Comprehensive Evaluation of Risk Factors for Atherosclerosis among Workers in a Rural Community and a Local City / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

In the 1990's, a metabolic syndrome associated with obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and hypertension began to capture the attention of Japanese investigators as on ominous predictor of myocardial infarction. As there is few information of the metabolic syndrome in rural communities, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome for 1, 084 workers aged 20-59 years in a rural community, Sada Town, and a neighboring local city, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture. The number of risk factors for atherosclerosis was increased with age and was higher in males than in females. Men in their 50's in the rural community were at higher risk than their counterparts in the city. Most of the workers had one or two risk factors, and those who had three and more risk factors accounted for a little less than 7%. The rate of males aged 40-59 years in the rural community having over two risk factors among obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes was significantly higher than that of the same age group in the city. The metabolic syndrome among males living in the rural community was related to obesity, hypo-HDL cholesterolemia, and hypertension. Males in the rural community had higher body mass index (BMI), than males in the city, but there was no significant difference in BMI between female groups. The prevalence of obesity in males in the rural community was linked with drinking habit and a decline in physical activities. In order to prevent the metabolic syndrome in the rural communities, a health policy based on a population-based strategy should be implemented to change the healthy lifestyle of workers, to promote health education and establish a health supportive environment.