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Background: Geriatric conditions (GCs) are common in the elderly population, but their clinical significance in acute care is not well understood. In this study, we first investigated the cross-sectional associations of GCs with frailty and polypharmacy at the time of admission to an acute care geriatric ward. Then, to clarify the clinical significance of GCs in acute care, we prospectively examined the association of GCs with the incidence of hospital-acquired complications and consequences after discharge.Methods: Participants were 184 patients (40.2% male: mean age, 85.0 ± 6.0 years) hospitalized in an acute care geriatric ward at a university hospital. We examined the cross-sectional associations of GCs with frailty and polypharmacy by multiple regression analysis, and then the associations of GCs with the incidence of hospital-acquired complications, falls, and death within 3 months of discharge by multiple logistic regression analysis.Results: GCs were associated with frailty and use of polypharmacy, independent of multiple morbidity. GCs were also associated with re-admission within 3 months of discharge; however, there was no significant association with the incidence of hospital-acquired complications, falls, or mortality after discharge.Conclusions: These findings suggest that GCs are clinically significant in the hospitalized elderly and further research on GCs is warranted.

A 93-year-old woman was diagnosed with Lysinibacillus fusiformis bacteremia complicated with coma blisters. Initial gram staining for L. fusiformis indicated the presence of gram-negative rods; however, subsequent staining of colonies from Mueller-Hinton agar revealed the presence of gram-positive and gram-negative rods with spherical endospores, and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (VITEK ® MS and microflex® LT/SH) definitively identified the organism as L. fusiformis. The two-week administration of piperacillin/tazobactam and ampicillin resulted in an improvement of the patient's general condition, and the skin lesions gradually improved.

Dehydration is highly prevalent in hospitalized older adults and has been linked to poor outcomes. It is considered a modifiable factor, so early identification and intervention may avoid adverse events and improve quality of life after discharge. Hospital-associated disability (HAD) is known to be a poor prognostic factor and can be categorized into mobility impairment and self-care impairment in setting goals for management. Few studies have directly examined the association between dehydration and HAD and therefore here we examined whether dehydration is a predictor of HAD categorized into mobility and self-care impairment among acute hospitalized older adults.Patients aged 65 years or older who were admitted to the geriatric ward of an acute hospital were recruited for this prospective cohort study. Estimated serum osmolarity 300 mOsm/kg was defined as current dehydration. HAD was assessed between baseline and discharge and at 3 months after discharge, and was evaluated separately for mobility and self-care impairments.In total, 192 patients (mean age, 84.7 years; male, 41.1%; dehydration, 31.3%) were analyzed. The occurrence of HAD was significantly higher in the dehydrated group than in the non-dehydrated group (42.4% vs 26.5%) from baseline to 3 months after discharge. In multiple logistic regression analysis, dehydration was significantly associated with HAD in self-care from baseline to 3 months after discharge (odds ratio, 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.94).Dehydration could predict the occurrence of HAD in acute hospitalized older adults. A multifaceted approach may be necessary to improve the management of dehydration in these patients.

Background: Polypharmacy, usually defined as the use of 5 or more drugs, is associated with reduced quality of life, adverse events, and frailty. Slow gait speed is a component of physical frailty, and some studies have suggested an association between polypharmacy and slow gait speed. Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of polypharmacy on the gait difference according to stages of cognitive decline in a cross-sectional study of memory clinic patients. Methods: Participants were 431 outpatients aged 65 year or older who were cognitively normal (CN) or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Participants were divided into a polypharmacy group and a non-polypharmacy group in each group. Multiple regression analysis and logistic analysis were used for data analysis. Results: There were 182 patients in the polypharmacy group and 249 patients in the non-polypharmacy group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that gait speed had significant negative associations with number of medications and polypharmacy status in the CN group (β: –0.026 [–0.041 to –0.0018] and –0.128 [–0.022 to –0.0033], respectively) and MCI group (–0.018 [–0.028 to –0.0009] and –0.100 [–0.166 to –0.0034]). Logistic regression analysis also showed that number of medications was associated with slow gait status (

