Impact of diabetes on health-related quality of life in a population study in Japan.

Diabetes may impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The aim of this population-based study was to confirm this influence. We examined 2135 residents aged > or =30 years in an entire community, who had no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease and did not require care for daily activity.

Association of body mass index, body fat, and weight gain with inflammation markers among rural residents in Japan.

Because obesity is thought to play a key role in atherosclerosis through the low-grade chronic inflammation, the present study was designed to investigate associations of body mass index (BMI), body fat, and weight gain with optimized inflammation markers in 1,053 residents who were 40 years of age and older from a rural community (total population = 3,940 in 2000) in Japan. People reporting having a cold and those who did not undergo blood examinations were excluded. C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, serum albumin, and white blood cell (WBC) count were used as the markers for inflammation, body fat was calculated by a conventional method, and weight change since the age of 20 was assessed.