Functional AGXT2 SNP rs180749 variant and depressive symptoms: Baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Japan.

No study has shown the relationship between alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and depressive symptoms. The present case-control study examined this relationship in Japanese adults. Cases and control participants were selected from those who participated in the baseline survey of the Aidai Cohort Study, which is an ongoing cohort study. Cases comprised 280 participants with depressive symptoms based on a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score ≥ 16. Control participants comprised 2034 participants without depressive symptoms based on the CES-D who had not been diagnosed by a physician as having depression or who had not been currently taking medication for depression. Adjustment was made for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, education, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Compared with the GG genotype of rs180749, both the GA and AA genotypes were significantly positively associated with the risk of depressive symptoms assessed by the CES-D: the adjusted odds ratios for the GA and AA genotypes were 2.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-8.24) and 3.10 (95% CI 1.37-8.92), respectively. The TGC haplotype of rs37370, rs180749, and rs16899974 was significantly inversely related to depressive symptoms (crude OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.49-0.90), whereas the TAC haplotype was significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms (crude OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.01-1.52). This is the first study to show significant associations between AGXT2 SNP rs180749, the TGC haplotype, and the TAC haplotype and depressive symptoms.

Association Between Tongue Pressure and Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Although it has been suggested that a decline in oral function is one of the potential risk factors affecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI), evidence is insufficient to draw clear conclusions. This Japanese cross-sectional study examined the association between tongue pressure (TP) and MCI in middle-aged and older adults aged 36-84 years. METHODS: Study participants were 1019 (368 men and 651 women). TP was evaluated using a TP measurement device. The maximum value of three measurements was used for analysis. MCI was defined as being present if a participant had a Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of <26. Adjustment was made for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, history of depression, number of teeth, employment, education, and household income. RESULTS: The prevalence of MCI was 45.3%. Among women, compared with the lowest tertile of TP, the second and highest tertiles were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of MCI with a clear dose-response relationship; the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) in the second and highest tertiles of TP were 0.54 (0.36-0.83) and 0.55 (0.36-0.84), respectively (p for trend = 0.005). In contrast, no statistically significant association was observed between TP and the prevalence of MCI among men. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that higher TP might be inversely associated with the prevalence of MCI in middle-aged and older Japanese women.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein is a predictor of all-cause mortality in a rural Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a sensitive marker of inflammation. This study aimed to determine whether increased hsCRP levels are associated with all-cause mortality rate. METHODS: We examined data for participants from the 2002 Nomura Cohort Study who attended follow-ups for 20 years (follow-up rate: 93.3%). Of these, 793 were male (aged 61 ± 14 years) and 1040 were female (aged 63 ± 11 years). The Japanese Basic Resident Registry provided data on adjusted relative hazards for all-cause mortality. The data were subjected to a Cox regression analysis using a time variable of age and confounding risk factors. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) follow-up period was 6548 days (6094-7452 days). The follow-up confirmed that there were 632 (34.8%) deaths, of which 319 were male (40.2% of all males) and 313 were female (30.6% of all females). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.59) in the highest hsCRP category was also significantly higher compared with reference. A higher hsCRP was associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality in male participants aged ≥65 years, a BMI < 25 kg/m2 , and no history of CVD or diabetes, and this association was particularly significant among participants with both of the latter two risk factors (p = 0.004 and 0.022 for interaction, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a significant association between hsCRP levels and all-cause mortality in a rural Japanese population. Specifically, hsCRP appears to be a crucial biomarker for predicting long-term survival, particularly among older persons.