Background: Homocysteine is a common risk factor for cognitive impairment and sarcopenia. However, very few studies have shown an association between sarcopenia and serum homocysteine levels after adjustment for cognitive function. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between homocysteine and sarcopenia in memory clinic patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated outpatients in a memory clinic. We enrolled 1,774 participants (≥65 years old) with measured skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), hand grip strength (HGS), and homocysteine. All participants had undergone cognitive assessments and were diagnosed with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or normal cognition. Patient characteristics were compared according to sarcopenia presence, SMI level, or HGS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association of homocysteine with sarcopenia, low SMI, or low HGS. Next, linear regression analysis was performed using HGS as a continuous variable. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that low HGS was significantly associated with homocysteine levels (p = 0.002), but sarcopenia and low SMI were not. In linear regression analysis, HGS was negatively associated with homocysteine levels after adjustment for Mini-Mental State Examination score (β= –2.790, p

Background: Few studies have investigated associations between types of clock drawing test (CDT) errors and cognitive impairment. Objective: To explore associations of qualitative errors in the CDT with comprehensive neurocognitive assessment scores and clinical diagnosis. Methods: Outpatients at a memory clinic were enrolled. Frequencies of errors determined by Cahn’s method were explored according to cognitive status (cognitively normal [CN] (n = 279), mild cognitive impairment [MCI] (n = 321), and Alzheimer’s disease [AD]) (n = 575). Neuropsychological assessment scores were compared between participants with and without errors. Results: Stimulus-bound response (SB) was relatively rare (6.8%) in the CN group but was markedly more common in the MCI (23.4%) and AD (33.2%) groups. Conceptual deficit (CD) was found in more than 20%of CN individuals, as well as about 50%of AD patients. Planning deficit (PD) frequencies were relatively similar among the groups. SB in both of CN and MCI individuals, and CD in both of CN and MCI individuals were associated with lower scores in several neuropsychological assessments. Meanwhile, PD was not associated with lower assessment scores in any of CN, MCI, or AD individuals. Conclusion: The frequencies of SB and CD increased from CN, MCI, to AD but showed somewhat different patterns. Both SB and CD were associated with lower cognition in all three cognitive stages.

Frailty is a dynamic status that can worsen or improve. However, changes in their frailty status that occur during hospitalization and their significance have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we explored the association between such changes and mortality 3 months after discharge in older adults hospitalized for acute care. In total, 257 participants (mean age 84.95 ± 5.88, 41.6% male) completed comprehensive geriatric assessments, including the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) at admission and discharge. Mean CFS score was 5.14 ± 1.35 at admission. CFS scores increased, indicating deteriorating frailty, in 29.2% of the participants (75/257) during hospitalization. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated a positive association between increased CFS score during hospitalization and mortality (odds ratio, 2.987) independent of potential co-founding factors. This deterioration in frailty during hospitalization may be modifiable risk factor of poor prognosis in older adults who need acute care hospitalization.

Background Cognitive impairment is linked to decreased quality of life (QOL), but few studies have investigated the impact of comorbid sarcopenia. Objective The aim of this study was to elucidate the association of sarcopenia with QOL in patients with early dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Methods Individuals with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 20-30 underwent a battery of neuropsychological assessments administered by a group of well-trained clinical psychologists. The EQ-5D was completed by both the patients and their main caregivers. EQ-5D utility and visual analog scale scores were measured. Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria published in the 2019 consensus update by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Results Patients with sarcopenia had significantly lower scores on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Trail Making Test Part A. There was a significant negative association between sarcopenia and both self- and proxy-rated EQ-5D utility scores independent of potential confounding factors. However, there was no association between QOL visual analog scale scores and sarcopenia. Conclusion Given that sarcopenia is often found in individuals with cognitive impairment, early detection by timely screening and effective intervention may help to maintain or improve QOL in this population. However, this study could not determine whether reduced QOL is a direct consequence of sarcopenia.

Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the EQ-5D twice in 1 year in 57 older community-dwelling people (age 79.1±5.9 years) with mild cognitive impairment in a memory clinic. Screening for sarcopenia at the initial assessment revealed 40.1% of participants (23/57) were sarcopenic. QOL declined in 33.3% of participants (19/57) after around 1 year. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia was associated with a decline in QOL around 1 year after initial assessment. Sarcopenia may be a risk factor for decline in QOL in older people with mild cognitive impairment.

To elucidate recent prescription trends for older adults and the background underlying changes over time with a particular focus on the prevalence of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs).We cross-sectionally collected prescription data of patients aged ≧65 years who visited chain pharmacies dispensing prescribed drugs from all types of outpatient settings for one month in two sampling periods (October, 2014 and December, 2019), and the data were analysed. Prevalence of polypharmacy and factors associated with PIMs between the two periods were investigated.The average number of drugs prescribed decreased over time (4.05 ± 3.24 in 2014 vs. 3.98 ± 3.16 in 2019, p0.001), as did the prevalence of polypharmacy (50.1% in 2014 vs. 48.2% in 2019, p0.001). Meanwhile, the prevalence of PIMs exhibited a marked increase (overall: 26.8% in 2014 vs. 43.7% in 2019, aged 65-74: 25.6% in 2014 vs. 40.3% in 2019, aged 75-84: 27.4% in 2014 vs. 43.9% in 2019), which was the most pronounced in patients aged over 85 (29.4% in 2014 vs. 53.0% in 2019). The number of classes of drugs positively associated with PIMs in 2019 increased from that in 2014. The increasing trend was most prominently observed in the oldest age category (over 85 years, 2 in 2014 vs. 6 in 2019).The comparison of monthly prescribing data with an interval of 5 years suggested an increasing trend in the prevalence of PIMs, contrary to the declining prevalence of polypharmacy.

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often make qualitative errors on the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and these errors are reported to be associated with lower scores on neuropsychological assessments. However, the association of CDT errors with non-cognitive characteristics has not been investigated in individuals with MCI to date. In this study, we explored this association in older adults with MCI who made qualitative errors on the CDT. Outpatients at a memory clinic with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of 0.5 (n = 193) were included. The CDT was evaluated using Cahn et al.’s method and non-cognitive characteristics were compared between participants with and without CDT errors. The non-cognitive characteristics compared included normal and maximum gait speeds, grip strength, muscle mass, and severity of white matter lesions. Participants with the CDT error type of conceptual deficit (CD; n = 58) had significantly slower normal and maximum gait speeds, and multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and sex revealed CD was significantly associated with the slowest tertile of maximum gait speed. No other non-cognitive characteristics were significantly associated with errors on the CDT.

Muscle ultrasound is a non-invasive technique that enables identification of the quantity and quality of muscle tissue. It has been used not only for diagnosis of sarcopenia but also for prediction of outcomes in clinical practice. There is now increasing awareness that muscle changes detected during acute hospitalization indicate acute sarcopenia leading to worse outcomes. However, to our knowledge, few studies have investigated this in hospitalized older adults. The aim of this study was to determine whether muscle changes on muscle ultrasound can predict poor outcomes in acute hospitalized older adults.This prospective, observational cohort study involved 145 acute hospitalized older adults. Bilateral anterior thigh thickness (BATT), echo intensity (EI), and corrected EI of the quadriceps were assessed on admission and 7 d later. The primary outcome was mortality, and the secondary outcomes were hospital-associated complications and decline in activities of daily living (ADLs) at 3 mo after discharge.Changes in BATT, EI, and corrected EI at 7 d after admission were found in 0.2%, 0.0%, and 0.2% of cases, respectively. The respective rates for mortality, hospital-associated complications, and ADL decline were 8.7%, 52.8%, and 43%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the BATT value at admission tended to be associated with mortality. Changes in BATT, EI, and collected EI were not associated with adverse outcomes.Acute muscle changes on muscle ultrasound were not associated with mortality, ADL decline, or hospital-associated complications in acute hospitalized older adults. More research in various settings is needed to clarify the value of muscle ultrasound in clinical practice.

