Background Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a common health problem among older adults. Previous studies have revealed the relationship between sleep duration as well as global sleep status and MetS. Objectives This study aims to examine the association between the specific sleep characteristic and MetS as well as MetS components among community-dwelling old adults. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1499 community residents aged ≥ 60 years. Sleep characteristics were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and bed/rise time of the residents. Logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to examine the associations between sleep characteristics and MetS as well as MetS components. A generalized additive model was built to assess the smooth relationship between triglyceride (TG) levels and sleep duration. Results Of the 1499 participants, 449 (30.0%) had MetS, and 443 (29.6%) had poor sleep quality. The rise time was found to be associated with MetS (> 6:00 vs. 5:00 ~ 6:00: adjusted OR (95%) = 1.77 (1.17–2.69), P = 0.007). For the MetS components, a U-shaped relationship was first revealed for sleep duration and TG levels (EDF = 1.85, P < 0.001). Furthermore, significant associations also included the associations of subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction with hypertension, the associations of sleep efficiency and rise time with hyperglycemia, the associations of rise time with TG levels, and the association of bedtime with waist circumference. Conclusions The different sleep characteristics were associated with different MetS components.

Background Little is known about life expectancy (LE) with or without frailty. We aimed to estimate the total LE and duration of the state of frailty in China. Methods This study included older adults aged 65 years and older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS). Frailty status was classified into robust, pre-frailty and frailty based on a cumulative deficit model. Total and specific frailty state LEs at 65 years of age were estimated and stratified by demographic characteristics, behaviours, and psychosocial factors using continuous-time multistate modelling. Results The total LE of older adults aged 65 years in China was 14.74 years on average (95% CI: 14.52–14.94), of which 4.18 years (95% CI: 4.05–4.30) were robust, 7.46 years (95% CI: 7.31–7.61) pre-frail and 3.10 years (95% CI: 3.01–3.20) frail. Older adults with higher robust LE included men (4.71 years, 95% CI: 4.56–4.88), married older adults (4.41 years, 95% CI: 4.27–4.56), those engaging in physical activity (4.41 years, 95% CI: 4.23–4.59), those consuming fruits daily (4.48 years, 95% CI: 4.22–4.77) and those with high social participation (4.39 years, 95% CI: 4.26–4.53). Increased educational attainment were gradually associated with increased robust LE. Conclusions Frailty may lead to a reduced total LE and robust LE of older adults in China. In addition to finding inequalities in total and robust LEs by socioeconomic status, our findings also highlight that healthy behaviours and social participation may ease frailty-related reductions in total and robust LE. Our findings imply that national life-course strategies aimed at frailty screening and psychosocial and behavioural interventions could be important for health aging in China.

Background The mental activity, such as reading, playing mahjong or cards and computer use, is common among older adults in China. Previous researches suggest a protective role of mental activity against cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between mental activity and all-cause mortality has rarely been reported. Objectives This study aims to explore the effect of mental activity on all-cause mortality in a community-based elderly cohort in China. Methods The current study sample comprised 4003 community residents age ≥ 60 y who were enrolled at June 2015, and were followed up every year from 2015 to 2018. Reading, playing mahjong or cards and computer use were measured by questionnaires and summed into a mental activity index (MAI) score. Cox proportional hazards analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to examined the effect of mental activity on all-cause mortality. Results During 4 y of follow-up of 4003 participants, 208 (5.2%) deaths were registered. Of all participants, 66.8%, 26.7%, 6.1% and 0.35% reported 0, 1, 2 and 3 MAI score, respectively. There was a strong association between the MAI score and all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.54–0.96, P = 0.025). Stratified analysis suggested that higher MAI score was significantly associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality mainly among those who were male, aged ≥ 80 y, physical inactive, and diagnosed without cancer in past (P < 0.05). Conclusion Mental activity could reduce the risk for death from all cause, which help promote a comprehensive understanding of health characteristics at advanced ages.

Background: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have suggested several susceptibility loci of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by statistical analysis at individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, these loci only explain a small fraction of HBV-related HCC heritability. In the present study, we aimed to identify additional susceptibility loci of HBV-related HCC using advanced knowledge-based analysis.Methods: We performed knowledge-based analysis (including gene- and gene-set-based association tests) on variant-level association p-values from two existing GWASs of HBV-related HCC. Five different types of gene-sets were collected for the association analysis. A number of SNPs within the gene prioritized by the knowledge-based association tests were selected to replicate genetic associations in an independent sample of 965 cases and 923 controls.Results: The gene-based association analysis detected four genes significantly or suggestively associated with HBV-related HCC risk: SLC39A8, GOLGA8M, SMIM31, and WHAMMP2. The gene-set-based association analysis prioritized two promising gene set for HCC, cell cycle G1/S transition and NOTCH1 intracellular domain regulates transcription. Within the gene sets, three promising candidate genes (CDC45, NCOR1 and KAT2A) were further prioritized for HCC. Among genes of liver-specific expression, multiple genes previously implicated in HCC were also highlighted. However, probably due to small sample size, none of the genes prioritized by the knowledge-based association analyses were successfully replicated in the independent sample. Conclusions: This comprehensive knowledge-based association mining study suggested several promising genes and gene-sets associated with HBV-related HCC risks, which would facilitate follow-up functional studies on the pathogenic mechanism of HCC.

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many AD-risk variants and indicated the important role of lipid metabolism pathway in AD progression. This study aimed to investigate the effects of triglyceride (TG) and genetic risk factors on progression from MCI to AD (MCI-AD progression).Methods The current study sample comprised of 305 MCI subjects aged 50 and over who were prospectively followed up for average 4.5 years in a sub-cohort of the Shanghai Aging Study. A consensus diagnosis of incident AD was conducted according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. Fasting blood samples were obtained at baseline for analyzing serum TG. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping was performed using a MassARRAY system. The effect of TG, genetic variants and their interaction on MCI-AD progression were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results During a mean (±SD) follow-up period of 4.5±1.3 y, 58 subjects developed incident AD. The SNP, rs6859 in the Poliovirus Receptor–Related 2 (PVRL2) gene, was significantly associated with incident AD (false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P = 0.018). In multivariate cox model, the PVRL2 rs6859 AG, AA and AG+AA genotypes were associated with significantly increased incident AD, compared with the GG genotype (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.29, P = 0.029, and HR = 2.92, P = 0.013, and HR = 2.47, P =0.012, respectively). In PVRL2 rs6859 AG/AA carriers, higher ln TG was significantly associated with increased risk of incident AD (adjusted HR =2.64, P = 0.034). Ln TG and PVRL2 rs6859 had interactive effect on the MCI-AD progression (P Ln TG × rs6859 = 0.001). Conclusion The present study indicated that PVRL2 rs6859 modified the effect of TG on MCI-AD progression. Precision prevention in MCI population based on genetic information should be considered to avoid progression to AD.