Mass and Swallowing Function in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.

The present study verified the hypothesis that decreased skeletal muscle in older adults with Alzheimers disease is related to Alzheimers disease progression and decreased oral or swallowing function.

Effectiveness of an oral health educational program on community-dwelling older people with xerostomia.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes in oral health and function through an oral health educational program for the independent older people with xerostomia.

Factors associated with self‐rated oral health among community‐dwelling older Japanese: A cross‐sectional study

A cross‐sectional study was carried out to investigate the determinants of self‐rated oral health among community‐dwelling older people in Japan.

Factors associated with older adults' need for oral hygiene management by dental professionals.

The aim of the present study was to assess the need for oral hygiene management by dental professionals among older adults requiring long‐term care, and to collect basic data for building a dental treatment framework on a regional level. Although healthcare providers are aware of the importance of oral care for older adults requiring long‐term care, reports claim that the provision of oral care is insufficient, and a framework is being built for the provision of oral hygiene management by dental professionals.

Oral Frailty as a Risk Factor for Physical Frailty and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Elderly

Background Oral health is important for maintaining general health among the elderly. However, a longitudinal association between poor oral health and general health has not been reported. We investigated whether poor oral status can predict physical weakening (physical frailty, sarcopenia, and subsequent disability) and identified the longitudinal impact of the accumulated poor oral health (i.e. oral frailty) on adverse health outcomes, including mortality. Methods A total of 2,011 elderly individuals (aged ≥ 65 years) participated in the baseline survey of the Kashiwa study in 2012. At baseline, 16 oral status measures and covariates such as demographic characteristics were assessed. As outcomes, physical frailty and sarcopenia were assessed at baseline and at follow-up in 2013 and 2014. Physical independence and survival were assessed from 2012 to 2016 at the time of long-term care certification and time of death. Results Poor oral status as determined by the number of natural teeth, chewing ability, articulatory oral motor skill, tongue pressure, and subjective difficulties in eating and swallowing significantly predicted future physical weakening (new onsets of physical frailty, sarcopenia, and disability). Oral frailty was defined as co-existing poor status in ≥3 of the six measures. Sixteen per cent of participants had oral frailty at baseline, which was significantly associated with 2.4-, 2.2-, 2.3-, and 2.2-fold increased risk of physical frailty, sarcopenia, disability, and mortality, respectively. Conclusion Accumulated poor oral status strongly predicted the onset of adverse health outcomes, including mortality among the community-dwelling elderly. Prevention of oral frailty at an earlier stage is essential for healthy aging.