title: Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly highlanders in Qinghai, China, III: oxidative stress and aging in Tibetan and Han elderly highlanders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although there are several factors which may contribute to oxidative stress at high altitude, little is known about the association between oxidative stress and aging in the community-dwelling elderly in the Tibetan Plateau.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and comprehensive geriatric functions were examined among 235 community-dwelling elderly subjects aged 60 years or more (146 Hans and 89 Tibetans). As a marker of ROS, the levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) were measured using the d-ROM test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of dependence of basic activities of daily living (basic ADL) among Tibetan elderly highlanders was significantly higher than that among Han elderly highlanders. The d-ROM level was higher among the Tibetan elderly than those among the Han elderly (Tibetan 465.6 +/- 97.9 Carr U, Han 415.3 +/- 72.0 Carr U, P = 0.003). The ROM level was higher among women than those among men. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that being Tibetan, female, and oxygen saturation were independent predictors of increasing d-ROM level (Tibetan beta, 0.241; female beta, 0.206; oxygen saturation beta, 0.218). The high levels of ROM (d-ROM >500 Carr U) were significantly associated with dependence of basic ADL after adjustment for age, sex and ethnicity (odds ratio = 2.51, P = 0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study imply the possibility that ROS is higher among Tibetan elderly highlanders than that of Han, which related to the geriatric items. Further studies are needed to show the impact of oxidative stress on the aging of highlanders.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsubayashi
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishine
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kosaka
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Chizu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishimoto
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirosaki
authors.forename: Yoriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konno
authors.forename: Wingling
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Michiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Hongxin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qingxiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Airong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Haisheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Jidong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhanquan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yongshou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ri-Li
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Kiyohito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumiya
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species