One-year ad libitum consumption of diacylglycerol oil as part of a regular diet results in modest weight loss in comparison with consumption of a triacylglycerol control oil in overweight Japanese subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 1-year ad libitum consumption of diacylglycerol oil on body weight and serum triglyceride in Japanese men and women. DESIGN/SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: In a 1-year double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial with clinic visits at month 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12, a total of 312 Japanese men (n=174) and women (n=138) (aged 22 to 73 years) with body mass index (calculated as kg/m(2)) > or =25 and/or fasting serum triglyceride level > or =150 mg/dL (1.70 mmol/L) (aged 22 to 73 years) were randomly assigned to the diacylglycerol (n=155) or triacylglycerol (n=157) group. Participants substituted their usual home cooking oil with the assigned test oils. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in anthropometrics and serum triglyceride level were monitored at 3-month intervals across a 12-month period. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat analysis, body weight decreased significantly in the diacylglycerol group when compared to the triacylglycerol group (P=0.013). Changes in body weight and body mass index during the study period differed between the two groups by 0.87 kg (P=0.002) and 0.32 kg (P=0.002), respectively. Participants with higher initial body mass index or greater percentage of total fat intake as diacylglycerol exhibited greater reduction in body weight. Total energy intake and physical activity were not significantly different between the groups during the study. Serum triglyceride levels decreased significantly from values in individuals with hypertriglyceridemia, but did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Modest body weight reduction was observed after 1-year ad libitum consumption of diacylglycerol oil as part of a regular diet in comparison to that of triacylglycerol oil; weight loss was greatest in participants who were obese at baseline. The weight reduction observed in diacylglycerol group was attributed to the substitution of usual home cooking oil with diacylglycerol, because total energy intake and physical activity did not differ between groups.

Emphysema detected by lung cancer screening with low-dose spiral CT: prevalence, and correlation with smoking habits and pulmonary function in Japanese male subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Screening with low-dose spiral CT is a promising new tool for early lung cancer detection. A study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of emphysema detected by CT screening, and to assess the correlation between the extent of emphysema and the severity defined according to the recently published Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. METHODS: After informed consent, CT screening and pulmonary function tests were performed on 615 men between the ages of 40 and 69. Severity of emphysema was assessed visually. Only the pulmonary function data for male subjects were analysed because there were too few female subjects with emphysema. RESULTS: Emphysema was detected in 30.5% of current smokers, 14.1% of former smokers and 3.0% of non-smokers. In male current smokers, airflow obstruction (FEV(1)/FVC < 0.7) was seen in 18.1% of subjects with mild emphysema, and in 33.3% of subjects with moderate emphysema. FEV(1) values were less than 80% of the predicted normal in 8.5% of subjects with mild emphysema, and 28.6% of subjects with moderate emphysema. The percentage of male subjects with emphysema equivalent to GOLD stage 0 was 90.0% for subjects in their 40s, 82.5% for those in their 50s, and 68.2% for those in their 60s. CONCLUSION: A considerable percentage of the subjects with emphysema as detected by CT screening had GOLD stage 0. CT screening assists in detecting early-stage emphysema.