A comparison of health and fitness-related variables in a small sample of children of Japanese descent on 2 continents.

OBJECTIVE: To compare physical characteristics, health and fitness-related variables, and nutrient intake between children of Japanese ancestry living in the United States and Japan. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Miami, Fla, and Tsukuba, Japan. SUBJECTS: Fourteen children of Japanese descent living in the United States and 14 sex- and age-matched children living in Japan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: US and Japanese resident groups were compared on physical characteristics, health and fitness-related variables, and nutrient intake using the t test for paired samples. To assess differences between groups in variables not statistically significant, effect sizes were calculated using the Cohen d test of standardized differences. RESULTS: The following significant differences were found between US and Japanese resident groups, respectively: body mass index, 19.3 and 16.9, P =.02; percentage of body fat, 22.0% and 14.3%, P =.002; diastolic blood pressure, 65.8 and 58.9 mm Hg, P =.01; total cholesterol, 169.8 and 138.7 mg/dL (4.39 and 3.59 mmol/L, P =.001); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 108.2 and 88.0 mg/dL (2.80 and 2.28 mmol/L, P =.01); triglycerides, 92.5 and 59.0 mg/dL (1.04 and 0.67 mmol/L, P =.02); percentage of fat intake, 26.1% and 20.3%, P =.001; percentage of saturated fat intake, 7.9% and 6.1%, P<.002; percentage of carbohydrate intake, 57.9% and 63.9% (P =.004); vertical jump, 28.9 and 34.4 cm, P =.02; and flexibility, 58.2 and 42.6 cm, P =.002. Using the Cohen d test, US residents showed a moderately greater systolic blood pressure (107.5 vs 101.9 mm Hg, P =.10) and leg strength (81.5 vs 55.8 kg, P =.11) than did Japanese residents. CONCLUSIONS: A small sample (n = 14) of children of Japanese descent living in Florida showed more adverse health-related characteristics than did a comparable group of their peers living in Japan. The results are probably related to differences in their diets. It remains to be seen whether the differences in diets are related to where the children live.

Exercise Challenge for Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm.

In brief For assessing symptoms of exercise-induced asthma in active young people, the exercise challenge test has advantages over the therapeutic trial: It can be used to specifically confirm the presence of exercise-induced bronchospasm, evaluate pharmacologic control, and help improve compliance. Knowing how to interpret and use the test results helps physicians expedite effective treatment, whether the physician performs the test in the office or refers the patient to a specialty lab.

Elevated Blood Pressure in a High School Football Player: Case Presentation and Discussion.

A case is presented of an adolescent high school athlete found to have mildly elevated systolic blood pressure (BP) at the preseason group physical examination. As part of the evaluation to clear him for participation, a graded exercise stress test was performed. The test revealed a systolic BP at peak exercise of 260 mm Hg. The rationale for hygienic and pharmacologic management of this situation is discussed, and the results of this process are detailed. This patient was finally treated with nifedipine after unacceptable results with lisinopril, pindolol, and nonpharmacological approaches. The graded exercise test can be a valuable part of the evaluation of a hypertensive athlete. Besides revealing the occasional dangerous superelevation of BP, the test results can reveal the individual's cardiovascular response to stress. This can provide insight into the etiology of and prognosis for the patient's problem. Follow-up testing should be done after any treatment is provided.