Mushroom intake and risk of incident disabling dementia: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

It is uncertain whether dietary intake of mushrooms rich in dietary fibre and several antioxidants is associated with a lower risk of dementia. We sought to examine prospectively the association between mushroom intake and the risk of disabling dementia. We performed a prospective study involving 3750 people aged 40 to 64 years residing in three communities who participated in an annual cardiovascular risk survey from 1985 to 1999. Cases of incident disabling dementia were surveyed from 1999 to 2020. We calculated the hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for incident total dementia according to mushroom intake among participants with or without a history of stroke. During a mean 16·0 years' follow-up in 3739 eligible participants, 670 people developed disabling dementia. For women, mushroom intake was inversely associated with the risk of total dementia and the association was confined to dementia without a history of stroke. The multivariable HR (95 % CI) for total dementia in women were 0·81 (0·62, 1·06) for mushroom intake of 0·1-14·9 g/d and 0·56 (0·42, 0·75) for mushroom intake above 15·0 g/d (Pfor trend = 0·003) compared with no intake. The corresponding HR (95 % CI) for dementia without a history of stroke were 0·66 (0·47, 0·93) and 0·55 (0·38, 0·79) (Pfor trend = 0·01). In men, no associations were observed between mushroom intake and the risk of disabling dementia. Among Japanese women, dietary mushroom intake was associated with a lower risk of disabling dementia.

Serum folate and risk of disabling dementia: a community-based nested case-control study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine associations between serum folate levels and risk of disabling dementia that required care under the national insurance (disabling dementia). METHODS: We performed a nested case-control study in a community-based cohort, the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study, involving 13,934 Japanese individuals aged 40-84 years at the baseline period of 1984-2005. Serum folate was measured in 578 cases of incident disabling dementia, and in 1,156 controls whose age (±1 years), sex, area of residence, and baseline year were matched with the cases. The diagnosis of disabling dementia was performed by attending physicians under the National Long-Term Care Insurance System in Japan. Conditional odds ratios of disabling dementia according to quintiles of serum folate were calculated using conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: After a 20.8-year follow-up, serum folate was inversely associated with risk of disabling dementia. The respective multivariable odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.71 (0.51-0.99), 0.76 (0.54-1.06), 0.70 (0.49-1.00), and 0.62 (0.43-0.90) for persons with the second, third, fourth, and highest quintiles of serum folate as compared with the lowest quintile (P for trend = 0.03). A similar association was observed for dementia with or without stroke. CONCLUSION: In this nested case-control study with a long follow-up, low serum folate levels were associated with an increased risk of disabling dementia among Japanese individuals.

Relationship between Ikigai and longitudinal changes in serum HDL cholesterol levels: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: Having positive psychological well-being has been associated with serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), but no longitudinal study to date has examined the association between Ikigai and serum HDLC. Therefore, we examined the association between Ikigai and change in serum HDLC over time using a cohort dataset spanning 2010-2018. METHODS: The study included 471 men and 776 women aged 40-74 years who underwent a cardiovascular examination in 2010 and were asked their levels of Ikigai. We combined "definitely yes" and "yes" as "with Ikigai" and recorded "a little" as "with a little Ikigai" and "no" as "without Ikigai". We measured serum HDLC using direct methods. The association between Ikigai and serum HDLC levels at baseline, and changes in this relationship during an eight-year period, were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: At the baseline, relative to those without Ikigai, women with Ikigai had higher serum HDLC (baseline difference in those with a little Ikigai = 7.52 mg/dl, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12 to 13.9 and in those with Ikigai = 8.11 mg/dl, 95% CI: 1.54 to 14.7). The difference in serum HDLC between women with and without Ikigai remained over the eight-year follow-up period. There were no similar Ikigai-associated differences in the serum HDLC of men. CONCLUSIONS: Women with Ikigai showed differences in serum HDLC that were observed at baseline and persisted over time.

