Sex differences in waist circumference obesity and eating speed: a cross-sectional study of Japanese people with normal body mass index.

Background: Fast eating has been positively associated with visceral fat accumulation in normal-weight individuals according to body mass index (BMI). However, previous studies have not examined energy and nutrients, or adjusted for food intake. We examined the relationship between eating speed and visceral fat accumulation, using waist circumference as an index, in middle-aged participants who were considered to be of standard weight according to BMI, with nutrient intake added as an adjustment factor.

Association between lack of sexual interest and all-cause mortality in a Japanese general population: The Yamagata prospective observational study.

Background: Sexual interest is essential for maintaining positive sexual relationships and sexual function, which have recently been recognized as important indicators of good health and quality of life. Here, we prospectively investigated associations between sexual interest and mortality in a community-based population.

Methods: This study enrolled 20,969 subjects (8,558 males and 12,411 females) aged ≥ 40 years who participated in annual health check-ups in Yamagata Prefecture.

Increased salt intake is associated with diabetes and characteristic dietary habits: a community-based cross-sectional study in Japan.

We investigated the association of salt intake with lifestyle-related diseases and also the association of habitually consumed foods with salt intake. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from a baseline survey of 2,129 residents of Yonezawa city (980 males and 1,149 females), Yamagata prefecture. The residents were divided into three groups based on their estimated daily salt intake: low, medium, and high.

Association between Serum Magnesium Levels and Mortality in a Community-Based Population: The Yamagata (Takahata) Study.

The element magnesium (Mg) is involved in various metabolic reactions within the human body, and its deficiency is considered a risk factor for several diseases. In this study, we investigated the relationship between serum Mg levels and mortality in a community-based population. We prospectively assessed the association between serum Mg levels at enrollment and all-cause mortality in 1,314 participants who underwent a community health examination.

Including measures of chronic kidney disease to improve cardiovascular risk prediction by SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP.

Aims: The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guideline on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention categorizes moderate and severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) as high and very-high CVD risk status regardless of other factors like age and does not include estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria in its algorithms, systemic coronary risk estimation 2 (SCORE2) and systemic coronary risk estimation 2 in older persons (SCORE2-OP), to predict CVD risk. We developed and validated an 'Add-on' to incorporate CKD measures into these algorithms, using a validated approach.

Methods: In 3,054 840 participants from 34 datasets, we developed three Add-ons [eGFR only, eGFR + urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) (the primary Add-on), and eGFR + dipstick proteinuria] for SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP.

Applicability of a Web-based 24-hour Dietary Recall Tool for Japanese Populations in Large-scale Epidemiological Studies.

Background: Recent innovations in information and communication technology have made it possible to assess diet using web-based methods; however, their applicability in the general population remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to examine the applicability of a web-based 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) tool to large-scale epidemiological studies by determining the sampling rate and characteristics of randomly selected participants from a Japanese cohort study.

Methods: In total, 5,013 individuals were recruited from a cohort of 21,537 individuals, and 975 agreed to participate in this study.

Ten-year longitudinal investigation of astigmatism: The Yamagata Study (Funagata).

Despite numerous investigations into ocular or corneal astigmatism, the dynamic nature of astigmatism remains poorly understood. To reveal potential associations between age and astigmatism, 264 Japanese participants who underwent systemic and ophthalmological examinations in Funagata Town (Yamagata Prefecture, Japan) were evaluated over a 10-year period. Astigmatism was evaluated with regard to the cylinder power, cylinder axis, and vector analyses.

Circadian Clock Gene Polymorphisms and Sleep-Onset Problems in a Population-Based Cohort Study: The Yamagata Study.

A number of genome-wide association studies have investigated sleep phenotypes and disorders in humans. However, the contribution of genetic variation to sleep problems in Japanese populations has remained unclear. Sleep-onset problems are the most common symptom of insomnia.

Serum Cholinesterase Levels to Predict All-Cause Mortality in a Community-Based Study: The Takahata Study.

Introduction: Serum albumin (Alb) levels have been found to be independent predictors of all-cause mortality in a community-based population, but whether this is the case for serum cholinesterase (ChE) levels is uncertain. This study aimed to determine whether serum ChE levels are independent predictors of all-cause mortality in a community-based population.

Methods: A total of 3,504 subjects (mean age 62.

Review of the diagnosis and treatment of brain metastases.

Brain metastases (BM) occur in at least 10% of cancer patients, and are one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths and significant deterioration in the quality of life of cancer patients due to the neurological deterioration caused by brain compression and tumor invasion. Whole-brain irradiation has been emphasized as the standard treatment for BM. However, recent clinical trials including the JLGK0901 and JCOG0504 trials conducted in Japan have established therapeutic evidence for the use of stereotactic radiosurgery with regular follow-up with magnetic resonance imaging for BM.

Risk Classification for Metabolic Syndrome and the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in Japan With Low Prevalence of Obesity: A Pooled Analysis of 10 Prospective Cohort Studies.