Association between alanine aminotransferase and all-cause mortality rate: Findings from a study on Japanese community-dwelling individuals.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between survival prognosis and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a critical factor contributing to aging-related health and mortality. The research is based on a follow-up study with 6- and 10-year intervals. METHODS: The participants included 1,610 males (63 ± 14 years old) and 2,074 females (65 ± 12 years old) who were part of the Nomura cohort study conducted in 2002 (first cohort) and 2014 (second cohort). The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of death between the baseline health checkup and the end of the follow-up periods were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model, controlling for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: The follow-up survey revealed 180 male deaths (11.2% of male participants) and 146 female deaths (7.0% of female participants). The univariate Cox regression analysis showed a significant increase in the HRs of all-cause mortality with decreasing ALT levels (p < 0.001). Furthermore, compared with individuals with ALT levels of 20-29 IU/L, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% confidence interval) for all-cause mortality were 2.73 (1.59-4.70) for those with ALT levels <10 IU/L, 1.45 (1.05-2.00) for those with ALT levels of 10-19 IU/L, and 1.63 (1.05-2.53) for those with ALT levels ≥30 IU/L. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that abnormally low ALT levels and high within the normal range were related to all-cause mortality in Japan's community-dwelling individuals. Especially, ALT activity may be an important biomarker for predicting the long-term survival of older adults.

Relationship between rural self-efficacy and rural career intent after rural clinical training: a study on medical students in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, community medicine clerkships facilitate positive attitudes toward rural medical practice and encourage rural recruitment. Rural self-efficacy has been shown to influence rural career intent following a rural clinical placement. However, the impact of subjective difficulties of living in a rural area on future rural career intent is also important. This study aims to explore whether rural self-efficacy influences the relationship between difficulty with living in a rural area and rural career intent.  METHODS: The subjects included 308 male and 255 female participants aged 20-41 [median (interquartile range): 22 (21-22)] years. Rural self-efficacy was based on a validated scale consisting of 15 questions. Difficulty with living in a rural area was measured asking students. A cohort survey was conducted to evaluate the effect of the rural self-efficacy score on the rural career intent of Japanese medical students after they completed their rural clinical training. RESULTS: The following variables were significantly associated with a higher rural self-efficacy score: female sex (p = 0.003), age < 21 years (p = 0.013), having a doctor as a role model (p < 0.001), gaining admission through a school recommendation (p = 0.016), living in a rural or remote area until the age of 18 years (p = 0.018), and orientation towards general medicine (p < 0.001). In addition, baseline difficulty with living in a rural area was significantly associated with a lower self-efficacy score (p < 0.001). Participants with a stronger intent to practice in a rural area before rural clinical training had higher rural self-efficacy and showed a stronger positive rural career intent after rural clinical training (p < 0.001). A multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that difficulty with living in a rural area [odds ratio (OR): 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39-0.84] was still associated with lower rural career intent after rural clinical training, independent of all confounders such as gender, age, scholarship for regional duty, rural background, and orientation towards general medicine. However, when rural self-efficacy (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.16) was added as a factor for rural career intent, difficulty with living in a rural area (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.43-1.06) was no longer observed as an associated factor. CONCLUSION: Subjective difficulty with living in a rural area was shown to reduce future rural career intent, but high rural self-efficacy ameliorated this decline.

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol and all-cause mortality rate: findings from a study on Japanese community-dwelling persons.

BACKGROUND: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) independently impacts aging-related health outcomes and plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, there are limited predictive data on all-cause mortality, especially for the Japanese community population. In this study, it was examined whether LDL-C is related to survival prognosis based on 7 or 10 years of follow-up. METHODS: Participants included 1610 men (63 ± 14 years old) and 2074 women (65 ± 12 years old) who participated in the Nomura cohort study conducted in 2002 (first cohort) and 2014 (second cohort) and who continued throughout the follow-up periods (follow-up rates: 94.8 and 98.0%). Adjusted relative risk estimates were obtained for all-cause mortality using a basic resident register. The data were analyzed by a Cox regression with the time variable defined as the length between the age at the time of recruitment and that at the end of the study (the age of death or censoring), and risk factors including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), presence of diabetes, lipid levels, renal function, serum uric acid levels, blood pressure, and history of smoking, drinking, and CVD. RESULTS: Of the 3684 participants, 326 (8.8%) were confirmed to be deceased. Of these, 180 were men (11.2% of all men) and 146 were women (7.0% of all women). Lower LDL-C levels, gender (male), older age, BMI under 18.5 kg/m2, and the presence of diabetes were significant predictors for all-cause mortality. Compared with individuals with LDL-C levels of 144 mg/dL or higher, the multivariable-adjusted Hazard ratio (and 95% confidence interval) for all-cause mortality was 2.54 (1.58-4.07) for those with LDL-C levels below 70 mg/dL, 1.71 (1.15-2.54) for those with LDL-C levels between 70 mg/dL and 92 mg/dL, and 1.21 (0.87-1.68) for those with LDL-C levels between 93 mg/dL and 143 mg/dL. This association was particularly significant among participants who were male (P for interaction = 0.039) and had CKD (P for interaction = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: There is an inverse relationship between LDL-C levels and the risk of all-cause mortality, and this association is statistically significant.

