Details of a Researcher - Okamura, Tomonori

Papers - Okamura, Tomonori

Division display 541 - 560 of about 675 ／ All the affair displays >>

Prognostic value of Q wave for cardiovascular death in a 19-year prospective study of the Japanese general population

Higashiyama Aya, Hozawa Atsushi, Murakami Yoshitaka, Okamura Tomonori, Watanabe Makoto, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Hayakawa Takehito, Kadowaki Takashi, Kita Yoshikuni, Okayama Akira, Ueshima Hirotsugu, Iimura Osamu, Omae Teruo, Ueda Kazuo, Horibe Hiroshi, Kodama Kazunori, Kasagi Fumiyoshi, Tanihara Shinichi, Saitoh Shigeyuki, Sakata Kiyomi, Nakamura Yosikazu, Kakuno Fumihiko, Takeuchi Toshihiro, Hasebe Mitsuru, Kusano Fumitsugu, Kawamoto Takahisa, Minowa Masumi, Kawaminami Katsuhiko, Choudhury Sohel R., Kiyohara Yutaka, Iida Minoru, Hashimoto Tsutomu, Terao Atsushi, Sawai Koryo, Shibata Shigeo

Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis 16 ( 1 ) 40 - 50 2009

ISSN 1340-3478

Aim: Little is known about the prognostic value of q wave abnormality for cardiovascular disease (CVD) on a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) of the Japanese general population with an extremely low incidence of myocardial infarction. Methods: We followed 8,339 participants without a past and present history of CVD for 19 years. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of q wave abnormality for CVD mortality was estimated by the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The multivariate-adjusted HR of composite findings of moderate or severe q wave abnormality was 1.75 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97-3.17) for mortality due to CVD and 2.97 (95%CI: 1.43-6.16) due to heart diseases. The multivariate-adjusted HR of mild abnormality for mortality from heart diseases was 1.95 (95%CI: 1.00-3.81). The relationship between moderate or severe abnormalities and mortality from CVD was unchanged when participants with ST-T changes and high amplitude R waves were excluded and when participants were divided by the presence of major CVD risk factors such as hypertension. Q wave abnormality was not associated with the risk of stroke. Conclusion: Moderate or severe q wave abnormalities are prominent and important predictors of mortality due to CVD and heart disease in the Japanese general population without CVD history.

A Japanese diet and 19-year mortality

Nakamura Yasuyuki, Ueshima Hirotsugu, Okamura Tomonori, Kadowaki Takashi, Hayakawa Takehito, Kita Yoshikuni, Abbott Robert D., Okayama Akira

British Journal of Nutrition 101 ( 11 ) 1696 - 1705 2009

ISSN 0007-1145

Few studies have examined the association between Japanese diet and mortality outcomes. We analysed the relationship between a healthy Japanese diet and all-cause and cause-specific mortality using the database from the National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-Communicable Diseases and its Trends in the Aged, 1980. At baseline in 1980, data were collected on study participants aged ≧30 years from randomly selected areas in Japan. We defined a measure of a healthy reduced-salt Japanese diet based on seven components from FFQ. The total score ranged from 0 to 7, with 0 being least healthy and 7 being most healthy. Participants were divided into approximate tertiles of dietary scores (0-2, 3 and 4-7 scores). After excluding participants with co-morbidities, we followed 9086 participants (44% men) for 19 years. There were 1823 all-cause and 654 cardiovascular deaths during the follow-up. With the dietary score group 0-2 serving as a reference, the Cox multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for groups with scores 3 and 4-7 were 0.92 (95% CI 0.83, 1.04) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.70, 0.88) for all-cause mortality (trend P<0.0001), and 0.91 (95% CI 0.75, 1.10) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.66, 0.97) for cardiovascular mortality (trend P = 0.022). Adherence to a healthy reduced-salt Japanese diet was associated with an approximate 20% lower rate of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Access to Document (DOI)

Effect of chronic kidney disease on individual and population medical expenditures in the Japanese population

