Background: The estimation of biological age is challenging in patients with cancers. We aimed to investigate frailty-based biological ages using frailty-discriminant scores (FDS) and examined the effect of biological-expected life age discrepancy on the prognosis of patients with urological cancers. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated frailty in 1035 patients having urological cancers. Their frailty-based biological age was then defined by the FDS, which is a comprehensive frailty assessment tool, using 1790 noncancer individuals as controls. An expected life age (=chronological age + life expectancy) was subsequently calculated using the 2019 life expectancy table. The primary outcome was the estimation of the biological-expected life age discrepancy between the frailty-based biological age and expected life age in patients with urological cancers. Secondary outcomes were the evaluation of the effect of the biological-expected life age discrepancy on overall survival. Results: We included 405, 466, and 164 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma, respectively. The median chronological age, life expectancy, and estimated frailty-based biological age were 71, 17, and 83 years, respectively. The biological-expected life age discrepancy in any urological cancers, localized diseases, and metastatic diseases was −4.8, −6.3, and +0.15 years, respectively. The biological-expected life age discrepancy of >5 years was significantly associated with poor overall survival. Conclusions: The biological-expected life age discrepancy between frailty-based biological age and expected life age may be helpful in understanding the role of frailty and patient/doctor conversation.

The correlation between diabetes-related biomarkers and quality of life (QOL) remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the correlation between diabetes-related biomarkers and QOL in a general Japanese population who underwent health checkups as a part of the Iwaki Health Promotion Project. Male and female participants aged ≥ 20 years from Iwaki District, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture who participated in the 2019 medical evaluation were recruited. QOL was evaluated using the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36). Fasting blood glucose, homeostatic model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glycoalbumin, and plasma pentosidine were also evaluated as diabetes-related markers. Of the 1065 recruited participants, 1053 completed the clinical and QOL evaluations. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that upregulated diabetes-related markers levels were correlated with decreased SF-36 scores. Blood glucose, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, glycoalbumin, and plasma pentosidine levels were correlated with general health. Moreover, plasma pentosidine levels were correlated with role physical, social functioning, and role emotional in addition to general health. These results indicated that the levels of diabetes-related biomarkers, particularly the levels of plasma pentosidine, a glycation marker, were associated with QOL in our cohort.

Background: Green tea catechins and inulin may improve metabolic health and modulate the gut microbiota; however, double-blind trials evaluating visceral fat, insulin resistance, and microbiota concurrently are limited. Methods: We conducted a double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Japanese adults aged 20–75 years with visceral fat area (VFA) ≥ 80 cm² and BMI ≥ 23 kg/m² (trial registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT), jRCTs021230004 (registered 16 May 2023)). Participants were randomized to a catechin + inulin beverage (catechins 400 mg/day; inulin 2.3 g/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in VFA (bioelectrical impedance). Secondary outcomes included HOMA-IR, metabolic markers, liver fat assessed by the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and genus-level gut microbiota. Results: Ninety-six participants were randomized (catechin + inulin, n = 49; placebo, n = 47); 47 and 44, respectively, were included in the full analysis set for the primary outcome. The 12-week change in VFA did not differ between groups (mean change: +0.91 vs. +4.61 cm²; p = 0.243). HOMA-IR decreased in the catechin + inulin group and increased in the placebo group, yielding a significant between-group difference (mean change: −0.32 vs. +0.18; p = 0.020). No other secondary outcomes showed significant between-group differences. In exploratory microbiota analyses, no genus remained significant after false discovery rate correction; however, Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium showed nominal between-group differences (unadjusted p < 0.05). Changes in Coprococcus were inversely correlated with changes in HOMA-IR (r = −0.28; p = 0.010). Conclusions: Catechin plus inulin for 12 weeks did not reduce visceral fat but was associated with improved insulin resistance. Exploratory analyses suggest a potential association between increased Coprococcus and improved HOMA-IR, warranting further investigation.