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often make qualitative errors on the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and these errors are reported to be associated with lower scores on neuropsychological assessments. Gait speed is also closely associated with cognitive dysfunction. However, the association between CDT errors and gait speed has not been investigated in individuals with MCI. Therefore, in this study, we explored the association between gait speed and qualitative errors on the CDT. Participants were 196 outpatients at a memory clinic with a clinical dementia rating of 0.5. The CDT was evaluated using the method of Cahn et al. The participants were divided into tertiles of normal and maximum gait speeds. The CDT error types of stimulus-bound response, conceptual deficit (CD), and planning deficit were found in 24.5%, 29.6%, and 30.1% of the participants, respectively. CD was found in 43.6% of the slowest tertile of maximum gait and in 22.2% of the fastest tertile. Multiple linear regression analysis gait speeds as objective continuous variables revealed that CD was significantly negatively associated with maximum gait, but not with normal gait. No other error types were associated with gait speeds. Only CD type error on the CDT was negatively associated with maximum gait speed, but not normal gait speed in the current study. The association between the qualitative error on the CDT and gait speed provides further basis of the clinical importance of qualitative assessments of CDT.

Aims: As the number of older people with dementia increases, safe pharmacotherapy in this population has attracted attention in recent years. The aims of this study were to clarify the prescribing patterns in older patients who were prescribed anti-dementia drugs and to investigate the association of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) with the use of anti-dementia drugs. Methods: Adults aged ≥65 years, who were prescribed anti-dementia drugs at 585 pharmacies across Japan (N = 7,953), were surveyed. The percentage of prescriptions of anti-dementia drugs and the effect of those prescriptions on PIMs were investigated. Results: Prescriptions of anti-dementia drugs were found in 4.4% of the entire study population. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the use of anti-dementia drugs reduced the risk of prescribing psychotropic drugs, which represented PIMs, and that a combination of anti-dementia drugs (e.g., cholineesterase inhibitor with memantine) may reduce the risk of prescribing PIMs compared with monotherapy. Conclusion: The use of anti-dementia drugs was associated with fewer prescriptions of drugs considered as PIMs.

AIM Polypharmacy has been reported to be associated with poor outcomes, including falls and frailty, in older populations. Past studies have found that slower walking speed is a good predictor of progression to frank dementia in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Some studies of the general population reported that polypharmacy was associated with slower gait speed; however, it remains to be elucidated whether polypharmacy affects gait speed even in individuals with MCI, who already have some deterioration in gait compared with cognitively preserved individuals. The current study explored the association between the number of medications and gait speed in older adults with MCI who have a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5. METHODS A total of 128 individuals with MCI were included in the present study. The participants were divided into three groups according to the number of medications they were taking: up to four medications was non-polypharmacy; five to nine medications was polypharmacy; and ≥10 medications was hyperpolypharmacy. The background characteristics were compared by analysis of variance for numerical numbers, and by χ2 analysis for categorical factors. Multiple regression and logistic analysis were applied to investigate the association between gait speed and polypharmacy status or number of medications. RESULTS Gait speed was significantly negatively associated with hyperpolypharmacy status and the number of medications. Slow gait speed (

