Based on the obesity paradox, people with a normal body mass index (BMI) may have a higher risk of mortality than those with a BMI that falls within the obese range. Despite the availability of other ...anthropometric measures, obesity is commonly evaluated based on BMI. A body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI) have recently been proposed as new anthropometric measures that are calculated with height, weight, and waist circumference. This study investigated the associations between the traditional and new body composition indices and arterial stiffness using the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Overall, 3512 individuals (1228 men and 2284 women) were enrolled and were divided into two groups according to BMI. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between baPWV and body composition. baPWV was significantly associated with ABSI (β = 0.087, p = 0.002), visceral adipose tissue (VAT; β = 0.081, p = 0.002), and the visceral/subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT/SAT) ratio (β = 0.108, p < 0.001) in non-obese men. In non-obese women, baPWV was significantly associated with several variables but not the VAT/SAT ratio. Similarly, baPWV was significantly associated with BMI (β = 0.103, p = 0.038), BRI (β = 0.104, p = 0.036), VAT (β = 0.167, p = 0.001), and the VAT/SAT ratio (β = 0.106, p = 0.028) in obese women. ABSI can be used with high accuracy to evaluate fat distribution in non-obese men to predict arterial stiffness. However, the BRI should be used in addition to BMI to assess the body composition of women more accurately. ABSI and the BRI can be used to identify predictors of vascular remodeling or organic vascular dysfunction.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Introduction
Bone mass was recently reported to be related to skeletal muscle mass in humans, and a decrease in cortical bone is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Because circulating myostatin is a ...factor that primarily controls muscle metabolism, this study examined the role of myostatin in bone mass–skeletal muscle mass interactions.
Methods
The subjects were 375 middle-aged community residents with no history of osteoporosis or sarcopenia who participated in a health check-up. Cortical bone thickness and cancellous bone density were measured by ultrasonic bone densitometry in a health check-up survey. The subjects were divided into those with low cortical bone thickness (LCT) or low cancellous bone density (LBD) and those with normal values (NCT/NBD). Bone metabolism markers (TRACP-5b, etc.), skeletal muscle mass, serum myostatin levels, and lifestyle were then compared between the groups.
Results
The percentage of diabetic participants, TRACP-5b, and myostatin levels were significantly higher, and the frequency of physical activity, skeletal muscle mass, grip strength, and leg strength were significantly lower in the LCT group than in the NCT group. The odds ratio (OR) of high myostatin levels in the LCT group compared with the NCT group was significant (OR 2.17) even after adjusting for related factors. Between the low cancellous bone density (LBD) and normal cancellous bone density (NBD) groups, significant differences were observed in the same items as between the LCT and NCT groups, but no significant differences were observed in skeletal muscle mass and blood myostatin levels. The myostatin level was significantly negatively correlated with cortical bone thickness and skeletal muscle mass.
Conclusions
A decrease in cortical bone thickness was associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle mass accompanied by an increase in the blood myostatin level. Blood myostatin may regulate the bone–skeletal muscle relationship and serve as a surrogate marker of bone metabolism, potentially linking muscle mass to bone structure.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
An association between copeptin (precursor molecule of arginine vasopressin) and markers for renal function has been reported, but data on the Japanese population has been limited. In this study, we ...investigated whether elevated copeptin levels are associated with microalbuminuria and renal dysfunction in the general Japanese population. A total of 1,262 participants (842 female and 420 male) were enrolled. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the association of copeptin levels (logarithm) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) after adjusting for age, BMI, and lifestyle variables. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression methods in which chronic kidney disease (CKD) was the dependent variable. The copeptin levels differed significantly with sex, but were not found to be related to age or the span of time from preceding meal to blood sampling. In female participants, copeptin level was negatively correlated with eGFR (beta = –0.100, p-value = 0.006) and positively correlated with UACR (beta = 0.099, p-value = 0.003). In male participants, a negative correlation (beta = –0.140, p-value = 0.008) was observed for eGFR. In both females and males, those with high copeptin levels had more than double the ORs of CKD (OR = 2.1–2.9) adjusted for CKD-related factors. The present study found elevated copeptin levels to be associated with renal function loss in the Japanese population and microalbuminuria in female. Moreover, it was evident that high copeptin levels are associated with CKD. These results suggest that copeptin could be considered a marker of renal function.
The study aimed to investigate the association between daily consumption of coffee or green tea, with and without habitual bread consumption for breakfast, and components and prevalence of metabolic ...syndrome in Japanese populations.
