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Aim: We aimed to examine the association of obesity-related cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) with body mass index (BMI) and the estimated population attributable fraction in lean Asians.Methods: We studied 102,535 participants aged 40-79 years without histories of cancer or CVD at baseline between 1988 and 2009. The cause-specific hazard ratios (csHRs) of BMI categories (= 27.5 kg/m2) were estimated for each endpoint. The events considered were mortalities from obesity-related cancer (esophageal, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, kidney, female breast, and endometrial cancer) and those from CVD (coronary heart disease and stroke). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated for these endpoints.Results: During a 19.2-year median follow-up, 2906 died from obesity-related cancer and 4532 died from CVD. The multivariable-adjusted csHRs (95% confidence interval) of higher BMI categories (25-27.4 and >= 27.5 kg/m2) for obesity-related cancer mortality were 0.93 (0.78, 1.10) and 1.18 (0.92, 1.50) in men and 1.25 (1.04, 1.50) and 1.48 (1.19, 1.84) in women, respectively. The corresponding csHRs for CVD mortality were 1.27 (1.10, 1.46) and 1.59 (1.30, 1.95) in men and 1.10 (0.95, 1.28) and 1.44 (1.21, 1.72) in women, respectively. The PAF of a BMI >= 25 kg/m2 for obesity-related cancer was -0.2% in men and 6.7% in women and that for CVD was 5.0% in men and 4.5% in women.Conclusion: A BMI >= 25 kg/m2 is associated with an increased risk of obesity-related cancer in women and CVD in both sexes.

Ayako Kato,1 Yuanying Li,1 Atsuhiko Ota,1 Hisao Naito,1 Hiroya Yamada,2 Takashi Nihashi,3 Yo Hotta,4 Chifa Chiang,5 Yoshihisa Hirakawa,5 Atsuko Aoyama,5,6Koji Tamakoshi,7 Hiroshi Yatsuya1,51Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; 2Department of Hygiene, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; 3Department of Radiology, Komaki City Hospital, Komaki, Aichi, Japan; 4Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd, Medical and Hygiene Designing Department, Inazawa, Aichi, Japan; 5Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; 6Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Nissin, Aichi, Japan; 7Department of Nursing, Nagoya University School of Health Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, JapanObjective: An association between smoking and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been reported. However, objective quantification of intrahepatic fat via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in relation to smoking has rarely been performed in previous studies. Moreover, the possible pathways via which smoking could induce ectopic fat accumulation have not yet been addressed. The current study aimed to examine the association between smoking status and intrahepatic fat quantity and explore the possible mediating effects of triglycerides (TG) and adiponectin.Subjects and methods: Magnetic resonance imager (MRI) spectra were analyzed to quantify intrahepatic fat in 45 men who were on average 62.3years of age. Smoking status and alcohol intake were self-reported. Accelerometers were used to record daily total physical activity. Fasting blood TG and adiponectin levels were measured enzymatically. Differences in mean intrahepatic fat values according to smoking status were assessed using analysis of covariance.Results: A stepwise increase in mean intrahepatic fat was observed between never, former, and current smokers, respectively, independent of age, physical activity, alcohol intake, and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.005). Adjustment for TG and adiponectin significantly attenuated this association (P=0.074).Conclusion: Current smoking was significantly associated with increased intrahepatic fat, which may be a result of adipocyte dysfunction, manifested as high circulating TG concentrations and low adiponectin levels.Keywords: intrahepatic fat, cigarette smoking, adiponectin, triglycerides, cross-sectional study &nbsp

Lower back pain (LBP) is prevalent among workers and absence from work due to LBP causes socio-economic losses. Few longitudinal studies have examined factors aggravating LBP to date. We carried out a 2-year longitudinal survey to clarify the relationship between workers’ physical fitness and lower back conditions. The subjects were 115 female childcare workers. We examined the relationship between changes in the physical fitness examinations and LBP conditions. Although trunk flexion in a standing position at the baseline examination did not predict deteriorated LBP conditions, reduced trunk flexion in a standing position was significantly related with deteriorated LBP conditions. No other physical fitness examinations were related with LBP conditions. The present findings suggest the possible linkage between flexibility at lower back and LBP.

Along with rapid population aging, the mean lifespan of females has been steadily extended, leading to a number of serious problems, such the increasing incidence of femoral neck fractures due to osteoporosis in the bedridden elderly. It has been reported that walking 10,000 steps a day and high-intensity exercise prevent a decrease in the bone mineral density (BMD) as effective countermeasures against osteoporosis; however, up to the present, there have been few studies examining the relationship between the BMD of each region and types of exercise. Considering such a situation, this study aimed to clarify the relationship between the forearm BMD and physical strength indicators in healthy male and female workers engaged in childcare and welfare services. Fifty-seven males and 268 females aged 21 to 63, living in Aichi Prefecture, were studied. A physical strength test was conducted to measure the following items: left and right grip strength; forward bending in a standing position; vertical jump; maximum oxygen uptake; and sit-ups. The left forearm BMD (g/cm2) was measured using Xray equipment. The correlation between the left forearm BMD, physical characteristics, and physical strength test results was examined by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient and performing partial correlation analysis adjusting for the age and/or body weight. The BMD was shown to be correlated with the age in those aged 40 and over; the BMD tended to decrease with the age. A significant correlation was observed between the BMD and body weight in males, and between the BMD and height and body weight in females under the age of 40. The BMD was significantly correlated with both the height and body weight in females aged 40 and over. Among the physical strength items, the BMD was shown to be significantly correlated with the vertical jump height in males, and the left and right grip strength in females under the age of 40. In females aged 40 and over, the BMD was not significantly correlated with any item.