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the serum creatinine/cystatin C ratio (CCR) with hand grip strength (HGS), total body muscle mass, trunk muscle mass, and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) in patients attending a memory clinic.This cross-sectional study enrolled outpatients of a memory clinic in Japan from October 2010 to July 2017.We enrolled 1945 participants aged 60 years or older with measured skeletal muscle mass, HGS, and serum creatinine and serum cystatin C levels.Linear multiple regression analysis was performed for men and women using total body muscle mass, trunk muscle mass, and SMI as objective variables. The exposure variables were selected from previous reports if they were strongly linked to muscle mass. Total body muscle mass and trunk muscle mass were corrected by dividing by body weight. Multiple regression analysis was also conducted for men and women using HGS as an objective variable. Because cognitive function and HGS are strongly related, we also conducted sensitivity analysis by excluding participants with a Mini-Mental State Examination score 24 to alleviate any concern that we did not fully adjust for the effect of cognitive dysfunction.In men, CCR was significantly associated with total body muscle mass, trunk muscle mass, and SMI (P = 0.013, P = 0.008, and P 0.001, respectively). In women, CCR was significantly associated with total body muscle mass and trunk muscle mass (P = 0.013 and P 0.001, respectively), but not with SMI (P = 0.932). On the other hand, CCR was significantly associated with grip strength in both men and women (P 0.001 and P 0.001, respectively).CCR was associated with both muscle mass and muscle strength. This study suggests that CCR is a useful marker not only for muscle mass but also for muscle strength.

Aim Cerebral small vessel disease and lower urinary tract symptoms are common in older people. However, the association between white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and overactive bladder (OAB) is not fully understood. We aimed to identify the relationship between WMH and OAB. Methods We carried out neuropsychological testing and head magnetic resonance imaging (T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) of 72 outpatients at a memory clinic and evaluated their Overactive Bladder Symptom Score. WMH was assessed using the Fazekas scale, and WMH volumes were determined using Software for Neuro-Image Processing in Experimental Research. OAB was diagnosed based on a urinary urgency score (the third question of the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score) of two or higher and a total Overactive Bladder Symptom Score of three or higher. Multivariate logistic analysis was carried out, with the presence/absence of overactive bladder as the outcome variable, and age, sex, body mass index and diabetes mellitus as covariates. Results Of the 72 participants, 17 (24%) were diagnosed with OAB. WMH assessed by the visual rating scale was not associated with OAB. However, participants with OAB showed significantly higher WMH volume than those without OAB. Regionally, participants with OAB showed high WMH volume in the frontal, occipital and parietal lobes. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that WMH was significantly associated with OAB (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.11-2.98), after adjustment for clinically important confounders. Conclusions Cerebral WMH volume is associated with OAB, independent of age, sex, body mass index and diabetes mellitus. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••-••.

This prospective, cross-sectional, cohort observational study was conducted to evaluate the associations between sedentary behavior and arteriosclerosis-related vascular issues in community-dwelling frail older adults. We included 116 Japanese community-dwelling older adults (92 females and 24 males) who availed daycare at two long-term care insurance facilities in the cities of Yokkaichi and Handa between 2017 and 2019. An unpaired

Chronic dehydration mainly occurs due to insufficient fluid intake over a lengthy period of time, and nursing home residents are thought to be at high risk for chronic dehydration. However, few studies have investigated chronic dehydration, and new diagnostic methods are needed. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify risk factors for chronic dehydration by measuring serum osmolality in nursing home residents and also to evaluate whether examining the inferior vena cava (IVC) and determining the IVC collapsibility index (IVC-CI) by ultrasound can be helpful in the diagnosis of chronic dehydration. A total of 108 Japanese nursing home residents aged &ge, 65 years were recruited. IVC measurement was performed using a portable handheld ultrasound device. Fifteen residents (16.9%) were classified as having chronic dehydration (serum osmolality &ge, 295 mOsm/kg). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that chronic dehydration was associated with dementia (odds ratio (OR), 6.290, 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.270&ndash, 31.154) and higher BMI (OR, 1.471, 95% CI, 1.105&ndash, 1.958) but not with IVC or IVC-CI. Cognitive function and body weight of residents should be considered when establishing a strategy for preventing chronic dehydration in nursing homes.