Higashiyama Aya, Okamura Tomonori, Watanabe Makoto, Murakami Yoshitaka, Otsuki Hidemi, Adachi Noriko, Kaneko Chiaki, Uehara Emi, Okayama Akira, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Hypertension Research 32 ( 6 ) 450 - 454 2009

ISSN 0916-9636

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and may also lead to an increase in medical expenditures. The effect of CKD on individual and population medical expenditures was examined in a Japanese cohort study. The participants included 4026 Japanese National Health Insurance beneficiaries aged 40-74 years living in one city, who had no history of major CVD. They were classified into three categories according to their glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at the baseline survey, and their total medical expenditures were followed-up for 3 years. The arithmetic and geometric means of the cumulative medical expenditures were calculated for each category. The geometric mean was also expressed after adjusting for several confounding factors using analysis of covariance. The CKD-related medical expenditures attributable to the participants with mild (60 ≤ GFR<90) or moderate (30 ≤ GFR<60) kidney dysfunction were compared with those of participants with normal (GFR < 90) kidney function. There was a negative correlation between the GFR category and the arithmetic and geometric means of personal medical expenditures (adjusted geometric mean: GFR < 90, 167879 yen; 60 ≤GFR <90, 210660 yen; and 30 ≤ GFR<60, 330050 yen). The CKD-related medical expenditures accounted for 11.5 and 6.5% of the total medical expenditures for the participants with mild and moderate kidney dysfunction, respectively. The prevention of mild CKD is very important for containing medical expenditures. Appropriate strategies, such as regular creatinine measurement, are needed for early detection of CKD.

Access to Document (DOI)

The taste of salt measured by a simple test and blood pressure in Japanese women and men

Michikawa Takehiro, Nishiwaki Yuji, Okamura Tomonor, Asakura Keiko, Nakano Makiko, Takebayashi Toru

Hypertension Research 32 ( 5 ) 399 - 403 2009

ISSN 0916-9636

Salt intake is an important risk factor for hypertension. Because it has been reported that increased salt intake dulls the taste of salt, measuring the sense of taste might be a good way of identifying individuals who consume excessive salt. Using a recently developed simple salt taste test, we investigated the relationship between the taste of salt and blood pressure. The subjects in this cross-sectional study were 823 Japanese adults (479 women and 344 men) 40 years old or older. Following a taste test with salt-impregnated taste strips, the subjects were divided into two groups: normal (recognition threshold of salt at <1.0% concentration) and taste impaired (≥1.0%). We determined hypertension from the measured blood pressure. In women, the multi-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of hypertension in the impaired group was 2.47 (1.53-3.99) compared with the normal group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the two male groups. When we excluded subjects with moderate and severe hypertension, similar findings were observed. A sub-analysis of couples living alone showed a higher prevalence of hypertension among men whose wives were in the impairment group (58.8%) than in the normal group (36.7%, P=0.10). In conclusion, the taste of salt is associated with blood pressure in Japanese women, but not in men. Because most family meals in Japan are prepared by women, educating women about salt reduction may contribute to the prevention of hypertension, not only among women but also among their husbands and family members.

Access to Document (DOI)

Gender-specific associations of vision and hearing impairments with adverse health outcomes in older Japanese

Michikawa Takehiro, Nishiwaki Yuji, Kikuchi Yuriko, Nakano Makiko, Iwasawa Satoko, Asakura Keiko, Milojevic Ai, Mizutari Kunio, Saito Hideyuki, Ishida Susumu, Okamura Tomonori, Takebayashi Toru

