Biomedical subjects

K Tatara

Publications and source records attributed to K Tatara.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

Alcohol consumption and risk for increased aortic pulse wave velocity in middle-aged Japanese men.

A 9-year longitudinal study was performed to prospectively examine the association of alcohol consumption with development of increased aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 1,358 Japanese men aged 35 to 59 years with a PWV less than 8.0 m/sec and without antihypertensive medication. Three hundred fifty-nine men developed increased aortic PWV of 8.0 m/sec or more during 10,598 person-years follow-up. After controlling for potential predictors of aortic PWV, the relative risk for increased aortic PWV compared with that in nondrinkers was 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 1.58) for those who drank 0.1 to 22.9 g/day of ethanol, 1.58 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.91) for those who drank 23.0 to 45.9 g/day of ethanol, 1.77 (95% CI, 1.24 to 2.53) for those who drank 46.0 to 68.9 g/day of ethanol, and 1.81 (95% CI, 1.23 to 2.66) for those who drank 69.0 or more g/day of ethanol (p for trend <0.001). The relative risk for increased aortic PWV in current drinkers vs nondrinkers was stronger among men with a body mass index (BMI) less than 24.2 kg/m2 and nonsmokers than among men with a BMI 24.2 kg/m2 or more and current smokers, respectively. These results suggest that alcohol consumption is closely associated with risk for increased aortic PWV in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Effects of hostility and lifestyle on coronary heart disease among middle-aged urban Japanese.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between multi-dimensional aspects of hostility and coronary heart disease among middle-aged urban Japanese. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a case-control study. Cases were consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to a hospital in Japan. Fifty-three patients (45 men and 8 women) aged 35 to 65 were enrolled. For each case, two sex and age (+/-2 years) matched controls were recruited from among participants in a health check-up program at a health promotion center located in the same area as the hospital. Two questionnaires, both with four components, were used to measure hostility and coping with anger: the one was for anger, hostility, physical aggression and verbal aggression, and the other for aggression, social inhibition, guilt, and controlled affect. RESULTS: The scores of all components from two questionnaires were higher for cases than controls, but the differences were not significant. Multivariate analysis showed that anger, fat intake, alcohol consumption and house size were significantly associated with the etiology of acute coronary syndrome. CONCLUSION: Anger, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status play important roles for the etiology of coronary heart disease in middle-aged urban Japanese.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2001

Hematocrit and risk for hypertension in middle-aged Japanese male office workers.

The association of hematocrit with development of hypertension over 9 years was studied in 784 hypertension-free Japanese men aged 40 to 59 years. The age-adjusted relative risk for hypertension above the borderline level and definite hypertension increased in a dose-dependent manner as hematocrit level increased (P for trend: 0.007 and 0.001, respectively). After controls for other potential factors of hypertension, the test for trend across increasing categories of hematocrit level remained as statistical significance for definite hypertension (P=0.015). The multivariate-adjusted relative risk for definite hypertension compared with less than 43.8% of hematocrit level was 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-2.67] for 43.8 to 45.2% hematocrit level, 1.35 (95% CI: 0.62-2.95) for 45.3 to 46.3% hematocrit level, 1.96 (95% CI: 0.97-3.97) for 46.4 to 48.1% hematocrit level, and 2.06 (95% CI: 1.02-4.15) for 48.2% or more hematocrit level. These results suggest that hematocrit is closely associated with development of hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Association of alcohol consumption with increase in aortic stiffness: a 9-year longitudinal study in middle-aged Japanese men.

A 9-year longitudinal study was performed to prospectively examine the association of alcohol consumption with development of aortic stiffness in 1121 aortic stiffness-free [aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) of less than 8.0 m/sec] Japanese men aged 35 to 59 years without definite hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes. 274 men developed aortic stiffness (aortic PWV of 8.0 m/sec or more) during 8872 person-years follow-up. After controlling for potential predictors of aortic stiffness, the relative risk for increased aortic stiffness compared with non-drinkers was 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-1.64] for those who drank 0.1 to 22.9 g/day of ethanol, 1.71 (95% CI: 1.12-2.60) for those who drank 23.0 to 45.9 g/day of ethanol, 1.79 (95% CI: 1.18-2.71) for those who drank 46.0 to 68.9 g/day of ethanol, and 2.09 (95% CI: 1.35-3.26) for those who drank 69.0 or more g/day of ethanol (P for trend < 0.001). These results suggest that alcohol consumption is closely associated with development of aortic stiffness.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Usefulness of self ligation mediated polymerase chain reaction: a rapid method for fingerprinting in molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis].

