Dietary habits are of considerable interest as a modifiable factor for the maintenance of muscle health, especially sarcopenia. The present study aimed to investigate the association between dietary intake and sarcopenia prevalence in community-dwelling Japanese subjects. This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the fifth survey of the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis against Disability (ROAD) study, and 1345 participants (437 men and 908 women) aged ≥60 years were included in the analysis. Sarcopenia was determined by the definition of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia established in 2014, and dietary intake was assessed with the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Overall, 77 subjects (5.7%) were identified as having sarcopenia, 5.0% of men and 6.1% of women. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratios of sarcopenia for the dietary intake of vitamin E (α-tocopherol, 0.14 (CI 0.04–0.49), β-tocopherol (0.24, CI 0.07–0.78), γ-tocopherol (0.28, CI 0.09–0.87), and fats (fat 0.27, CI 0.08–0.96; monounsaturated fatty acids, 0.22, CI 0.07–0.72, polyunsaturated fatty acids, 0.28, CI 0.09–0.89) at the highest quantile were significantly lower compared with those at the lowest quantile. Therefore, higher dietary intakes of vitamin E and fats would be associated with a lower prevalence of sarcopenia.

Background: There has been a paucity of literature revealing the discrepancy between self-recognition about hallux valgus (HV) and radiographically-evaluated foot configuration. Knowing this discrepancy will help to make a comparative review of the findings of previous literatures about epidemiological studies about the prevalence of HV. Questions/purposes: (1) Is there a discrepancy between radiographically-assessed and self-recognized HV in the general population? (2) What factors affect the self-recognition of HV in the general population? Methods: The fifth survey of the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis against Disability study involved 1996 participants who had undergone anterior-posterior radiography of bilateral feet and answered a simple dichotomous questionnaire on self-recognition of HV. Measurements of the HV angle (HVA), interphalangeal angle of the hallux (IPA), and intermetatarsal angle between 1st and 2nd metatarsals (IMA) were performed using radiographs. Radiographic diagnosis of HV was done using the definition of hallux valgus angle of 20° or more. After univariate comparison of the participant backgrounds and radiographic measurements between participants with or without self-recognition of HV, multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to reveal independent factors affecting self-recognition. Results: Significant difference was found between the prevalence of radiographically-assessed and self-recognized HV (29.8% vs. 16.5%, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of self-recognized HV increased with the progression of HV severity from a single-digit percentage (normal grade, HVA < 20°) up to 100% (severe grade, HVA ≥ 40°). A multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that HVA, IMA, and female sex were independent positive factors for self-recognition of HV (HVA [per 1° increase]: OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.15–1.20; p < 0.0001; IMA [per 1° increase]: OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.09–1.20; p < 0.0001; and female sex [vs. male sex]: OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.35–5.18; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There was a significant discrepancy between radiographically-assessed and self-recognized HV which narrowed with the progressing severity of HV. HVA, IMA, and female sex were independent positive factors for self-recognition of HV. Attention needs to be paid to potentially lowered prevalence of HV in epidemiological studies using self-reporting based on self-recognition.

The trends in prevalence of hip osteoarthritis (OA) over a 10-year period among Japanese men and women were investigated using the data from the Research on Osteoarthritis/osteoporosis Against Disability study. We analyzed the data of 2924 baseline survey participants (1026 men, 1898 women) aged 40–89 years (mean 70.7 years) residing in urban, mountainous, and coastal communities who were surveyed in 2005–2007. We compared these data with that of 2347 participants (726 men, 1621 women) aged 40–89 years (mean 69.2 years) from the fourth survey in 2015–2016. The fourth survey invited participants to attend follow-ups for baseline survey and recruited new participants. After scoring the radiographs using the Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) grading system, hip OA was defined as a K/L score ≥2. The prevalence of radiographic hip OA was 18.4% and 14.4% in the baseline survey, and 16.0% and 10.7% in the fourth survey among men and women, respectively. Among the participants aged 40–69 years, the prevalence of radiographic hip OA was significantly lower during the fourth survey than during the baseline survey. Whereas, among elderly men aged 70–79 years, radiographic hip OA was significantly less prevalent during the baseline survey than during the fourth survey. From the logistic regression analysis results, radiographic hip OA was significantly less prevalent during the fourth survey than during the baseline survey (odds ratio: 0.55, 95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.65). At a 10-year interval, the prevalence of radiographic hip OA shows an improving trend.

To investigate the prevalence and incidence rates of sarcopenia in Japanese community-dwelling people according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 recommendations, using a large-scale population-based cohort over a 10-year follow-up period. Prospective cohort study. This study was conducted using data from the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) study. In total, 1551 participants (521 men and 1030 women; mean age, 65.8 years) from the second ROAD survey (2008-2-10) were included in this study. The participants from the second survey were followed-up at 4, 7, and 10 years. Skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, and walking speed were assessed. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. The incidence of sarcopenia was calculated using the person-year method. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess risk factors for incident sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 8.1% (8.8% in men and 7.7% in women), and the prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 2.9% (2.7% in men and 3.1% in women). The incidence rates of sarcopenia were 17.8 per 1000 and 14.5 per 1000 person-years in men and women, respectively. Additionally, the incidence rates of severe sarcopenia were 6.4 per 1000 and 4.2 per 1000 person-years in men and women, respectively. The significant risk factors for the incidence of sarcopenia were age (+1 year; hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12) and body mass index (-1 kg/m²; HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.20-1.35). The significant risk factors for the incidence of severe sarcopenia were age (+1 year; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.14-1.22) and body mass index (-1 kg/m²; HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.10-1.33). The prevalence and incidence rates of sarcopenia in Japan were clarified in this study.

Background/Objectives: As a result of aging societies, the increasing number of older adults requiring nursing care has become a serious issue and the extension of healthy life expectancy has become an urgent priority. Ergothioneine (EGT) is a sulfur-containing amino acid found in foods such as mushrooms. Low EGT blood concentrations have been reported to be associated with the risk of onset and progression of various diseases. However, the distribution of EGT blood concentrations and their association with dietary habits in the Japanese general population remains unclear. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the third survey of the Research on Osteoarthritis/osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) study, which analyzed 1457 participants (474 men and 983 women) aged ≥ 40 years. Serum EGT concentrations and their association with dietary habits were analyzed. Results: Serum EGT concentrations (1) peaked in the 70s in men and the 60s in women, (2) were higher in women than in men, and (3) showed a significant positive correlation with fish intake and nutrients commonly found in fish. Conclusions: In the present study, we report for the first time an age- and sex-specific serum EGT distribution in a Japanese population and its association with dietary habits, particularly fish intake. These findings help define normal and abnormal EGT levels and suggest new potential sources of EGT.

There is currently no deep neural network (DNN) capable of automatically classifying tibial sesamoid position (TSP) on foot radiographs. A DNN was developed to predict TSP according to the Hardy and Clapham's classification. A total of 1554 foot radiographs were used for model development. The validation of the model was conducted using radiographs obtained from 113 consecutive first-visit patients of our foot and ankle clinic. On these 113 radiographs, TSP was independently classified by three foot and ankle surgeons and the DNN, and their results were compared. The weighted kappa value of TSP between the DNN prediction and the median of the three surgeons (K_AI) was calculated. The K_AI was 0.95 (95 %CI: 0.85- 1.00), indicating sufficient consistency between the surgeons and the DNN. We have developed a DNN for automated TSP classification that demonstrates sufficient consistency with foot and ankle surgeons. Level 3 - Retrospective Cohort Study.