Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in elderly Japanese-Brazilians.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of individuals with a high cardiovascular risk is elevated in elderly populations. Although metabolic syndrome (MS) increases cardiovascular risk, information is scarce on the prevalence of MS in the elderly. In this study we assessed MS prevalence in a population of elderly Japanese-Brazilians using different MS definitions according to waist circumference cutoff values. MATERIAL/METHODS: We studied 339 elderly subjects, 44.8% males, aged between 60 to 88 years (70.1 ± 6.8). MS was defined according to criteria proposed by the Joint Interim Statement in 2009. As waist circumference cutoff point values remain controversial for Asian and Japanese populations, we employed 3 different cutoffs that are commonly used in Japanese epidemiological studies: 1) ≥ 90 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women; 2) ≥ 85 cm for men and ≥ 90 cm for women; 3) ≥ 85 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women. RESULTS: MS prevalence ranged from 59.9% to 65.8% according to the different definitions. We observed 90% concordance and no statistical difference (p>0.05) in MS prevalence between the 3 definitions. MS diagnosis according to all 3 cutoff values was found in 55.8% of our population, while in only 34.2% was MS discarded by all cutoffs. The prevalence of altered MS components was as follows: arterial blood pressure 82%, fasting glycemia 65.8%, triglyceride 43.4%, and HDL-C levels 36.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly Japanese-Brazilians present high metabolic syndrome prevalence independent of waist circumference cutoff values. Concordance between the 3 definitions is high, suggesting that all 3 cutoff values yield similar metabolic syndrome prevalence values in this population.

Prevalence of precancerous skin lesions and non-melanoma skin cancer in Japanese-Brazilians in Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Precancerous lesions and skin cancer are infrequent in Asians, and have received little documentation in the literature. Brazil has the world's largest contingent of Japanese immigrants and their descendants, and 70% live in the State of São Paulo. The prevalence of such skin lesions in Japanese-Brazilians is unknown. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of actinic keratoses and non-melanoma skin cancer in first and second-generation Japanese-Brazilians over 30 years of age, without miscegenation, living in the city of Bauru, São Paulo State, in 2006. Of the 567 Japanese-Brazilians that underwent dermatological examination, actinic keratosis was diagnosed in 76, with a mean age of 68.9 years, and a single case of basal cell carcinoma was detected in a 39-year-old female patient. In Japan, prevalence of actinic keratosis varies from 0.76% to 5%, and the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is 1.2 to 5.4/100 thousand. Japanese-Brazilians from Bauru showed a 13.4% prevalence of actinic keratoses and earlier age at onset. Proximity to the Equator and a history of farming contribute to these higher rates. Presence of solar melanosis was associated with a 1.9-fold risk of developing actinic keratosis.

Prevalence of precancerous skin lesions and non-melanoma skin cancer in Japanese-Brazilians in Bauru, São Paulo State, Brazil / Prevalência de lesões pré-neoplásicas e tumores cutâneos não melanomas em nipo-brasileiros residentes na cidade de Bauru, São Paulo, Brasil

Precancerous lesions and skin cancer are infrequent in Asians, and have received little documentation in the literature. Brazil has the world’s largest contingent of Japanese immigrants andtheir descendants, and 70% live in the State of São Paulo. The prevalence of such skin lesions in Japanese-Brazilians is unknown. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of actinic keratosesand non-melanoma skin cancer in first and second-generation Japanese-Brazilians over 30 years of age, without miscegenation, living in the city of Bauru, São Paulo State, in 2006. Of the 567 Japanese-Brazilians that underwent dermatological examination, actinic keratosis was diagnosed in 76, with a mean age of 68.9 years, and a single case of basal cell carcinoma was detected in a 39-year-old female patient. In Japan, prevalence of actinic keratosis varies from 0.76% to 5%,and the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is 1.2 to 5.4/100 thousand. Japanese-Brazilians from Bauru showed a 13.4% prevalence of actinic keratoses and earlier age at onset. Proximity tothe Equator and a history of farming contribute to these higher rates. Presence of solar melanosis was associated with a 1.9-fold risk of developing actinic keratosis.

Manifestações cutâneas pré-neoplásicas e neoplásicas em asiáticos são infreqüentes e pouco documentadas.O Brasil possui o maior contingente de imigrantes japoneses e 70% deles residem no Estado de São Paulo. A prevalência dessas lesões em nipo-brasileiros é desconhecida. O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliara prevalência de queratoses actínicas e tumores cutâneos não melanomas em nipo-brasileiros acima de trinta anos de 1a geração ou 2a geração, sem miscigenação, residentes na cidade de Bauru, no ano de 2006. Dos 567 nipo-brasileiros submetidos a exame dermatológico, diagnosticou-se queratose actínica em 76 pacientes, com média de idade de 68,9 anos, e únicocarcinoma basocelular em paciente do sexo feminino de 39 anos. No Japão, a prevalência de queratose actínica é de 0,76% a 5% e a incidência de tumores cutâneos não melanomas é de 1,2 a 5,4/100 mil. Os nipo-brasileiros de Bauru apresentaram prevalência de13,4% de queratoses actínicas e idade mais precoce de aparecimento. Proximidade com o Equador e atividadesrurais contribuem para esses achados. A presença de melanose solar demonstrou risco 1,9 vez maior de desenvolver queratose actínica.

Fat and fiber consumption are associated with peripheral arterial disease in a cross-sectional study of a Japanese-Brazilian population.

BACKGROUND: The Western diet plays a role for the epidemics of obesity and related diseases. This study examined a possible association between peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and the dietary components of Japanese immigrants living in Brazil. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, 1,267 subjects (aged > or =30 years) with complete dietary, clinical and laboratory data were studied according to a standardized protocol. Ankle-to-brachial index was used to identify subjects with PAD. The overall prevalence of PAD was 14.6%. Subjects with PAD were older, had lower education and higher mean values of blood pressure, triglycerides, and fasting and 2-h plasma glucose levels compared with those without the disease. Among the subjects with PAD, the consumption of fiber from whole grains (3.0 vs 3.4 g, p=0.001) and linoleic acids (11.0 vs 11.7 g, p=0.017) were lower and intake of total (72.8 vs 69.1 g, p=0.016) and saturated fatty acids (17.4 vs 16.3 g, p=0.012) were higher than those without PAD. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between PAD with high total fat intake, low intake of fiber from fruit and oleic acid, independently of other variables. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations in examining the cause - effect relationship, the data support the notion that diet could be important in reducing the occurrence of PAD.