To evaluate the predictability of progression of cognitive impairment to dementia using qualitative clock drawing test (CDT) scores, we administered both the CDT using Cahn et al.’s qualitative scoring system and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function in non-demented older individuals attending a memory clinic at a university hospital. Patients visiting the clinic for assessment of cognitive function between January 2015 and December 2019 were enrolled, and only those who were diagnosed as not having dementia at the time of initial assessment completed a follow-up assessment at 1 y (n = 163). To examine any association of qualitative CDT score with progression to dementia, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with the change in diagnosis from non-dementia to dementia at 1 y as the dependent variable. A total of 26 participants (16.0%) were diagnosed as having converted to dementia. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that both the qualitative CDT score using Cahn et al.’s scoring system and the existence of conceptual deficits were significantly associated with progression to dementia at 1 y after initial assessment of cognitive function, irrespective of the MMSE score, among non-demented older individuals. The CDT may be a useful predictor of progression to dementia in primary care settings.

Aim Polypharmacy, which is often observed in elderly patients, has been associated with several unfavorable outcomes, including an increased risk of potentially inappropriate medications, medication non-adherence, drug duplication, drug–drug interactions, higher healthcare costs and adverse drug reactions. A significant association between polypharmacy and adverse outcomes among older people living in the community has also been confirmed. A reduction in the number of medications should thus be pursued for many older individuals. Nevertheless, the factors associated with polypharmacy in elderly home-care patients have not been reported. Here, we investigated those factors in elderly home-care patients in Japan. Methods We used the data of the participants in the Observational Study of Nagoya Elderly with Home Medical investigation. Polypharmacy was defined as the current use of six or more different medications. We carried out univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations between polypharmacy and each of several factors. Results A total of 153 home-care patients were registered. The mean number of medications used per patient was 5.9, and 51.5% of the patients belonged to the polypharmacy group. The multivariate model showed that the patients’ scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the Mini-Nutrition Assessment Short Form were inversely associated with polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medication was most strongly associated with polypharmacy (odds ratio 4.992). Conclusions The present findings showed that polypharmacy was quite common among the elderly home-care patients, and they suggest that home-care physicians should prescribe fewer medications in accord with the deterioration of home-care patients’ general condition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; ••: ••–••.

Background Hospital-associated complications are associated with adverse outcomes after discharge, and a method to help predict the occurrence of these complications needs to be established. Sarcopenia is thought to be one of the factors associated with hospital-associated complication, but sarcopenia assessment in hospitalized patients is often difficult. Focus has recently been placed on morphological and qualitative evaluation of muscle by ultrasound as an index of sarcopenia. Therefore, in this study, we sought to clarify the association of hospital-associated complication with muscle thickness or echo intensity measured by ultrasound and with commonly used sarcopenia-related parameters. Methods This is a prospective observational cohort study with 156 hospitalized older patients recruited over a year. Bilateral thigh muscle thickness of rectus femoris and vastus intermedius, echo intensity and corrected echo intensity of rectus femoris were measured by ultrasound. Also measured were the sarcopenia-related parameters of handgrip strength, skeletal muscle index, and maximum calf circumference. Hospital-associated complication was defined as the occurrence of any of the following complications: delirium, functional decline, incontinence, falls, pressure injuries, and nosocomial infections. Results Of 156 patients enrolled at admission, hospital-associated complication was observed in 70 (54.3%). With-hospital-associated complication group had a higher prevalence of emergency admission and a higher corrected echo intensity than without-hospital-associated complication group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only higher corrected echo intensity was associated with hospital-associated complication (odds ratio 1.036; 95% confidence interval, 1.001–1.072), while handgrip strength, bilateral thigh muscle thickness, skeletal muscle index, and maximum calf circumference were not. Conclusions Corrected echo intensity might be a useful parameter to help predict hospital-associated complication in acute hospitalized older patients and might contribute to establishing a strategy to prevent hospital-associated complication.