Alcohol consumption and serum uric acid are synergistically associated with renal dysfunction among community-dwelling persons.

BACKGROUND: Serum uric acid (SUA) is a key risk factor contributing to renal failure, a serious public health problem. However, few studies have examined whether the interactive relationship between alcohol consumption and SUA is independently associated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). METHODS: Our sample comprised 742 men aged 69 ± 11 years (mean ± standard deviation) and 977 women aged 69 ± 10 years from a rural area. We cross-sectionally examined the relationships between the confounding factors of alcohol consumption and SUA with renal function denoted by eGFR estimated using CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) equations modified by a Japanese coefficient. RESULTS: In both genders, eGFR increased with a rise in alcohol consumption. This tendency was more pronounced in participants with hyperuricemia, where SUA was greater than 7.0 mg/dL in men and greater than 6.0 mg/dl in women (men: F = 41.98, p < 0.001; women: F = 41.98, p < 0.001). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that alcohol consumption (men: ß = 0.112, p < 0.001; women: ß = 0.060, p = 0.011) and SUA (men: ß = -0.282, p < 0.001; women: ß = 0.317, p < 0.001) were significantly and independently related to eGFR. Further, the interactive relationship between alcohol consumption and SUA (men: F = 6.388, p < 0.001; women: F = 5.368, p < 0.001) was a significant and independent indicator of eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that alcohol consumption and SUA were synergistically associated with renal dysfunction among community-dwelling persons.

Education and household income and carotid intima-media thickness in Japan: baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Yawatahama, Uchiko, Seiyo, and Ainan.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence for the relationship between education and income and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been limited and inconsistent. The present cross-sectional study investigated this issue using baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study. METHODS: Study subjects were 2012 Japanese men and women aged 34-88 years. Right and left CIMT were measured at the common carotid artery using an automated carotid ultrasonography device. Maximum CIMT was defined as the largest CIMT value in either the left or right common carotid artery. Carotid wall thickening was defined as a maximum CIMT value > 1.0 mm. RESULTS: The prevalence of carotid wall thickening was 13.0%. In participants under 60 years of age (n = 703) and in those aged 60 to 69 years (n = 837), neither education nor household income was associated with carotid wall thickening or with maximum CIMT. Among those aged 70 years or older (n = 472), however, higher educational level, but not household income, was independently related to a lower prevalence of carotid wall thickening: the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for high vs. low educational level was 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.21-0.83, p for trend = 0.01). A significant inverse association was observed between education, but not household income, and maximum CIMT (p for trend = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Higher educational level may be associated with a lower prevalence of carotid wall thickening and a decrease in maximum CIMT only in participants aged 70 years or older.

Interactive association of baseline and changes in serum uric acid on renal dysfunction among community-dwelling persons.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern. Baseline serum uric acid (SUA) levels were independently associated with incident renal dysfunction, but whether baseline and changes in SUA produce an interactive effect on renal dysfunction remains unclear. METHODS: The subjects comprised 460 men aged 68 ± 10 (mean ± standard deviation) years and 635 women aged 68 ± 9 years from a rural village. We have found participants who underwent a similar examination 3 years later, and analyzed the relationship between baseline SUA, changes in SUA, and a 3-year follow-up renal function evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). RESULTS: A total of 93 (20.2%) men and 76 (12.0%) women had hyperuricemia (men: SUA ≥ 7.0 mg/dL and women: SUA ≥ 6.0 mg/dL) at baseline. Multiple regression analysis using changes in eGFR as objective variable, adjusted for risk factors as explanatory variables, showed that the baseline SUA and changes in SUA were linearly associated with changes in eGFR (ß = ï¼0.115, P < .001 and ß = ï¼0.431, P < .001, respectively). In both normal SUA group and hyperuricemia group, changes in SUA significantly associated with changes in eGFR (ß = ï¼0.473, P < .001 and ß = ï¼0.197, P = .009, respectively). Participants with increased SUA from normal to hyperuricemia group had greater eGFR decline over the follow-up period, and their multivariate-adjusted 3-year follow-up eGFR was significantly lower than in other groups (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that baseline and longitudinal changes in SUA were independently and interactively associated with the renal function decline among community-dwelling persons.

