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Multifactorial lifestyle approaches could be more effective than a single factor for maintaining cognitive function. This study investigated the association of combining cognitively stimulating leisure activities (CSLAs), including puzzles, quizzes, and cognitive training games, with intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (ARA), on cognitive function in the older Japanese individuals without dementia. Participants were community-dwelling Japanese individuals without a self-reported history of dementia (n = 906, aged 60–88 years) from datasets of a 2-year longitudinal study (baseline: 2006–2008 and follow-up: 2008–2010). CSLA engagement and LCPUFA intake were divided into high and low groups according to frequency (≥once/week and

The association between screen time (ST), including that for smartphones, and overweight/obesity in children was examined separately for boys and girls, considering the influence of lifestyle factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2,242 Japanese children (1,278 girls) aged 10–14 years. Overweight/obesity was defined by the International Obesity Task Force. Logistic regression analysis showed that only for girls, total ST (≥4 h), smartphone ST (≥3 h), and non-smartphone ST (≥2 h) were all independently and significantly associated with overweight/obesity compared to

Objective: To analyze the association between the dietary protein/energy ratio and percentages of dietary animal and plant protein and obesity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥25 kg/m2. Data were collected for all study participants and stratified according to age and sex. Diet was assessed via a food frequency questionnaire. Setting: 26 clinics participating in the Japan Diabetes Clinical Data Management Study Group (JDDM) from December 2014 to December 2019. Participants: 1567 Japanese out patients with type 2 diabetes (63.1% men; mean age 62.3 ± 11.6 years). Results: In all participants, multivariate analysis with adjustment by major confounders showed a significant inverse association in those in the highest quartile of the protein/energy ratio (mean 17.7%) with obesity (OR = 0.588, 95% CI = 0.435-0.794; p trend = 00.007), but after the addition of vegetable intake it became non-significant. In the age- and sex-stratified analysis, a high protein/energy ratio (mean 15.6%) was inversely associated with obesity in older women only (OR = 0.280, 95% CI = 0.123-0.638), which remained significant after adjustment of individual food groups correlated with protein. No association between percentages of dietary animal or plant protein and obesity was found. Conclusions: In older women only, a higher dietary protein/energy ratio was associated with lower obesity after adjustment by confounders and individual food groups correlated with protein intake. Future longitudinal research that includes data on food groups as well as age- and sex-stratification of participants is recommended to further clarify this relationship.

BackgroundObesity is an established risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Thus, weight control is a key factor in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. A simple and quick method to predict weight change over a few years could be helpful for weight management in clinical settings.MethodsWe examined the ability of a machine learning model that we constructed to predict changes in future body weight over 3 years using big data. Input in the machine learning model were three-year data on 50,000 Japanese persons (32,977 men) aged 19–91 years who underwent annual health examinations. The predictive formulas that used heterogeneous mixture learning technology (HMLT) to predict body weight in the subsequent 3 years were validated for 5,000 persons. The root mean square error (RMSE) was used to evaluate accuracy compared with multiple regression.ResultsThe machine learning model utilizing HMLT automatically generated five predictive formulas. The influence of lifestyle on body weight was found to be large in people with a high body mass index (BMI) at baseline (BMI ≥29.93 kg/m2) and in young people (

Abstract Aims/Introduction Recently, an increasing number of cohort studies have suggested using machine learning (ML) to predict type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, its predictive ability remains inconclusive. This meta‐analysis evaluated the current ability of ML algorithms for predicting incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods We systematically searched longitudinal studies published from 1 January 1950 to 17 May 2020 using MEDLINE and EMBASE. Included studies had to compare ML’s classification with the actual incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and present data on the number of true positives, false positives, true negatives and false negatives. The dataset for these four values was pooled with a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic and a bivariate random effects model. Results There were 12 eligible studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–0.90), 0.82 [95% CI 0.74–0.88], 4.55 [95% CI 3.07–6.75] and 0.23 [95% CI 0.13–0.42], respectively. The area under the summarized receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (95% CI 0.85–0.91). Conclusions Current ML algorithms have sufficient ability to help clinicians determine whether individuals will develop type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future. However, persons should be cautious before changing their attitude toward future diabetes risk after learning the result of the diabetes prediction test using ML algorithms.

