Independent and interactive effects of kidney stone formation and conventional risk factors for chronic kidney disease: a follow-up study of Japanese men.

Purpose: To assess the impact of interactions between kidney stone formation and conventional risk factors on incident chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A total of 11,402 subjects (men 30-69 years of age, Japanese) without CKD at baseline were observed over an average period of 4 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the association between incident CKD, kidney stone formation, and conventional risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia/gout).

Author Correction: Long working hours directly and indirectly (via short sleep duration) induce headache even in healthy white-collar men: cross-sectional and 1-year follow-up analyses.

Author Correction: Int Arch Occup Environ Health DOI 10.1007/s00420-017-1255-6.

Long working hours directly and indirectly (via short sleep duration) induce headache even in healthy white-collar men: cross-sectional and 1-year follow-up analyses.

Objective: Headache in employees may be linked with both overwork and sleep restriction induced by long working hours. Inter-relationships among working hours, sleep duration and headache were investigated.

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses for prevalent headache (n = 35,908) and 1-year follow-up analyses for incident headache (n = 19,788) were conducted in apparently healthy white-collar men aged 25-59 years.

Kidney stone formation is positively associated with conventional risk factors for coronary heart disease in Japanese men.

Purpose: We investigated the association between kidney stones and coronary heart disease risk factors in Japanese men.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included 13,418 Japanese men 30 to 69 years old who voluntarily underwent medical examination between April 1995 and March 2001. Participants were divided into controls, and past and current kidney stone formers based on ultrasound results and medical history.

Serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate reflects age better than health status, and may increase with cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking in middle-aged men.

Background And Aims: Serum dehydroepiandrosterone- sulfate (DHEAS), the most abundant adrenal steroid hormone, may predict aging status and longevity in humans. The aims of this study are to clarify the fundamental properties of serum DHEAS as a biomarker for health in middle-aged men.

Methods: We investigated correlations of serum DHEAS with age or conventional health indices (body mass index, blood pressure, and 12 serum/blood tests) and associations of serum DHEAS with lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, exercise, sleep) in 384 healthy men aged 30-49 years, randomly selected from voluntary attendees at a checkup.

Impact of insulin resistance, insulin and adiponectin on kidney stones in the Japanese population.

Objectives: It has been reported that kidney stones are linked to metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is characterized by insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of insulin resistance, insulin and adiponectin with kidney stones in a Japanese population.

Methods: From February 2007 to March 2008, 1036 (529 men and 507 women) apparently healthy Japanese subjects, aged 35-79 years, were analyzed.

Genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase genes and susceptibility to colorectal cancer: a case-control study in an Indian population.

Background: Susceptibility to sporadic colorectal cancer is multifactorial and arises from interactive combinations of allelic variants in low-penetrance genes and relevant environmental risk factors. Genetic polymorphisms in metabolic enzymes as gene susceptibility factors may modify colorectal cancer risk. We evaluated the risk of colorectal cancer associated with respective or combined glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms and assessed the interactions between genes and environmental factors in a case-control study in an Indian population.

Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes XRCC1, XRCC3 and XPD, and colorectal cancer risk: a case-control study in an Indian population.

Purpose: Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may influence variations in individual DNA repair capacity, which could be associated with the development of cancer. We detected the distributions of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (XRCC1 Arg399Gln, XRCC3 Thr241Met and XPD Lys751Gln) in DNA repair genes, and assessed the associations of these genetic polymorphisms with colon and rectal cancer susceptibility as well as evaluated the interactions of gene-gene and gene-environment in a case-control study of an Indian population.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted with 302 cases (including 59 colon and 243 rectal cancer patients) and 291 cancer-free healthy controls.

Heart rate-corrected QT interval in resting ECG predicts the risk for development of type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Chronic and subclinical sympathetic over-activity may underlie development of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Since longer heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) represents predominance of sympathetic activity within autonomic balance, we investigated influences of QTc on the incidence of DM in a follow-up study. The subjects were 12,530 men and 7,163 women aged 30-59 years and apparently healthy at baseline.

Resting heart rate and blood pressure, independent of each other, proportionally raise the risk for type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Fast heart rate and high blood pressure (BP) at rest may raise risk for the development of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). We therefore investigated dose-response and interactive effects of resting heart rate and BP on the incidence of DM in a Japanese population.

Methods: A follow-up study was conducted for 16 828 men and 8368 women aged 30-59 years and apparently healthy at baseline.

Sex and seasonal variations of plasma retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and carotenoid concentrations in Japanese dietitians.

Aim: To clarify sex and seasonal variations of plasma antioxidant concentrations among middle-aged Japanese.

Subjects And Methods: We investigated sex and seasonal variations of plasma antioxidant concentrations, including retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and lycopene), in 55 middle-aged dietitians (46 women and 9 men) in Aichi Prefecture, Central Japan, who took no supplements from autumn 1996 to summer 1997. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used to measure plasma antioxidant concentrations in overnight-fasting blood samples.

Inverse relationship between obesity and serum prostate-specific antigen level in healthy Japanese men: a hospital-based cross-sectional survey, 2004-2006.

Objectives: To confirm an inverse relationship between obesity and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in Japanese men with a smaller body mass index (BMI) than white and African-American men.

Methods: We analyzed 5246 apparently healthy Japanese men aged >20 years who visited our medical center for a health checkup from January 2004 to December 2006. The men were divided into 6 groups by age decade, and the BMI was categorized into 5 groups.

Heavy smoking raises risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese men; but, light smoking reduces the risk in lean men: a follow-up study in Japan.

Purpose: To investigate interactive effects of cigarette smoking and body mass index (BMI, measured in kilograms per square meter) on the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: We conducted a follow-up study in 16,829 apparently healthy men 30 to 59 years of age. At baseline, 23.