Longitudinal trajectories of smoking status using 25 year annually-updated data and all-cause mortality followed over 30 years: A community-based prospective cohort study.

We aimed to evaluate the long-term risk of smoking for all-cause mortality according to smoking status trajectories using 25-year annually-repeated input, traced by group-based trajectory modeling with an extension to account for non-random participant attrition or truncation due to death. We examined 2682 men and 4317 women aged 40 to 59 years who participated in annual health checks for the community-based prospective cohort study, 1975-1984 enrollment in Japan. The main outcome measure was all-cause mortality (follow-up period: median 30.2 years in men and 32.2 years in women). We traced annual smoking trajectories, stratified by sex and smoking status at baseline. For smokers at baseline, we identified five trajectories in both sexes, with different patterns of smoking cessation (e.g., early quitters and lifelong smokers). We calculated HRs and 95% CI of all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression modeling adjusted for age, body mass index, alcohol intake, blood pressure category, dyslipidemia and glucose category. Compared with one-time-point-based smokers, trajectory-based lifelong smokers had an increased risk of all-cause mortality; HRs were 1.31 (95% CI, 1.18-1.46) in men and 1.26 (95% CI, 0.91-1.73) in women. Among community residents aged 40 to 59 years, 25-year-trajectory-based lifelong smokers had an approximately 30% increased risk for all-cause mortality compared to one-time-point-based smokers. Risk of all-cause mortality among smokers with earlier cessation varied materially. It is necessary to consider the trajectories of smoking status to clarify the long-term excess risk of smoking.

Dietary fiber intake and risk of incident disabling dementia: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study.

OBJECTIVES: It has been hypothesized that dietary fiber intake has a beneficial impact on prevention of dementia, but the epidemiological evidence is scant. We sought to examine whether dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with risk of dementia requiring care under the national insurance (disabling dementia). METHODS: The study setting was the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study, involving 3739 Japanese individuals aged 40-64 years at the dietary surveys (1985-99). Dietary fiber intake was estimated using the 24-hour dietary recall method. Incident disabling dementia was followed up from 1999 through 2020. Disabling dementia was further classified into that with or without a history of stroke. Hazard ratios of disabling dementia according to quartiles of total, soluble, and insoluble fiber intake were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: During a median 19.7-year follow-up, a total of 670 cases of disabling dementia developed. Dietary fiber intake was inversely associated with risk of dementia: the multivariate hazards ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.83 (0.67-1.04), 0.81 (0.65-1.02), and 0.74 (0.57-0.96) for individuals with the second, third, and highest quartiles of dietary fiber intake, respectively, as compared with the lowest quartile (P for trend = 0.03). The inverse association was more evident for soluble fiber intake and was confined to dementia without a history of stroke. As for fiber-containing foods, potatoes, but not vegetables or fruits, showed a similar association. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary fiber intake, especially soluble fiber, was inversely associated with risk of disabling dementia in a general Japanese population.

Serum Albumin and Risks of Stroke and Its Subtypes　- The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the association between serum albumin levels and the risk of stroke subtypes among the general Japanese population.Methods and Results:In this study, 5,071 men and 7,969 women aged 40-74 years, initially free from stroke, coronary artery disease, and kidney and hepatic failure, and residing in 4 Japanese communities completed a baseline risk factor survey between 1985 and 1994. During the 24-year follow-up, 528 men and 553 women experienced stroke. In the entire study cohort, multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of total stroke, ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage for the lowest vs. highest quartiles of serum albumin were 1.45 (1.18-1.77), 1.52 (1.17-1.97), and 1.57 (1.04-2.37), respectively. In men, multivariable HRs (95% CIs) for total stroke, ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage in the lowest vs. highest serum albumin quartile were 1.44 (1.07-1.92), 1.48 (1.03-2.11) and 1.71 (0.92-3.18), respectively, whereas in women they were 1.50 (1.13-1.99), 1.63 (1.11-2.39), and 1.56 (0.89-2.74), respectively. Similar inverse associations were observed for each of the ischemic stroke subtypes, but not for subarachnoid hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum albumin levels were associated with an increased risk of total stroke, ischemic stroke, ischemic stroke subtypes, and intracerebral hemorrhage.

