Association between bone mass as assessed by quantitative ultrasound and physical function in elderly women: The Fujiwara-kyo study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate differences in physical function by bone mass category as assessed by speed of sound, and the association between bone mass and physical function in Japanese elderly women. Methods: Participants (≥65 years, n = 954) were divided into the osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal groups based on speed of sound values, and physical function parameters were compared among groups. In addition, the predictive ability of physical function for low bone mass was determined by area under the curve analysis. Data were collected in 4 cities in Nara, Japan, in 2007 or 2008. Results: All physical functions were significantly lower in the osteoporotic group than in the normal group. Lower bone mass was associated with poor muscle strength and physical function after adjusting for age, height and weight. In addition, one-leg standing time and 10-m gait time were predictive of low bone mass (osteopenia and osteoporosis levels, respectively). Elderly women with low physical function, especially those with a short one-leg standing time, should be suspected of having decreased bone mass. Conclusions: Measurements of physical function can effectively identify elderly women with low bone mass at an early stage without the need for bone mass measurements. In particular, one-leg standing time and 10-m gait time were good predictors of low bone mass, and is easy to measure, low-cost, and can be self-measured. These findings will be helpful in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Effects of visual impairment on mobility functions in elderly: Results of Fujiwara-kyo Eye Study.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between a visual impairment (VI) and mobility functions in an elderly Japanese cohort. The subjects of this study were part of the Fujiwara-kyo Eye Study, a cross sectional epidemiological study of elderly individuals conducted by Nara Medical University. Participants were ≥70-years who lived in the Nara Prefecture. All underwent comprehensive ophthalmological examinations, and a VI was defined as a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 20/40 in the better eye. The associations between the BCVA and walking speed and one-leg standing time were determined. The medical history and health conditions were evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire. A total of the 2,809 subjects whose mean age was 76.3 ± 4.8 years (± standard deviation) were studied. The individuals with a VI (2.1%) had significantly slower walking speeds and shorter one-leg standing times than that of the non-VI individuals (1.5±0.4 vs 1.7±0.4 m/sec, P<0.01; 17.1±19.6 vs 27.6±21.3 sec, P<0.01, respectively). Univariate logistic regression found that the odds ratio (OR) for the slower walking speed (<1 m/sec) in the VI individuals was significantly higher at 7.40 (3.36-16.30;95% CI, P <0.001) than in non-VI individuals. It was still significantly higher at 4.50 (1.87-10.85;95% CI, P = 0.001) in the multivariate logistic regression model after adjusting for the BCVA, age, sex, current smoking habit, and health conditions. Our results indicate that the walking speed and one-leg standing times were significantly associated with VI