Abstract Background There is a growing interest in the significance of adopting a variety of lifestyle habits for maintaining cognitive function among older adults. A lifestyle that is easy to modify, simple, and less burdensome for older people is ideal. We investigated the longitudinal association between global cognitive decline and cognitive leisure activities (CLAs) combined with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) intake. Methods The National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA) enrolled community-dwelling middle-aged and older men and women who were randomly selected from Obu-City and Higashiura Town, Aichi, Japan. Baseline data (2006–2008), including CLAs and dietary intake, were obtained from 517 participants (aged 60–84 years) with normal cognition. Global cognitive decline, defined as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤ 27, was assessed at baseline and four years later. Interaction between CLAs and LCPUFAs on cognitive decline was investigated using a multiple logistic analysis with adjustment for confounders. CLA engagement and LCPUFA intake were divided into high and low groups according to the frequency at which each participant engaged in the activity and the median intake level according to sex, respectively. Results A significant interaction was detected for the combination of CLA engagement and LCPUFA intake. Logistic regression coefficients revealed significant interactions when participants engaged in more than five CLA varieties. One of the CLAs, art appreciation, produced a significant main effect against cognitive decline and a significant interaction in combination with LCPUFA intake. The major LCPUFAs—docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid—also exhibited a significant interaction. The combination of high LCPUFA intake and high art appreciation frequency yielded a lower adjusted odds ratio for cognitive decline than the combination of low LCPUFA and low art appreciation [0.25 (95 % confidence intervals, 0.11–0.56)]. Conclusions Preserving cognitive function might be associated with a combination of varied and high-frequency engagement in CLAs combined with high LCPUFA intake.

Background: Evidence for whether the nutrient intakes of Japanese schoolchildren differ according to household income is sparse. Objective: We investigated the role of school lunches for nutrient adequacy among Japanese primary school children using dietary reference intakes in a cross-sectional survey. Design: Participants were 10- to 11-year-old (5th grade) children from 19 public primary schools in four prefectures of East Japan, and 836 children were analyzed. The participants completed 24-h dietary records with photographs of their meals for 4 consecutive days, composed of 2 days with and 2 days without a school lunch. −Children’s household income was obtained from questionnaires that were completed by the participants’ guardians and divided into the following three categories: low (0.2236–2.2361 million yen; n = 319), middle (2.3333–2.8868 million yen; n = 194), and high (3.1305–6.3640 million yen; n = 323). Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratios for whether participants had poor nutrient intakes, with adjustment for confounders. Results: On days without a school lunch, the prevalence of nutrient shortages was significantly higher compared with those on days with a school lunch for most macro- and micronutrients among all three levels of household income. Children from low-income households had higher rates of nutrient shortages for vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, K, Mg, P, Fe, and Zn than those from middle-income households on days without a school lunch (P = 0.004, 0.001, 0.001, 0.006, 0.037,

Abstract Despite mounting evidence of the positive relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF), the entire context of the magnitude of risk for HF in relation to DM remains insufficiently understood. The principal reason is because new‐onset HF (HF occurring in participants without a history of HF) and recurrent HF (HF re‐occurring in patients with a history of HF) are not discriminated. This meta‐analysis aims to comprehensively and separately assess the risk of new‐onset and recurrent HF depending on the presence or absence of DM. We systematically searched cohort studies that examined the relationship between DM and new‐onset or recurrent HF using EMBASE and MEDLINE (from 1 Jan 1950 to 28 Jul 2019). The risk ratio (RR) for HF in individuals with DM compared with those without DM was pooled with a random‐effects model. Seventy‐four and 38 eligible studies presented data on RRs for new‐onset and recurrent HF, respectively. For new‐onset HF, the pooled RR [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 69 studies that examined HF as a whole [i.e. combining HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)] was 2.14 (1.96–2.34). The large between‐study heterogeneity (I2 = 99.7%, P

Introduction Cost-effectiveness analyses are becoming increasingly important in Japan following the introduction of a health technology assessment scheme. The study objective was to develop an economic model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two interventions for type 2 diabetes in a Japanese population.Research design and methods The Japan Diabetes Complications Study/Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial risk engine (JJRE) Cost-Effectiveness Model (JJCEM) was developed, incorporating validated risk equations in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes from the JJRE. Weibull regression models were developed for progression of the model outcomes, and a targeted literature review was performed to inform default values for utilities and costs. To illustrate outcomes, two simulated analyses were performed in younger (aged 40 years) and older (aged 80 years) Japanese populations, comparing a hypothetical treatment with placebo.Results The model considers a population based on user-defined values for 11 baseline characteristic parameters and simulates rates of diabetic complications over a defined time horizon. Costs, quality-adjusted life years, and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio are estimated. The model provides disaggregated results for two competing interventions, allowing visualization of the key drivers of cost and utility. A scatterplot of simulations and cost-effectiveness acceptability curve are generated for each analysis.Conclusions This is the first cost-effectiveness model for East Asian patients with type 2 diabetes, developed using Japan-specific risk equations. This population constitutes the largest share of the global population with diabetes, making this model highly relevant. The model can be used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anti-diabetic interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes in Japan and other East Asian populations.