Longitudinal Trends in Blood Pressure Associated With the Frequency of Laughter: The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS), a Longitudinal Study of the Japanese General Population.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of laughter has been associated with cardiovascular disease and related biomarkers, but no previous studies have examined association between laughter and changes in blood pressure levels. We sought to identify temporal relationships between frequency of laughter in daily life and systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in participants from 2010 through 2014. METHODS: Participants were 554 men and 887 women aged 40-74 years who answered self-administered questionnaire quantifying frequency of laughter at baseline. We measured participant blood pressure levels twice using automated sphygmomanometers for each year from 2010 to 2014. The associations between laughter and changes in blood pressure over time were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in blood pressure according to frequency of laughter at baseline in either sex. Men with frequency of laughter 1 to 3 per month or almost never had significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels over the 4-year period (time-dependent difference: 0.96 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.2 to 1.8; P = 0.05). Changes in blood pressure associated with infrequent laughter (ie, 1 to 3 per month or almost never) were evident in men without antihypertensive medication use over 4 years (0.94 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.2 to 2.0; P = 0.09) and men who were current drinkers at baseline (1.29 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.1 to 2.3; P = 0.04). No significant difference was found between frequency of laughter and systolic (0.23 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.0 to 1.5; P = 0.72) and diastolic (-0.07 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.8 to 0.7; P = 0.86) blood pressure changes in women. CONCLUSIONS: Infrequent laughter was associated with long-term blood pressure increment among middle-aged men.

Anger Expression and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Urban and Rural Japanese Residents: The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that urbanization, which has been expanding rapidly for the past several decades, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with psychological factors such as anger, but the evidence is limited. We examined the hypothesis that urbanicity modifies the association of anger expression with the risk of CVD. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 5936 residents of urban and rural communities aged 40 to 79 years who had completed an annual health checkup including a questionnaire on anger expression between 1995 and 1998. Associations of anger expression with the risk of CVDs were examined using Cox proportional hazards models, after adjusting for classical cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 16.6 years, we identified 312 incident CVDs. The means (SDs) of anger expression were 24.7 (5.8) among urban residents and 24.6 (5.7) among rural participants (p = .87). Among urban residents, anger expression was positively associated with the risk of total CVD: the multivariable hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.27 (1.05-1.54). In contrast, no association was found among rural residents: the corresponding ratio (interval) was 0.96 (0.85-1.09), with a significant interaction between urban and rural residency with anger expression for incident CVD (p = .047). Similar associations were observed with the risk of CVD subtypes, including ischemic stroke and ischemic CVD. CONCLUSIONS: We found a positive association between anger expression and the risk of CVD among urban residents but not rural residents, suggesting that urbanicity enhances the anger-CVD association.

The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS): A Long-Term Epidemiological Study for Lifestyle-Related Disease Among Japanese Men and Women Living in Communities.

The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS) is an ongoing community-based epidemiological study of lifestyle-related disease involving dynamic prospective cohorts of approximately 12,000 adults from five communities of Japan: Ikawa, Ishizawa and Kita-Utetsu (Akita Prefecture), Minami-Takayasu (Osaka Prefecture), Noichi (Kochi Prefecture), and Kyowa (Ibaraki Prefecture). One of the most notable features of CIRCS is that it is not only an observational cohort study to identify risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and sudden cardiac death, but it also involves prevention programs for CVD. Using basic, clinical, epidemiological, and statistical techniques, CIRCS has clarified characteristics of CVD and the related risk factors to develop specific methodologies towards CVD prevention in Japanese middle-aged or older adults for more than half a century.

