0000000000020546
AUTHOR
Merja K. Laine
Mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66−91 years
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66-91 years (n = 150; 50 men in both former elite athlete groups and in their control group). Agility, dynamic balance, walking speed, chair stand, self-rated balance confidence (ABC-scale), jumping height, and handgrip strength were assessed. Former elite power athletes had better agility performance time than the controls (age- and body mass index, BMI-adjusted mean difference -3.6 s; 95% CI -6.3, -0.8). Adjustment for current leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and prevalence of diseases made this difference non-significant (P = 0.214). The subjects i…
Higher carotid-radial pulse wave velocity is associated with non-melancholic depressive symptoms in men - findings from Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
Background: Depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major causes of global disease burden that are interrelated through mostly unknown mechanisms. We studied the relationship of melancholic and non-melancholic depressive symptoms with arterial stiffness, an important underlying mechanism of CVD. Methods: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study recruited 683 previously extensively phenotyped subjects for this sub-study. Cross-sectional data along with responses regarding depressive symptoms were obtained for each participant. For evaluation of depressive symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)and subscales were used to measure melancholic and non-melancholic depressive symptoms. Arteri…
Branched-Chain Amino Acid Levels Are Related with Surrogates of Disturbed Lipid Metabolism among Older Men.
Aims/hypothesis: Existing studies suggest that decreased branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism and thus elevated levels in blood are associated with metabolic disturbances. Based on such information, we have developed a hypothesis how BCAA degradation mechanistically connects to tricarboxylic acid cycle, intramyocellular lipid storage, and oxidation, thus allowing more efficient mitochondrial energy production from lipids as well as providing better metabolic health. We analyzed whether data from aged Finnish men are in line with our mechanistic hypothesis linking BCAA catabolism and metabolic disturbances. Methods: Older Finnish men enriched with individuals having been athletes in y…
Depressive Symptoms and Mortality : Findings from Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
Background Individuals with depression and depressive symptoms have a higher mortality rate than non-depressed individuals. The increased comorbidity and mortality associated with depression has remained largely unexplained. The underlying pathophysiological differences between depressive subtypes, melancholic and non-melancholic, may provide some explanation to this phenomenon. Methods 1995 participants (mean age 61 years) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study were recruited for this prospective study and followed up for a mean of 14.1 years. Information regarding medical history, lifestyle, and biochemical parameters were obtained. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depressio…
Effect of intensive exercise in early adult life on telomere length in later life in men
A career as an elite-class male athlete seems to improve meta-bolic heath in later life and is also associated with longer life expectancy. Telomere length is a biomarker of biological cellu-lar ageing and could thus predict morbidity and mortality. The main aim of this study was to assess the association between vigorous elite-class physical activity during young adulthood on later life leukocyte telomere length (LTL). The study partici-pants consist of former male Finnish elite athletes (n = 392) and their age-matched controls (n = 207). Relative telomere length was determined from peripheral blood leukocytes by quantita-tive real-time polymerase chain reaction. Volume of leisure-time phy…
Power of lower extremities and age were the main determinants on the agility test for adults in a cohort of men aged 66–91 years
Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between agility and personal factors, muscle strength and power, mobility, self-reported balance and physical activity among older men. Methods: Agility was measured by using the Agility Test for Adults (ATA). We studied 100 Finnish male former elite athletes (endurance n = 50; power n = 50) and 50 matched controls aged 66 to 91 years (mean age 75.5 years). The associations between agility and other variables were similar between three groups; thus, multiple linear regression analyses were done by using the pooled data of the participants. Results: On the basis of multiple linear regression analyses, combination of…
Former male elite athletes have better metabolic health in late life than their controls
Elite-class athletes have longer life expectancy and lower risk for chronic noncommunicable diseases possibly because of physically active and healthier lifestyle. In this study, we assessed former male Finnish elite-class athletes' (n = 392) and their matched controls' (n = 207) body composition, and risk for the metabolic syndrome (MS) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in later life. Compared with the controls, the former athletes had lower body fat percentage (24.8% vs 26.0%, P = 0.021), lower risk for MS [odds ratio (OR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-0.81], and NAFLD (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.88). High volume of current leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was associ…
Advanced glycation end products measured by skin autofluorescence are associated with melancholic depressive symptoms - Findings from Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.
Background: Millions of people live with depression and its burden of disease. Depression has an increased comorbidity and mortality that has remained unexplained. Studies have reported connections between advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and various disease processes, including mental health. The present study evaluated associations between AGEs, depressive symptoms, and types of depressive symptoms. Methods: From the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, 815 participants with a mean age of 76 years were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Characteristics regarding self-reported lifestyle and medical history, as well as blood tests were obtained along with responses regarding depressive…
Non-melancholic depressive symptoms are associated with above average fat mass index in the Helsinki birth cohort study
AbstractThere is an existing link between two of the most common diseases, obesity and depression. These are both of great public health concern, but little is known about the relationships between the subtypes of these conditions. We hypothesized that non-melancholic depressive symptoms have a stronger relationship with both body composition (lean mass and fat mass) and dysfunctional glucose metabolism than melancholic depression. For this cross-sectional study 1510 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study had their body composition evaluated as lean mass and fat mass (Lean Mass Index [LMI, kg/m2] + Fat Mass Index [FMI kg/m2] = Body Mass Index). Participants were evaluated for dep…