Genome-wide association study of plasma resistin levels identified rs1423096 and rs10401670 as possible functional variants in the Japanese population.

Resistin is a cytokine inducing insulin resistance in mice. We previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at -420 (rs1862513) and -358 (rs3219175) located in the human resistin gene (RETN) promoter as strong determinants for circulating resistin in the Japanese population. The objective was to identify additional functional variants for circulating resistin. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 448 Japanese subjects. A peak association signal was found on chromosome 19 where RETN is located. The top-hit SNP was SNP -358 G>A, followed by rs1423096 C>T, SNP -420 C>G, and rs10401670 C>T (P = 5.39×10-47, 1.81×10-22, 2.09×10-16, and 9.25×10-15, respectively). Meta-analysis including another two independent general Japanese populations showed that circulating resistin was most strongly associated with SNP-358, followed by SNP-420, rs1423096, and rs10401670. Rs1423096 and rs10401670 were located in the 3'-region of RETN and were in strong linkage disequilibrium. Although these SNPs were also in linkage disequilibrium with the promoter SNPs, conditional and haplotype association analyses identified rs1423096 and rs10401670 as independent determinants for circulating resistin. Functionally, nuclear proteins specifically recognized T but not C at rs10401670 as evidenced by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The promoter activity of a luciferase reporter with T at either rs1423096 or rs10401670 was lower than that with C in THP-1 human monocytes. Therefore, rs1423096 and rs10401670, in addition to SNP-420 and SNP-358, were identified as possible functional variants affecting circulating resistin by the genome-wide search in the Japanese population.

A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for adiponectin levels in East Asians identifies a novel locus near WDR11-FGFR2.

Blood levels of adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted protein correlated with metabolic and cardiovascular risks, are highly heritable. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies for adiponectin levels have identified 14 loci harboring variants associated with blood levels of adiponectin. To identify novel adiponectin-associated loci, particularly those of importance in East Asians, we conducted a meta-analysis of GWA studies for adiponectin in 7827 individuals, followed by two stages of replications in 4298 and 5954 additional individuals. We identified a novel adiponectin-associated locus on chromosome 10 near WDR11-FGFR2 (P = 3.0 × 10(-14)) and provided suggestive evidence for a locus on chromosome 12 near OR8S1-LALBA (P = 1.2 × 10(-7)). Of the adiponectin-associated loci previously described, we confirmed the association at CDH13 (P = 6.8 × 10(-165)), ADIPOQ (P = 1.8 × 10(-22)), PEPD (P = 3.6 × 10(-12)), CMIP (P = 2.1 × 10(-10)), ZNF664 (P = 2.3 × 10(-7)) and GPR109A (P = 7.4 × 10(-6)). Conditional analysis at ADIPOQ revealed a second signal with suggestive evidence of association only after conditioning on the lead SNP (Pinitial = 0.020; Pconditional = 7.0 × 10(-7)). We further confirmed the independence of two pairs of closely located loci (<2 Mb) on chromosome 16 at CMIP and CDH13, and on chromosome 12 at GPR109A and ZNF664. In addition, the newly identified signal near WDR11-FGFR2 exhibited evidence of association with triglycerides (P = 3.3 × 10(-4)), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, P = 4.9 × 10(-4)) and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted waist-hip ratio (P = 9.8 × 10(-3)). These findings improve our knowledge of the genetic basis of adiponectin variation, demonstrate the shared allelic architecture for adiponectin with lipids and central obesity and motivate further studies of underlying mechanisms.

