These results indicate that self-assessed masticatory disability may be associated with a greater risk of mortality in community-residing elderly people.

As for the risk of developing the MS, the respective multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios of developing the MS were 1.0 (referent), 1.43 (95% CI, 1.14-1.79), 1.14 (95% CI, 0.91-1.44), 1.45 (95% CI, 1.14-1.84), and 1.59 (95% CI, 1.24-2.05) (P for trend for current smokers only =0.001). Among men without the MS at entry, body weight gain over 7 yr, compared with never smokers, was significantly higher in smokers who quit smoking. It is important for the prevention of the MS not only to quit smoking but also to prevent weight gain after smoking cessation.

No abstract

Public health nurses visited and followed up for more than one year 438 patients with Parkinson's disease living in Osaka. The follow-up period averaged 4.1 years, during which 71 deaths were observed. The patients were classified according to the degree of physical exercise they performed, and the ratios of observed to expected deaths were calculated. The exercising group showed the lowest ratio of 1.68 (1.45 for patients able to walk independently, and 1.89 for those could not) while all patients exhibited a ratio of 2.47. Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazard model, adjusted for age, sex, walking ability and duration of disease at study entry, showed that, compared with the exercising group, the non-exercising patients had a hazard ratio of 1.83.

Abstract:We assessed the association of white blood cell (WBC) count with different components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in 5275 Japanese male office workers aged 23-59 years. There was a significantly crude correlation between WBC count and body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (negative), triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose, and uric acid (all P<0.001). After controlling for potential confounding factors, the adjusted means of WBC count were significantly higher in subjects with each feature of the MS (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, hypertriglyceridemia, high fasting plasma glucose levels, and hyperuricemia) (all P<0.005). The adjusted WBC count increments in subjects with 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥ 5 features of the MS were 0.28, 0.45, 0.68, 0.76, and 1.40 × × × × × 10 9 cells/l, respectively, compared with the subjects without features of the MS (P for trend<0.001). The adjusted means of WBC count increased significantly with the increasing number of features of the MS in both non-smokers and smokers (both P<0.001). These data indicate a strong association between WBC count and a number of disorders characterizing the MS independent of cigarette smoking among Japanese men.

Aims/hypothesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between daily life activity and risk of developing diabetes. Methods. The study population included 2924 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 59 years who did not have IFG (fasting plasma glucose level 6.1-6.9 mmol/l), Type 2 diabetes (fasting plasma glucose level ≥7.0 mmol/l and/or medication for diabetes) or a history of cardiovascular disease, and were not receiving medication for hypertension. A 1-day activity record during an ordinary weekday was used to estimate daily energy expenditure. Fasting glucose levels were measured at annual health examinations performed in May from 1994 to 2001. Results. Over a 7-year follow-up period the relative risk of IFG and Type 2 diabetes decreased with increasing daily energy expenditure after controlling for potential predictors of diabetes (p<0.001 and p=0.001 for trend respectively). The age-adjusted relative risk of IFG or Type 2 diabetes decreased with increasing energy expenditure on occupational physical activity, brisk walking, riding on vehicles (standing position) to and from work and other physical activities (all p<0.001 for trend). The association with riding on vehicles (standing position) and other physical activities remained after controlling for other potential confounders of diabetes (p=0.026 and p=0.003 for trend respectively). Results of stratified analyses by the presence or absence of different risk factors for diabetes revealed that the risk of IFG or Type 2 diabetes was inversely related to daily energy expenditure both in men at low risk of diabetes and those at high risk. Conclusions/interpretation. Physical activity in daily life is inversely associated with the risk of developing IFG or Type 2 diabetes.

Objective-To find out whether there is any correlation between the use of general health check ups (provided for by the Health Services for the Elderly Act 1982) by insured Japanese residents aged 40

A large outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 infections via school lunches occurred at primary schools in 1996 in Sakai City, Japan. As many as 10,000 patients suffered from diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Using data on 288 inpatient school children affected by this outbreak, of whom 36 presented complete HUS and the remaining 252 tested positive for E. coli O157 culture, we attempted to identify predictors for the progression to HUS. Within the first 5 days of illness, clinical features associated with inpatients who developed HUS compared with those without HUS included a C reactive protein (CRP) level higher than 1.2 mg/dl (OR 44.26; 95% CI 5.83-336.23), a white blood cell (WBC) count greater than 11.0 x 10(9)/l (OR 5.03; 95% CI 2.13-11.87) and a temperature higher than 38.0 degrees C (OR 5.00; 95% CI 2.25-11.08). It can be concluded that these three factors are predictive factors for the development of HUS in patients with E. coli O157 infection, and patients who have two or all of these factors should be observed closely.