Highlights

Volume 34, Issue 1-6 (2024)

Issue 6 (June 2024)
Issue 5 (May 2024)
Issue 4 (April 2024)
Issue 3 (March 2024)
Issue 2 (February 2024)
Issue 1 (January 2024)

Volume 34, Issue 6 (June 2024)

• In previous study, it is not clear whether smoking is associated with long-term quality of life.
• One potential problem is that since smoking is significantly associated with mortality, those who died during follow-up period would not be able to participate in follow-up survey.
• In this study, we used a pattern-mixture model to decrease such censoring bias and showed that smoking was associated with reduced long-term quality of life among the elderly.

• The study examined the association of social isolation and loneliness with chronic low back pain.
• Loneliness was positively associated with chronic low back pain among older adults.
• Isolated individuals with loneliness had the highest likelihood of this condition.
• Addressing social isolation and loneliness may help alleviate chronic low back pain.

• This study showed the effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine among older adults in Japan.
• Its effectiveness against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalization was high.
• This study provided insights into the development database in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
• This study is the using Health Center Real-time information-sharing System on COVID-19, Vaccination Record System, and claims data to assess effectiveness.
• This large-scale population-based cohort study can be generalized to older adults.

• We evaluated the association between awareness of limiting food intake and all-cause mortality in the general Japanese population.
• Awareness of limiting fat intake was associated with all-cause mortality, without mediation by actual fat intake, in women.
• Awareness of limiting food intake had a limited effect on reducing all-cause mortality risk.

Short Communication
Revisiting Older Drivers’ Risks of At-fault Motor Vehicle Collisions in Japan

• In Japan, older drivers are encouraged to surrender their driving licenses for traffic safety.
• The risk of at-fault motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) increases with the advancing age of drivers.
• The risk of at-fault MVCs among older drivers was lower than that among young drivers.
• MVCs caused by older drivers did not pose a high risk of injuries to their collided counterparts.
• Older drivers should be assisted in driving safely to maintain their social life and health.

Study Profile
Cohort Profile: Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS): A Population-based Multi-omics Study

• The study aims to assess the determinants of metabolic disease in nutritional, environmental and genetic aspects, and explore possible mechanisms.
• The population-based sample of adults in Guangzhou, China (Baseline: 2008-2015; 40-83 years old; n = 5118) was followed up about every 3 years.
• The median age at baseline was approximately 59.0 years and the proportion of female participants was about 69.4% (3,550/5,118).
• We assessed detailed health-related information and many instrument tests.
• We measured multi-omics about the host and gut microbiome in the cohort participants during follow up.

Volume 34, Issue 5 (May 2024)

• Having siblings and a BA.5-dominant period were significantly associated with symptomatic novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• After adjusting for age, siblings, study period, and duration after the last vaccination, vaccine effectiveness (VE) of two-dose vaccination was 50.0%.
• Within the first 3 months after the two-dose vaccination, VE was 72%.
• Two BNT162b mRNA vaccine doses provided moderate protection against symptomatic COVID-19 during the Omicron period among children in Japan.

• The associations of major risk factors of stroke with total and each type of stroke, as well as subtypes of ischemic stroke, were examined using a large-scale population-based cohort study in Japan.
• Hypertension alone accounted for more than a quarter of stroke incidence, followed by current smoking and diabetes.
• Hypertension could be regarded as the most crucial target for preventing strokes in Japan although there are some differences according to the subtypes.
• Preventing or controlling all the modifiable risk factors could eliminate 36.7% of total stroke cases.

• Drugs in commodity packets have spread in the population as a common way of administering illicit drugs in Taiwan.
• Persons who used drugs in commodity packets did not show gender differences.
• Approximately one-third of persons who used drug packets were unaware of the contents.
• A diversity in the formats of drug packets creates difficulties in drug testing.

• Although several genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on folate metabolisms have been conducted, few studies have examined the interaction between folate-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms and lifestyles.
• We conducted the GWAS of plasma homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid (FA) and vitamin B12 (VB12) levels using the data of 2,263 participants from four study sites of the J-MICC Study in the discovery phase, and data of 573 participants from the Yakumo Study were analyzed in the replication phase.
• For Hcy, MTHFR locus on chromosome (chr) 1, Nox4 on chr11, CHMP1A on chr 16, and DPEP1 on chr 16 reached GWAS significance (P < 5×10-8). MTHFR was also associated with FA, and FUT2 on chr 19 was associated with VB12.
• The analyses on gene-environment interactions revealed significant interactions of MTHFR C677T with drinking and physical activity on blood folate metabolites, suggesting the possibility of future personalized cardiovascular disease prevention.

