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To determine the prevalence of fear of falling and associated factors among Japanese community-dwelling older adults.Cross-sectional study between 2011 and 2013.Community in which residents voluntarily attended a health examination.We recruited 844 older adults (male, n = 350; female, n = 494) aged 60 to 92 years from among those who presented at the health examination.We assessed fear of falling, falls in the previous year, pain, comorbidity, and cataracts. Five times chair stand time was applied as an indicator of physical performance.The prevalence of fear of falling was 26.9% and 43.3% among the men and women, respectively. Men and women who feared falling were older (P < .01), had longer 5 times chair stand time (P < .01), and more falls in the previous year (P < .05), pain (P < .01), and comorbidity (P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified advanced age (odds ratios [OR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–2.39), falls in the previous year (OR, 2.44; 95%CI, 1.29–4.64), and pain (OR, 1.82; 95%CI, 1.03–3.22) in men, and advanced age (OR, 1.59; 95%CI, 1.13–2.24), longer 5 times chair stand times (OR, 1.28; 95%CI, 1.04–1.59), falls in the previous year (OR, 2.59; 95%CI, 1.54–4.34), and pain (OR, 1.65; 95%CI, 1.06–2.55) in women as being independently associated with fear of falling.The prevalence of fear of falling was similar to previous reports. Advanced age, falls in previous year, and pain were associated with fear of falling in men. A longer 5 times chair stand time was also associated with fear of falling among older adult women. Maintenance of physical function and pain management might be important for older adults with fear of falling.

This present prospective US cohort has for the first time shown the variables that are associated with initial PD response to b/tsDMARDs.

Our findings suggest that MRI bone edema is closely associated with the development of RRP in patients with early-stage RA. Physicians should carefully control the disease activity when MRI bone edema is observed in patients with early RA.

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The results demonstrated a significant prevalence of anti-gAChR antibodies in patients with AID, which is independent of the production of other autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune diseases. These anti-gAChR antibodies could mediate the autonomic dysfunction involved in the autoimmune mechanisms of AID.

Background: An increase in serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin concentrations suggests vitamin K deficiency. Clinical intervention studies suggested that the vitamin K supplementation might contribute to preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women. Evidence on the relationship between serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) levels and bone parameters of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is limited. We examined the correlation between serum ucOC concentrations and bone status as measured by QUS among middle-aged and older Japanese men and women. Methods: The subjects were community-dwelling men (n = 358) and women (n = 503) aged ≥ 40 years in Japan. Heel QUS parameters, including the stiffness index, speed of sound, and broadband ultrasound attenuation, were measured. Serum ucOC concentrations were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Grip strength was measured in the dominant hand. Information on alcohol drinking, current smoking, exercise, and menopause in women was collected. Results: Serum ucOC concentrations were significantly associated with age in both sexes. Serum ucOC concentrations in men were higher at ≥ 80 years than those in the age groups of 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years. Serum ucOC concentrations in women were higher in the age groups of 50-59 and 60-69 years than those at 40-49 years. Partial correlation analysis adjusting for covariates (age, body mass index, grip strength, alcohol drinking, current smoking, and exercise in men; age, body mass index, grip strength, alcohol drinking, current smoking, exercise, and menopause in women) showed that serum ucOC concentrations were negatively significantly correlated with all QUS parameters in women. Serum ucOC concentrations were not correlated with them in men. Conclusions: Vitamin K deficiency, evaluated with higher serum ucOC, was correlated with poor bone status in women.

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