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Background: There is increasing use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) alone or as an adjuvant therapy to conventional medicines in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence and correlates of the use of CAMs among community‐dwelling older adults. Methods: Data from the Tasmania Older Adult Cohort Study (TASOAC, n = 1099) were used to describe the prevalence of CAM use. Correlates of CAM use were assessed by comparing CAM users and non‐users. To further assess correlates of CAM use, participants with at least one joint with pain were classified into four categories: CAM‐only, analgesics‐only, co‐therapy, and "neither CAMs nor analgesics" (NCNA). Results: In all, 385 (35.0%) of our participants reported use of CAMs, among which vitamins/minerals were used most (22.6%, n = 232). Compared with CAM non‐users, CAM users were more likely to be female, were less likely to be overweight, were better educated, had more joints with OA, had fewer WOMAC scores, and did more steps per day. Among participants with any joint pain, the CAM‐only group were less likely to be overweight, consumed more alcohol, had higher quality of life, had more steps per day, and had fewer pain‐related symptoms compared with the analgesic‐only group. Conclusion: Complementary and alternative medicines were commonly used among Tasmanian older adults, with 35% of the population using CAMs either alone or in combination with conventional analgesics. CAM users were more likely to be female, be better educated, have more joints with OA, and had healthier lifestyles, including lower body mass index and higher number of steps per day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Osteodynapenia but not osteosarcopenia increased the risk of fracture. • Osteodynapenia did not lead to a significantly greater fracture risk compared to having osteopenia or dynapenia alone. • Osteosarcopenia but not osteodynapenia increased the risk of mortality. • Osteosarcopenia did not lead to a significantly greater mortality risk compared to having osteopenia or sacropenia alone. Abstract Aim: To determine whether older adults with low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and strength (dynapenia), in the presence of osteoporosis/osteopenia, have an increased risk of fracture and mortality over 10 years, compared to those with low muscle or low bone mass alone or with neither condition. Methods: 1032 participants (52% women; mean age 62.9 ± 7.4 years) were prospectively followed for 10 years. Mortality was ascertained from the death registry and fractures were self-reported. Baseline appendicular lean mass (ALM) was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and normalised to body mass index (BMI). Hand grip strength (HGS) was assessed by dynamometer. Osteosarcopenia and osteodynapenia were defined as having T-scores of the total hip and/or lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) < –1 combined with being in the lowest 20% of the sex-specific distribution for ALM/BMI or HGS respectively. Results: Incident fracture risk was significantly higher in participants who were osteodynapenic (RR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.26–3.39), dynapenic alone (RR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.05–2.87), and osteopenic alone (RR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.15–2.31), compared to those without dynapenia or osteopenia. Mortality risk was significantly higher only in participants with osteosarcopenia (RR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.01–2.21) compared to those without sarcopenia or osteopenia. However, osteosarcopenia and osteodynapenia did not lead to a significantly greater fracture or mortality risk compared to having these conditions on their own. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the combined effect of osteopenia and sarcopenia or dynapenia on fracture and mortality risk, respectively, may not be greater than that of each individual condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent emerging data indicate that obesity is an important risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility and may be associated with MS disability progression. Marked interactions between obesity and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype with regard to the risk of MS have been reported. Evidence from Mendelian randomization studies also point to a causal relationship between obesity and MS risk. In this report, we aimed to analyze the current evidence of the relationship between obesity and risk of MS and disability progression, examine data on the interaction between obesity and HLA risk genes of MS and Mendelian randomization studies and to explore the plausible biological mechanisms that may underlie this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine and compare risk factors associated with incident fractures in older adults with and without obesity, defined by both body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. 1,099 older adults (mean ± standard deviation age = 63.0 ± 7.5) years, participated in this prospective cohort study. Obesity status at baseline was defined by BMI (≥30 kg/m2) obtained by anthropometry and body fat percentage (≥30% for men and ≥40% for women) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Total hip and lumbar spine areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were assessed by DXA up to five years. Incident fractures were self-reported up to 10 years. Prevalence of obesity was 28% according to BMI and 43% according to body fat percentage. Obese older adults by BMI, but not body fat percentage, had significantly higher aBMD at the total hip and spine compared with non-obese (both p-value<0.05). Obese older adults by body fat percentage had significantly higher likelihood of all incident fractures (OR: 1.71; CI:1.08, 2.71) and non-vertebral fractures (OR: 1.88; CI:1.16, 3.04) compared with non-obese after adjusting for confounders. Conversely, obese older adults by BMI had a significantly lower likelihood (OR: 0.54; CI:0.31, 0.94) of non-vertebral fractures although this was no longer significant after adjustment for total hip aBMD (all p-value > 0.05). Mediation analysis confirmed that aBMD meditated the effects of BMI, but not body fat percentage, on all incident fractures. Higher baseline falls risk score was the only consistent predictor of increased likelihood of incident fracture in obese individuals only, according to both BMI and body fat percentage (both p-value<0.05). Obesity defined by body fat percentage is associated with increased likelihood of incident fractures in community-dwelling older adults, whereas those who are obese according to BMI have reduced likelihood of incident fracture which appears to be explained by higher aBMD. Falls risk assessment may improve identification of obese older adults at increased risk of incident fractures. • Prevalence of obesity was 28% (body mass index) and 43% (body fat %). • Obese older adults defined by body fat % have increased risk of incident fractures. • High body mass index was associated with reduced risk of incident fractures. • High falls risk score was predictive of incident fracture among obese older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]