BMC Geriatrics 9 ( 1 ) 2009

ISSN 1471-2318

Background. Several epidemiological studies have shown that self-reported vision and hearing impairments are associated with adverse health outcomes (AHOs) in older populations; however, few studies have used objective sensory measurements or investigated the role of gender in this association. Therefore, we examined the association of vision and hearing impairments (as measured by objective methods) with AHOs (dependence in activities of daily living or death), and whether this association differed by gender. Methods. From 2005 to 2006, a total of 801 residents (337 men and 464 women) aged 65 years or older of Kurabuchi Town, Gunma, Japan, participated in a baseline examination that included vision and hearing assessments; they were followed up through September 2008. Vision impairment was defined as a corrected visual acuity of worse than 0.5 (logMAR = 0.3) in the better eye, and hearing impairment was defined as a failure to hear a 30 dB hearing level signal at 1 kHz in the better ear. Information on outcomes was obtained from the town hall and through face-to-face home visit interviews. We calculated the risk ratios (RRs) of AHOs for vision and hearing impairments according to gender. Results. During a mean follow-up period of 3 years, 34 men (10.1%) and 52 women (11.3%) had AHOs. In both genders, vision impairment was related to an elevated risk of AHOs (multi-adjusted RR for men and women together = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.05-2.44), with no statistically significant interaction between the genders. In contrast, a significant association between hearing impairment and AHOs (multi-adjusted RR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.43-6.72) was found only in the men. Conclusion. In this older Japanese population, sensory impairments were clearly associated with AHOs, and the association appeared to vary according to gender. Gender-specific associations between sensory impairments and AHOs warrant further investigation. © 2009 Michikawa et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Access to Document (DOI)

Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in Asia

Ueshima Hirotsugu, Sekikawa Akira, Miura Katsuyuki, Turin Tanvir Chowdhury, Takashima Naoyuki, Kita Yoshikuni, Watanabe Makoto, Kadota Aya, Okuda Nagako, Kadowaki Takashi, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Okamura Tomonori

Circulation 118 ( 25 ) 2702 - 2709 2008.12

ISSN 0009-7322

Access to Document (DOI)

Risk Factor Effects and Total Mortality in Older Japanese Men in Japan and Hawaii

Abbott Robert D., Ueshima Hirotsugu, Hozawa Atsushi, Okamura Tomonori, Kadowaki Takashi, Miura Katsuyuki, Okuda Nagako, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Okayama Akira, Kita Yoshikuni, Rodriguez Beatriz L., Yano Katsuhiko, Curb J. David

Annals of Epidemiology 18 ( 12 ) 913 - 918 2008.12

ISSN 1047-2797

purpose: We sought to identify factors related to total mortality in older Japanese men in Japan and Hawaii. Methods: Baseline data were collected from 1980 to 1982 in 1379 men in Hawaii and 954 men in Japan. Ages ranged from 61 to 81 years, with mortality follow-up during a 19-year period. Results: Compared with Japan, men in Hawaii had a 2-fold excess of diabetes and a 4-fold excess of prevalent coronary heart disease (P < .001). Total cholesterol and body mass index were also greater in Hawaiian men (P < .001). In contrast, men in Japan had greater systolic blood pressure and were nearly 3 times more likely to smoke cigarettes (P < .001). Although each cohort had elements of a poor risk factor profile, there was a 1.4-fold excess in the risk of death in Japan (49.4 vs. 36.2/1,000 person-years, P < .001). Although mortality was similar after risk factor adjustment, only blood pressure and cigarette smoking accounted for the higher risk of death in Japan. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking and hypertension explain much of the excess mortality in Japan versus Hawaii. In this comparison of genetically similar cohorts, evidence further suggests that Japanese in Japan are equally susceptible to develop the same adverse risk factor conditions that exist in Hawaii. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Access to Document (DOI)

Medical expenditure for diabetic patients

Nakamura K., Okamura T., Kanda H., Hayakawa T., Murakami Y., Okayama A., Ueshima H.

Public Health 122 ( 11 ) 1226 - 1228 2008.11

ISSN 0033-3506

Access to Document (DOI)

Impact of high-normal blood pressure on the risk of cardiovascular disease in a Japanese urban cohort

Kokubo Yoshihiro, Kamide Kei, Okamura Tomonori, Watanabe Makoto, Higashiyama Aya, Kawanishi Katsuyuki, Okayama Akira, Kawano Yuhei