The study population consisted of 3539 participants (1239 males and 2300 females). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analyses to evaluate the associations of daily coffee and green tea consumption with the prevalence of obesity, visceral obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
Coffee consumption was associated with significantly lower proportions of visceral obesity (OR: 0.746, CI: 0.588-0.947) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.706, CI: 0.565-0.882). On the other hand, green tea was not associated with visceral obesity (OR: 1.105, CI: 0.885-1.380) or metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.980, CI: 0.796-1.206). The combination of daily drinking coffee and eating bread at breakfast time was associated with significantly lower proportions of obesity (OR: 0.613, CI: 0.500-0.751) (
= 0.911 for interaction), visceral obesity (OR: 0.549, CI: 0.425-0.710) (
= 0.991 for interaction), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.586, CI: 0.464-0.741) (
= 0.792 for interaction).
Coffee consumption was significantly associated with lower visceral adipose tissue and lower proportions of visceral obesity, but the same was not true for green tea consumption. Furthermore, in combination with coffee consumption, the addition of eating bread at breakfast time significantly lowered proportions of visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome, although there was no interaction between coffee and bread.
Eating speed has been implicated as a leading cause of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, it is difficult to break the habit of eating fast. Since coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk ...of MetS, we investigated the association between eating speed and the amount of coffee consumed with MetS.
This study included data from 3881 participants (2498 females and 1383 males). We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect information on participants' coffee consumption (<1 cup/day and ≥1 cup/day) and eating speed (slow, normal, or fast). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analyses to investigate the relationship between the prevalence of MetS due to eating speed and the amount of coffee consumed.
The group that consumed ≥1 cup/day of coffee (filtered or instant) had a lower OR for MetS compared to the group that consumed <1 cup/day (OR: 0.695; 95% Cl: 0.570-0.847). The eating fast group, compared to the eating slow group, had a higher OR for MetS (OR: 1.689; 95% Cl: 1.227-2.324). When the data were stratified by coffee consumption and eating speed groups, the slow-eating group among those who consumed <1 cup/day of coffee (filtered or instant) had a lower OR for MetS (OR: 0.502; 95% CI: 0.296-0.851) compared to the fast-eating group. In contrast, the groups who consumed ≥1 cup/day of coffee were associated with lower OR for MetS, regardless of their eating speed.
This suggests that drinking ≥1 cup/day of coffee may help prevent MetS induced by eating fast.
Background: Improving diets requires an awareness of the need to limit foods for which excessive consumption is a health problem. Since there are limited reports on the link between this awareness ...and mortality risk, we examined the association between awareness of limiting food intake (energy, fat, and sweets) and all-cause mortality in a Japanese cohort study.Methods: Participants comprised 58,772 residents (27,294 men; 31,478 women) aged 35–69 years who completed baseline surveys of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study from 2004 to 2014. Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by sex using a Cox proportional hazard model, with adjustment for related factors. Mediation analysis with fat intake as a mediator was also conducted.Results: The mean follow-up period was 11 years, and 2,516 people died. Estimated energy and fat intakes according to the Food Frequency Questionnaire were lower in those with awareness of limiting food intake than in those without this awareness. Women with awareness of limiting fat intake showed a significant decrease in mortality risk (HR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55–0.94). Mediation analysis revealed that this association was due to the direct effect of the awareness of limiting fat intake and that the total effect was not mediated by actual fat intake. Awareness of limiting energy or sweets intake was not related to mortality risk reduction.Conclusion: Awareness of limiting food intake had a limited effect on reducing all-cause mortality risk.
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FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
There are few studies examining the association between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the risk of hypertension with consideration for folate and vitamin B
12
as related to Hcy level. We ...simultaneously examined the associations of plasma levels of Hcy, folate, and vitamin B
12
, and dietary folate intake with the prevalence of hypertension. Participants included 1046 men and 1033 women (mean age ± standard deviation: 56.0 ± 8.9 years) in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. Dietary folate intake was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Hypertension was defined based on measured blood pressure and use of antihypertensive medication. A total of 734 participants (35.3%) had hypertension. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios of hypertension for the highest quartile group of Hcy were 2.36 (95% CI 1.41–3.96) in men and 1.86 (95% CI 1.11–3.11) in women, as compared with the lowest group (
P
for trend = 0.014 and 0.005, respectively). Dietary folate intake was not correlated with hypertension in both men and women (
P
for trend = 0.099 and 0.703, respectively). Plasma vitamin B
12
was positively associated with hypertension only in women (
P
for trend = 0.027). Plasma Hcy level was positively linked with hypertension after controlling for covariates, including folate and vitamin B
12
.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for food group intake in Japan, the reproducibility and partial validity of ...which were previously confirmed for nutrients.