Handgrip strength is associated with metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling persons.

The association of low muscle strength with cardio-metabolic risks remains controversial. The present study included 742 men aged 70 ± 9 years and 937 women aged 70 ± 8 years from a rural village. We examined the cross-sectional relationship between relative muscle strength defined by handgrip strength (HGS)/body weight (BW) ratio, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) based on the modified criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP) III report and its components. Of these, 203 men (27.4%) and 448 women (47.8%) had MetS. In men, increasing quartile of HGS/BW ratio was significantly and independently associated with high waist circumference {odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.24-0.41} and elevated triglyceridemia (0.71, 0.59-0.86). In women, it was also significantly and independently associated with high waist circumference (0.41; 0.36-0.48), high blood pressure (0.78; 0.66-0.92), Low HDL-cholesterolemia (0.84; 0.73-0.98) and elevated triglyceridemia (0.65; 0.53-0.79). In both genders, the prevalence of MetS significantly decreased in relation to increasing HGS/BW ratio. After adjustment for age, smoking status, drinking status, LDL-C, estimated glomerular filtration ratio (eGFR), and medication, the respective odds ratio (95% CI) for the quartile of HGS/BW ratio for MetS was 1.00, 0.54 (0.34-0.85), 0.32 (0.19-0.53), and 0.16 (0.09-0.29) in men, and 1.00, 0.76 (0.50-1.16), 0.33 (0.22-0.51), and 0.16 (0.10-0.25) in women. These results suggest that HGS/BW ratio was significantly and negatively associated with an increased risk of cardio-metabolic disorders in Japanese-community dwelling persons.

Mildly elevated serum total bilirubin levels are negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis among elderly persons with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is strongly associated with several mechanisms of tissue damage such as oxidative stress. Serum bilirubin may have a beneficial role in preventing oxidative changes in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Limited information is available on whether serum bilirubin is an independent confounding factor for carotid atherosclerosis among elderly persons with type 2 diabetes. The study subjects were 169 men aged 79 ± 8 (mean ± SD) years and 205 women aged 81 ± 8 years that were enrolled consecutively from patients in the medical department. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque were derived via B-mode ultrasonography. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum total bilirubin (ß = -0.160) was significantly associated with carotid IMT. Compared to subjects with a serum total bilirubin of tertile-1 (0.13-0.58 mg/dL), the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of carotid IMT ≥1.0 mm including plaque and carotid plaque was 0.46 (0.23-0.93) and 0.32 (0.17-0.60) in the Tertile-3 group (0.87-1.93 mg/dL), respectively. Next, data were further stratified by gender, age, smoking status, medication and prevalence of CVD. There were no significant differences in serum total bilirubin levels between selected subgroups. Our data demonstrated a negative association between serum total bilirubin and carotid atherosclerosis among elderly persons with type 2 diabetes.

Handgrip Strength Is Positively Associated with Mildly Elevated Serum Bilirubin Levels among Community-Dwelling Adults.

Handgrip strength (HGS) is a useful measure of health-related quality of life and general muscle strength. Serum total bilirubin (T-B) may present potential beneficial effects in preventing oxidative changes which are associated with a risk of metabolic syndrome and the development of cardiovascular disease. Limited information is available regarding whether HGS is an independent confounding factor for serum T-B. The study participants were 214 men aged 71 ± 8 (mean ± standard deviation) years and 302 women aged 71 ± 7 years that were enrolled consecutively from among paticipants aged ≥ 50 years through an annual check-up process. We evaluated the relationship between serum T-B and confounding factors within each sex. HGS related significantly with serum T-B in both men (r = 0.156, p = 0.023) and women (r = 0.173, p = 0.003). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that in men, HGS (ß = 0.173) as well as smoking status (ß = -0.147), exercise habit (ß = 0.138), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ß = 0.146), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (ß = -0.198) were significantly and independently associated with serum T-B. In women, HGS (ß = 0.159) as well as smoking status (ß = -0.116), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ß = 0.159), and HbA1c (ß = -0.161) were significantly and independently associated with serum T-B. Multivariate-adjusted serum T-B levels were significantly lower in subjects with the lowest HGS level in both sexes. Increased HGS is strongly associated with increased serum T-B, independent of confounding factors in both sexes.