Hypertension 52 ( 4 ) 652 - 659 2008.10

ISSN 0194-911X

Few prospective studies have examined the association between high-normal blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asia. We examined the impact of high-normal blood pressure on the incidence of CVD in a general urban population cohort in Japan. We studied 5494 Japanese individuals (ages 30 to 79 years without CVD at baseline) after completing a baseline survey who received follow-up through December 2005. Blood pressure categories were defined on the basis of the ESH-ESC 2007 criteria. In 64 391 person-years of follow-up, we documented the incidence of 346 CVD events. The frequencies of high-normal blood pressure and hypertension Stage 1 and Stage ≥2 were 18.0%, 20.1%, and 10.1% for men and 15.9%, 15.6%, and 8.8% for women, respectively. Antihypertensive drug users were also classified into the baseline blood pressure categories. Compared with the optimal blood pressure group, the multivariable hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of CVD for normal and high-normal blood pressure and hypertension Stage 1 and Stage ≥2 were 2.04 (1.19 to 3.48), 2.46 (1.46 to 4.14), 2.62 (1.59 to 4.32), and 3.95 (2.37 to 6.58) in men and 1.12 (0.59 to 2.13), 1.54 (0.85 to 2.78), 1.35 (0.75 to 2.43), and 2.86 (1.60 to 5.12) in women, respectively. The risks of myocardial infarction and stroke for each blood pressure category were similar to those of CVD. Population-attributable fractions of high-normal blood pressure and hypertension for CVD were 12.2% and 35.3% in men and 7.1% and 23.4% in women, respectively. In conclusion, high-normal blood pressure is a risk factor for the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction in a general urban population of Japanese men. © 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Access to Document (DOI)

Marine-Derived n-3 Fatty Acids and Atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese-American, and White Men. A Cross-Sectional Study

Sekikawa Akira, Curb J. David, Ueshima Hirotsugu, El-Saed Aiman, Kadowaki Takashi, Abbott Robert D., Evans Rhobert W., Rodriguez Beatriz L., Okamura Tomonori, Sutton-Tyrrell Kim, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Masaki Kamal, Edmundowicz Daniel, Kashiwagi Atsunori, Willcox Bradley J., Takamiya Tomoko, Mitsunami Ken ichi, Seto Todd B., Murata Kiyoshi, White Roger L., Kuller Lewis H.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology 52 ( 6 ) 417 - 424 2008.08

ISSN 0735-1097

Objectives: We sought to examine whether marine-derived n-3 fatty acids are associated with less atherosclerosis in Japanese versus white populations in the U.S. Background: Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids at low levels are cardioprotective through their antiarrhythmic effect. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study in 281 Japanese (defined as born and living in Japan), 306 white (defined as white men born and living in the U.S.), and 281 Japanese-American men (defined as Japanese men born and living in the U.S.) ages 40 to 49 years was conducted to assess intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery, coronary artery calcification (CAC), and serum fatty acids. Results: Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, whereas whites and Japanese Americans had similar levels. Japanese had 2-fold higher levels of marine-derived n-3 fatty acids than whites and Japanese Americans in the U.S. Japanese had significant and nonsignificant inverse associations of marine-derived n-3 fatty acids with IMT and CAC prevalence, respectively. The significant inverse association with IMT remained after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Neither whites nor Japanese Americans had such associations. Significant differences between Japanese and whites in multivariable-adjusted IMT (mean difference 39 μm, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 21 to 57μm, p < 0.001) and CAC prevalence (mean difference 10.7%, 95% CI: 2.9% to 18.4%, p = 0.007) became nonsignificant after we adjusted further for marine-derived n-3 fatty acids (22 μm, 95% CI: -1 to 46 μm, p = 0.065 and 5.0%, 95% CI: -5.3% to 15.4%, p = 0.341, respectively). Conclusions: Very high levels of marine-derived n-3 fatty acids have antiatherogenic properties that are independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and may contribute to lower the burden of atherosclerosis in Japanese, a lower burden that is unlikely the result of genetic factors. © 2008 American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Access to Document (DOI)

Relation of dietary and other lifestyle traits to difference in serum adiponectin concentration of Japanese in Japan and Hawaii