Nonfasting Glucose and Incident Stroke and Its Types　- The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: The effect of postprandial glucose on the risk of cardiovascular disease has been emphasized, but it is controversial whether nonfasting glucose is related to incident stroke and its types.Methods and Results:We investigated the associations of nonfasting glucose with incident stroke and its types among 7,198 participants aged 40-74 years from the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study, enrolled in 1995-2000. We estimated multivariable hazard ratios (HR) using Cox proportional hazard models. Over a median follow-up of 14.1 years, 291 cases of total stroke (ischemic strokes: 191 including 109 lacunar infarctions) were identified. Nonfasting glucose concentration was associated with greater risk of incident total stroke, ischemic stroke and lacunar infarction when modeled categorically (for prediabetic type: 7.8-11.0 mmol/L vs. normal type: <7.8 mmol/L among all subjects, HR for lacunar infarction was 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19, 3.43) or continuously (per one standard deviation increment among all subjects, HR for lacunar infarction was 1.29, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.45). Diabetic type showed similar results. Population attributable fractions of nonfasting hyperglycemia were 13.2% for ischemic stroke and 17.4% for lacunar infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Nonfasting glucose concentration, either as a diagnosis of prediabetic and diabetic types or as a continuous variable, proved to be an independent predictor significantly attributed to incident total stroke, especially ischemic stroke and lacunar infarction, in the general population.

Serum Fatty Acid and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease　- Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: Few prospective studies have explored the association between fatty acids (FA) and risk of CAD. Understanding of the role of each individual serum FA as a coronary risk or protective factor is still limited. The aim was to investigate which serum FA are associated with the incidence of CAD in Japanese subjects. Methods and Results: A prospective nested case-control study of 40-85-year-old Japanese subjects was undertaken using frozen serum samples collected from 12,840 participants who participated in cardiovascular risk surveys from 1984 to 1998 for 1 community and 1989-1997 for 2 other communities. Three control subjects per case were matched by sex, age, community, year of serum storage and fasting status. By 2005 we had identified 152 incident cases of CAD. Mean n-3-polyunsaturated and saturated FA did not differ between cases and controls, while mean n-6-polyunsaturated FA was higher in controls compared with cases. The multivariable OR of CAD for the highest vs. lowest quartiles of miristic acid (14:0), palmitic acid (16:0), palmitoleic acid (16:1), and linoleic acid (18:2) were 2.8 (95% CI: 1.5-5.2), 2.7 (95% CI: 1.4-5.5), 3.2 (95% CI: 1.7-6.1) and 0.4 (95% CI: 0.2-0.7), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High serum miristic acid, palmitic acid and palmitoleic acid have an adverse effect, and high serum linoleic acid had a protective effect, on the risk of CAD.

Impact of Hypertension and Subclinical Organ Damage on the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease Among Japanese Residents at the Population and Individual Levels　- The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: In Japan, a community-based screening program for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been effective in preventing stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to clarify which risk factors assessed at the screening examinations affect the incidence of CVD and the magnitude of the association after the late 1990 s.Methods and Results:We conducted a 12.5-year prospective study of 10,612 Japanese residents aged 40-74 years between 1995 and 2000, initially free of CVD and who underwent the screening examinations. During the follow-up, 364 cases of stroke and 137 cases of CAD were identified. The population attributable fraction of stroke was the largest for hypertension (HT; 46%), while the relative risk of stroke was the highest for atrial fibrillation (multivariable hazard ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.9-8.3). The population attributable fraction of CAD was relatively large for HT, current smoking, and high non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (20-29%). A dose-response relationship was found between the incidence of these cardiovascular events and the number of comorbid hypertensive subclinical organ damage markers: funduscopic changes, ST-T changes on ECG at rest, proteinuria and low estimated glomerular filtration rate. CONCLUSIONS: HT and hypertensive subclinical organ damage are significantly associated with incident stroke and CAD at the population level, suggesting that management of HT and assessment of subclinical organ damage in hypertensive subjects at a screening program are still beneficial for community-based CVD prevention.