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis based on the insertion sequence IS 6110 has been used as one of the powerful tools for epidemiological study of tuberculosis. However this technique requires more than 1 micro-gram of DNA and two days for completion. To overcome these inconvenience, we have modified a PCR-based method, self ligation mediated PCR (SL-PCR) on the molecular epidemiological study. This method uses a pair of primers whose orientations are from inside to outside of IS 6110. The DNA fragments flanking IS 6110 are amplified by the PCR by using the Sau 3A I digested and ligated chromosomal DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. By using this method, M. tuberculosis strains can be differentiated within 8 hours.

DNA Fingerprinting↗

PubMed2001

[Analysis on the relationship between use of health check ups and medical care by elderly patients. A study on urban cities with high health check-up rates].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of health examination provided by municipalities in Japan on the use of medical care by elderly patients aged 70 and above. The study was carried out to compare health indicators of cities with high and low usage rates for health check ups over 14 years. The indicators of health service utilization included mean bed days, mean inpatient fees, and mean outpatient fees in 1983, 1988, 1993 and 1996. The data for these indicators were collected from all 12 Japanese cities, where more than 50% of the target population had annual health check-ups in 1983, 1986, 1989 and 1992, as the subjects of high rate cities. All other 134 cities belonging to the same prefectures with the 12 cities were included as the control low rate cities. The correlation coefficients for all the 146 cities showed that usage rates of health check ups had an inverse relationship with mean bed days and mean inpatient fees for the elderly population in all the fiscal years 1983, 1988, 1993 and 1996. In nine out of the ten prefectures, mean bed days and mean inpatient fees were lower in the high rate cities as compared to the low rate cities for all the fiscal years compared. The bed days in the 12 high rate cities were 72% of those in 134 low rate cities in 1983, and the percentages were 66%, 72%, and 78% in 1988, 1993 and 1996 respectively. No remarkable differences in mean outpatient fees were observed between the high and low rate cities. The differences in use of medical care by inpatients suggest that providing preventive health services would decrease the demand by the elderly and result in a more efficient use of health resources.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Influence of alcohol intake on risk for increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in middle-aged Japanese men.

BACKGROUND: Decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in chronic alcoholics is well known. However, the importance of light to moderate alcohol consumption is less certain. METHODS: We investigated the association of alcohol intake with risk for increased LDL cholesterol over 5 years in a cohort of 933 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 54 years who had LDL cholesterol levels less than 140 mg/dl and were not taking medication for dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, or hyperuricemia at study entry. Incident-increased LDL cholesterol was defined by an LDL cholesterol level of 140 mg/dl or more or use of medication for dyslipidemia. Each individual's slope for LDL cholesterol was also calculated with a simple linear regression model. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-one men developed increased LDL cholesterol during 3785 person-years of follow-up. After controlling for potential predictors of increased LDL cholesterol, the relative risk for increased LDL cholesterol compared with nondrinkers was 0.89 for those who drank 0.1 to 22.9 g/day of ethanol, 0.74 for those who drank 23.0 to 45.9 g/day of ethanol, 0.64 for those who drank 46.0 to 59.9 g/day of ethanol, and 0.54 for those who drank 69.0 g/day or more of ethanol (p < 0.001). Slopes of LDL cholesterol level decreased significantly as alcohol intake increased. From multiple linear regression analyses, alcohol intake remained as an independent negative factor for slopes of LDL cholesterol level. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol intake is negatively associated with development of increased LDL cholesterol in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Cigarette smoking and risk for impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of cigarette smoking to development of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of cigarette smoking with development of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Work site in Osaka, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: 1,266 Japanese male office workers 35 to 59 years of age who did not have impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes and were not taking medication for hypertension at study entry. MEASUREMENTS: Fasting plasma glucose levels were measured at annual health examinations from May 1994 through May 1999. Impaired fasting glucose was defined as a fasting glucose level of at least 6.1 mmol/L (110 mg/dL) but less than 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL). Type 2 diabetes was defined as a fasting glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or more or current receipt of hypoglycemic medication. RESULTS: 87 and 54 men developed impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes during 5,817 and 5,937 person-years follow-up, respectively. After controlling for potential predictors of diabetes, the relative risk for impaired fasting glucose compared with never-smokers was 1.62 (95% CI, 0.85 to 3.10) for ever-smokers, 1.14 (CI, 0.58 to 2.25) for persons who smoked 1 to 20 cigarettes/d, 1.33 (CI, 0.63 to 2.80) for those who smoked 21 to 30 cigarettes/d, and 2.56 (CI, 1.32 to 4.95) for those who smoked 31 or more cigarettes/d (P for trend for current smokers only = 0.013). The respective multivariate-adjusted relative risks for type 2 diabetes compared with never-smokers were 1.08 (CI, 0.34 to 3.42), 1.88 (CI, 0.71 to 5.00), 3.02 (CI, 1.15 to 7.94), and 4.09 (CI, 1.62 to 1,029) (P for trend for current smokers only < 0.001). The number of pack-years of exposure was also positively related to development of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes (P for trend = 0.039 and 0.002, respectively). The relative risk for impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes in current smokers versus never-smokers was stronger among men with a body mass index less than 242 kg/m2 than among men with a body mass index of 24.2 kg/m2 or more, although the absolute risk was greater in more obese men. CONCLUSION: The number of cigarettes smoked daily and the number of pack-years of exposure seem to be associated with development of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Predictors for the development of haemolytic uraemic syndrome with Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections: with focus on the day of illness.

