Background: In recent years, Finnish sauna bathing has been reported to have beneficial health effects, such as reducing the risk of hypertension and dementia. Although tub bathing in Japan, which is used daily by the Japanese, differs from sauna bathing, there are a few reports on its potential effects in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and depressive symptoms, but no reports on dementia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between bathing and incident dementia in Japanese community-dwelling older people using large longitudinal data.  Methods and Results: We used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), which included community-dwelling older people aged ≥65 years who were not certified for long-term care. The baseline survey was conducted in 2010, and the onset of dementia was assessed using records from Japan’s long-term care insurance system. After excluding respondents with missing data on bathing frequency in summer and winter separately, a total of 7,509 individuals were analysed for summer and 7,590 for winter. Bathing frequency was divided into two groups: low frequency (0-6 times/week) and high frequency (≥7 times/week). To examine the association between bathing frequency and incident dementia, we performed survival analysis using the competing risk model and calculated sub hazard ratios (SHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 9 years of follow-up, 1,430 (17.2%) cases of dementia were identified in 8,317 individuals. In the crude model, the high-frequency bathing group showed a significantly lower risk of incident dementia, and this association remained significant after full adjustment, with SHRs of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62-0.88) in summer and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70-0.97) in winter.  Conclusions: High-frequency bathing was associated with a lower risk of incident dementia among Japanese community-dwelling older adults. This finding suggests that tub bathing, one of the lifestyle habits of older people in Japan, may contribute to preventing dementia.

Objective: DUO-E/GOG-3041/ENGOT-EN10 (NCT04269200) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival (PFS) improvement with durvalumab plus carboplatin/paclitaxel, followed by durvalumab with or without olaparib, vs. carboplatin/paclitaxel alone (intention-to-treat [ITT] population) in patients with newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. We evaluated efficacy and safety in the Japan subset of DUO-E. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III/IV or recurrent endometrial cancer were randomized 1:1:1 to control arm (carboplatin/paclitaxel + durvalumab placebo [6 cycles] followed by durvalumab placebo + olaparib placebo), durvalumab arm (carboplatin/paclitaxel + durvalumab [1,120 mg every 3 weeks] [6 cycles] followed by durvalumab [1,500 mg every 4 weeks] + olaparib placebo), or durvalumab + olaparib arm (carboplatin/paclitaxel + durvalumab [6 cycles] followed by durvalumab + olaparib [300 mg twice a day]). Dual primary endpoints were investigatorassessed PFS for durvalumab and durvalumab + olaparib arms vs. control. This prespecified exploratory analysis evaluated PFS and safety in the Japan subset. Results: In the Japan subset (n=88) PFS favored durvalumab (hazard ratio=0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.32–1.12) and durvalumab + olaparib (0.44, 95% CI=0.22–0.85) vs. control; median PFS was 9.9 and 15.1 vs. 9.5 months, and the 18-month PFS rate was 37.0% and 42.1% vs. 22.2%, respectively. The safety profile in the Japan subset was generally consistent with the full safety analysis set and the established profiles of the individual agents. Conclusion Efficacy and safety in the Japan subset were generally consistent with outcomes in the DUO-E ITT population. This Japanese subset analysis of DUO-E supports carboplatin/ paclitaxel + durvalumab followed by durvalumab with or without olaparib as new treatment options in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer and is the first to report on these regimens in Japanese patients alone.

  Background: The traditional Japanese style of soaking in a hot bath is a lifestyle custom for many citizens, no study had ever investigated the association between bathing as a lifestyle practice and the onset of long-term depression. Through a large-scale six-year longitudinal study, we aimed to determine whether tub bathing as a lifestyle custom plays a role in preventing the onset of long-term depression.  Methods: Of 11,882 individuals who responded to surveys conducted in 2010 and 2016 as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (the JAGES) project, we analyzed 6,452 and 6,465 individuals for whom information was available regarding summer bathing frequency and winter bathing frequency, respectively; all of these individuals were independent, had a Geriatric Depression Scale (hereafter, “GDS”) score of ≤4, and did not suffer from depression. The cohort study involved dividing participants into a group of those who bathed 0-6 times a week and a group of those who bathed ≥7 times a week and determining the percentages of individuals who developed depression based on their GDS scores six years later. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine odds ratios for the association between depression onset and tub bathing.   Results: For individuals who tub bathed ≥7 times a week, the odds ratios for depression onset versus individuals who bathed 0-6 times a week in summer and winter were 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.10) and 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.98), respectively. Tub bathing ≥7 times a week in winter significantly reduced the risk of depression onset.  Conclusions: New-onset depression was shown to be infrequent in older adults who bathe in a tub frequently. Tub bathing was suggested to potentially contribute to the prevention of depression in the elderly.