Diabetes Trend and Impact on Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged Japanese People　- The CIRCS Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine whether the burden of diabetes on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Japan has increased in recent years.Methods and Results:Three cohorts were established, consisting of Japanese residents aged 40-69 years, in 1992-1995 (n=8,744), 1996-1999 (n=7,996), and 2000-2003 (n=7,273). All participants had follow-up for a median of 10 years. Diabetes was defined according to the following criteria: (1) fasting serum glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L; (2) non-fasting serum glucose ≥11.1 mmol/L; or (3) anti-diabetic treatment at baseline. During follow-up, the number of CVD incidents was 277 in the first, 214 in the second, and 190 in the third cohorts. The prevalence of diabetes increased slightly over time. Adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, multivariable HR (95% CI) for diabetes as a cardiovascular risk factor were 1.40 (0.91-2.14) in the first, 1.93 (1.25-3.00) in the second, and 2.59 (1.77-3.81) in the third cohorts. The population attributable fraction of CVD due to diabetes was 2.8%, 5.6%, and 12.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in middle-aged Japanese people to clarify an increased burden of CVD due to diabetes since the early 1990 s. Further efforts are needed to prevent and control diabetes through lifestyle modification and treatment. (Circ J 2016; 80: 2343-2348).

The relationship between sodium concentrations in spot urine and blood pressure increases: a prospective study of Japanese general population: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: Although several cross-sectional and intervention studies showed that sodium intake or excretion was associated with blood pressure levels, no prospective study has examined the long-term association between sodium excretion in spot urine and blood pressure changes. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 889 normotensive subjects (295 men and 594 women, mean age 57.3 years) who underwent the baseline survey including spot urine test in 2005 and the follow-up survey in 2009 to 2011 (mean follow-up period: 5.8 years). We examined the association between sodium concentration in spot urine, a validated index of sodium excretion occurring over 24-h, and blood pressure changes between baseline and follow-up survey in all, non-overweight (body mass index(BMI) ≤ 25 kg/m(2)) and overweight normotensives. RESULTS: For all subjects, sodium concentrations in spot urine were not associated with either systolic or diastolic blood pressure changes. When stratified by BMI at baseline survey, sodium concentrations were positively associated with systolic blood pressure changes in non-overweight subjects, but not in overweight subjects. After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, alcohol intake status, current smoking and estimated glomerular filtration rate, the multivariable-adjusted mean values of the systolic blood pressure change among non-overweight subjects was +7.3 mmHg in the highest quartiles of sodium concentrations, while it was +3.9 mmHg in the lowest quartile (P for difference = 0.021, P for trend = 0.040). After further adjustment of baseline blood pressure levels, the association was slightly weakened; the multivariable-adjusted mean values of the systolic blood pressure changes were +7.0 mmHg and +4.2 mmHg (P for difference = 0.047, P for trend = 0.071). CONCLUSIONS: High sodium concentrations in spot urine were associated with subsequent systolic blood pressure increases among non-overweight normotensive individuals. (272 words).

Heavy alcohol consumption and risk of atrial fibrillation. The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the relationship between different levels of alcohol consumption and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently limited in Asian populations. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1991 and 1995, a total of 8,602 Japanese men and women aged 30-80 years took part in the first examination of the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS), a population-based cohort study in Japanese communities. An interviewer obtained detailed information on weekly alcohol intake. During the follow-up period, the incidence of AF was ascertained from annual ECG records, the subject's medical history of AF, and cardiovascular disease surveillance. The hazard ratios (HRs) of incident AF and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) relative to the never-drinking group were calculated with adjustment for potential confounding factors by using the Cox proportional hazard model. During a median follow-up period of 6.4 years, 296 incidents of AF occurred. A higher incidence of AF was observed among participants with an ethanol intake >69g/day, compared with never-drinkers. Compared with the never-drinkers, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (CIs) of past, light (<23g/day), light-moderate (23-46g/day), moderate (46-69g/day), and heavy (>69g/day) drinkers were 1.30 (0.68-2.49), 0.89 (0.60-1.32), 1.19 (0.73-1.95), 1.36 (0.79-2.35), and 2.90 (1.61-5.23), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of AF.