A large outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 infections via school lunches occurred at primary schools in 1996 in Sakai City, Japan. As many as 10,000 patients suffered from diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Using data on 288 inpatient school children affected by this outbreak, of whom 36 presented complete HUS and the remaining 252 tested positive for E. coli O157 culture, we attempted to identify predictors for the progression to HUS. Within the first 5 days of illness, clinical features associated with inpatients who developed HUS compared with those without HUS included a C reactive protein (CRP) level higher than 1.2 mg/dl (OR 44.26; 95% CI 5.83-336.23), a white blood cell (WBC) count greater than 11.0 x 10(9)/l (OR 5.03; 95% CI 2.13-11.87) and a temperature higher than 38.0 degrees C (OR 5.00; 95% CI 2.25-11.08). It can be concluded that these three factors are predictive factors for the development of HUS in patients with E. coli O157 infection, and patients who have two or all of these factors should be observed closely.

C-Reactive Protein↗

PubMed2000

Coffee consumption and decreased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase: a study of middle-aged Japanese men.

The potential inverse association between coffee intake and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was examined in a cross-sectional study involving 1353 Japanese male office workers aged 35-59 years in Osaka, Japan. Those who had serum aminotransferases exceeding the normal range and/or who had been administered medical care for, or had a past history of, liver disease were excluded. Multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of covariance were used to control for confounding variables (age, body mass index, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking) and to examine possible interactions. From the linear regression analysis, coffee intake was inversely related to serum GGT levels independently of age, body mass index, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking. All of the latter variables were also independently and positively associated with serum GGT levels. When the interactions between coffee and each of four covariates on serum GGT were evaluated by adding each interaction term to the above regression model, significant negative interactions were observed for age and cigarette smoking. From the analysis of covariance, lower levels of serum GGT associated with coffee consumption were more evident in the older age group and at the higher levels of cigarette smoking. These findings suggest that coffee consumption is inversely related to serum GGT and that coffee may inhibit the inducing effects of aging and possibly of smoking on serum GGT in the liver.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Effects of weight variability on cardiovascular risk factors; a study of nonsmoking Japanese male office workers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of weight variability on cardiovascular risk factors. DESIGN: Longitudinal study (followed from 1990 to 1998). SUBJECTS: Five-hundred and eighty nonsmoking Japanese male office workers aged 25-49 y. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline levels and slopes of seven selected cardiovascular risk factors (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid and hemoglobin A1c) and body mass index (BMI) variables (baseline BMI, BMI-slope, the root mean square error (BMI-RMSE), and the BMI-slope x BMI-RMSE interaction). RESULTS: From the multiple regression analyses, the slopes of the six cardiovascular risk factors, except hemoglobin A1c, were most strongly related to the baseline level of each cardiovascular risk factor and BMI-slope. Neither BMI-RMSE nor the interaction of BMI-RMSE with BMI-slope was related to these cardiovascular risk factor slopes. As for hemoglobin A1c, BMI-slope and the interaction of BMI-RMSE with BMI-slope were not significantly related to hemoglobin A1c slope but baseline BMI and BMI-RMSE were. Furthermore, hemoglobin A1c slope values were significantly higher among those who cycled at >4.0 kg than among those who did not. CONCLUSION: The only cardiovascular risk factor associated with BMI variability was hemoglobin A1c. Weight variability had less or little impact on cardiovascular risk factors compared with BMI-slope and baseline BMI.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Lifestyle and the development of increased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase in middle-aged Japanese men.

