ADENOSINE triphosphate-sensitive potassium (K^ATP) channels are present in both cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).1 The cardiac K^ATPchannel is composed of a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) 2A and an inwardly rectifying K⁺channel subunit (Kir) 6.2, whereas the vascular K^ATPchannel seems to be a complex of SUR2B and Kir6.1.1,2 Different combinations of Kir6.x and SUR.x yield tissue-specific K^ATPchannel subtypes with different features and distinct functional properties.3 We previously reported that there were tissue-specific effects of either local or intravenous anesthetics on K^ATPchannels, and that they had different effects on K^ATPchannels in different tissures.4–6

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an adapted sports intervention on elderly women in need of long-term care (NLTC). Although participation in sports activities positively impacts subjective health status, few studies have evaluated the safety, comfort, and effectiveness of competitive sports in elderly women in NLTC. In this study, ten elderly women in NLTC (age: 80.6 ± 8.2 years) were asked to participate in boccia, a sport adapted to prevent falls. Participants completed the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition Short-Form and the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Version 2. The results showed an improvement in mood states (anger–hostility, tension–anxiety, and total mood disturbance) of elderly women in the NLTC group compared with the control group. Therefore, boccia, an adapted sport, can be considered a safe and competitive option for such women.

Loneliness and social isolation in later life are important public health concerns, and information and communication technology (ICT) may support everyday functioning and social participation among older adults. However, mean-based analyses may obscure variation in associations across outcome distributions. Using quantile regression, we examined the associations of smartphone ownership with health-related quality of life (SF-36v2: PCS, MCS, and RCS) and social connectedness (LSNS-6) among 919 community-dwelling senior club members in a regional Japanese city; regression analyses used 839 complete cases. Coefficients were estimated at the 20th, 40th, 60th, and 80th conditional quantiles. Smartphone ownership was associated with RCS at the 20th (β = 3.72), 40th (β = 4.42), and 60th (β = 2.21) quantiles, but not at the 80th quantile (β = 1.41), and coefficients differed significantly across quantiles (F(3, 3353) = 3.97, p = 0.008). The 20th-, 40th-, and 60th-quantile coefficients and the Wald test remained significant after Holm adjustment. Smartphone ownership was not associated with PCS, MCS, or LSNS-6 at any quantile. The smartphone ownership × gender interaction for RCS was non-significant at all quantiles, providing no evidence that this association differed by gender. These findings indicate that the association between smartphone ownership and role/social functioning varies across its conditional distribution. Because the study is cross-sectional and actual smartphone use was not measured, causal interpretation is not warranted. Longitudinal studies measuring patterns of smartphone use are needed.