Synergistic association of changes in serum uric acid and triglycerides with changes in insulin resistance after walking exercise in community-dwelling older women.

INTRODUCTION: Serum uric acid (SUA) and triglyceride (TG) levels are strongly correlated with insulin resistance; however, the association after a walking exercise program in community-dwelling older women has not been investigated. METHODS: The present study included 100 postmenopausal women (mean ± standard deviation, 68 ± 7 years) from a rural village in Japan. The Nordic walking program of 120 min per week was performed for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, SUA, TG, various relevant factors and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that baseline TG and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were significantly associated with baseline HOMA-IR. After the 12-week training program, changes in TG, SUA and GGT were significantly associated with changes in HOMA-IR. In addition to their direct associations, we observed a synergistic association between changes in TG and SUA and changes in HOMA-IR. Participants were divided into three groups (tertiles) according to changes in TG and SUA. The tertiles of changes in SUA correlated significantly with changes in HOMA-IR in participants in the tertile with the greatest decrease in TG (r = 0.525, p = 0.001), but not in the other two tertiles of change in TG (r = 0.049, p = 0.699). There was a significant interaction between SUA and TG for changes in HOMA-IR (ß = 0.281, p = 0.005). These results suggest that changes in TG and SUA are synergistic factors associated with changes in insulin resistance after a 12-week walking exercise program in community-dwelling older women.

Gender difference in preference of specialty as a career choice among Japanese medical students.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, the absolute deficiency of doctors and maldistribution of doctors by specialty is a significant problem in the Japanese health care system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to specialty preference in career choice among Japanese medical students. METHODS: A total of 368 medical students completed the survey giving an 88.2 % response rate. The subjects comprised 141 women aged 21 ± 3 (range, 18-34) years and 227 men aged 22 ± 4 (range, 18-44) years. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed using specialty preferences as the criterion variable and the factors in brackets as six motivational variables (e.g., Factor 1: educational experience; Factor 2: job security; Factor 3: advice from others; Factor 4: work-life balance; Factor 5: technical and research specialty; and Factor 6: personal reasons). RESULTS: Women significantly preferred pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and psychology than the men. Men significantly preferred surgery and orthopedics than the women. For both genders, a high odds ratio (OR) of "technical & research specialty" and a low OR for "personal reasons" were associated with preference for surgery. "Technical & research specialty" was positively associated with preference for special internal medicine and negatively for pediatrics. "Work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for psychology and negatively for emergency medicine. Among the women only, "technical & research specialty" was negatively associated with preference for general medicine/family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, and "job security" was positively associated for general medicine/family medicine and negatively for psychology. Among men only, "educational experience" and "personal reasons" were positively, and "job security" was negatively associated with preference for pediatrics. For both genders, "work-life balance" was positively associated with preference for controllable lifestyle specialties. CONCLUSION: We must acknowledge that Japanese medical students have dichotomized some motivations for their specialty preference based on gender. Systematic improvements in the working environment are necessary to solve these issues.

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is a predictor of walking distance in community-dwelling adults.

Arterial stiffness represents the cumulative effects of cardiovascular risk factors, including aging, on the arterial wall, and has been found to be a surrogate marker of cardiovascular disease. However, it remains unknown whether baseline arterial stiffness is independently associated with improvement in functional abilities after exercise training. The subjects were 72 adults (9 men and 63 women) aged 67 ± 7 years from a rural village. Before and at the end of a 12-week Nordic walking program, 6-min walk distance (6MWD) as functional abilities, metabolic characteristics, and the mean of the right and left brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a marker of arterial stiffness were measured. Higher baseline mean baPWV levels correlated significantly with shorter baseline 6MWD (P < 0.001), and also with the follow-up 6MWD (P < 0.001) and change rate (P = 0.019) in 6MWD after the 12-week training program. Multivariate linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the contribution of baseline mean baPWV for 6MWD parameters showing that baseline mean baPWV values were significantly and independently associated with follow-up 6MWD (ß = -0.523, P < 0.001) and change rate in 6MWD (ß = -0.399, P < 0.001) as well as baseline 6MWD (ß = -0.522, P < 0.001), but was not associated with change after the 12-week training program. Higher baPWV, a measurement of arterial stiffness, might be a predictor of functional abilities after exercise training, independent of confounding factors, in the general population.

