Publications by authors named "Akihiko Uehara"
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with various chronic diseases that may lead to long-term sickness absence (LTSA), but there is lacking information on the direct association between MetS and LTSA. The present study aimed to investigate the all-cause and cause-specific associations between MetS and the risk of medically certified LTSA among Japanese workers.
Methods: We recruited 67,403 workers (57,276 men and 10,127 women), aged 20-59 years from 13 companies in Japan during their health check-ups in 2011 (11 companies) and 2014 (2 companies), and we followed them for LTSA events (≥30 consecutive days) until March 31, 2020.
Increased visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of blood pressure, which is calculated based on several readings, has been suggested to be a significant predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality, independent of mean blood pressure. This study examined associations between the VVV of systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured annually and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events among 72,617 Japanese subjects. Data were obtained from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study, which is an ongoing epidemiological survey of workers in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Prediabetes has been suggested to increase risk for death; however, the definitions of prediabetes that can predict death remain elusive. We prospectively investigated the association of multiple definitions of prediabetes with the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer in Japanese workers.
Research Design And Methods: The study included 62,785 workers who underwent a health checkup in 2010 or 2011 and were followed up for death from 2012 to March 2019.
Background: While much effort has focused on quantifying disease burden in occupational health, no study has simultaneously assessed disease burden in terms of mortality and morbidity. We aimed to propose a new comprehensive method of quantifying the disease burden in the workplace.
Methods: The data were obtained from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health (J-ECOH) Study, a large-scale prospective study of approximately 80,000 workers.
BMI and Medically Certified Long-Term Sickness Absence Among Japanese Employees.
Obesity (Silver Spring)
February 2020
Objective: In contrast to the association between excess weight and sickness absence (SA), the association in relation to underweight has been under-researched. This study aimed to examine the effects of BMI at both extremes of its distribution on SA.
Methods: Data came from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health study of 77,760 workers aged 20 to 59 years (66,166 males, 11,594 females).
Background & Aims: To investigate trajectories of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) among prediabetic people who progressed to diabetes, people who remained with prediabetes, and those who returned to normoglycemia.
Methods: We used data from 22,945 prediabetic people who received an annual health checkup for up to eight years. The development of diabetes was defined using the American Diabetes Association criteria.
Objectives: We aimed to compare the association of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among middle-aged working Japanese men.
Methods: A nested case-control study was performed among middle-aged male employees who underwent periodic health checkup. A total of 241 CVD cases were identified and matched individually on age, gender, and worksite with 1205 controls.
Background: Few studies have investigated the association between tobacco smoking and sick leave (SL) in Japan.
Methods: We followed 70 896 workers aged 20-59 years (60 133 males, 10 763 females) between April 2012 and March 2017. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the associations between smoking (smoking status and intensity) and long-term SL (ie, SL lasting ≥30 consecutive days).
Article Synopsis
- This study analyzed the rise of overweight and obesity among over 55,000 Japanese employees aged 20-59 from 2009 to 2014, focusing on changes in body mass index (BMI) over time.
- Findings revealed that men had significantly higher rates of overweight (28.3%) and obesity (6.7%) compared to women (14.3% and 3.9%, respectively), and the incidence of obesity tended to decrease with age in men.
- The research concluded that women transition from being overweight to obese more frequently than men, and younger cohorts exhibit greater increases in mean BMI than their older counterparts.
In occupational settings, smokers may take quitting smoking seriously if they experienced long-term sick leave due to cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, no study has elucidated the smoking cessation rate after long-term sick leave. We examined the smoking cessation rate after long-term sick leave due to cancer and CVD in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims/introduction: We examined the association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and anemia, which was categorized into three groups according to mean corpuscular volume (MCV), as well as the association between hemoglobin in the non-anemic range and HbA1c.
Materials And Methods: We used the 2016 health checkup data from 36,422 workers without diabetes. Anemic people were divided into three groups based on MCV: <80, 80-90 and >90 fL.
Introduction: The effect of weight gain following smoking cessation on cardiovascular risks is unclear. We aimed to prospectively investigate the association of weight gain following smoking cessation with the trajectory of estimated risks of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Methods: In a cohort of 18 562 Japanese male employees aged 30-64 years and initially free of cardiovascular diseases, participants were exclusively grouped into sustained smokers, quitters with weight gain (body weight increase ≥5%), quitters without weight gain (body weight increase <5% or weight loss), and never smokers.
Background & Aims: The existing yet limited prospective studies reported conflicting results about obesity and hearing loss. We investigated the prospective association between obesity and hearing loss in a large-scale Japanese working population, as well as the association between metabolic phenotype and hearing loss.
Methods: The study included 48,549 employees aged 20-64 years and free of hearing loss at baseline.
Aims/introduction: We examined a prospective association between serum creatinine levels and diabetes.
Materials And Methods: The present study included 31,343 male workers without diabetes, and aged between 20 and 64 years at baseline. We calculated the cumulative average of their serum creatinine over the study period.
Background And Aims: We aimed to examine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with persistent prediabetes during the last four years prior to a CVD event in a large occupational cohort in Japan.
Methods: We performed a nested case-control study using data from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study. A total of 197 registered cases of CVD were identified and matched individually with 985 controls according to age, sex, and worksite.
Background: The effect of smoking on mortality in working-age adults remains unclear. Accordingly, we compared the effects of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on total and cause-specific mortality in a Japanese working population.
Methods and results: This study included 79,114 Japanese workers aged 20-85 years who participated in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study.
Introduction: We aimed to determine the prospective association of smoking status, smoking intensity, and smoking cessation with the risk of hearing loss in a large Japanese cohort.
Methods: The cohort study included 50195 employees, who were aged 20-64 years and free of hearing loss at baseline. Participants were followed up for a maximum of 8 years.
Aims/introduction: We previously developed a 3-year diabetes risk score in the working population. The objective of the present study was to develop and validate flexible risk models that can predict the risk of diabetes for any arbitrary time-point during 7 years.
Materials And Methods: The participants were 46,198 Japanese employees aged 30-59 years, without diabetes at baseline and with a maximum follow-up period of 8 years.
Background: We investigated the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with duration of metabolic syndrome (MetS) for the past 4 years before the CVD event.
Methods and results: We performed a nested case-control study within the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study. A total of 139 registered cases of CVD and 561 self-reported cases of CVD were identified and matched individually on age, sex, and worksite with 695 and 2,803 controls, respectively.
Background: Long-term sick-leave is a major public health problem, but data on its incidence in Japan are scarce. We aimed to present reference data for long-term sick-leave among private sector employees in Japan.
Methods: The study population comprised employees of 12 companies that participated in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study.
Background: We prospectively examined the association of diabetes risk with the number of metabolic abnormalities, as well as their combinations, according to the presence or absence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in a large-scale Japanese working population.
Methods: Participants included 55,271 workers at 11 companies who received periodic health check-ups between 2008 and 2013. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) components were defined using the 2009 Joint Interim Statement.
Objectives: Sleep disturbances are related to somatic and mental disorders, industrial accidents, absenteeism, and retirement because of disability. We aimed to identify health-related behaviors associated with subjective sleep insufficiency in Japanese workers.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5,297 employees (mean age: 43.