Publications by authors named "Asako Zempo-Miyaki"

Prevalence of hypertension in adolescents has increased worldwide and is considered a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Although obesity and sleep deficiency increase this risk, the combined effects of these factors on hypertension remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the combined effects of obesity and sleep duration on hypertension in adolescents.

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Background: Levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an anti-inflammatory cardioprotective protein, increase after weight loss in obese men and aerobic exercise in non-obese adults. However, the effect of nutritional characteristics on PTX3 levels remains unclear. This population-based, cross-sectional study investigated the association between circulating PTX3 levels and food intake in Japanese adults.

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Physical exercise has positive impacts on hippocampal memory decline with aging. One of the postulated neurobiological mechanisms of the decline is reduced catecholaminergic projections from the locus coeruleus to the hippocampus. Recent human studies revealed that very light exercise rapidly enhances memory and pupil diameter, which suggests that light exercise may improve memory via neural circuits involved in the ascending arousal system, including the locus coeruleus, even in older adults.

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Background And Aims: Weight reduction by lifestyle modification (i.e., low-calorie diet and/or exercise) decreases arterial stiffness in overweight or obese individuals.

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Meta-analyses have concluded that combined aerobic and high-intensity or moderate-intensity resistance exercise training has no effects on arterial stiffness. However, a recent study demonstrated that combined aerobic training and resistance training using rubber bands increases basal nitric oxide (NO) production and decreases arterial stiffness with marked reduction of body weight in obese adolescent girls. To investigate whether combined aerobic and low-intensity resistance training increases basal NO production and decreases arterial stiffness without body weight reduction in older adults, 27 healthy older individuals participated in a 6-week program as a part of the training group (mean body mass index, 21 kg/m; walking and resistance training using one's body weight) or the control group (22 kg/m, asked not to modify their lifestyle).

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An exaggerated blood pressure response to resistance exercise is a marker of masked hypertension and a risk factor for future essential hypertension. Habitual aerobic exercise decreases systolic blood pressure (SBP) during resistance exercise in older individuals, but the underlying mechanisms have not been explored. This study tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) mediates a reduction of resistance exercise SBP with aerobic training in older individuals.

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Purpose: Eccentric exercise induces a decrease in vascular endothelial function. Curcumin, a major component of turmeric, has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are associated with vascular protective effects. The present study examined the effect of acute supplementation of curcumin on eccentric exercise-induced endothelial dysfunction in healthy young men.

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Male sexual function is regulated by vascular function and impaired vascular function is closely related with erectile dysfunction (ED). Vascular functions are positively influenced by physical fitness (i.e.

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The circulatory level of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an anti-inflammatory cardioprotective protein, has been shown to be lower in obese individuals than in those with normal weight. However, reports on the effects of different weight-loss methods on PTX3 are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of weight loss on circulating PTX3 levels in overweight and obese men and to examine the combined effect of dietary modification and exercise training on PTX3 levels.

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Background: As arterial stiffness increases in the absence of subjective symptoms, a personal indicator that reflects increased risk of cardiovascular disease is necessary. Penile erection is regulated by vascular function, and atherosclerosis affects the penile artery earlier than it affects the coronary and carotid arteries. Therefore, we hypothesized that deterioration of erectile function could be a marker of increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

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The brain's low resistance ensures a robust blood flow throughout systole and diastole and is susceptible to flow pulsatility. Increased cerebral pulsatility contributes to the progression of cerebrovascular disease. Although aerobic exercise affects vascular function, little is known about the effect of exercise on the cerebral pulsatility index in older adults.

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Obesity and increased arterial stiffness are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A well-known characteristic of obesity is the chronic low-grade inflammatory state, and it causes elevation of arterial stiffness. Weight-loss reduces arterial stiffness and inflammatory level in obese individuals.

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is a unicellular green alga that contains high levels of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The present study investigated the effects of a 4-week -derived multicomponent supplementation on maximal oxygen uptake and circulating vitamin B levels in healthy men. Thirty-four participants were randomly divided into two groups: placebo or .

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Testosterone is a male sex hormone and low circulating testosterone levels are associated with various health disorders in men. Obesity results in reduced circulating testosterone levels in men. Previously, we demonstrated that lifestyle modifications (combination of aerobic exercise and dietary modification) increase circulating testosterone levels in overweight/obese men.

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Decreases in saliva secretion compromise food mastication and swallowing, reduce mucosal immune function, and increase the risk for oral diseases like dental caries. Chlorella is a green alga that contains a variety of nutrients including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. In our previous study, Chlorella-derived multicomponent supplementation did not affect salivary flow rates in healthy young individuals, but Chlorella-derived supplementation attenuated a decrease in saliva secretion that was observed during a kendo training camp.

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Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Obesity results in reduced serum testosterone levels, which causes many disorders in men. Lifestyle modifications (increased physical activity and calorie restriction) can increase serum testosterone levels.

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Purpose: Polyphenolic curcumin is known to have potent anti-inflammatory effects; thus the present study investigated the hypothesis that curcumin ingestion would attenuate muscle damage after eccentric exercise.

Methods: Fourteen untrained young men (24 ± 1 years) performed 50 maximal isokinetic (120°/s) eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors of one arm on an isokinetic dynamometer and the same exercise with the other arm 4 weeks later. They took 150 mg of curcumin (theracurmin) or placebo (starch) orally before and 12 h after each eccentric exercise bout in a randomised, crossover design.

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Obesity has reached global epidemic proportions and is associated with multiple comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease. A novel predictor of cardiovascular disease is elevated central systolic blood pressure. In fact, lifestyle modifications have been shown to decrease the central systolic blood pressure in overweight and obese men.

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Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a multifunctional modulator of the innate immunoinflammatory response, is higher in patients undergoing hemodialysis than healthy control. Our study focused on annual change in PTX3 levels in patients with chronic hemodialysis, because regularly undergoing hemodialysis for many years modifies vascular inflammatory status. To demonstrate whether annual change in PTX3 is associated with vascular events, we measured blood levels of pentraxins (PTX3 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)) at baseline and in the next year in 76 hemodialysis patients and observed 20 patients with vascular access troubles during follow-up years.

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Obesity and increased arterial stiffness are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is increased in obese individuals than in age-matched nonobese individuals. We demonstrated that dietary modification and exercise training are effective in reducing arterial stiffness in obese persons.

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Choi, Y, Akazawa, N, Zempo-Miyaki, A, Ra, S-G, Shiraki, H, Ajisaka, R, and Maeda, S. Acute effect of high-intensity eccentric exercise on vascular endothelial function in young men. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2279-2285, 2016-Increased central arterial stiffness is as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

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