The Western dietary pattern appears to confer diabetes risk, but the role of dietary patterns in Asian populations remains unclear. We investigated the association between major dietary patterns and the glucose tolerance status of Japanese men. Abnormalities included impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and type 2 diabetes. Subjects were 2106 Japanese men who were administered a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at their preretirement health check-ups. Information about diet was obtained using a 74-item FFQ before the test. Three dietary patterns were generated by factor analysis: 1) a high-dairy, high-fruit and -vegetable, high-starch, low-alcohol pattern; 2) an animal food pattern; and 3) a Japanese pattern. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (OR) with adjustment for potential confounding variables. A significant inverse association was found for the high-dairy, high-fruit and -vegetable, high-starch, low-alcohol pattern (P for trend < 0.0001); the OR of having a glucose tolerance abnormality (impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or type 2 diabetes) for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles were 0.80 (95% CI = 0.62-1.04), 0.71 (95% CI = 0.54-0.92), and 0.51 (95% CI = 0.38-0.67), respectively, compared with the lowest quartile. The inverse association was consistent for each glucose tolerance abnormality as well as across subgroups stratified by risk factors for diabetes. The Japanese dietary pattern was positively associated with impaired glucose tolerance (P for trend = 0.048). A dietary pattern characterized by frequent consumption of dairy products and fruits and vegetables but low alcohol intake may be associated with a decreased risk of developing a glucose tolerance abnormality.

Aims/hypothesis. Several studies have reported that coffee has a protective effect against the development of type 2 diabetes. However, few of these studies used the standard glucose tolerance test to diagnose type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between coffee and green tea consumption and glucose tolerance status as determined using a 75-g OGTT. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study of 3224 male officials of the self-defence forces. Glucose tolerance status was determined in accordance with the 1998 World Health Organization criteria, and average intakes of coffee and green tea over the previous year were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. The figures obtained were adjusted for BMI, physical activity and other factors. Results.A total of 1130 men were identified as having glucose intolerance (IFG, IGT or type 2 diabetes). Compared with those who did not consume coffee on a daily basis, fasting and 2-h post-load plasma glucose levels were 1.5% and 4.3% lower in those who drank 5 cups of coffee or more per day respectively. The adjusted odds ratios of glucose intolerance for categories of <1, 1-2, 3-4 and ≥5 cups of coffee per day were 1.0 (referent), 0.8 (95% CI 0.6-1.0), 0.7 (95% CI 0.6-0.9) and 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-0.9) respectively (p=0.0001 for trend). No clear association was observed between green tea drinking and glucose tolerance status. Conclusions/interpretation. Coffee consumption may inhibit postprandial hyperglycaemia and thereby protect against the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The role of dietary patterns in colorectal carcinogenesis remains unclear in Asian populations. Using 1999-2002 data, the authors investigated the association between dietary patterns and colorectal adenomas in 1,341 Japanese men who underwent total colonoscopy. Information about diet was obtained using a 74-item food frequency questionnaire prior to the colonoscopy. Three dietary patterns were generated by factor analysis: 1) a high-dairy, high-fruit and -vegetable, high-starch, low-alcohol pattern; 2) an "animal food" pattern; and 3) a Japanese pattern. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio of having colorectal adenomas with the adjustment for potential confounding variables including body mass index, smoking, alcohol, and leisure-time physical activities. A significant inverse association was found for the high-dairy, high-fruit and -vegetable, high-starch, low-alcohol pattern; the odds ratios for the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.70, 1.36), 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.50, 1.01), and 0.62 (95% confidence interval: 0.43, 0.90), respectively, compared with the lowest (p(trend) = 0.003). Similar associations were observed for larger adenomas or for each subsite of the colorectum. The Japanese and "animal food" patterns were not clearly associated with colorectal adenomas. A dietary pattern including greater consumption of dairy products and fruits and vegetables with low alcohol consumption may be associated with decreased risk of colorectal adenomas.

Background: Visceral obesity is positively related to insulin resistance. The nature of the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance has not been known in Japanese populations. This study examined the relationship between waist circumference and insulin resistance and evaluated the optimal cutoff point for waist circumference in relation to insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men.

While smoking has consistently been shown to be related to increased risk of colorectal adenomas, few studies have addressed the association between smoking and site-specific colorectal adenomas. The reported association between alcohol use and colorectal adenomas has been inconsistent. We evaluated risks of adenomas at the proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum in relation to cigarette smoking and alcohol use, and their interaction. Subjects were 754 cases with histologically proven colorectal adenomas and 1547 controls with normal colonoscopy among male officials of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) undergoing total colonoscopy at two SDF hospitals. Statistical adjustment was made for hospital, rank, body mass index, physical activity, and either smoking or alcohol drinking. Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with an increased risk of adenomas, regardless of the location of the adenomas, but the increased risk associated with smoking was more pronounced for rectal adenomas. Alcohol use was associated with moderately increased risks of distal colon and rectal adenomas, but not of proximal colon adenomas. Cigarette smoking, but not alcohol drinking, was associated with greater increases in the risk of large adenomas and of multiple adenomas across the colorectum. There was no measurable interaction of cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking on colorectal adenomas. The findings corroborate an increased risk of colorectal adenomas associated with smoking and a weak association between alcohol use and colorectal adenomas. Further studies are needed to confirm whether smoking is more strongly related to rectal adenomas, large adenomas, or multiple adenomas. (Cancer Sci 2004; 95: 72-76) olorectal adenomas are known to be a precursor lesion of colorectal cancer, 1, 2) and it has been suggested that colorectal cancer and adenomas generally share common etiological factors, with a few exceptions. 3, 4) While the association between smoking and colorectal cancer is controversial, smoking has consistently been shown to be associated with increased risk of colon or colorectal adenomas. 5) On the other hand, a meta-analysis indicated that alcohol use was associated with a modest increase in the risk of colorectal cancer, 6) but the reported relation between alcohol and colorectal adenomas is rather inconsistent. Of 13 studies examining the association between alcohol use and colorectal adenomas, [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] eight studies suggested an increased risk of colon or colorectal adenomas associated with alcohol use, [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and five studies reported a null association between alcohol consumption and colorectal adenomas. [15][16][17][18][19] It has been suggested that different etiological factors may be involved in carcinogenesis at different sites of the colorectum. 3) For instance, genetic alterations differed in proximal and distal colon cancer. 20) Higher proportions of proximal colon cancer to distal colon cancer and a lower incidence of rectal cancer wer...