Nakamura Yasuyuki, Ueshima Hirotsugu, Okuda Nagako, Higashiyama Aya, Kita Yoshikuni, Kadowaki Takashi, Okamura Tomonori, Murakami Yoshitaka, Okayama Akira, Choudhury Sohel Reza, Rodriguez Beatriz, Curb J. David, Stamler Jeremiah

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88 ( 2 ) 424 - 430 2008.08

ISSN 0002-9165

Background: In initial analyses, we found significant differences between serum adiponectin in Japanese living in Japan and Hawaii. Objective: We investigated whether differences in dietary and other lifestyle factors explain higher serum adiponectin concentrations in Japanese in Japan compared with Japanese emigrants living a Western lifestyle in Hawaii. Design: Serum adiponectin and nutrient intakes were examined by standardized methods in men and women aged 40-59 y from 2 population samples, one Japanese American in Hawaii (99 men, 104 women), the other Japanese in central Japan (124 men, 125 women). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the role of dietary and other lifestyle traits in accounting for serum adiponectin difference between Hawaii and Japan. Results: Mean adiponectin was significantly higher in Japan than in Hawaii (10.5 ± 5.5 μg/mL compared with 6.7 ± 3.2 μg/mL in men, P = 0.002; 12.9 ± 5.9 μg/mL compared with 9.4 ± 4.2 in women, P < 0.0001). In men, the difference in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²) in the 2 populations explained ≈90% of the difference in serum adiponectin; in women, only 29%. In multiple linear regression analyses in women further adjustment for physical activity and 4 nutrients (nonvegetable protein, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid, dietary cholesterol) produced a further reduction in the coefficient for the difference (total 56%); P value for the difference became 0.074. Conclusions: The significantly higher mean serum adiponectin concentration in Japan than in Hawaii may be attributable largely to differences in BMI. Differences in nutrient intake in the 2 samples were associated with only modest relation to the adiponectin difference. © 2008 American Society for Nutrition.

Marital status and cardiovascular risk factors among middle-aged Japanese male workers

Kamon Yuko, Okamura Tomonori, Tanaka Taichiro, Hozawa Atsushi, Yamagata Zentaro, Takebayashi Toru, Kusaka Yukinori, Urano Sumio, Nakagawa Hideaki, Kadowaki Takashi, Miyoshi Yuji, Yamato Hiroshi, Okayama Akira, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Journal of Occupational Health 50 ( 4 ) 348 - 356 2008.07

ISSN 1341-9145

Marital status is related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Western countries. However, few studies have addressed the relationship between marital status and CVD risk factors in other populations. We investigated lifestyle and CVD risk factors relative to marital status among middle-aged Japanese men. We analyzed baseline data of 40-59-yr-old male workers who participated in the high-risk and population strategy for occupational health promotion (HIPOP-OHP) study. We compared lifestyle and CVD risk factors between men who were married (Group M; n=1,419, mean age 47.9 ±5.1 yr) and those who had never married (Group N; n=163, mean age 46.7 ±4.3 yr). Men in Group N were more likely to skip breakfast, work more shifts and exercise less. Current smoking rates, as well as average values of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose were also higher in Group N than in Group M. The proportion of participants with three or more CVD risk factors, namely smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia was higher in Group N, than in Group M (12.9% vs. 5.0%, p<0.01). The difference between Groups M and N was more evident in the subgroup of living with others, than in the subgroup of living alone. Since men who have never married might be at higher risk for CVD, effort should be made to educate this population about decreasing lifestyle-related risk factors.

Access to Document (DOI)

Relationship between BMI and all-cause mortality in Japan

Hozawa Atsushi, Okamura Tomonori, Oki Izumi, Murakami Yoshitaka, Kadowaki Takashi, Nakamura Koshi, Miyamatsu Naomi, Hayakawa Takehito, Kita Yoshikuni, Nakamura Yosikazu, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Abbott Robert D., Okayama Akira, Ueshima Hirotsugu, Iimura Osamu, Omae Teruo, Ueda Kazuo, Yanagawa Hiroshi, Horibe Hiroshi, Kodama Kazunori, Kasagi Fumiyoshi, Tanihara Shinichi, Saito Shigeyuki, Sakata Kiyomi, Kakuno Fumihiko, Takeuchi Toshihiro, Hasebe Mitsuru, Kusano Fumitsugu, Kawamoto Takahisa, Minowa Masumi, Iida Minoru, Hashimoto Tsutomu, Tanaka Shigemichi, Terao Atsushi, Kawaminami Katsuhiko, Sawai Koryo, Shibata Shigeo