• This study aimed to examine the post-novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms that are specific to different variants of COVID-19.
• Patients infected during the Omicron period were more likely to exhibit respiratory symptoms but less likely to exhibit olfactory or taste disorders.
• Respiratory symptoms were more common among patients who recovered from mild COVID-19.
• Cardiac symptoms were more common among patients who received oxygen or ventilation support.
• Patients infected during the Alpha period had the highest frequency of psychological distress.

• We clarified 1-year changes in accelerometer-measured physical activity (PA) from before to after novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Japanese workers.
• We confirmed a significant decrease in PA from before to after COVID-19 outbreak, with the amount of change corresponding to 10 minutes per day.
• The changes were clearer at and after working hours on weekdays than on weekends.
• We confirmed an increase in sedentary behavior, reflecting a decrease in PA.

Study Profile
Profile of Nagasaki Islands Study (NaIS): A Population-based Prospective Cohort Study on Multi-disease

• The Nagasaki Islands Study (NaIS) has been conducted under a population-based open cohort design on remote islands in Japan since 2014.
• We aimed to identify the influence of aging on health conditions, elucidate risk factors of multiple diseases, and contribute to preventive medicine.
• Conducting cohort studies on remote islands makes it easier to thoroughly follow participants and register them for their diseases.
• With support from the local government, we could use various real-world data, including original drug dispensing data collected from all pharmacies.
• A total of 4,957 residents, mainly middle-aged and older adults participated in either the baseline or secondary surveys and were followed-up.
  
  

Volume 34, Issue 4 (April 2024)

• We evaluated the validity of algorithms for the identification of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients in Japanese diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) data referencing registry data.
• Diagnosis information in the discharge abstract data from the Japanese DPC database enabled us to detect more than 90% of acute PE inpatients.
• When restricted to symptomatic cases of PE, 94.6% of the patients were identified by the diagnosis-based algorithm.
• The diagnosis-based algorithm may be a relatively sensitive method for identifying acute PE patients in the Japanese DPC database.

• This study examined the associations between lifestyle factors and constipation among survivors in a 9-year follow-up study.
• Older age, poor mental health, and poor physical activity were significantly associated with constipation in men and women.
• A lower frequency of meals was significantly associated with women’s constipation.

• Our findings suggest the importance of supporting the survivors with constipation for medium- to long-term after the disaster.

• To the best of our knowledge, these are the first diabetes risk scores developed and validated using a nationwide population of Japan to predict the 5-year incidence of type 2 diabetes.
• In this prospective study, the diabetes risk scores used both non-invasive and invasive predictors to predict the 5-year incidence of type 2 diabetes.
• The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.643 for the non-invasive risk model, 0.786 for the invasive risk model with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) but not fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and 0.845 for the invasive risk model with HbA1c and FPG in a development cohort. The discriminative ability of each model was confirmed using external validation datasets. The invasive risk model with only HbA1c was well-calibrated in the validation cohort.

• Second generation (2G) and personal handy-phone system were used in Japan mainly in the 1990's, where third generation (3G) was adopted in Korea in the mid-2000s. On average, output power from 2G phones was higher than from 3G phones.
• The international MOBI-Kids case-control study provided no evidence of a causal association between wireless phone use (and electromagnetic field exposure) and brain tumors in young people.
• The current study aimed to investigate specifically the possible risk of brain tumors due to mobile phone use in young people in Korea and Japan, taking into account the particular characteristics of mobile phone networks in these countries.
• This study provided no evidence for an increased risk of glioma or brain tumors relation to mobile phone use or radiofrequency exposure level in the Korean and Japanese population.

• Global travel patterns changed dramatically during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and in Japan, the epidemiology of imported infectious diseases also changed.
• Notifications of imported infectious diseases decreased for all a priori selected 15 diseases.
• However, absolute and relative increases per arrivals were notable for several diseases, such as malaria.
• Consideration of both relative and absolute aspects is important when communicating.
• Physicians should remain vigilant for infectious diseases other than COVID-19.

• Number of gastroenteritis virus-positive samples according to National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Disease data and status of gastroenteritis viruses detected in wastewater were evaluated.
• Gastroenteritis viruses were detected in wastewater even during periods when no gastroenteritis virus-positive samples were reported.
• The number of patients with infectious gastroenteritis per pediatric sentinel site was compared with gastroenteritis viruses detected in wastewater.
• Wastewater-based surveillance could complement sentinel surveillance.
• Wastewater-based surveillance can be a useful tool for the surveillance of infectious gastroenteritis.

Volume 34, Issue 3 (March 2024)

• We examined the association of diabetes and prediabetes with the risk of a composite outcome of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) and death due to physical disorders.
• Diabetes and prediabetes were both associated with an increased risk of the composite outcome of LTSA and death due to physical disorders.
• We observed the increased risk for severe outcomes (LTSA or death) due to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and injuries/external causes in relation to either or both diabetes and prediabetes.

