Aspartate/alanine aminotransferase ratio and development of chronic kidney disease in non-diabetic men and women: a population-based longitudinal study in Kagawa, Japan.

Background: The relationship between serum aspartate/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT) and subsequent development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in non-diabetic Asian adults has not yet been fully investigated in longitudinal studies.

Methods: The study included all middle-aged and older non-diabetic Japanese citizens who received health check-ups in Zentsuji, Kagawa, Japan (1998-2023). AST/ALT was classified into three categories: < 1.

Job strain and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A scoping review and meta-analysis.

Background: Previous studies have shown that job strain is associated with low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). We conducted a scoping review and meta-analysis to assess the association between job strain and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed.

Volunteering in Young Adulthood: Complex Associations With Later Health and Well-Being Outcomes.

Purpose: To investigate whether in volunteering from adolescence to young adulthood are associated with subsequent health and well-being outcomes in adulthood.

Design: Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.

Survey of pharyngeal foreign bodies in Japan: An ecological study using the nationwide claims data.

Objective: Pharyngeal foreign bodies (PFBs) are a prevalent disease affected by food culture and dietary habits, with fish bones as the leading cause. Most studies were limited to specific regions, and a nationwide survey was not conducted in Japan. In this ecological study, we aimed to conduct a nationwide analysis of outpatient PFB cases in Japan over three years, focusing on seasonal trends, sex- and age-stratified cases, and regional differences.

Preventable Fraction in the Context of Disease Progression.

The relevance of the epidemiologic concept of preventable fraction to the study of the population-level impact of preventive exposures is unequivocal. Here, we discuss how the preventable fraction can be usefully understood for the class of outcomes that relate to disease progression (e.g.

Errors in the Calculation of the Population Attributable Fraction.

One of the common errors in the calculation of the population attributable fraction (PAF) is the use of an adjusted risk ratio in the Levin formula. In this article, we discuss the errors visually using wireframes by varying the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and associational risk ratio (aRR) when the prevalence of exposure is fixed. When SMR >1 and SMR > aRR, the absolute bias is positive, and its magnitude increases as the difference between SMR and aRR increases.

Fine Particulate Matter and Diabetes Prevalence in Okayama, Japan.

Many studies have shown an association between long-term exposure to particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) and diabetes mellitus (DM), but few studies have focused on Asian subjects.

Prenatal Exposure to Opioids and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: A Bayesian Mediation Analysis.

This study explores natural direct and joint natural indirect effects (JNIE) of prenatal opioid exposure on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children mediated through pregnancy complications, major and minor congenital malformations, and adverse neonatal outcomes, using Medicaid claims linked to vital statistics in Rhode Island, United States, 2008-2018. A Bayesian mediation analysis with elastic net shrinkage prior was developed to estimate mean time to NDD diagnosis ratio using posterior mean and 95% credible intervals (CrIs) from Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. Simulation studies showed desirable model performance.

A population-based longitudinal study on glycated hemoglobin levels and new-onset chronic kidney disease among non-diabetic Japanese adults.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global public health problem. Recent studies reported that diabetes and prediabetes are risk factors for developing CKD; however, the exact glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) cut-off value for prediabetes remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between HbA1c levels and subsequent CKD development in greater detail than previous studies.

Accuracy of ultrasound vs. Fourier-domain optic biometry for measuring preoperative axial length in cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To identify a method for accurately measuring preoperative axial length (AL) in cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: This retrospective study included 83 eyes of 83 patients who underwent vitrectomy for RRD and had both preoperative and postoperative data for AL.

Staged repair for complete atrioventricular septal defect in patients weighing less than 4.0 kg.

Objective: This study compared the mortality, left atrioventricular valve-related reoperation, and left atrioventricular valve competence in symptomatic neonates and small infants who underwent staged repair incorporating pulmonary artery banding or primary repair for complete atrioventricular septal defect.

Methods: Patients weighing less than 4.0 kg at the time of undergoing staged (n = 37) or primary (n = 23) repair for balanced complete atrioventricular septal defect between 1999 and 2022 were reviewed.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use, Cancer Screening, and Medical Checkups in Japan from 2001 to 2013: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.

The association between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and other health-related behaviors is an important issue. A previous study reported that complementary medicine use is related to greater use of cancer screening, whereas alternative medicine use is related to lower use of cancer screening. Given the sparse evidence from Japan, we aimed to examine the association of CAM use with cancer screening and medical checkups.

Heat Exposure Following the Rainy Season Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Emergency Among the Elderly in Japan.

Background Despite the impact of heat exposure caused by global warming, few studies have investigated the hourly effects of heat exposure and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the elderly. We examined the associations between short-term heat exposure and the risk of CVD in the elderly in Japan and evaluated possible effect-measure modifications by rainy seasons that occur in East Asia. Methods and Results We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study.

Diarrhea and related personal characteristics among Japanese university students studying abroad in intermediate- and low-risk countries.

Despite an increasing number of students studying abroad worldwide, evidence about health risks while they are abroad is limited. Diarrhea is considered the most common travelers' illness, which would also apply to students studying abroad. We examined diarrhea and related personal characteristics among Japanese students studying abroad.

IMPACT OF MACULAR INTRARETINAL HEMORRHAGE AND MACULAR HOLE ON THE VISUAL PROGNOSIS OF SUBMACULAR HEMORRHAGE DUE TO RETINAL ARTERIAL MACROANEURYSM RUPTURE.

Purpose: To compare the effects of macular intraretinal hemorrhage (IRH) and macular hole (MH) on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after displacement of submacular hemorrhage (SMH) due to retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) rupture.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 48 eyes with SMH due to RAM rupture. Cases underwent vitrectomy to displace SMH and were followed up for 6 months.

Do Complementary and Alternative Medicine Users Also Use Conventional Medicine? A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in Japan from 1995 to 2013.

It is recommended that users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) also seek conventional medical care to prevent the loss of access to appropriate medical care. However, the status of such use is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the time trends in the proportion of CAM users who also receive conventional medical care for the same symptoms.

Breastfeeding at 6 months of age had a positive impact on overweight and obesity in Japanese adolescents at 15 years of age.

Aim: A number of studies have indicated the potential benefits that breastfeeding has on reducing childhood obesity, but few studies have evaluated the effect on adolescent obesity. We examined the association between breastfeeding and overweight or obesity at 15 years of age using data from a large nationwide longitudinal study launched by the Japanese Government in 2001.

Methods: We analysed data for 26 164 participants with known infant feeding practices at 6 months of age, namely the duration of breastfeeding or formula feeding.

Tumor size before image-guided brachytherapy is an important factor of local control after radiotherapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma: analysis in cases using central shielding.

We analyzed the local control (LC) of cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated by computed tomography (CT)-based image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) using central shielding (CS). We also examined the value of tumor diameter before brachytherapy (BT) as a factor of LC. In total, 97 patients were analyzed between April 2016 and March 2020.

Exchangeability of Measures of Association Before and After Exposure Status Is Flipped: Its Relationship With Confounding in the Counterfactual Model.

Background: The counterfactual definition of confounding is often explained in the context of exchangeability between the exposed and unexposed groups. One recent approach is to examine whether the measures of association (eg, associational risk difference) are exchangeable when exposure status is flipped in the population of interest. We discuss the meaning and utility of this approach, showing their relationships with the concept of confounding in the counterfactual framework.