Orexin-A is a neuropeptide mainly produced by hypothalamic neurons with functions in the central nervous system such as regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Recent studies suggest that orexin-A also plays major roles in peripheral tissues. Although a few studies have reported a role for the kidney in the dynamics of orexin-A, little is known about the association between plasma orexin-A-like immunoreactivity (orexin-A-LI) levels and renal function. We evaluated this association, and also explored other clinical characteristics associated with plasma orexin-A-LI levels. In this cross-sectional study, we included 70 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years admitted to the geriatric ward of Nagoya University Hospital from December 2017 to January 2018. Patients taking suvorexant (an orexin receptor antagonist) were excluded. On hospital days 2–4, fasting blood was collected in the morning. We evaluated associations between plasma orexin-A-LI levels and renal function and other clinical characteristics. Renal function was evaluated in two ways: the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using serum creatinine, and estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl) using the Cockroft-Gault formula. Pearson’s correlation coefficient revealed that plasma orexin-A-LI levels were negatively correlated with the eGFR (r = −0.351, p = 0.003) and eCrCl (r = −0.342, p = 0.004). There were no significant associations between plasma orexin-A-LI levels and the primary diagnosis, body mass index, duration of fasting, or other clinical characteristics. In conclusion, plasma orexin-A-LI levels were negatively correlated with renal function in patients in a geriatric ward. Renal function may affect the study design and data interpretation in studies of plasma orexin-A-LI.

Aim The prevalence of constipation and prevalence of pollakisuria among older patients receiving home medical care have not been reported, and risk factors for these symptoms are not clear in this setting. The present study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors of constipation and pollakisuria among older patients receiving home medical care in Japan. Methods This study utilized data from patients in the Observational Study of Nagoya Elderly with Home Medical Care (n = 153). We carried out univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with the presence of constipation or pollakisuria as the dependent variable to evaluate the relationships between constipation or pollakisuria and several covariates. Results The prevalence of constipation and pollakisuria were 56.9% and 15.7%, respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that constipation was associated with Charlson Comorbidity Index score, polypharmacy and pollakisuria, and pollakisuria was associated with constipation and insomnia. Cardiovascular disease was inversely associated with constipation. Conclusions The prevalence of constipation among home-care patients was as high as that reported for nursing home residents and higher than that among community-dwelling individuals. Clinicians should be aware of increased constipation risk among home-care patients, particularly for those with a high Carlson Comorbidity Index score, polypharmacy and/or pollakisuria. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 277-281.

Aim The Japan Diabetes Society and The Japan Geriatric Society made a joint committee and published a new glycemic target in May 2016. Because reports on the state of glycemic control in elderly diabetic patients are insufficient, we investigated the state of glycemic control in this population before the new glycemic target was established. Methods We enrolled patients older than 65 years of age who had been prescribed antidiabetic drugs and hospitalized in the geriatric department of Nagoya University Hospital from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016. We investigated the participants' HbA1c, prescription of antidiabetic drugs carrying risks of severe hypoglycemia (risk drugs) at hospitalization, cognitive function, basic activities of daily living, and instrumental activities of daily living. Results A total of 63 patients were enrolled. Thirty-five patients were male, the mean age was 83.1±5.9 years old, and the average HbA1c was 7.6%±1.5%. The numbers of patients assigned to categories I, II, and III were 10, 12, and 41, respectively. For prescription of risk drugs, 6 participants were assigned to category I, 8 to category II, and 22 to category III. Prescription of risk drugs was associated with the HbA1c. Approximately one third of the patients using risk drugs had a lower HbA1c than the target value. Conclusions Risk drugs was not significantly associated with the established categories or age. Many of the patients who were prescribed risk drugs had a lower HbA1c than the target values.