• This study aimed to investigate whether the Claims-based Frailty Index (CFI) could be implemented in the claims data of Japanese older adults to predict adverse outcomes.
• Claims data [National Health Insurance, Latter-stage Elderly Healthcare system, and Long-term care (LTC) insurance] from April 2014 to March 2019 were used in this study.
• The results showed that those with severe CFI had a high risk for LTC insurance certification and all-cause mortality.
• This study showed that the CFI can be implemented in the claims data of Japanese older adults to predict LTC insurance certification and all-cause mortality.and

• Higher fat mass index was associated with lower lung function in all fat-free mass index subgroups.
• Higher fat-free mass index was associated with higher lung function in all fat mass index subgroups.
• Reducing fat mass index and maintaining fat-free mass index might be important for respiratory health.

• We examined patient characteristics and public health office (PHO) factors related to the reporting delay in novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
• We analyzed data from 12,399 COVID-19 patients diagnosed in one region in Japan, stratified as 7,814 linked cases and 4,585 unlinked cases.
• Reporting delay was associated mainly with the PHO factors (7-day daily average confirmed cases, onset day of the week) in linked cases.
• Reporting delay was associated mainly with the patient characteristics (older, without occupation, living alone) in unlinked cases.
• This finding suggested the necessity to promote educational activities and improve access to health care for people with less social connection.

• Glomerular hyperfiltration has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality even in the general population.
• We prospectively examined whether alcohol consumption and drinking pattern related to glomerular hyperfiltration in healthy individuals.
• Higher average daily alcohol consumption was independently associated with the risk of glomerular hyperfiltration.
• For high drinking frequency per week, more alcohol intake per drinking day was associated with an increased risk of glomerular hyperfiltration.
• However, for low drinking frequency per week, only very high alcohol intake per drinking day was associated with it.

• We investigated the association of vitamin intake, including lycopene, α-carotene, β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, with prostate cancer risk in the JPHC study.
• No associations with prostate cancer were observed for antioxidant vitamins, including α-carotene, β-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
• Although higher lycopene intake was associated with increased risks of prostate cancer, there was a null association of lycopene intake with risk of prostate cancer detected using subjective symptoms.
• Our study suggested no association between antioxidant vitamin intake and prostate cancer risk.

Volume 34, Issue 2 (February 2024)

• The causal relationships between body mass index (BMI) and cardiometabolic traits in Japanese were assessed using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach in a sample of 14,083 Japanese.
• In individual-level MR analyses, predicted BMI was not significantly associated with any cardiovascular traits in the Japanese population.
• Sensitivity analyses based on two-sample MR analyses of 173,430 Japanese subjects showed that BMI is associated with a variety of cardiometabolic traits.
• Even among the Japanese, an East Asian population with low levels of obesity, higher BMI could be causally associated with a variety of cardiometabolic traits, in line with the results of European studies.
• The causality of these associations should be clarified in future studies with larger populations.

• We found inverse associations of the frequency of going outdoors with risk of composite poor oral health, tooth loss, chewing difficulty, and swallowing difficulty.
• The association between the frequency of going outdoors and the risk of poor oral health was mediated (2–13%) by modifiable risk factors.
• Frequency of going outdoors may be identified as a useful predictor of poor oral health among older adults.

• There have been few epidemiological reports on Japanese national rates of epilepsy.
• We aimed to reveal the burden of epilepsy among the population in Japan by a retrospective analysis of insurance claims data of 9,864,278 insured persons.
• The prevalence and incidence of epilepsy by age, sex and calendar year in Japan was shown.

• Based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Japan, we found that lower cereal intake in the middle and highest-income groups was stable over time.
• In 2018, the vegetable intake decreased among women in the middle- and highest-income groups, and the tendency of a higher vegetable intake in women with the highest income disappeared over time.
• Further studies using data over a longer period with a detailed questionnaire on income are needed to determine change of the relationship between income and food intake over time.

• Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-bound Cu or Ba was positively associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• In co-exposure models, the relationship between PM2.5 Cu and HCC was positive.
• The PM2.5 Cu-HCC association was robust among people without hepatitis infection.

• The evidence linking tall stature to colorectal cancer risk is scarce among Asians.
• We conducted a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies among Japanese adults to examine the association between adult-attained height and risk of colorectal cancer and its subsites.
• Taller height was associated with an increased risk of cancer of the colorectum and its subsites in both sexes.
• This study adds evidence to support the use of adult-attained height to identify those at a higher risk of colorectal cancer among the Japanese.

Volume 34, Issue 1 (January 2024)

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