Accumulating evidence suggests that vitamin D has anticarcinogenic effects. However, it is unclear whether the nutrient is involved in the early stage of colorectal carcinogenesis. We examined the association between circulating vitamin D concentrations and colorectal adenomas in Japanese men. The study subjects comprised 656 cases of colorectal adenomas and 648 controls with normal colonoscopy among male self defense officials receiving a pre-retirement health examination between 1997 and 2004. Plasma or serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured using a radioimmunoassay method. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with adjustment for potential confounding variables. Overall, there was no measurable association between circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and colorectal adenomas. When the analysis was restricted to subjects whose blood was taken during the winter season (November-April), the prevalence odds of colorectal adenomas for the highest versus lowest quartile of 25(OH)D was statistically significantly decreased (OR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.34-0.99). The reduction was more pronounced for the rectum (OR = 0.22) and distal colon (OR = 0.47) than for proximal colon (OR = 0.70). During the summer season (May-October), higher levels of 25(OH)D were associated with an increased odds of small, but not large, adenomas. The present study adds to evidence that high levels of circulating vitamin D measured during darker season is associated with decreased prevalence of adenomas in the distal sites of the colorectum. (Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1695-1700 T he protective role of vitamin D has recently drawn much interest in colorectal carcinogenesis.(1-3) Vitamin D has long been known to enhance intestinal absorption of calcium, (3) which has also been associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer.(4) Natural sources of vitamin D are production in the skin by solar exposure, fish oil, and shiitake mushroom. The hypothesis that vitamin D is protective against colorectal cancer in humans was proposed on the basis of a geographical correlation between sunlight exposure and colon cancer mortality in the USA.(5) Subsequently, cohort and case-control studies have observed a fairly consistent, protective association between vitamin D intake and colon or colorectal cancer, as reviewed comprehensively elsewhere.(1) Furthermore, decreased risk of colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer has been observed in individuals with higher circulating 25(OH)D levels in several prospective studies (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12) although not all studies have found such an association.(13) With regard to colorectal adenomas, a wellestablished precursor lesion of colorectal cancer, (14,15) six casecontrol studies have addressed the association with plasma or serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, reporting a protective association for adenoma prevalence (16)(17)(18) and recurrence (19,20) consistently with one exception. (21) Of particular interest is a recent observation that an inve...

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein with an insulinsensitizing action. Circulating levels of adiponectin are inversely correlated with obesity, especially abdominal obesity. Some studies have suggested that low levels of circulating adiponectin might be related to increased risk of colorectal cancer and adenomas. The present study examined the relationship between total and highmolecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin to colorectal adenomas in the Self Defense Forces (SDF) Health Study. The study subjects comprised 656 cases of colorectal adenomas and 648 controls with normal colonoscopy among men receiving a preretirement health examination at two Self Defense Forces hospitals. Total and HMW adiponectin were slightly lower in adenoma cases than in controls; geometric means of total adiponectin were 5.42 μ μ μ μg/mL in cases and 5.63 μ μ μ μg/mL in controls (P = 0.13), and the corresponding values of HMW adiponectin were 2.47 μ μ μ μg/mL and 2.57 μ μ μ μg/mL, respectively (P = 0.29). Regardless of adjustment for body mass index and other lifestyle factors, total adiponectin was unrelated to the risk of colorectal adenomas. Total adiponectin levels were inversely related to the risk of large adenomas (≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ 5 mm), but not of small adenomas, with a nearly statistically significant decreasing trend (P = 0.06). However, the inverse association was largely ascribed to body mass index and other lifestyle factors. HMW adiponectin showed no clear association with either overall or size-specific risk of colorectal adenomas. The study provided suggestive evidence for a protective association between adiponectin and large adenomas, but did not indicate a protective association independent of adiposity. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 781-786)A diponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein that is expressed specifically and abundantly in adipose tissue.(1,2)The primary known function of this molecule is an insulinsensitizing action, and decreased levels of adiponectin seem to be fundamentally involved in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome.(1-3) Paradoxically, circulating levels of adiponectin are inversely correlated with obesity, especially abdominal obesity.(2,4) It is thus of natural interest to examine the relationship between circulating levels of adiponectin and risk of obesity-related cancers. Increased risks of endometrial (5,6) and breast cancer (7,8) were consistently observed in women with low levels of circulating adiponectin in case-control studies. Low levels of circulating adiponectin have also been linked to increased risk of renal cell carcinoma.(9) Two prospective studies have addressed the relationship between plasma adiponectin levels and colorectal cancer risk; one study showed a decreased risk in men at the second to fifth quintiles compared with those at the lowest quintile, (10) but the other found no association between adiponectin and colorectal cancer.(11) A recent casecontrol study reported that plasma levels of adiponectin were substantially lower ...

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