Criteria of waist circumference according to computed tomography-measured visceral fat area and the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the discriminate gender-specific cutoff values of waist circumference (WC) for detecting the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (CCRF), which reflects the intra-abdominal visceral fat area (VFA) using a large Japanese population.

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 6,736 men and women who underwent a periodic health check-up and had a computed tomography scan for VFA measurement at the PL Tokyo Health Care Center in Tokyo, Japan. The CCRF was defined according to the Japanese Committee of the Criteria for Metabolic Syndrome.

[Clinicoradiological studies and frequency of incidental meningiomas on brain check-up].

The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinico-radiological findings and to estimate frequency of incidental meningiomas detected by brain check-up (BC). A total of 12,258 healthy adults (8,515 men and 3,743 women) had BC, using physical check-up, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR angiography. Mean age (SD) was 52.

Adult moyamoya disease in the asymptomatic Japanese population.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a spontaneous occlusive disease of the Willis circle. This study evaluated the presence of the radiological hallmarks of adult MMD on a "brain check-up" (BC) using MRI and MR angiography, in Japan. BC was offered to 11,402 healthy subjects (7570 men and 3832 women) between January 1997 and November 2003.

Acetazolamide-induced muscle weakness in hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

A 46-year-old man with hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) and diabetes mellitus (DM) had worsened muscle weakness after acetazolamide (ACZ) treatment. During the paralytic episode, serum potassium levels were reduced, and serum chloride and insulin levels were increased. The data suggested proximal renal tubular acidosis due to ACZ.

Unusual fatty infiltration of the soleus muscle in a patient with congenital nemaline myopathy: fat-suppression muscle MRI.

A 27-year-old man developed gait disturbance over a three-year period. Histochemical analysis suggested nemaline bodies, type I fiber atrophy and type II fiber hypertrophy. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a severe degree of homogenous hyperintensity in the soleus muscle.

Risk factors for ischemic heart disease in an urban area of Japan: a case-control study in AMHTS.

Objectives: In Japan controversy exists as to whether or not the risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD) are the same as in western countries. We conducted a case-control study on IHD to clarify the risk factors in males in an urban area of Japan using our automated multiphasic health testing and services (AMHTS) system.

Method: Cases were the clients who took the health check-up between January 1987 and July 1994 and had onset of IHD after the check-up.

Relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ.

Background: No one has previously examined the relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ.

Methods: A case-control study was performed with 129 cases of colorectal carcinoma in situ and 258 matched controls among examinees undergoing a health check-up in Tokyo from January 1991 to March 1993.

Results: There was a significant, positive association between serum total cholesterol levels and the risk of colorectal carcinoma in situ after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status and alcohol consumption.

Elimination of inter-institutional discrepancies in health check-up results: standardization of diagnostic decision level and uniformity of examination data.

In Japan, more people are taking AMHTS and the number of medical institutions where it is provided is also increasing. AMHTS is expected to continue to expand in scope and importance from now on. People do not necessarily take AMHTS at the same medical institutions year after year.

Case-control study of colorectal carcinoma in situ and cancer in relation to cigarette smoking and alcohol use (Japan).

A case-control study was performed in order to examine the relation of cigarette smoking and alcohol use to colorectal carcinoma in situ and cancer, separately. Study subjects consisted of 129 colorectal carcinoma in situ cases, 66 colorectal cancer cases, and 390 controls recruited from health check-up examinees in Tokyo from January 1991 to March 1993. Smoking status and alcohol habit were ascertained from a self-administered questionnaire.