Association between serum uric acid levels and achievement of target blood pressure among Japanese community residents with hypertension.

The authors examined the sex-specific association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and achievement of target blood pressure among Japanese patients with hypertension. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2015 and examined 17 113 eligible participants (6499 men; 10 614 women) with hypertension among 66 874 Japanese community residents who underwent voluntary health checkups. Multivariate analysis was used to estimate the association between high SUA level (≥7.

Efficacy and safety of semaglutide in glycemic control, body weight management, lipid profiles and other biomarkers among obese type 2 diabetes patients initiated or switched to semaglutide from other GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Purpose: Evidence of the efficacy and safety of semaglutide among patients with type 2 diabetes who were initiated on or were switched to semaglutide from other GLP-1 RAs remains limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of switching to semaglutide from other GLP-1 RAs.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated patients with type 2 diabetes who were initiated on or were switched to semaglutide due to poor diabetes control with other GLP-1 RAs or other medications, or obesity.

An association between subcutaneous fat mass accumulation and hypertension.

Evidence to assess relationships between subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and lifestyle-related diseases, including hypertension, remains limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SFA and hypertension. This study was a single-institution, cross-sectional study of 1,899 eligible Japanese participants who underwent health checkups between December 2016 and December 2018.

An association between visceral or subcutaneous fat accumulation and diabetes mellitus among Japanese subjects.

Background: The impact of subcutaneous fat accumulation remains controversial. This study assessed the association between visceral or subcutaneous fat area (VFA and SFA, respectively) and diabetes mellitus (DM) among Japanese subjects.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1907 eligible participants (men, 1050; women, 857) who participated in a voluntary health check-up conducted at Juntendo University Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018, in Tokyo, Japan.

Association between Visceral or Subcutaneous Fat Accumulation and B-Type Natriuretic Peptide among Japanese Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Some previous studies have shown reduced levels of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in individuals with obesity. We aimed to estimate the relationship between BNP and abdominal fat distribution, adjusted for confounding factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1806 Japanese individuals (981 men and 825 women) who underwent a medical health check-up.

Serum zinc concentrations and characteristics of zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency among Japanese subjects.

Background: Studies that have examined serum zinc deficiency/marginal deficiency in developed countries, including Japan, are still limited. The aim of this study was to assess serum zinc concentrations and associated characteristics among Japanese subjects.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from September 2016 to December 2018, included 2056 eligible subjects who participated in a voluntary health checkup.

Assessing lifestyle-related diseases with body and muscle mass using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Objectives: To investigate the correlation between imbalance of muscle mass to body weight and lifestyle-related diseases using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) among Japanese population.

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted at Juntendo University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, from May 2015 to November 2017. Their muscle-to-weight ratio were stratified into "muscle-to-weight ratio" quartiles as follows: men, Q1 (≥0.

Achievement of Target Serum Uric Acid Levels and Factors Associated with Therapeutic Failure among Japanese Men Treated for Hyperuricemia/Gout.

Objective To assess the rate of successfully achieving treatment goals among Japanese men with hyperuricemia/gout and identify factors influencing the success rate. Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted from January to December 2012, examined the serum uric acid (SUA) levels and clinical characteristics of 2,103 men with hyperuricemia/gout selected from an initial population of 136,770 individuals who participated in a workplace health checkup. The success rates (defined as SUA ≤6.

Association between high cystatin C levels and carotid atherosclerosis.

Aim: To investigate the association between carotid atherosclerosis and cystatin C (CysC) and to determine the optimal CysC cut-off value.

Methods: One hundred twenty-eight subjects were included in this study. Atherosclerosis was defined as a maximum carotid plaque thickness (MCPT) of greater than 2 mm.

Bacteraemia predictive factors among general medical inpatients: a retrospective cross-sectional survey in a Japanese university hospital.

Objectives: The precise criteria for obtaining blood cultures have not been established; they depend on the physician's judgement. We examined clinical parameters to determine predictive factors of bacteraemia and the need for blood cultures among general medical inpatients.

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional survey.

Association between health literacy and metabolic syndrome or healthy lifestyle characteristics among community-dwelling Japanese people.

Background: Few studies have assessed the association between health literacy (HL) and healthy lifestyle characteristics among Japanese people, and reports on the association between HL and prevalence of metabolic syndrome are also scarce.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 1817 (781 men and 1036 women) Japanese individuals who participated in a medical health checkup at Bange Kosei General Hospital and Takada Kosei Hospital in Fukushima, Japan, from April 2013-2014. Information regarding HL and healthy lifestyle characteristics listed in Breslow's seven health practices was collected by self-administered questionnaire.

The Relationships between Metabolic Disorders (Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Impaired Glucose Tolerance) and Computed Tomography-Based Indices of Hepatic Steatosis or Visceral Fat Accumulation in Middle-Aged Japanese Men.

Background: Most studies on the relationships between metabolic disorders (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance) and hepatic steatosis (HS) or visceral fat accumulation (VFA) have been cross-sectional, and thus, these relationships remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to clarify the relationships between components of metabolic disorders and HS/VFA.

