Increased childhood BMI is associated with young adult serum uric acid levels: a linkage study from Japan.

BACKGROUND: Growth pattern in early life is one of the most important factors affecting the pathogenesis of metabolic-associated diseases. The associations between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension, kidney disease, and coronary heart disease have been recognized. We investigated the association between increased BMI during childhood and adult SUA levels in Japan. METHODS: We included 298 children with health examination data between 1981 and 2002 who had also undergone physical examinations after reaching early adulthood (approximately 27 y old). Subjects were divided into sex-specific tertiles based on the difference in their BMI (DBMI) over a 6-y period (6-12 y of age). The association between the three DBMI groups and SUA in adults was analyzed. RESULTS: The predicted average SUA level in adults from the high DBMI group was 5.32 mg/dl after adjustment for related factors in a combined sex analysis. This was significantly higher than among the low DBMI group. CONCLUSION: Excessive BMI increases during childhood led to young adult SUA elevation even after adjusting for several factors. Lifestyle in early life may be a strong predictor of future uric acid metabolism and the resulting disease risk.

Factors associated with exacerbation of newly diagnosed mild ulcerative colitis based on a nationwide registry in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The exacerbation of disease in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) can greatly affect quality of life and can impose economic burdens. In Japan, a large nationwide registry for the medical reimbursement of UC patients has existed since 1975. We aimed to examine factors associated with UC exacerbation among patients newly diagnosed with mild UC using electronic data from the registry. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients (n = 8120) newly diagnosed with mild UC between 2003 and 2011, and examined the association of patient background, medications, clinical symptoms and laboratory data, and pathological findings with exacerbation of UC, using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The incidence of UC exacerbation was 94.6 per 1000 person-years (mean follow-up of 2.1 years). We found that male sex, age <17 years, an extensive lesion (left-sided colitis or pancolitis), overweight or obesity, hematochezia (mild or moderate-to-severe), mushy stools, frequency of bowel movements, and crypt architectural distortion were positively associated with UC exacerbation. On the other hand, age >40 years, high hemoglobin concentration, and high serum albumin levels were inversely associated with UC exacerbation among patients with mild UC in Japan. CONCLUSION: Using data from the Japanese nationwide registry, we identified several factors, including body mass index and pathological findings, associated with disease exacerbation among patients with newly diagnosed mild UC. Our findings may lead to earlier recognition of exacerbation in patients with mild UC, thus enabling optimal care.

Steeper increases in body mass index during childhood correlate with blood pressure elevation in adolescence: a long-term follow-up study in a Japanese community.

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between long-term changes in body mass index (BMI) during childhood and adolescent blood-pressure levels in a general Japanese population. We used health report data from 900 Japanese children between 1983 and 2007. After adjusting for baseline BMI and other confounding factors multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between changes in BMI (ΔBMI) over a 6-year period (6-12 years) and blood pressure once children reached ages 14 or 15. Sub-group analyses were also performed to ascertain the relationship between ΔBMI and blood pressure at 9th grade for children who had been in the bottom BMI tertile at 1st grade. Endpoint blood-pressure levels in boys (systolic and diastolic) and girls (systolic) from the group whose BMIs increased the most were significantly higher than those from the group whose BMIs increased the least (P<0.05, analysis of variance). After adjustment for baseline BMI and school-entrance year, the former group showed higher blood pressure at the endpoint than the latter (P<0.05, multiple regression analysis). Further adjustment for baseline blood pressure also showed similar results in a combined-sex analysis (n=592). Higher ΔBMI was associated with higher SBP9 even in children whose BMI was in the lowest tertile at baseline after adjustment for sex and school-entrance year (P=0.02, multiple regression analysis). Steeper BMI increases during primary school lead to adolescent increases in blood pressure even if baseline BMI is low. Growth during childhood should be carefully managed.

Higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels are protectively associated with depressive symptoms in men, but not in women: a community-based cohort study of older Japanese.

OBJECTIVE: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) appears to have a protective effect against depression, but evidence from prospective cohort studies is sparse. Therefore, we examined the association between serum DHEAS levels and depressive symptoms in older community-dwelling Japanese. DESIGN: A community-based cohort study. SETTING: Kurabuchi Town, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 554 residents (248 men and 306 women) age 65 years or older without depressive symptoms at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: We performed a baseline examination of the subjects between 2005 and 2006 to determine serum DHEAS levels. The subjects were categorized into three groups based on age strata- and sex-specific tertiles of DHEAS. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15) in face-to-face home visit interviews carried out once in 2007 and once in 2008. The association of DHEAS with depressive symptoms (GDS-15 ≥ 6) was analyzed with the use of logistic regression models. RESULTS: The incidence of depressive symptoms was 12.1% in men and 19.6% in women. In men, the multiadjusted odds ratio of depressive symptoms was 0.24 (95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.94, Wald χ2 = 4.20, degrees of freedom = 1, p = 0.04) for the highest tertile compared with the lowest. The association observed for the highest versus the lowest remained significant even after adjustment for physical performance and cognitive function. In women, DHEAS was not associated with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, higher serum DHEAS levels were found to be protectively and independently associated with the risk of developing depressive symptoms in men, but not in women.