A total of 288 middle-aged healthy volunteers from 11 different areas of Japan provided nonconsecutive 3-day weighed dietary records (DRs) at 3-month intervals over four seasons. We evaluated reproducibility based on the first (FFQ1) and second (FFQ2) questionnaires and their validity against the DRs by comparing the intake of 20 food groups. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (SRs) were calculated between energy-adjusted intake from the FFQs and that from the DRs.
The intake of 20 food groups estimated from the two FFQs was mostly equivalent. The median energy-adjusted SRs between the FFQ1 and FFQ2 were 0.61 (range 0.38-0.86) for men and 0.66 (0.45-0.84) for women. For validity, the median de-attenuated SRs between DRs and the FFQ1 were 0.51 (0.17-0.76) for men and 0.47 (0.23-0.77) for women. Compared with the DRs, the proportion of cross-classification into exact plus adjacent quintiles with the FFQ1 ranged from 58 to 86% in men and from 57 to 86% in women. According to the robust Z scores and the Bland-Altman plot graphs, the underestimation errors in the FFQ1 tended to be greater in individuals with high mean levels of consumption for meat for men and for other vegetables for both men and women.
The FFQ demonstrated high reproducibility and reasonable validity for food group intake. This questionnaire is short and remains appropriate for identifying associations between diet and health/disease among adults in Japan.
Aims: The association between dietary patterns and serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol would be changing in recent dietary habits in Japan. We investigated the relationship between ...dietary patterns and serum LDL cholesterol in a large general population.Methods: From the baseline survey of Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study between 2005 and 2013, 27,237 participants (13,994 were women) aged 35–69 years were cross-sectionally analyzed. Using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, five major sex-specific dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. We assessed serum LDL cholesterol by quintiles of dietary pattern factor score.Results: We identified dietary patterns; “vegetable rich pattern” , “meat and fried food rich pattern” and “high bread and low rice pattern” in women and men; “fish and shellfish rich pattern” and “high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern” in men; “healthy Japanese diet pattern” and “high alcohol and low rice pattern” in women. Serum LDL cholesterol in men was associated with “high bread and low rice pattern” score (Q5 was 4.2 mg/dL higher than Q1, p for trend <0.001) and “high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern” scores (Q5 was 9.5 mg/dL higher than Q1, p for trend <0.001). In women, serum LDL cholesterol was associated with “high bread and low rice pattern” score (Q5 was 7.1 mg/dL higher than Q1, p for trend <0.001).Conclusion: Some recent dietary patterns in Japan were associated with serum LDL cholesterol. Serum LDL cholesterol was associated with high bread and low rice pattern in both sex, and high confectioneries and low alcohol pattern in men.
Background: Although many observational studies have demonstrated significant relationships between obesity and cardiometabolic traits, the causality of these relationships in East Asians remains to ...be elucidated.Methods: We conducted individual-level Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses targeting 14,083 participants in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study and two-sample MR analyses using summary statistics based on genome-wide association study data from 173,430 Japanese. Using 83 body mass index (BMI)-related loci, genetic risk scores (GRS) for BMI were calculated, and the effects of BMI on cardiometabolic traits were examined for individual-level MR analyses using the two-stage least squares estimator method. The β-coefficients and standard errors for the per-allele association of each single-nucleotide polymorphism as well as all outcomes, or odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated in the two-sample MR analyses.Results: In individual-level MR analyses, the GRS of BMI was not significantly associated with any cardiometabolic traits. In two-sample MR analyses, higher BMI was associated with increased risks of higher blood pressure, triglycerides, and uric acid, as well as lower high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and eGFR. The associations of BMI with type 2 diabetes in two-sample MR analyses were inconsistent using different methods, including the directions.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that, even among the Japanese, an East Asian population with low levels of obesity, higher BMI could be causally associated with the development of a variety of cardiometabolic traits. Causality in those associations should be clarified in future studies with larger populations, especially those of BMI with type 2 diabetes.
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FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, UL, UM, UPUK