Obesity 16 ( 7 ) 1714 - 1717 2008.07

ISSN 1930-7381

As body composition in Asian populations is largely different from Western populations, a healthy BMI could also differ between the two populations. Thus, further study is needed to determine whether a healthy BMI in Asians should be lower than Western populations, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). We investigated the relationship between BMI and mortality in a sample of 8,924 Japanese men and women without stroke or heart disease. During 19 years of follow-up, 1,718 deaths were observed. We found a U-shaped relationship between BMI and fatal events. Risk of total mortality was highest in participants with BMI <18.5 kg/m² and lowest in participants with BMI 23.0-24.9 kg/m². These findings persisted even after excluding the first 5 years of follow-up with a focus on healthy participants who never smoked, were aged <70 years, and had total cholesterol (TC) levels ≥4.1 mmol/l (N = 3712). For both the full sample and healthy participants, all-cause mortality risk did not differ between BMI ranges 21.0-22.9 and 23.0-24.9 kg/m². Our findings do not support the recent WHO implications that BMIs <23.0 kg/m² is healthy for Asians. Therefore, further studies are needed to identify an optimal BMI range for Asia. © 2008 The Obesity Society.

Access to Document (DOI)

Erratum

Hayashino Y., Fukuhara S., Okamura T., Yamato H., Tanaka H., Tanaka T., Kadowaki T., Ueshima H.

Diabetes Care 31 ( 7 ) 1471 2008.07

ISSN 0149-5992

Relation of blood pressure and all-cause mortality in 180 000 japanese participants pooled analysis of 13 cohort studies

Murakami Yoshitaka, Hozawa Atsushi, Okamura Tomonori, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Hypertension 51 ( 6 ) 1483 - 1491 2008.06

ISSN 0194-911X

Hypertension is a leading cause of death because of cardiovascular disease and predominantly affects total mortality. To reduce avoidable deaths from hypertension, we need to collect blood pressure data and assess their impact on total mortality. To examine this issue, a meta-analysis of 13 cohort studies was conducted in Japan. Poisson regression was used for estimating all-cause mortality rates and ratios. In the model, blood pressure data were treated as continuous (10-mm Hg increase) and categorical (every 10 mm Hg) according to recommendations of the Seventh Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of Hypertension. Potential confounders included body mass index, smoking, drinking, and cohort. The impact of hypertension was measured by the population-attributable fraction. After excluding participants with cardiovascular disease history, 176 389 participants were examined in the analysis. Adjusted mortality rates became larger as the blood pressure increased, and these were more distinct in younger men and women. Hazard ratios also showed the same trends, and these trends were more apparent in younger men (hazard ratio [unit: 10-mm Hg increase] aged 40 to 49 years: systolic blood pressure 1.37 (range: 1.15 to 1.62); diastolic blood pressure 1.46 [range: 1.05 to 2.03]) than older ones (hazard ratio: aged 80 to 89 years: systolic blood pressure 1.09 [range: 1.05 to 1.13]and diastolic blood pressure 1.12 [range: 1.03 to 1.22]). Population-attributable fraction of hypertension was ≈20% when the normal category was used as a reference level and was 10% when we included the prehypertension group in the reference level. In conclusion, high blood pressure raised the risk of total mortality, and this trend was higher in the younger Japanese population. © 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Access to Document (DOI)

A prospective study of passive smoking and risk of diabetes in a cohort of workers

Hayashino Yasuaki, Fukuhara Shunichi, Okamura Tomonori, Yamato Hiroshi, Tanaka Hideo, Tanaka Taichiro, Kadowaki Takashi, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Diabetes Care 31 ( 4 ) 732 - 734 2008.04