To identify the lifestyle factors responsible for increases in serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), 1014 hepatobiliary dysfunction-free (no medication for and no past history of liver disease, < or = 39 U/L of serum aspartate and/or alanine aminotransferase, and < or = 59 U/L of serum GGT) Japanese male office workers aged 35-55 years were examined annually over five successive years (average period 4.5 years, SD 1.11 years). From the Cox proportional hazards model without serum GGT at entry, significant correlates with the incidence of increased (> or = 60 U/L) serum GGT levels were the slope of body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake, cigarette smoking and coffee drinking (negative). In the model including serum GGT at entry, the slope of BMI and coffee drinking (negative) remained as significant factors for the incidence of increased serum GGT levels. From stepwise regression analyses for the slope of log serum GGT at entry, not including serum GGT in the model, significant correlates with the slope of serum GGT were, in order of relative importance, the slope of BMI, alcohol intake and coffee drinking (negative). In the model with serum GGT at entry, the slope of BMI and coffee drinking (negative) remained as statistically significant. Our results indicate that an increase in body weight is the strongest determinant for increases in serum GGT and that coffee drinking may be associated with a reduced risk of the development of increased serum GGT levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Lifestyle and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase: a study of middle-aged Japanese men.

The association of lifestyle factors with serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was examined in 1176 Japanese male office workers aged 40-59 years. Those who had serum aminotransferase levels exceeding the normal range and/or who took prescription medication for, or had a past history of, liver disease were excluded. From the logistic regression analysis, lifestyle factors showing a positive association with high serum GGT (> or = 60 U/l) were body mass index, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, and snacking between meals. On the other hand, coffee drinking showed an inverse association with high serum GGT. As for the relationships between snacking between meals and other lifestyle factors, snacking between meals was significantly related to alcohol intake (negative) and coffee drinking. Influences of snacking between meals on serum GGT are likely to be indirectly mediated through coping mechanisms of less alcohol drinking and more coffee drinking. Our findings support the conclusions that alcohol drinking, obesity, and cigarette smoking are positively associated with raised serum GGT and that coffee consumption is inversely related to raised serum GGT.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Cigarette smoking and risk for hearing impairment: a longitudinal study in Japanese male office workers.

The association of cigarette smoking with development of hearing impairment (loss of 30 dB at 1000 Hz and 40 dB at 4000 Hz) over a 5-year follow-up was studied in 1554 non-hearing-impaired Japanese male office workers who ranged in age from 30 to 59 years. After controlling for potential predictors of hearing impairment, the relative risk for low-frequency hearing impairment compared with never smokers was 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 2.17) for ever-smokers, 1.21 (95% CI, 0.65 to 2.25) for current smokers of 1 to 20 cigarettes/day, 1.35 (95% CI, 0.70 to 2.61) for current smokers of 21 to 30 cigarettes/day, and 1.82 (95% CI, 0.98 to 3.38) for current smokers of 31 or more cigarettes/day (P for trend = 0.063). The respective multivariate-adjusted relative risks for high-frequency hearing impairment compared with never smokers were 1.70 (95% CI, 0.85 to 3.40), 1.82 (95% CI, 0.92 to 3.59), 2.00 (95% CI, 0.98 to 4.08), and 2.20 (95% CI, 1.09 to 4.42) (P for trend = 0.025). As the number of pack-years of exposure increased, the risk for high-frequency hearing impairment increased in a dose-dependent manner (P for trend = 0.011), but the risk for low-frequency hearing impairment did not (P for trend = 0.172). Our results indicate that cigarette smoking is highly associated with development of high-frequency hearing impairment in Japanese male office workers.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Association of lifestyle with serum lipid levels: a study of middle-aged Japanese men.