Effects of family history on inflammatory bowel disease characteristics in Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is reported to have reached a plateau in Western countries, it is increasing in Asia. The etiology of IBD is still under investigation. We performed an epidemiological study to clarify the characteristics of IBD in Japan, focusing on patients' family history. METHODS: We obtained clinical data on ulcerative colitis (UC) (46,114 cases) and Crohn's disease (CD) (11,305 cases) in 2007 from an electronic database maintained under the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's nationwide registry system, and analyzed the differences in disease characteristics between patients with IBD who had a family history of the disease and those who did not. RESULTS: A total of 2.7% of the patients with UC and 2.6% of those with CD had a family history. The present age and age at disease onset were lower among the patients with UC who had a family history than among those without (present age: p < 0.001; age at disease onset: p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U-test), but no similar trend was observed in the patients with CD. Disease severity was worse among both the UC and CD patients with a family history. The clinical course of patients with UC was not affected by family history. Levels of independence in daily life were associated with family history among CD patients, whereas age was associated with levels of independence in daily life among UC patients. CONCLUSION: Disease characteristics of IBD vary in some aspects according to the presence or absence of a family history.

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease in Japan: Koumi study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease (DED) in a rural setting in Japan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: We included 3294 subjects, aged ≥ 40 years who were in the residential registry for Koumi town. INTERVENTION: Subjects in a rural mountain area, Koumi town, completed questionnaires designed to detect dry eye diagnosis and risk factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinically diagnosed DED was defined as the presence of a previous clinical diagnosis of DED by ophthalmologists or severe symptoms of DED (both dryness and irritation constantly or often). Current symptoms of DED and possible risk factors such as age, gender, educational history, smoking history, alcohol drinking history, height and weight, visual display terminal (VDT) use, and contact lens (CL) wear, and past/current history of certain common systemic diseases were the main outcome measures. We used logistic regression analysis to examine associations between DED and other demographic factors. RESULTS: Of the 3294 eligible residents, 2791 residents (85%) completed the questionnaire. The percentage of women with a composite outcome of clinically diagnosed DED or severe symptoms (21.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 19.5-23.9) was higher than that of men (12.5%; 95% CI, 10.7-14.5; P<0.001). A low body mass index (BMI; odds ratio [OR], 2.07; 95% CI, 0.98-4.39), CL use (OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.46-10.10), and hypertension (HT) (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.94-2.06) were risk factors for DED in men. Use of a VDT (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.12-4.85), CL use (OR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.13-6.10), and myocardial infarction or angina were the risk factors (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.51-4.62), whereas high BMI was a preventive factor (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48-1.01) for DED in women. CONCLUSIONS: Among a Japanese cohort, DED leading to a clinical diagnosis or severe symptoms is prevalent. Use of CLs was a common dry eye risk factor in both genders. The condition is more prevalent in men with low BMI, HT, and in women with myocardial infarction or angina and VDT use. Relevant measures directed against the modifiable risks may provide a positive impact on public health and quality of life of Japanese. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome is comparable between inflammatory bowel disease patients and the general population.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, its prevalence in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients remains largely unknown. This study was planned to determine the prevalence of MS in Japanese IBD patients. METHODS: The prevalence of MS among outpatients with IBD aged 18 or older was studied using the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition. RESULTS: A total of 107 quiescent IBD patients, including 76 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and 31 Crohn's disease (CD) patients, were studied. Sufficient data were collected from a total of 102 patients. Prevalence of MS was significantly higher in UC (23.0%) patients compared to CD patients (7.1%). MS prevalence was substantially higher among male IBD patients (21.1%) compared to female IBD patients (12.9%), particularly in patients over 30 years of age. No difference was observed in the prevalence of MS between our IBD cohort and the general population in both males and females aged 40 years and older (P = 0.707 in males, P = 0.328 in females). IBD patients with MS were also older than those without (50.2 ± 15.0 vs. 38.0 ± 11.9 years, P = 0.013). In a logistic regression analysis, age was the statistically significant predictor of MS among IBD patients. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.064 (1.017-1.114). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in our IBD patients was comparable to that of the general population. Because age was the independent risk factor for developing MS, evaluation for MS is needed for elderly IBD patients.