ISSN 0149-5992

OBJECTIVE - We investigated the impact of active smoking and exposure to passive smoke on the risk of developing diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Data were analyzed from a cohort of participants in the High-Risk and Population Strategy for Occupational Health Promotion Study (HIPOP-OHP) conducted in Japan from 1999 to 2004. Active and passive smoking status in the workplace was evaluated at baseline. RESULTS - Of 6,498 participants (20.9% women), a total of 229 diabetes cases were reported over a median 3.4 years of follow-up. In the workplace, compared with zero-exposure subjects, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of developing diabetes were 1.81 (95% CI 1.06-3.08, P = 0.028) for present passive subjects and 1.99 (1.29-3.04, P = 0.002) for present active smokers. CONCLUSIONS - In this cohort, exposure to passive smoke in the workplace was associated with an increased risk of diabetes after adjustment for a large number of possible confounders. © 2008 by the American Diabetes Association.

Access to Document (DOI)

Relationship of elevated casual blood glucose level with coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a representative sample of the Japanese population. NIPPON DATA80

Kadowaki S., Okamura T., Hozawa A., Kadowaki T., Kadota A., Murakami Y., Nakamura K., Saitoh S., Nakamura Y., Hayakawa T., Kita Y., Okayama A., Ueshima H.

Diabetologia 51 ( 4 ) 575 - 582 2008.04

ISSN 0012-186X

Aims/hypothesis: High fasting blood glucose is one of the well-known risk factors for CHD. However, in certain settings, patients cannot always be expected to fast. For example, community screenings for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Japan are performed under non-fasting conditions to achieve high participation rates. Thus, we examined a representative cohort of the Japanese population (n=9,444, follow-up period 17.3 years) to clarify whether high casual blood glucose (CBG) can predict CVD mortality. Methods: We defined CBG groups as follows: high CBG≥11.1 mmol/l or participants with a history of diabetes mellitus; borderline high, 7.77≤CBG<11.1 mmol/l; higher normal, 5.22≤CBG<7.77 mmol/l); and lower normal, CBG<5.22 mmol/l. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD, CVD and all-cause mortality were calculated. Results: The crude CHD mortality rate was 0.84 per 1,000 person-years. Age- and sex-adjusted HRs for CHD mortality were high among participants with CBG levels ≥7.77 mmol/l, regardless of time since last meal. Multivariate-adjusted HRs (95% CI) of CHD mortality in high and borderline high CBG groups were 2.62 (1.46-4.67) and 2.43 (1.29-4.58), respectively. Similar results were observed for both CVD and all-cause mortality. Even within the normal blood glucose range, each 1 mmol/l increase in CBG was associated with a statistically significant increase in the HR for CVD mortality (1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.22). Population-attributable fractions of the combined groups of high and borderline high CBG for CHD, CVD and all-cause mortality were 12.0, 4.9 and 3.5%, respectively. Conclusions/interpretation: Increases in CBG, even within the normal range, predict CVD mortality. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Access to Document (DOI)

Difference in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Between Korean and Japanese Men

Choo Jina, Ueshima Hirotsugu, Jang Yangsoo, Sutton-Tyrrell Kim, El-Saed Aiman, Kadowaki Takashi, Takamiya Tomoko, Okamura Tomonori, Ueno Yoshiki, Nakamura Yasuyuki, Sekikawa Akira, Curb J. David, Kuller Lewis H., Shin Chol

Annals of Epidemiology 18 ( 4 ) 310 - 315 2008.04

ISSN 1047-2797

Purpose: Koreans are recently at higher risk for coronary heart disease than are the Japanese. We aimed to evaluate levels of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and coronary risk factors in Korean and Japanese men in the post-World War II birth cohort. Methods: We conducted a population-based study of 352 randomly selected healthy men 40 to 49 years of age: 102 Koreans in Ansan City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and 250 Japanese in Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan. Imaging carotid IMT by ultrasonography and other procedures were standardized. Analyzing blood samples and reading carotid IMT were performed at the University of Pittsburgh. Results: Despite more favorable or similar features in coronary risk factors as compared to Japanese men, the Korean men had a higher crude IMT level than the Japanese men (mean ± standard error, 0.655 ± 0.008 mm vs 0.616 ± 0.005 mm, respectively, p < 0.0001). The difference in the levels of carotid IMT significantly remained after adjusting for metabolic and conventional risk factors (0.654 ± 0.008 mm vs. 0.616 ± 0.005 mm, respectively; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Among men 40 to 49 years of age, Koreans had significantly higher levels of carotid IMT than the Japanese. Factors that underlie the different susceptibility to subclinical atherosclerosis need to be explored. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Access to Document (DOI)