Many epidemiological studies have assessed the genetic risk of having undiagnosed or of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on findings of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the quantitative association of cumulative risk alleles (RAs) of such SNPs with T2DM risk has been unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis is to review the strength of the association between cumulative RAs and T2DM risk. Systematic literature searches were conducted for cross-sectional or longitudinal studies that examined odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM in relation to genetic profiles. Logarithm of the estimated OR (log OR) of T2DM for 1 increment in RAs carried (1-ΔRA) in each study was pooled using a random-effects model. There were 46 eligible studies that included 74,880 cases among 249,365 participants. In 32 studies with a cross-sectional design, the pooled OR for T2DM morbidity for 1-ΔRA was 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.19). In 15 studies that had a longitudinal design, the OR for incident T2DM was 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08–1.13). There was large heterogeneity in the magnitude of log OR (P < 0.001 for both cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies). The top 10 commonly used genes significantly explained the variance in the log OR (P = 0.04 for cross-sectional studies; P = 0.006 for longitudinal studies). The current meta-analysis indicated that carrying 1-ΔRA in T2DM-associated SNPs was associated with a modest risk of prevalent or incident T2DM, although the heterogeneity in the used genes among studies requires us to interpret the results with caution.

The effect of arachidonic acid (ARA) intake on asthma risk is unclear. The objective of the present review was to systematically evaluate available observational studies on the relationship between ARA exposure and asthma risk in children and adults. A PubMed search was conducted on 22 October 2013 and seventy-three publications were checked against predefined criteria for eligibility. To identify additional eligible publications, potentially relevant articles were searched from bibliographies of articles on ARA and asthma. A total of 2924 citations were scrutinised. Finally, fourteen articles were included. A quality assessment was conducted based on the reporting and methodological quality. A meta-analysis was not conducted; therefore, a qualitative assessment is presented. Three high-, two medium- and ten low-quality studies were reviewed. Eleven studies, including two high- and two medium-quality studies, did not find a significant association between ARA exposure and asthma risk. In contrast, one high-quality study indicated a significant trend toward reducing asthma risk in children with decreasing maternal ARA intake (P trend = 0·025), and one low-quality study reported a significant trend of increasing asthma risk with higher blood ARA levels (P trend = 0·007). In two low-quality studies, asthma patients had significantly lower blood ARA levels than controls (both P

Objective. To assess the association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and glycemic control in patients with diabetes through a meta-analytic approach. Research Design and Methods. Electronic literature searches were conducted for cross-sectional studies that examined the hemoglobin A1c (A1C) level by whether patients with diabetes were or were not carriers of HP. Mean differences in A1C between groups with and without HP infection were pooled with a random-effects model. Results. Thirteen eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, the HP carriers did not have significantly higher A1C levels compared with HP noncarriers (mean difference (95% CI), 0.19% (−0.18 to 0.46), P = 0.16). When the analysis was limited to studies targeting patients with type 1 diabetes, there was also no significant difference in A1C (0.69% (−0.31 to 1.68), P = 0.18). Conclusions. There was insufficient evidence that HP infection worsened glycemic control in patients with diabetes.

