Yukiko Abe

Publications (5)15.85 Total impact

• Article: Maximum occlusal force and physical performance in the oldest old: the Tokyo oldest old survey on total health.

  Toshimitsu Iinuma, Yasumichi Arai, Motoko Fukumoto, Michiyo Takayama, Yukiko Abe, Keiko Asakura, Yuji Nishiwaki, Toru Takebayashi, Takashi Iwase, Kazuo Komiyama, Nobuhito Gionhaku, Nobuyoshi Hirose
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  ABSTRACT: To elucidate the independent relationship between masticatory and physical performance in community-living oldest old people (mean age ± standard deviation 87.8 ± 2.2, range 85-102). Cross-sectional analysis. University research center or home-based examination. Four hundred eighty-nine community-living individuals (219 men, 270 women) aged 85 and older. Maximum occlusal force (MOF) was measured using an occlusal force measuring device. Sociodemographic and functional factors, oral health, comorbidities, blood chemistry, lower extremity performance, and handgrip strength were assessed. Blood chemistry analyses included serum albumin, C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, and total and free testosterone. MOF was significantly associated with age, body mass index, and cognitive impairment in men but not in women. Comorbidities and blood chemistry were not associated with MOF except for a significant association with IL-6 concentration in women. In a multivariate model adjusted for various confounders, lower MOF was associated with greater risk for poor performance on the timed up and go (TUG) test in men and women (men: odds ratio (OR)=2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02-5.38; women: OR=2.44, 95% CI=1.12-5.33). MOF was similarly associated with performance in chair standing, one-leg standing, and handgrip strength only in men. These associations remained after adjustment for number of natural teeth. MOF was strongly and independently associated with all measures of physical performance in men and with the TUG test in women after adjustment for various confounders, suggesting that age-related declines in masticatory and skeletal muscle functions share common mechanistic pathways in older age, particularly in men.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 12/2011; 60(1):68-76. · 3.74 Impact Factor
• Article: Adipokines and aging.

  Yasumichi Arai, Michiyo Takayama, Yukiko Abe, Nobuyoshi Hirose
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  ABSTRACT: Dysregulation of adipose tissue-derived bioactive molecules, termed adipokines, is recognized as common ground for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome associated with obesity. However, adipokine dysregulation is paradoxically associated with lipodystrophy and lipoatrophy with aging. In familial partial lipodystrophic syndromes and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, both of which are caused by mutations in the LMNA gene, loss of adipose tissue is associated with adipokine dysregulation, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis, suggesting a critical role of adipose tissue function in controlling whole body energy metabolism, age-related pathologies, and longevity. Centenarians, a model of healthy aging and longevity, are reported to exhibit preserved insulin sensitivity as well as favorable adipokine profiles, particularly high levels of circulating adiponectin. Furthermore, adipose tissue dysfunction indicated by dysregulation of leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α, and adiponectin is associated with poor prognosis in centenarians. In contrast to results obtained for obesity, adipokine dysregulation in centenarians is associated with very low leptin levels, suggesting that age-related lipoatrophy is the major factor for adipose tissue dysfunction at an advanced age. These observations suggest that adipose tissue excess as well as its aging is implicated in the regulation of adipokines, insulin sensitivity, and lifespan in humans.
  Journal of atherosclerosis and thrombosis 05/2011; 18(7):545-50. · 2.69 Impact Factor
• Article: Vitamin D deficiency and lifestyle factors in the oldest old.

  Chieko Sumiya, Yasumichi Arai, Michiyo Takayama, Yukiko Abe, Nobuyoshi Hirose, Keiko Asakura, Yuji Nishiwaki, Toru Takebayashi
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 11/2010; 58(11):2242-4. · 3.74 Impact Factor
• Article: Proteomic analysis of plasma proteins in Japanese semisuper centenarians.

  Yuri Miura, Yuji Sato, Yasumichi Arai, Yukiko Abe, Michiyo Takayama, Tosifusa Toda, Nobuyoshi Hirose, Tamao Endo
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  ABSTRACT: We performed proteomic analysis of plasma proteins in Japanese semisuper centenarians (SSCs) (>105 years) and young controls (20-39 years), and found that 18 protein spots were altered in the plasma of SSCs. From peptide mass fingerprinting following in-gel digestion, it was demonstrated that paraoxonase/arylesterase 1 (PON 1) and apolipoprotein E were decreased, while haptoglobin β-chain, α(1)-microglobulin, and clusterin precursor were increased in SSCs. Interestingly, proteins related to oxidative stress, PON1, haptoglobin, α(1)-microglobulin, and clusterin, were altered in SSCs. These results suggest that systemic redox regulation is important for the longevity of SSCs. Overall, proteomics analysis is a powerful technique to search for useful biomarkers for future studies in gerontology and to characterize the individual proteins associated with successful aging of SSCs.
  Experimental gerontology 10/2010; 46(1):81-5. · 3.34 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: PubMed Central

  Article: The Tokyo Oldest Old survey on Total Health (TOOTH): a longitudinal cohort study of multidimensional components of health and well-being.

  Yasumichi Arai, Toshimitsu Iinuma, Michiyo Takayama, Midori Takayama, Yukiko Abe, Ryoko Fukuda, Jyuko Ando, Kikuko Ohta, Hiroo Hanabusa, Keiko Asakura, Yuji Nishiwaki, Yasuyuki Gondo, Hiroko Akiyama, Kazuo Komiyama, Nobuhito Gionhaku, Nobuyoshi Hirose
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  ABSTRACT: With the rapid worldwide increase in the oldest old population, considerable concern has arisen about the social and economic burden of diseases and disability in this age group. Understanding of multidimensional structure of health and its life-course trajectory is an essential prerequisite for effective health care delivery. Therefore, we organized an interdisciplinary research team consisting of geriatricians, dentists, psychologists, sociologists, and epidemiologists to conduct a longitudinal observational study. For the Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health (TOOTH) study, a random sample of inhabitants of the city of Tokyo, aged 85 years or older, was drawn from the basic city registry. The baseline comprehensive assessment consists of an in-home interview, a self-administered questionnaire, and a medical/dental examination. To perform a wide variety of biomedical measurements, including carotid ultrasonography and a detailed dental examination, participants were invited to our study center at Keio University Hospital. For those who were not able to visit the study center, we provided the option of a home-based examination, in which participants were simultaneously visited by a geriatrician and a dentist. Of 2875 eligible individuals, a total of 1152 people were recruited, of which 542 completed both the in-home interview and the medical/dental examination, with 442 completed the in-home interview only, and another 168 completed self or proxy-administered data collection only. Carotid ultrasonography was completed in 458 subjects, which was 99.6% of the clinic visitors (n = 460). Masticatory assessment using a colour-changeable chewing gum was completed in 421 subjects, a 91.5% of the clinic visitors. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of a new comprehensive study that incorporated non-invasive measurements of subclinical diseases and a detailed dental examination aiming at community-dwelling individuals aged 85 years or older. The bimodal recruitment strategy is critically important to capture a broad range of health profiles among the oldest old. Results form the TOOTH study will help develop new models of health promotion, which are expected to contribute to an improvement in lifelong health and well-being.
  BMC Geriatrics 01/2010; 10:35. · 2.34 Impact Factor