[Association of psychological violence, harassment, and cyberbullying with depression and turnover intentions in female nurses].

PURPOSE: Psychological violence and harassment have been reported to be associated with mental health problems and turnover intention among nurses. Cyberbullying, a hidden form of harassment using information and communication technology, is attracting attention as a factor that threatens the mental health of nurses. This study aimed to add coping characteristics, social support, and workplace social capital to psychological violence, harassment, and cyberbullying in female nurses and determine their association with depression and turnover intention. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted, targeting 2,158 female nurses working in four domestic hospitals, excluding those in management positions. The analysis included 1,151 nurses who responded (valid response rate: 53.3%). Multiple regression analysis was performed with depression and turnover intention as dependent variables and psychological violence and harassment, cyberbullying, the brief scales for coping profile (BSCP) and social support scale scores, and social capital (SC) as independent variables. RESULTS: Depression was positively correlated with psychological violence and harassment, cyberbullying, and the BSCP subscale "avoidance and suppression" and negatively correlated with the BSCP subscale "changing the point of view" and social support subscales "support from supervisors" and "support from co-workers." Turnover intention was positively correlated with psychological violence and harassment and the BSCP subscale "avoidance and suppression" and negatively correlated with the BSCP subscale "changing the point of view," social support subscale "support from supervisors," and vertical SC. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that work environments should prevent psychological violence and harassment in nurses to promote a sense of security and eliminate mental health problems. Cyberbullying was inferred as a factor that could lead to mental health problems among nurses. Therefore, each nurse should raise their awareness of information literacy, besides attending more to their words and attitudes.

The associations of cardiovascular and lifestyle factors with mortality from chronic kidney disease as the underlying cause: the JACC study.

Objectives: This study investigated conventional cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors affecting mortality from chronic kidney disease as the underlying cause in the general Japanese population. Methods: We conducted an 18.8-year follow-up study of 44,792 men and 61,522 women aged 40-79 from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk between 1986 and 1990. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the association between risk factors and mortality from chronic kidney disease. Results: During the follow-up period, 373 participants (185 men and 188 women) died from chronic kidney disease. A body mass index of ≥27 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.00 [1.19-3.36] for men and 1.91 [1.19-3.07] for women, compared with 23.0-24.9 kg/m2), a history of hypertension (2.32 [1.67-3.22] for men and 2.01 [1.44-2.81] for women) and a history of diabetes mellitus (5.21 [3.68-7.37] for men and 7.10 [4.93-10.24] for women) were associated with an increased risk of mortality from chronic kidney disease in both sexes. In men, smoking was also associated with an increased risk (1.91 [1.25-2.90]), while current drinking (0.58 [0.34-0.98] for <23 g/day, 0.48 [0.29-0.80] for 23-45 g/day and 0.53 [0.32-0.86] for ≥46 g/day) and exercising ≥5 hours/week (0.42 [0.18-0.96]) were associated with a lower risk. Similar but non-significant associations for smoking and drinking were observed in women. Conclusion: In addition to a history of hypertension and a history of diabetes mellitus, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, and exercise habits were associated with the risk of mortality from chronic kidney disease.