Cross-sectional associations between lifestyle and serum lipid levels were examined in 1591 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 59 years in Osaka, Japan. From multiple linear regression analyses, significant correlates with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and Log triglyceride levels and the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol were, in the order of relative importance: BMI, alcohol intake (negative) and age for LDL cholesterol level; BMI (negative), cigarette smoking (negative), alcohol intake, consideration for nutritional balance, hours of brisk walking, hours of walking at an ordinary pace and physical exercise for HDL cholesterol level; BMI, cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), hours of work (negative), alcohol intake and coffee drinking (negative) for Log triglyceride level; and BMI, alcohol intake (negative), cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), age, hours of brisk walking (negative) and the frequency of snack intake between meals for the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Our data suggest that obesity, cigarette smoking and snack intake between meals are atherogenic whereas alcohol consumption, consideration for nutritional balance and walking long hours, especially at a brisk pace, are anti-atherogenic in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Relation of body weight change to changes in atherogenic traits; a study of middle-aged Japanese obese male office workers.

We examined the effect of body weight change on the modification of atherogenic risk factors in 296 middle-aged obese male office workers without medication for hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia or diabetes mellitus. During a 1-year education program, 39.2% of the participants could reduce their weight, and the percentage of those who lost 2 kg or more was only 17.7%. Concomitant with the decrease of weight, however, the levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid and hemoglobin A1c and the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol decreased significantly, whereas the HDL cholesterol level increased significantly. In a multivariate regression analysis, in addition to the initial risk-factor level, weight change was an important factor determining the changes in atherogenic risk factors. Changes in alcohol consumption were significantly associated with the changes in systolic blood pressure and HDL cholesterol levels. Changes in cigarettes smoking also showed significant associations with the changes in triglyceride level and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. These results suggest that although the education program for controlling weight may have limited success, weight reduction exhibits beneficial changes in the atherogenic risk-factor profile in middle-aged obese men.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Associations of body mass index and percentage body fat by bioelectrical impedance analysis with cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese male office workers.

To determine whether body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) or percentage body fat (%BF) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) better reflects the cardiovascular risk profile, we examined the associations among BMI, %BF by BIA, and cardiovascular risk factors (systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (SBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, and triglycerides (TG)) in 1,217 Japanese male office workers aged 25 to 59 years. From stepwise regression analyses of cardiovascular risk factors on age, BMI, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking, significant correlates were, in the order of relative importance: age, BMI, and alcohol intake for SBP and DBP (the cumulative percentage of variation; 14.9% and 21.3%, respectively); age, BMI, and alcohol intake (negative) for LDL-C (11.0%); BMI (negative), alcohol, and cigarette smoking (negative) for HDL-C (19.9%); BMI, alcohol intake (negative), age, and cigarette smoking for LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (23.1%); and BMI, age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake for Log TG (21.7%). From stepwise regression analyses using %BF by BIA as an independent factor, %BF by BIA was also significantly associated with each cardiovascular risk factor, but the decrease in explained variance for each cardiovascular risk factor was 0.2-4.5%, compared with the model using BMI as an independent factor. These results suggest that BMI may better reflect blood pressure or serum lipid profile than %BF by BIA.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Effects of coffee consumption against the development of liver dysfunction: a 4-year follow-up study of middle-aged Japanese male office workers.

The association of coffee consumption with the development of increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities over 4 years was studied in 1221 liver dysfunction-free (serum AST and ALT < or = 39 IU/l and no medical care for or no past history of liver disease) Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 56 years. From the analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method, the estimated incidence of serum AST and/or ALT > or = 40 IU/l, > or = 50 IU/l, and > or = 60 IU/l decreased with an increase in coffee consumption. From the Cox proportional hazards model, coffee drinking was independently inversely associated with the development of serum AST and/or ALT > or = 40 IU/l (p = 0.019 by test for tendency), > or = 50 IU/l (p = 0.002), and > or = 60 IU/l (p = 0.007), controlling for age, body mass index, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking. These results suggest that coffee may be protectively against the liver dysfunction in middle-aged Japanese men.

Adult↗