Background It is uncertain whether risk classification under the nationwide program on screening and lifestyle modification for metabolic syndrome captures well high-risk individuals who could benefit from lifestyle interventions. We examined the validity of risk classification by linking the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods and Results Individual-level data of 29 288 Japanese individuals aged 40 to 74 years without a history of CVD from 10 prospective cohort studies were used.

The Real-World status and risk factors for a poor prognosis in elderly patients with primary central nervous system malignant lymphomas: a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of the Tohoku Brain Tumor Study Group.

Background: Elderly patients with primary central nervous system malignant lymphoma (EL-PCNSL) may not be given sufficient treatment due to their poor pre-treatment Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and comorbidities. Therefore, a retrospective, cohort study was performed to evaluate risk factors associated with a poor prognosis of EL-PCNSL in the Tohoku Brain Tumor Study Group.

Methods: Patients aged ≥ 71 years with PCNSL were enrolled from eight centers.

Factors associated with health intentions and behaviour among health checkup participants in Japan.

Health intentions and behaviours are essential for improving the health of individuals and society. This study used cross-sectional data from 20,155 health checkup participants in the Yamagata study to identify factors associated with health intentions and behaviours. Information regarding the current level of health intentions and behaviours was collected using a baseline survey questionnaire.

The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

The beneficial effect of moderate physical activity (PA) on morbidity and mortality has been observed in the general population. However, the ideal intensity of PA for improving cardiovascular longevity in Japanese general population is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the PA and cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Reliability of self-reported questionnaire for epidemiological investigation of Helicobacter pylori eradication in a population-based cohort study.

General population-based cohort studies provide solid evidence on mass Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication effects. Self-reported questionnaires are occasionally used in such studies to ascertain the HP eradication history. However, reports on the reliability of these questionnaires are lacking.

Association between milk and yogurt intake and mortality: a community-based cohort study (Yamagata study).

Background: Dairy products are known as health-promoting foods. This study prospectively examined the association between milk and yogurt intake and mortality in a community-based population.

Methods: The study population comprised of 14,264 subjects aged 40-74 years who participated in an annual health checkup.

Reproducibility and validity of food group intake in a short food frequency questionnaire for the middle-aged Japanese population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for food group intake in Japan, the reproducibility and partial validity of which were previously confirmed for nutrients.

Methods: A total of 288 middle-aged healthy volunteers from 11 different areas of Japan provided nonconsecutive 3-day weighed dietary records (DRs) at 3-month intervals over four seasons. We evaluated reproducibility based on the first (FFQ1) and second (FFQ2) questionnaires and their validity against the DRs by comparing the intake of 20 food groups.

High Parity Is an Independent Risk Factor for Tooth Loss in Women: A Community-Based Takahata Study in Japan.

Risk factors for tooth loss have been widely examined previously. However, no previous study has comprehensively investigated the risk factors, including lifestyle-related specific factors (parity, oral health habits, and socioeconomic status), for fewer than 20 teeth among women in the general population in Japan. This cross-sectional study explored the association of these risk factors, especially parity, with having fewer than 20 teeth among Japanese women.

Association between presence of 20 or more natural teeth and all-cause, cancer-related, and cardiovascular disease-related mortality: Yamagata (Takahata) prospective observational study.

Background: Several studies have surveyed the relationship between the presence of ≥ 20 natural teeth and mortality. However, very few have evaluated this association over a long-term follow-up of more than ten years within a large population in Japan. This study aimed to prospectively confirm the associations between mortality and the presence of ≥ 20 natural teeth within a community-based population in Japan.

Incorporating kidney disease measures into cardiovascular risk prediction: Development and validation in 9 million adults from 72 datasets.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) measures (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and albuminuria) are frequently assessed in clinical practice and improve the prediction of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet most major clinical guidelines do not have a standardized approach for incorporating these measures into CVD risk prediction. "CKD Patch" is a validated method to calibrate and improve the predicted risk from established equations according to CKD measures.

Methods: Utilizing data from 4,143,535 adults from 35 datasets, we developed several "CKD Patches" incorporating eGFR and albuminuria, to enhance prediction of risk of atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) by the Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) and CVD mortality by Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE).

Relationship between social support status and mortality in a community-based population: a prospective observational study (Yamagata study).

Background: Social support, defined as the exchange of support in social relationships, plays a vital role in maintaining healthy behavior and mitigating the effects of stressors. This study investigated whether functional aspect of social support is related to 5-year mortality in health checkup participants.

Methods: This study recruited 16,651 subjects (6797 males, 9854 females).

Molecular Features and Prognostic Factors of Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: A Collaborative Investigation of the Tohoku Brain Tumor Study Group.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare glial tumor, however, its histological differentiation from high-grade gliomas is often difficult. Molecular characteristics may contribute to a better diagnostic discrimination. Prognostic factors of PXA are also important but few relevant reports have been published.

Age-Related Changes in Astigmatism and Potential Causes.

Astigmatism causes deterioration of the retinal image and affects vision quality. Maintenance and improvement of visual function requires an understanding of the prevalence, age-related changes, and mechanisms of astigmatism. In this article, we discuss the findings of studies that investigated astigmatism.