Polypharmacy, which is often observed in elderly patients, has been associated with several unfavorable outcomes, including an increased risk of potentially inappropriate medications, medication non-adherence, drug duplication, drug-drug interactions, higher healthcare costs and adverse drug reactions. A significant association between polypharmacy and adverse outcomes among older people living in the community has also been confirmed. A reduction in the number of medications should thus be pursued for many older individuals. Nevertheless, the factors associated with polypharmacy in elderly home-care patients have not been reported. Here, we investigated those factors in elderly home-care patients in Japan.We used the data of the participants in the Observational Study of Nagoya Elderly with Home Medical investigation. Polypharmacy was defined as the current use of six or more different medications. We carried out univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations between polypharmacy and each of several factors.A total of 153 home-care patients were registered. The mean number of medications used per patient was 5.9, and 51.5% of the patients belonged to the polypharmacy group. The multivariate model showed that the patients' scores on the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the Mini-Nutrition Assessment Short Form were inversely associated with polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medication was most strongly associated with polypharmacy (odds ratio 4.992).The present findings showed that polypharmacy was quite common among the elderly home-care patients, and they suggest that home-care physicians should prescribe fewer medications in accord with the deterioration of home-care patients' general condition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 33-41.

We have created a universal and simple scale of evaluation for urine of the connection pipe attached to a urine collection bag. The figure of the Roman numeral II is printed in black in four different sizes (10.5, 18, 36, and 72 points) using the MS Gothic letter configuration of Microsoft Word® on white paper. If this paper is, then, placed beneath the connection pipe attached to a urine collection bag, it becomes possible to determine the grade of hematuria by checking whether the gap between the two lines of II can be seen clearly through the hematuria. Furthermore, we are also able to evaluate the grade of hematuria of urine collected in a cup, by pouring the urine into a small clear tube of the same diameter as the connection pipe.

The photoreaction of 2,3-di[(E)-styryl]pyrazine derivatives was carried out in the crystalline state and in solution. Among them, 2,3-di(p-chlorostyryl)pyrazine and 2,3-di(p-cyanostyryl)pyrazine were photoreactive in the crystalline state and gave, upon photoirradiation, [2.2]orthocyclophanes in 76 and 58% yields, respectively. Such a topochemical photo-behavior was interpreted on the basis of X-ray crystallographic analyses of the crystals. The photoirradiation of 2,3-distyrylpyrazine in solution gave [2.2]orthocyclophane and anti head-to-tail type monocyclic dimer as the major products. The yields of the products varied depending on the solvent; with decreasing the polarity of the solvent, the yield of the cyclophane decreased, whereas the yield of the monocyclic dimer increased. In a similar manner, the photoirradiation of the other 2,3-distyrylpyrazine derivatives in acetonitrile/chloroform (10/1) or acetonitrile gave the corresponding [2.2]orthocyclophanes and monocyclic dimers, respectively, as majo...

The photoreaction of 2,3-di[(E)-styryl]pyrazine derivatives was carried out in the crystalline state and in solution. Among them, 2,3-di(p-chlorostyryl)pyrazine and 2,3-di(p-cyanostyryl)pyrazine were photoreactive in the crystalline state and gave, upon photoirradiation, [2.2]orthocyclophanes in 76 and 58% yields, respectively. Such a topochemical photo-behavior was interpreted on the basis of X-ray crystallographic analyses of the crystals. The photoirradiation of 2,3-distyrylpyrazine in solution gave [2.2]orthocyclophane and anti head-to-tail type monocyclic dimer as the major products. The yields of the products varied depending on the solvent; with decreasing the polarity of the solvent, the yield of the cyclophane decreased, whereas the yield of the monocyclic dimer increased. In a similar manner, the photoirradiation of the other 2,3-distyrylpyrazine derivatives in acetonitrile/chloroform (10/1) or acetonitrile gave the corresponding [2.2]orthocyclophanes and monocyclic dimers, respectively, as majo...