Methods: The participants were 615 middle-aged men who were free from serious liver disorders, diabetes, and HS/VFA and underwent multiple general health check-ups at our institution between 2009 and 2013.

Achievement of Target Blood Pressure Levels among Japanese Workers with Hypertension and Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics Associated with Therapeutic Failure.

Background: Few studies have examined Japanese with regard to the achievement rates for target blood pressure levels, or the relationship between these rates and healthy lifestyle characteristics in patients with hypertension as defined by the newly established hypertension management guidelines (JSH2014). The aim of this study was to elucidate achievement rates and examine healthy lifestyle characteristics associated with achievement status among Japanese.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in January-December 2012, examined blood pressure control and healthy lifestyle characteristics in 8,001 Japanese workers with hypertension (mean age, 57.

Association Between Serum Uric Acid Levels/Hyperuricemia and Hypertension Among 85,286 Japanese Workers.

This cross-sectional study from January 2012 to December 2012 aimed to examine the sex-specific association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels/hyperuricemia and hypertension among Japanese patients. SUA level, medical histories, and lifestyle-related items were collected from 85,286 of 136,770 participants. Among those with hyperuricemia, the median age was 46 years and 97% were men, which was significantly different than those without hyperurecemia (44 years and 56%, respectively; P<.

Utility of 75-g oral glucose tolerance test results and hemoglobin a1c values for predicting the incidence of diabetes mellitus among middle-aged Japanese men -a large-scale retrospective cohort study performed at a single hospital.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the incidence of diabetes and the accumulation of markers of impaired glucose metabolism; i.e., pre-diabetes.

Body mass index and waist circumference are independent risk factors for low vital capacity among Japanese participants of a health checkup: a single-institution cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations between obesity and percentage vital capacity (%VC), as well as lifestyle-related disorders, among Japanese participants of a voluntary health checkup.

Methods: Subjects were 7,892 individuals who participated in a medical health checkup from January to December 2007. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess associations between low %VC (<80) and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), as well as lifestyle-related disorders.

Global distribution of polymorphisms associated with delayed Plasmodium falciparum parasite clearance following artemisinin treatment: genotyping of archive blood samples.

The recent emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum isolates is a growing concern for global malaria-control efforts. A recent genome-wide analysis study identified two SNPs at genomic positions MAL10-688956 and MAL13-1718319, which are linked to delayed clearance of parasites following artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). It is expected that continuous artemisinin pressure will affect the distribution of these SNPs.

Association between abdominal fat distribution and atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the association between abdominal fat distribution (e.g., abdominal visceral fat area [VFA], subcutaneous fat area [SFA], and total fat area [TFA]), waist circumference (WC), or body mass index (BMI) and atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery after adjusting for common risk factors.

Age-specific effectiveness and safety of newly initiated insulin therapy in Japanese patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

Introduction: One consequence of population aging is an increase in the number of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus. These elderly patients often experience atherosclerotic complications, and diabetes prevention and management are strongly desired to promote health and reduce the financial burden on the healthcare system. In this study, we conducted an age-specific evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of comprehensive management with newly initiated insulin therapy over a 1-year period in elderly (≥65 years) compared with non-elderly (≤64 years) Japanese patients with uncontrolled diabetes [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 8% for ≥ 3 months].

Influence of smoking on HIV infection among HIV-infected Japanese men.

We performed a cross-sectional study that included 100 HIV-infected Japanese men without hemophilia to examine the influence of smoking on HIV infection. History of smoking was obtained using a questionnaire. The percentage of current smokers was 40 % and was the highest (50 %) among men in their forties.

Associations between healthy lifestyle behaviors and proteinuria and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Aim: The aim was to investigate the respective associations between lifestyle and proteinuria and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods: The lifestyle habits of 25,493 middle-aged participants were investigated in a cross-sectional study to find habits that are associated with a low eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) and/or the presence of proteinuria.

Infective endocarditis with Lactococcus garvieae in Japan: a case report.

Introduction: Lactococcus garvieae is a well-recognized fish pathogen, and it is considered a rare pathogen with low virulence in human infection. We describe the 11th case of L. garvieae infective endocarditis reported in the literature, and the first reported case in Japan.

Acute and chronic effects of sarin exposure from the Tokyo subway incident.

The Tokyo subway sarin attack was the second documented incident of nerve gas poisoning in Japan. The St. Luke's International Hospital received 640 patients on the day of the attack.

[Laboratory medicine in the field of emergency medicine and disaster medicine--Old-And-New tools of emergency medical service].

We reviewed the characteristics of the field of laboratory medicine concerning emergency medicine and disaster medicine. Gram's stain was apt to be made light of by clinicians, but it has been reviewed again. A modern sophisticated analysis system is expected for the consequence management of NBC terrorism and mass poisoning, but we would like to emphasize the importance of the basic physical strength of laboratory medicine, such as Gram's stain, to the meaning of old-and-new technology.