Frequencies and circumstances of falls were assessed among 1030 middle-aged and elderly people who participated in the NILS-LSA (National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging) from November, 1997 to March, 1999 and responded to the questionnaires. The variables analyzed in the present study were demography and history of falls in the past one year. Circumstances of falls, e.g. time, location, activities associated with falls, cause of falls and degree of injury due to falls were asked when the subjects experienced a fall. Fear of falling was also investigated in all subjects. The prevalence of falls was 12.9% in the middle-aged group (40-59yr.) and 16.5% in the elderly group (60-79yr.). The distribution of time, location, activity associated with falls, cause and injury due to falls corresponded with previous fall studies among community-dwelling elderly people. The incidence of falls was extremely high during the daytime and outdoors. Falls occurred most frequently while walking. The majority of falls were due to extrinsic factors. About 40% of all falls caused no injury. As to the fear of falling, about 30% of the middle-aged subjects and about 60% of the elderly subjects reported that they were fearful. Our results suggested that fall accidents are not rare, even in middle-aged people.

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Study design: This cross-sectional study was conducted by comparing bone mineral density (BMD) of paraplegic and quadriplegic patients. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the bone mineral loss and injury level in spinal cord injury patients. Settings: Experiments were conducted at Yoneda Hospital and Research Center of Health, Physical Fitness and Sports, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. Methods: Lumbar spine (L2-4), proximal femur (femoral neck, trochanter region and Ward's triangle) and whole body BMD were measured in ten paraplegic and ten quadriplegic patients using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, HITACHI BMD-1X). Results: Signi®cant di erences were observed in the lumbar spine, trochanter region and upper extremities BMD between paraplegic and quadriplegic patients (P50.05, P50.05 and P50.01, respectively), but not in the femoral neck, Ward's triangle, head, pelvis, lower extremities or whole body BMD. Conclusion: These results suggest that the injury level in¯uences on the lumbar spine, upper extremities and trochanter region BMD. From a biomechanical standpoint, it is possible to explain that the di erences in mechanical loading exerted on bones also a ected the di erence of lumbar spine BMD in the two groups.

This study examined the effect of a 12-week non-instrumental resistance training program using body weight as a load (RT-BW) on body composition, fat distribution and metabolic profiles in elderly males and females. Healthy, non-diabetic, elderly volunteers (22 males and 30 females) aged 65-82 years were non-randomly divided into RT-BW (12 males and 20 females) and control (10 males and 10 females) groups. The RT-BW subjects were trained three times per week for 12 weeks according to a specified protocol involving a combination of upper and lower body weight and rubber tubing exercises. We evaluated body composition and fat distribution using anthropometry, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and ultrasonography, and measured serum lipid levels and HbA(1c) at baseline and after 12 weeks of training. Changes over 12 weeks were significantly greater in the RT-BW group compared with the control group, with a decrease in waist circumference, pre-peritoneal (visceral) fat thickness and thigh fat thickness, and an increase in thigh muscle thickness. On the other hand, the changes in body weight, fat mass and fat free mass were no different between the groups. Further, there were significantly greater changes of metabolic profiles in the RT-BW group with an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in triglyceride and HbA(1c). There was a significant between-group difference in diastolic blood pressure. Relatively short-term, non-instrumental resistance training using body weight as a load was effective in improving fat distribution and metabolic profiles in healthy elderly people without weight loss.