\n\nDesign: Cross-sectional survey.\n\nSetting:
Data for 405 healthy free-living elderly Quebecers aged between 68 and 82 years with no major health problems were examined.\n\nSubjects: Men and women in age groups of 68-72, 73-77, and 78-82 years, in 2 seasons, participating in the NuAge cohort. Measurements: serum 25(OH)D assessed by radioimmunoassay AR-13324 price (RIA), weight, height, smoking status, disease status, education, perception of income, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire, and vitamin D supplement consumption.\n\nResults: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <37.5 nmol/L) was 12.6% and 5.7% for men in winter and summer, and 8.7% and 1.9% for women, respectively. Over 50% of the participants had 25(OH)D concentrations
<75 nmol/L. Correlates of vitamin D status by multiple regression analysis indicated that the vitamin D level in summer was 13.8 nmol/L higher for participants measured in winter and 17.2 nmol/L higher for those using supplements. Age, sex, body mass index, and physical activity were not associated with 25(OH)D concentration.\n\nConclusion: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is low in healthy elderly men and women, especially in summer, but over 50% of the participants had suboptimal vitamin D concentrations. Vitamin D supplement consumption increased 25(OH)D concentrations substantially, particularly in the winter selleckchem months, and should be encouraged.”
“Introduction: Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE
epsilon 4) polymorphism is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objectives: To evaluate the role of ApoE epsilon 4 on white matter structural integrity in AD. Methods: Subjects were 32 patients with probable AD (ApoE epsilon 4-positive: n = 15) and 18 matched controls (ApoE epsilon 4-positive: n = 6). All subjects were right-handed, evaluated using standard scales and genotyped at the ApoE locus. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed with a 3-tesla MRI scanner and analyzed using the tract-based spatial statistics method. Results: AD patients had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in bilateral temporoparietal, limbic and VX-689 parahippocampal regions in comparison to healthy comparison subjects. ApoE epsilon 4 carriers among both AD and healthy comparison subjects showed lower FA in limbic and medial temporal regions. Conclusions: There is a modest association between ApoE epsilon 4 carrier status and reduction in white matter tract integrity at medial temporal and limbic regions in both healthy and AD subjects. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“New methods are required to increase our understanding of pathologic processes in wild mammals. We developed a noninvasive held method to estimate the body temperature of wild living chimpanzees habituated to humans, based on statistically fitting temperature decline of feces after defecation.