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.
| < 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 |
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.
Data on 1-month and 5-year periods are not shown, mainly because of their similarities to those on a 10-year period.