Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly highlanders in Qinghai, China, III: oxidative stress and aging in Tibetan and Han elderly highlanders.
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.
Sakamoto
Ryota
R
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan.
Matsubayashi
Kozo
K
Kimura
Yumi
Y
Ishine
Masayuki
M
Kosaka
Yasuyuki
Y
Wada
Taizo
T
Wada
Chizu
C
Nakatsuka
Masahiro
M
Ishimoto
Yasuko
Y
Hirosaki
Mayumi
M
Kasahara
Yoriko
Y
Konno
Akiko
A
Chen
Wingling
W
Fujisawa
Michiko
M
Otsuka
Kuniaki
K
Nakashima
Michiro
M
Wang
Hongxin
H
Dai
Qingxiang
Q
Yang
Airong
A
Qiao
Haisheng
H
Gao
Jidong
J
Li
Zhanquan
Z
Zhang
Yongshou
Y
Ge
Ri-Li
RL
Okumiya
Kiyohito
K
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
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species