Cigarette smoking weakens exercise habits in healthy men.

To investigate the longitudinal impact of smoking cessation and relapse on the exercise habits of apparently healthy Japanese men, 750 subjects presenting for a checkup at a metropolitan health center were surveyed annually for 7 years. Exercise was dichotomously classified as none or any. Subjects were grouped in two categories: 98 smokers who ceased smoking during the second year of the study, matched with 196 continuing smokers and 196 men who had never smoked; and 52 relapsed smokers (including 2 new smokers) who did not smoke at baseline or at Year 1 but smoked from Year 2 to final follow-up, matched with 104 continuing smokers and 104 never-smokers.

Incidence of type-2 diabetes mellitus in a large population of Japanese male white-collar workers.

Since occupation, a major socio-economic factor, may be a risk factor for type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM), we compared DM incidence among four groups of white-collar workers in a follow-up study in 13,547 Japanese men. The subjects aged 30-59 years and free from DM at baseline consisted of: (a) 3725 clerical, (b) 5575 technical/professional, (c) 3474 manager/administrative and (d) 774 sales workers. Incident DM was identified by 'fasting serum glucose >or=7.

Policemen and firefighters have increased risk for type-2 diabetes mellitus probably due to their large body mass index: a follow-up study in Japanese men.

Background: Policemen/firefighters may have increased risk for mortality from ischemic heart disease and from all causes. We compare incidence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM), a well-known predictor for mortality, in policemen/firefighters with that in two other worker-groups.

Methods: A follow-up study of 5,130 healthy Japanese men aged 30-49 years at baseline consisted of three worker-groups; 3,111 clerical workers, 1,122 manual/production and transport/communication workers, and 897 policemen/firefighters.

Associations between 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase codon 677 and 1298 genetic polymorphisms and environmental factors with reference to susceptibility to colorectal cancer: a case-control study in an Indian population.

Although the incidence rate of colorectal cancer is very low, and rectal cancer remains more common in India, a significant increase in its incidence has been reported for both men and women over the last 2 decades. We evaluated MTHFR genetic susceptibility and common environmental risk factors in the development of colon and rectal cancer, and assessed the interactions between gene and environmental factors with colorectal cancer in a case-control study in the Indian population. The study included 59 colon cancer cases, 243 rectal cancer cases and 291 controls.

Plasma carotenoid, alpha-tocopherol and retinol concentrations and risk of colorectal adenomas: A case-control study in Japan.

To investigate associations between plasma carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol and retinol with colorectal adenomas risk, we measured concentrations in 224 asymptomatic colorectal adenoma cases and 230 population-based controls matched for age and sex. After adjustment for age, history of colorectal adenomas and cancers, BMI, smoking, drinking status, multivitamin consumption and plasma total cholesterol, the risk of colorectal adenomas in the highest quartile was approximately half of that of men in the lowest quartile for alpha-carotene (OR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.

A chronological decrease in type A behavior patterns among Japanese male workers in 1995-1999.

We examined the chronological change in Type A behavior pattern (TABP) among Japanese male workers for 5 yr. A brief questionnaire to measure TABP was administered to 21,711 male workers who underwent health check-ups at least once during the period from 1995 to 1999 and were born in 1936-1965. The mean TABP scores decreased year by year linearly.

Plasma concentrations of (n-3) highly unsaturated fatty acids are good biomarkers of relative dietary fatty acid intakes: a cross-sectional study.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to clarify the associations of lifestyle factors (habitual exercise, alcohol intake and smoking habit) and plasma fatty acid (FA) concentrations as biomarkers of dietary FA intakes. We collected 7-d weighed diet records, lifestyle information and blood samples from 15 male and 79 female Japanese dietitians, and estimated dietary FA intakes and analyzed plasma FA concentrations. Plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and (n-3) highly unsaturated FA (HUFA) derived from marine foods, but not linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid from plant origins, demonstrated positive correlations with dietary intakes (r = 0.

Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations of fatty acids in Japanese female dietitians.

Objective: To study seasonal variation in intake and plasma concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) in Japanese female dietitians.

Subjects And Methods: We assessed consumption of FAs based on four season 7 consecutive day weighed diet records from 71 Japanese female dietitians in 1996-1997. Using overnight fasting venous blood, plasma concentrations of FAs were analyzed by gas chromatography.

Alexithymia, depression and social support among Japanese workers.

Background: A number of studies have shown that social support has a direct beneficial effect on well-being and also serves as a buffer to protect people from health problems due to excessive stress. Although preliminary studies report a positive relationship of alexithymia both with depression and reduced social support, there is no study examining whether the beneficial effect of social support on depression differs with the presence of alexithymia.

Methods: A total of 120 workers aged 19-39 completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to measure alexithymia, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to evaluate depressive symptomatology, and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) to assess job strain based on Karasek's demand-control-support model.

Japanese versus Mediterranean Diets and Cancer.

Morbidity and mortality statistics, including incidences of fat-related cancers (FRCs), and dietary intake and sources of fats and oils were compared for Japanese, Mediterranean and American people. Incidences of FRCs, except for steeply increasing colon cancer, have remained low in Japan. Similarly, Mediterranean people enjoy relatively low risks of FRCs compared with American people.

Markers of insulin resistance in day and shift workers aged 30-59 years.

Objectives: To examine relationships between shift work and markers (metabolic abnormalities) of insulin resistance (IR).

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 2,824 day and 826 shift workers. All the subjects were male blue-collar workers aged 30-59 years.

Cross-cultural validation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Japan.

The Beck Depression Inventory has undergone substantial revision recently as the BDI-II to correspond to DSM-IV criteria. We developed the Japanese version of the BDI-II and examined its psychometric properties. The linguistic equivalence was verified by a back-translation method.