High-density lipoprotein subclasses and risk of stroke and its subtypes in Japanese population: the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is an established protective factor for ischemic stroke. However, the contribution of HDL subclasses to stroke risk and its subtypes is uncertain. METHODS: A prospective nested case-control study of 40- to 85-year-old Japanese was undertaken using frozen serum samples collected from 5280 men and 7524 women. They participated in cardiovascular risk surveys from 1985 to 1999 (1 community) and 1989 to 1998 (2 communities) under Circulatory Risk in Communities Study. HDL cholesterol subclasses were classified by high-performance liquid chromatography into 3 subgroups: S-HDL (very small or small HDL), M-HDL (medium HDL), and L-HDL (large or very large HDL) cholesterol. One control subject per case was matched by sex, age, community, serum storage year, and fasting status. RESULTS: In 2005, we identified 241 strokes (155 ischemic and 86 hemorrhagic). S-HDL and M-HDL cholesterol levels were inversely associated with total stroke risk, ischemic stroke, specifically lacunar infarction, and hemorrhagic stroke. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, these associations remained statistically significant. Multivariable conditional odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for 1 SD (0.12 mmol/L) increment of S-HDL cholesterol levels were 0.34 (0.23-0.52) for total stroke, 0.38 (0.23-0.63) for ischemic stroke, 0.33 (0.18-0.61) for lacunar infarction, 0.30 (0.14-0.65) for hemorrhagic stroke, and 0.30 (0.12-0.77) for intraparenchymal hemorrhage. The respective multivariable odds ratios for 1SD (0.10 mmol/L) increment of M-HDL cholesterol levels were 0.56 (0.41-0.75), 0.63 (0.45-0.88), 0.59 (0.40-0.87), 0.41 (0.21-0.80), and 0.38 (0.16-0.90). No associations were found between L-HDL cholesterol levels and risk of total stroke and its subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Small- to medium-sized HDL, not large HDL, cholesterol levels were inversely associated with total stroke risk.

Experience and Resilience of Japanese Public Health Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Impact on Burnout.

Japanese public health nurses (PHNs) at public health centers (PHCs) have played critical roles in infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the actual pandemic-related experiences of PHNs and the relation between their experiences, individual resilience, two components of organizational resilience (system and human resilience), and burnout. An analysis of the responses of 351 PHNs revealed that mid-level PHNs scored higher in experience and lower in organizational resilience compared with those in other positions. More than 80% of respondents experienced inappropriate staff allocation. Multiple regression revealed that burnout was positively associated with the components of the experience of PHNs and negatively with individual and human resilience. In hierarchical multiple regression with depersonalization as the dependent variable, the sign of system resilience reversed from negative to positive when human resilience was added. The results highlight the need to prepare for future health crises including establishing a system with enough personnel, promoting human resilience such as collaboration among staff members, and burnout prevention measures, especially among mid-level PHNs. The study also described alternative approaches to comprehend system resilience-namely, a suppression variable of human resilience, promotion of depersonalization, and multicollinearity-and the need for further research on organizational resilience.

Transitions in sense of coherence among middle-aged women raising adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: A longitudinal study was conducted among Japanese women raising adolescents to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their sense of coherence (SOC) and to provide suggestions for supporting them. Methods: The SOC scores of 138 pairs of middle-aged women and their children (junior high school students) were compared at two time points: 2019 (before the pandemic, T1) and 2020 (during the pandemic, T2). Results: Overall, the women's SOC did not change, whereas the adolescents' SOC increased. In contrast, 44% of the women's SOC scores decreased during the pandemic; no differences were detected between the SOC maintenance and increase group (G1) and the SOC decrease group (G2) in mental health, subjective physical health, social capital, and job status, and the child variables were not related. Multiple regression analysis of G1 and G2 with SOC at T2 as the dependent variable showed that for G2, at T1, having good mental and physical health conditions, a rich social capital, and having a job were positively associated with SOC during the pandemic. Conclusion: Middle-aged Japanese women, who often work as informal workers, are easily laid off and are involved in care work. Thus, the change in their socioeconomic status due to the pandemic may have been severe. Given the long-term social impact of the pandemic, it is necessary to consider support for women, including economic and social support such as employment and building human connections.