  Background: The traditional Japanese style of soaking in a hot bath is a lifestyle custom for many citizens, no study had ever investigated the association between bathing as a lifestyle practice and the onset of long-term depression. Through a large-scale six-year longitudinal study, we aimed to determine whether tub bathing as a lifestyle custom plays a role in preventing the onset of long-term depression.  Methods: Of 11,882 individuals who responded to surveys conducted in 2010 and 2016 as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (the JAGES) project, we analyzed 6,452 and 6,465 individuals for whom information was available regarding summer bathing frequency and winter bathing frequency, respectively; all of these individuals were independent, had a Geriatric Depression Scale (hereafter, “GDS”) score of ≤4, and did not suffer from depression. The cohort study involved dividing participants into a group of those who bathed 0-6 times a week and a group of those who bathed ≥7 times a week and determining the percentages of individuals who developed depression based on their GDS scores six years later. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine odds ratios for the association between depression onset and tub bathing.   Results: For individuals who tub bathed ≥7 times a week, the odds ratios for depression onset versus individuals who bathed 0-6 times a week in summer and winter were 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.10) and 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.98), respectively. Tub bathing ≥7 times a week in winter significantly reduced the risk of depression onset.  Conclusions: New-onset depression was shown to be infrequent in older adults who bathe in a tub frequently. Tub bathing was suggested to potentially contribute to the prevention of depression in the elderly.

Objective: In this study we sought to investigate the clinical factors that affect postprogression survival (PPS) in patients with recurrent or persistent clear cell carcinoma (CCC).We utilized the JGOG3017/Gynecological Cancer InterGroup data to compare paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) and irinotecan plus cisplatin (CPT-P) in the treatment of stages I to IV CCC. Methods: We enrolled 166 patients with recurrent or persistent CCC and assessed the impact of variables, including platinum sensitivity, treatment arm, crossover chemotherapy, primary stage, residual tumor at primary surgery, performance status, ethnicity, and tumor reduction surgery at recurrence on the median of PPS in patients with recurrent or persistent CCC. Results: A total of 77 patients received TC, and 89 patients received CPT-P. The median PPS for patients with platinum-resistant disease was 10.9 months, compared with 18.8 months for patients with platinum-sensitive disease (hazard ratio [HR]=1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.30–2.72; log-rank p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the platinum sensitivity (resistant vs. sensitivity; HR=1.60; p=0.027) and primary stage (p=0.009) were identified as independent predictors of prognosis factors for PPS in recurrent or persistent CCC. Conclusions Our findings revealed that platinum sensitivity and primary stage are clinical factors that significantly affect PPS in patients with recurrent or persistent CCC as wellas other histologic subtypes of ovarian cancer. PPS in patients with recurrent CCC should establish the basis for future clinical trials in this population.

BACKGROUND: Oral health is thought to be associated with diet quality, and socioeconomic status (SES) affects both oral health and diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the number of teeth and dietary intake as well as nutritional biomarker, considering the subjects' SES. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 2049 individuals aged ≥ 50 years from the National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-communicable Disease and its Trends in the Aged 2010. The number of remaining teeth was categorized into age-specific quartiles (Q1 to Q4). We assessed the adjusted means and 95% confidence intervals for dietary variables by the number of teeth using analysis of covariance. Stratified analyses by SES were also conducted. RESULTS: The intake of grain products was 31 g higher, and those of vegetables and meat were 30 g and 8 g lower, respectively, in Q1 (fewer teeth) than in Q4 (more teeth). Carbohydrate intake was higher whereas protein, minerals (potassium, magnesium, and zinc), vitamins (vitamins A, E, B, B, β-carotene, and folic acid), and dietary fiber intakes were lower among individuals with fewer teeth. Adjusted mean serum albumin levels were low in Q1. The associations between the number of teeth and dietary intake were more evident in individuals with a low SES. CONCLUSIONS Having few remaining teeth was associated with a low nutrient intake and low serum albumin levels in middle-aged and older Japanese adults, and these associations were more evident in individuals with low SES.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carbohydrates ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet ; Energy Intake ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrients ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Serum Albumin ; analysis ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Tooth ; Vegetables

Aortobronchial fistula is a rare but fatal condition, if not treated surgically. Conventional graft replacement is usually recommended for eradication of the fistula and infection, but mortality and morbidity remain high. Recently the effectiveness of endovascular repair for such cases has been reported. We encountered a case of an 83-year-old man with aortobronchial fistula due to a distal aortic arch aneurysm. The computed tomography (CT) scan showed severe calcification and stenosis in the abdominal aorta and iliac artery, indicating inadequacy for use as access vessels. The patient presented with hemoptysis, and was treated successfully by endovascular repair via the descending aortic conduit. Although the patient had a history of heavy smoking, he fully recovered after surgery and was discharged without any complication. There are potential risks of recurrence of aortobronchial fistula and infection, and we plan to continue close follow-up.

Objectives: To reveal a relationship between bathing and sleep quality making for healthy aging. Materials and Methods: A population based self-administered mail survey was conducted for randomly selected or all independent people without long-term care needs aged 65 and over in 31 municipalities of Japan in 2010. This data is a part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) project. Frequency of bathing using bathtub in summer and winter was asked. Logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate univariate and multivariate odds ratios of bad sleep quality by regular bathing (7 times or more per week for average of summer and winter) adjusting sex, age, equivalized household income, self-rated health, depression, working status, and region. Results: Response rate of the mail survey was 66.3%. The number of people who made a valid answer for bathing was 18,090. Among them, 53.0% did bathing 7 times a week, 44.6% did less than 7 times, and 2.4% did more than 7 times. Odds ratios by regular bathing were shown on the tables. Most of them indicated significantly low risk for sleeping problems. Conclusion: Regular bathing would be helpful to better sleep quality. After the survey, we are now following up the participants for incidence of long-term care needs and death.