Characteristics of Japanese medical students associated with their intention for rural practice.

INTRODUCTION: In Japan, the maldistribution of physicians between urban and rural areas is increasing. It is important to know the practice location expectations of future physicians. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. In 2009-2013, students at a medical school in Japan completed a questionnaire containing 50 items with four-point Likert scales. The students rated the importance of specified individual and occupational aspects. Furthermore, students were asked to state their intention to practice in a rural area. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 368 students (88.2% response rate). Significant variables that were associated with a positively motivated intent for rural practice were 'presence of a role model' (odds ratio (OR), 5.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58-18.5), 'admission by school recommendation' (OR, 7.68; 95%CI, 2.14-27.6), 'growing up in a rural area' (OR, 6.16; 95%CI, 1.01-37.6), 'general medicine/family medicine as the first career choice' (OR, 5.88; 95%CI, 2.43-14.2), 'interest in the targeted population' (OR, 16.7; 95%CI, 3.97-69.9), 'memorable experience at a class or clinical rotation' (OR, 3.94; 95%CI, 3.73-416), and 'location of their medical school' (OR, 11.4; 95%CI, 2.79-46.2). CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that medical schools might recruit students with characteristics associated with intention for rural practice.

[The differences in speciality preferences and career determinant factors between first- and fifth-year medical school students].

AIM: In Japan, the imbalance in the medical workforce has caused a deterioration of rural medicine. We explored the differences in speciality preferences and career determinant factors among students to identify keys to increase the recruitment of physicians to rural areas. METHODS: We conducted a survey of first- and fifth-year medical students, using a questionnaire enquiring about their specialty preference and career determinant factors. The data were analyzed with a chi-square test. RESULTS: A higher percentage of first-year students preferred to be basic medicine scientists, while fifth-year students considered internal medicine subspecialities, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesia, and ophthalmology to be the most desirable. The factor analysis yielded five factors responsible for these findings; high social approval of the specialty, working hours, income, advice from senior classmates and doctors, and the work environment. The percentage of students who considered rural practice as a choice for thier future plan and had an awareness of the collapse of rural medicine was lower in the fifth-year students than in the first-year students. CONCLUSION: To increase the medical work force in provincial areas, it is necessary to strengthen not only the medical system with regard to general medicine, but also to offer better medical education in rural areas. More information about rural practice should therefore be transmitted to medical students.

Interaction between serum uric acid and triglycerides in relation to prehypertension in community-dwelling Japanese adults.

There are few data available on the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and blood pressure (BP) categories earlier in the disease continuum, when efforts for its prevention may be applicable. We performed a cross-sectional study to examine the association between SUA and prehypertension in a community-dwelling sample of Japanese adults. Study participants without hypertension aged 19 to 90 years [567 men aged 56 ± 15 (mean ± standard deviation) years and 808 women aged 58 ± 13 years] were recruited for a survey at the community based annual medical check-up. The main outcome was the presence of prehypertension [systolic BP (SBP) 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP (DBP) 80-89 mmHg]. After adjustments by gender and age, both SBP (p<0.001) and DBP (p<0.001) increased significantly and progressively with increasing SUA and triglycerides (TG) as well as body mass index, LDL cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Compared to those with normotension, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for participants with prehypertension was 1.15 (1.05-1.26) for SUA and 3.19 (1.66-6.14) for TG. The interaction between increased SUA and TG was a significant and independent determinant for SBP (ß=-2.474, p=0.008), but not for DBP (ß=-0.608, p=0.349). Higher SUA levels are associated with prehypertension in participants without hypertriglyceridemia (<150 mg/dL), but not in participants with hypertriglyceridemia (≥ 150 mg/dL). TG levels may modify the association between SUA and prehypertension.