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.

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.

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.

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.