[Evaluation of a guidance method for reducing lifestyle-related diseases by the self-monitoring of blood collection in small- and medium-sized enterprises].

As a method of reducing lifestyle-related diseases and guidance in small- and medium-sized enterprises where blood examination by blood collection from the upper arm cannot be performed, we developed a program for reducing lifestyle-related diseases by blood analysis using a fingertip collection kit and a small centrifuge, and evaluated this program in small- and medium-sized enterprises. During a 6-month period, a total of 7 interviews and a total of 3 own blood collections were performed by workers showing abnormalities in items associated with lifestyle-related diseases, such as lipids and glucose, in a periodic medical examination. Many of the participants in this program showed improvement in blood analysis data (triglyceride), abdominal circumference, and body weight. The cost of the examination was low. This self-monitoring method, which is based on objective data and can be readily and easily performed in the workplace, may be useful for reducing lifestyle-related diseases.

[A novel method for the self-collection of blood, "thenar lancing phlebotomy" and investigation of its accuracy].

"Thenar lancing phlebotomy" is a novel method for the self-collection of blood using a special phlebotomy device for the thenar and a self-collection blood kit. The thenar is punctured with a special lancet, the vein is subjected to automatic avascularization at the wrist and at the same time, a small centrifuge tube, attached to the suction cylinder of the device, is applied to the puncture and the blood is collected by suction. The small centrifuge tube containing the whole blood is centrifuged with a portable centrifugal separator to obtain plasma. In comparison with conventional finger prick phlebotomy, there is less pain and sufficient blood may be obtained. To investigate the accuracy of the method, we collected blood from the antecubital vein of 140 subjects and thenar lancing phlebotomy was simultaneously carried out on the same 140 subjects. The results of many blood tests currently included in medical check-ups were almost identical in the blood samples of both groups, suggesting that this method can be utilized in medical check-ups using self-collected blood sampies.