Effect of a 4-year workplace-based physical activity intervention program on the blood lipid profiles of participating employees

Naito Mariko, Nakayama Takeo, Okamura Tomonori, Miura Katsuyuki, Yanagita Masahiko, Fujieda Yoshiharu, Kinoshita Fujihisa, Naito Yoshihiko, Nakagawa Hideaki, Tanaka Taichiro, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Atherosclerosis 197 ( 2 ) 784 - 790 2008.04

ISSN 0021-9150

Individuals who are physically fit or engage in regular physical activity have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and risk of mortality. We conducted a large-scale controlled trial of interventions to decrease cardiovascular risk factors, during which we assessed the effect of a workplace-based intervention program, which was part of a population strategy for promoting long-term increases in physical activity, on the blood lipid profiles of participating employees. Data were collected from 2929 participants and this report presents the results of a survey conducted in five factories for the intervention group and five factories for the control group at baseline and year 5. The absolute/proportional changes in HDL-cholesterol were 2.7 mg/dL (4.8%) in the intervention group and -0.6 mg/dL (-1.0%) in the control group. The differences between the two groups in the change in serum levels of HDL-cholesterol were highly significant (p < 0.001) in each analysis of covariance, in which the number of cigarettes smoked was included or excluded. In the intervention group, the daily walking time increased significantly (p < 0.001) when compared between baseline and year 5, whereas no significant difference was observed in daily walking time in the control group over the identical period. Our results show that an intervention program promoting physical activity raises serum HDL-cholesterol levels of middle-aged employees. Increased awareness of the benefits of physical activity, using environmental rearrangement and health promotion campaigns, which especially target walking, may have contributed to a beneficial change in serum HDL-cholesterol levels in the participants. © 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Access to Document (DOI)

Lower levels of serum albumin and total cholesterol associated with decline in activities of daily living and excess mortality in a 12-year cohort study of elderly Japanese

Okamura Tomonori, Hayakawa Takehito, Hozawa Atsushi, Kadowaki Takashi, Murakami Yoshitaka, Kita Yoshikuni, Abbott Robert D., Okayama Akira, Ueshima Hirotsugu

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 56 ( 3 ) 529 - 535 2008.03

ISSN 0002-8614

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between levels of serum albumin and total cholesterol (TC) and risk of subsequent mortality and future decline in activities of daily living (ADLs) in elderly people. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-Communicable Disease and Its Trends in the Aged, 1980. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred forty-four Japanese individuals aged 60 to 74 randomly selected throughout Japan and followed for 12.4 years. MEASUREMENTS: Decline in ADLs and mortality. RESULTS: After adjusting for other covariates, the multivariable odds ratios (ORs) of impaired ADLs were highest in the lowest albumin quartile (≤40 g/L) for women. The multivariable OR of having a composite outcome of death or impaired ADL for the lowest albumin quartile compared with the highest was 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.94-2.57) for men and 3.06 (95% CI=1.89-4.95) for women. Serum albumin was significantly and inversely associated with a composite outcome of death or impaired ADLs in the group below the median of TC in both sexes (multivariable OR for 1-g/L increase in serum albumin=0.88 for men (95% CI=0.79-0.97) and 0.79 for women (95% CI=0.72-0.87)), which was not significantly associated in the group with TC at or above the median. CONCLUSION: In the Japanese general population, low-normal serum albumin and TC levels are associated with loss of activity during old age, especially for women. © 2007, Copyright the Authors.

Access to Document (DOI)

　 Previous page - Next page 　