In this review, surface treatment on the implantable medical devices with phospholipid polymers is described. Conventional polymer materials using in the biomedical field do not have enough biocompatibility and blood compatibility; therefore, infusion of an anticoagulant is required during clinical treatments when using these medical devices, to avoid biological responses. To improve their properties, some surface modification methods using newly designed a phospholipid polymer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer, which is prepared with inspiration from cell membrane surface. Improvement of the bio/blood compatibility of the medical devices using the MPC polymers to suppress unfavorable biological responses at the interface between the medical devices and living organisms are explained. A novel artificial joint system has been developed with MPC polymer grafted onto the surface of cross-linked polyethylene (CLPE), which is used as a liner of artificial joint (CLPE-g-MPC). The MPC grafting on the surface of CLPE liner markedly decrease the friction and the wear. The MPC grafting can successfully inhibit the bone resorptive response to wear particles to levels similar to those of recently developed pharmacological therapies such as cytokine antagonists and osteoprotegerin. This new type artificial hip joint has been implanted to patients in Japan to obtain good clinical results.

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Currently, cosmetics products are closely related with daily living for women. Japan has a rapidly aging population in recent years. Changes in daily living for the elderly are induced by various factors (such as a health condition, a living environment, an old-age lifestyle etc.). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is known as a tool for assessment of daily living. This review describes modification of cosmetic behavior and activity of daily living by cosmetic therapy in terms of ICF for the elderly women.

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The cross-cultural analysis showed the significantly direct relationship between fat intake per capita and average life expectancy in the world. The author and his colleagues found the direct regional difference in further life expectancies according to fat intake among old people. They also confirmed that the elderly with higher fat intake lived longer than throes with low fat intake based on a longitudinal study in a given area. The results obtained in terms of fat intake relating to health outcomes in Western developed countries should not easily extrapolated to Japanese, because the fat intake in Western countries is about two times that in Japan.

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In an aging society, important issues with “eating” include deterioration of the masticatory and swallowing functions and Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM). A person’s masticatory and swallowing functions deteriorate due to age-related deterioration of the salivary secretion, muscles in the throat and around the mouth, and the swallowing reflex function, or onset of cerebrovascular diseases. PEM is caused by deterioration of these masticatory and swallowing functions and other physiological functions, including digestion and absorption, as well as by social factors related to nursing care and further by mental and other factors. In recent years, various nursing care food products have been studied and developed in order to deal with this situation.
Fat contains 9 kcal per gram, which is a higher energy than any other nutrient, allowing high energy intake in small amounts. Fat also has a unique lubricating effect, which helps to lubricate food. Furthermore, it has been being revealed that medium chain fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and other fatty acids have novel physiological functions that are beneficial to the elderly. Focused on these characteristics of fat, research has started on the use of fat in nursing care food products, creating possibilities for the future uses of fat.

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