Table 2 Characteristics of subjects consuming fermented milk products containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) < 3 or ≥ 3 days per week over the past 10-year period.

From: Yearly changes in the composition of gut microbiota in the elderly, and the effect of lactobacilli intake on these changes

 

 < 3 days/week

 ≥ 3 days/week

n

Mean ± SD

n

Mean ± SD

Anthropometric parameters

Age (years)

160

75.1 ± 6.3

58

76.0 ± 6.0

Sex (male/female, %)

160

48.8/51.3

58

36.2/63.8

Height (m)

160

1.57 ± 0.09

58

1.55 ± 0.09

Body mass (kg)

160

55.9 ± 10.6

58

54.5 ± 9.1

Body mass index (kg/m2)

160

22.7 ± 3.3

58

22.5 ± 2.7

Physical health measurements

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

157

125.7 ± 16.3

56

130.1 ± 19.0

Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

157

73.9 ± 10.1

56

74.6 ± 9.8

Preferred walking speed (m/s)

145

1.40 ± 0.20

50

1.41 ± 0.15

Maximal walking speed (m/s)

144

2.00 ± 0.37

50

1.98 ± 0.30

Peak handgrip force (N)

149

274.5 ± 78.5

53

262.8 ± 81.2

Calcaneal osteosonic index (× 106)

151

2.42 ± 0.36

54

2.38 ± 0.30

Defecation status

Defecation frequency (days/week)

160

6.1 ± 1.5

58

5.9 ± 1.7

Bristol stool form scale score

160

4.0 ± 0.9

58

3.9 ± 0.9

Habitual physical activity patterns

Step count (steps/day)

151

7085 ± 3041

54

7053 ± 3102

Duration of exercise > 3 metabolic equivalents (min/day)

151

17.2 ± 14.2

54

15.6 ± 14.1

Current smoking and drinking habits

Smoker (number [%])

160

9 [5.6]

58

1 [1.7]

Alcohol consumer (number [%])

160

73 [45.6]

58

13 [22.4]**

Medication states

Antibiotics (number [%])

160

2 [1.3]

58

1 [1.7]

Gastric acid lowering medicines (number [%])

160

31 [19.4]

58

17 [29.3]

Nutrient intakes

Energy (kcal/day)

152

2166 ± 624

54

2230 ± 520

Protein (g/day)

152

81.7 ± 26.2

54

82.0 ± 20.1

Lipid (g/day)

152

73.3 ± 28.1

54

74.8 ± 25.6

Carbohydrate (g/day)

152

279 ± 75

54

297 ± 65

Dietary fiber (g/day)

152

17.5 ± 5.8

54

18.5 ± 4.3

Saturated fatty acid (g/day)

152

22.6 ± 9.2

54

22.6 ± 7.6

Monounsaturated fatty acid (g/day)

152

24.6 ± 10.2

54

24.0 ± 8.2

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (g/day)

152

15.7 ± 6.1

54

15.4 ± 5.1

Cholesterol (mg/day)

152

373 ± 131

54

359 ± 109

Sodium (mg/day)

152

4753 ± 2053

54

4788 ± 1272

Potassium (mg/day)

152

3004 ± 1035

54

3100 ± 800

Calcium (mg/day)

152

788 ± 273

54

847 ± 249

Magnesium (mg/day)

152

317 ± 105

54

321 ± 77

Iron (mg/day)

152

9.70 ± 3.47

54

10.6 ± 3.58

Vitamin C (mg/day)

152

125 ± 52

54

142 ± 49*

Blood profiles

Triglyceride (mmol/l)

124

1.47 ± 0.75

48

1.40 ± 0.76

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol/l)

124

1.63 ± 0.58

48

1.68 ± 0.45

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol/l)

124

3.10 ± 0.75

48

3.27 ± 0.65

Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (%)

124

5.65 ± 0.50

48

5.56 ± 0.34

Blood sugar (mmol/l)

124

6.22 ± 1.44

48

5.93 ± 0.98

Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (IU/l)

124

23.9 ± 7.3

48

25.2 ± 6.2

Glutamic pyruvic transaminase (IU/l)

124

19.7 ± 8.5

48

19.0 ± 7.2

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (IU/l)

124

29.3 ± 29.0

48

22.5 ± 13.7

Albumin (g/l)

124

42.9 ± 3.0

48

43.6 ± 3.2

Creatinine (μmol/l)

124

76.6 ± 55.7

48

69.8 ± 15.5

Uric acid (μmol/l)

124

300 ± 76

48

293 ± 71

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2)

124

63.3 ± 14.3

48

61.7 ± 9.6

  1. Intergroup differences in the ratio of male/female, smoker/nonsmoker, alcohol consumer/non-alcohol consumer, and medicated/non-medicated were assessed by chi-square tests. Independent differences in each of the other variables between groups were assessed by analyses of covariance, after adjusting data on age for sex and the others for age and sex. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus < 3 days/week.
  2. Data on 1-month and 5-year periods are not shown, mainly because of their similarities to those on a 10-year period.