003), feeding difficulties requiring speech pathology referral (p=0.002), and referral for long-term feeding tubes (p=0.002). There was a low prevalence of preventative clinical practices including documentation of tube exit plans (5.3%, n=10) and referral for long-term feeding tubes (27.3%, n=51). Exhibiting risk factors for prolonged tube feeding did not increase the likelihood of receiving preventative clinical practices. The prolonged duration of temporary tube feeding within this sample highlights the need for improved utilization of tube dependency preventative practices within high risk groups. The prolonged duration of temporary tube feeding within this sample highlights the need for improved utilization of tube dependency preventative practices within high risk groups. Higher hemoglobin levels are associated with incident metabolic syndrome (MetS), and higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is associated with adverse outcomes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the combined effect of MCV and hemoglobin levels on incident MetS. In our cross-sectional study, we analyzed the prevalence of MetS in 20,162 middle-aged Japanese subjects without anemia and with normal MCV levels, as they underwent physical checkups. We subsequently analyzed incident MetS in 11,110 subjects. In order to evaluate the combined effect on incident MetS, the subjects were divided into four study groups according to cutoff values of hemoglobin and MCV for identifying the prevalence of MetS. In the cross-sectional study, hemoglobin (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.02; P<0.0001 in men and OR, 1.04; P<0.0001 in women, per 1.0g/L) and MCV (aOR, 0.93; P<0.0001 in men and OR, 0.94; P=0.0005 in women, per 1.0fL) were independently associated with the prevalence of MetS. In the longitudinal coho used as practical screening tool for MetS. Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Since vitamin D is known to play important roles in immunity, and its deficiency has been reported to be prevalent in the elderly, we have studied the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level, which is the most reliable marker for vitamin D status, and the incidence of RTIs in the institutionalized elderly by a prospective observational study. From 208 Japanese subjects aged 60 and older fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 148 subjects remained after propensity score matching. Data were obtained from the medical records including their age, gender, histories of co-morbidities and medications, the incidence of acute RTIs including pneumonia. Measurement of serum 25(OH)D level and assessment of nutrients intake including vitamin D were done at baseline. https://www.selleckchem.com/mTOR.html Cox's proportional hazard analysis was performed to assess the significant predictors for RTIs during the follow-up period. The median observation duration was 354.2 days, and the incidence of RTIs was 75.8 person-years. Subjects with RTIs had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D concentration, and a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D<10ng/mL). Cox's proportional hazard analysis revealed that vitamin D deficiency was a significant predictor for RTIs. Our results suggested that vitamin D deficiency was a significant predictor for an increased incidence of RTIs in institutionalized elderly, and the necessity of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of RTIs was considered. Our results suggested that vitamin D deficiency was a significant predictor for an increased incidence of RTIs in institutionalized elderly, and the necessity of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of RTIs was considered. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the major causes of death, worldwide. Although for decades the associations between individual foods and nutrients and CVDs have been investigated, little attention has been paid to dietary patterns. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the association between dietary patterns and CVD risk factors among Iranian adults. This cross-sectional study was performed on 236 adults who attended public health centers. Dietary intakes were collected using a valid food frequency questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, and biochemical biomarkers were measured using standardized methods. Dietary patterns derived using the factor analysis. Logistic regression assessed the odds of CVD risk factors across tertiles of data-driven dietary patterns. We identified three dietary patterns. After adjusting for possible confounders, we observed that participants in the third category of the healthy dietary pattern (HDP) had lower odds of low HDL-C (OR=0.26; 95% CI 0.10-0.64) compared to those in the first category. Adherence to the mixed pattern was associated with increased odds of high serum TC in men only (OR=3.69; 95% CI 1.06-12.81). However, women with higher adherence to the Western dietary pattern (WDP) had higher odds of high serum TG (OR=5.61; 95% CI 1.69-18.59), and those with a greater adherence to HDP had lower odds of low HDL-C (OR=0.25; 95% CI 0.07-0.98). This study showed that adherence to HDP may protect against a low level of HDL-C, whereas mixed and Western-type diets may contribute to high serum TG levels. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess the potential causality of the observed associations. This study showed that adherence to HDP may protect against a low level of HDL-C, whereas mixed and Western-type diets may contribute to high serum TG levels. Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess the potential causality of the observed associations. Obesity significantly impacts older adults. Intensive nutrition counseling can aid in weight reduction and improve diet quality, but data are sparse in this population. The objective of this intervention is to determine how intensive nutrition counseling affects diet quality and anthropometric measures during a multi-component weight loss intervention in rural older adults with obesity. A series of 12-week, single-arm feasibility pilots were conducted in fall 2017 and winter/spring 2018 in a community aging center in rural Northern New England. Adults were eligible if≥65 years old with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30kg/m . Exclusion criteria included dementia/cognitive impairment, uncontrolled psychiatric illness, weight-loss surgery, weight loss >5% in previous 6-months, life-threatening illness, palliative/hospice services, current participation in another weight-loss study/program, obesogenic medications, or presence of major chronic conditions. Participants received once-weekly nutrition counseling by a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), and twice-weekly exercise sessions by a physical therapist (PT).