Background: Rice crackers are composed of carbohydrates refined from rice and enjoyed as a snack in Japan. Most rice crackers are crafted from white rice, and the potential postprandial blood glucose rise following their consumption may pose a clinical concern. Brown rice contains more dietary fiber than white rice and has been reported to suppress elevations of blood glucose. Dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers have a significantly higher dietary fiber content than regular brown rice crackers and can be expected to suppress blood glucose elevations more reliably. Methods: We conducted a crossover trial in humans using white rice crackers and dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers to investigate the effect of dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers on postprandial blood glucose elevations. Participants ingested the 100 g rice crackers with 200 mL water for 10 min, and blood was collected from the fingertip at 7 time points: baseline, and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after ingestion of the rice cracker. The primary outcome measure was the blood glucose levels, and the secondary outcome measure was the incremental area under curve of blood glucose. Results: Glucose levels and incremental areas under curve at 60 min and 120 min after intake were significantly lower with dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers than with white rice crackers. Incremental area under curves at 60 min and 120 min after intake of rice crackers were also significantly lower in dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers than white rice crackers. Conclusions: Ingesting dietary fiber-enhanced brown rice crackers instead of white rice crackers could be useful for achieving better glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between of food group intake and household income in a representative Japanese population. A total of 11,015 subjects (5,127 men and 5,888 women) aged 20 to 79 years, in 5,475 households who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan, in 2010 and 2011 were analyzed. Dietary intake was recorded for one day in November for those aged one year and older, from 300 randomly selected survey districts. Household income per year was recorded in the questionnaire in three categories: low (<2 million yen), middle (2-6 million yen) and high (>=6 million yen). Multilevel regression modelling was applied to take into account the hierarchical data structure of subjects nested within households, and households nested within survey districts. Dichotomous variables divided at the median intake of each food group were used. In a model where sex, age, household size and population size of municipalities to which survey districts belonged were adjusted, the total energy intake was found to be highest in individuals from middle income households, and lowest for those from low income households. In models where a total energy intake was additionally adjusted, household members with low and middle incomes had a significantly higher intake of cereals, and a lower intake of potatoes and starches, pulses, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, fish and shellfish, milk and seasonings and spices compared with those with high incomes. In conclusion, household members with lower incomes in Japan consumed more staple foods, but less vegetable, fruit and fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appropriate proportions of macronutritional intake have been controversial in medical nutritional therapy for diabetes, and evidence of the effects of carbohydrate consumption on diabetes complications in prospective settings is sparse. We investigated the relationships between proportions of carbohydrate intake as the % of total energy and diabetes complications in a nationwide cohort of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes aged 40-70 years with hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%. The analysis was of 1516 responders to a baseline dietary survey assessed by the Food Frequency Questionnaire based on food groups. Primary outcomes were times to overt nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) after 8 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) for proportions of carbohydrate intake were estimated by Cox regression adjusted for confounders. High carbohydrate intake was significantly related to higher intakes of grain, fruits, and sweets/snacks and lower intakes of soybean and soy products, vegetables, seaweed, meat and processed meat, fish and processed fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, oil, and alcoholic beverages. During the eight-year follow-up, there were 81, 275, and 129 events of overt nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and CVD, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, HRs for complications in patients with carbohydrate intake in the second or third tertiles (51.0%-56.4% and ≥56.5%, respectively) compared with carbohydrate intake in the first tertile (<50.9%, referent) were analyzed. No significant associations were shown in the second and third tertiles relative to first tertile (overt nephropathy: 1.05 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.54-2.06) and 0.98 (0.40-2.44); diabetic retinopathy: 1.30 (0.90-1.88) and 1.30 (0.78-2.15); and CVD: 0.95 (0.55-1.63) and 1.37 (0.69-2.72)). By exploring potentially nonlinear relationships, trends for the incidence of diabetes complications according to proportions of carbohydrate intake were not clearly shown. Findings suggested that proportions of carbohydrate intake were not associated with the incidence of diabetes complications among type 2 diabetes patients in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of epidemiologic studies that investigated the significance of pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in terms of risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with diabetes mellitus are inconsistent. We performed a quantitative meta-analysis to estimate CVD risk in relation to PP or MAP. Electronic literature search was conducted for prospective studies providing data on CVD risk for an increment in baseline MAP or PP in patients with diabetes mellitus. The pooled CVD risk for a 10-mm Hg increase in each blood pressure (BP) index was estimated with a random-effects model. There were 17 eligible studies consisting of 52,647 patients and 5,112 CVD cases. The pooled relative risk (95% confidence interval) of CVD for an increment of 10 mm Hg was 1.10 (1.04 to 1.16) for PP and 1.09 (0.98 to 1.21) for MAP. Significant between-study heterogeneity was observed (I2 [p value]; 76.5% [p <0.001] for PP, 67.8% [p [ 0.005] for MAP). In studies concurrently investigating CVD risk for the 4 indexes (i.e., PP, MAP, systolic BP, and diastolic BP), the pooled relative risk (95% confidence interval) was 1.17 (1.09 to 1.26) for PP, 1.11 (1.06 to 1.15) for MAP, 1.14 (1.06 to 1.22) for systolic BP, and 1.06 (0.94 to 1.19) for diastolic BP. In conclusion, the current meta-analysis suggested that PP was the strongest indicator among the 4 commonly used BP indexes. However, the large heterogeneity urged cautious interpretation of the study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE--Foods rich in fiber, such as vegetables and fruits, prevent cardiovascular disease d (CVD) among healthy adults, but such data in patients with diabetes are sparse. We investigated this association in a cohort with type 2 diabetes aged 40-70 years whose HbA1c values were ≥ 6.5% in Japan Diabetes Society values. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--In this cohort study, 1,414 patients were analyzed after exclusion of patients with history of CVDs and nonresponders to a dietary survey. Primary outcomes were times to stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Hazard ratios (HRs) of dietary intake were estimated by Cox regression adjusted for systolic blood pressure, lipids, energy intake, and other confounders. RESULTS--Mean daily dietary fiber in quartiles ranged from 8.7 to 21.8 g, and mean energy intake ranged from1,442.3 to 2,058.9 kcal.Mean daily intake of vegetables and fruits in quartiles ranged from 228.7 to 721.4 g. During the follow-up of a median of 8.1 years, 68 strokes and 96 CHDs were observed. HRs for stroke in the fourth quartile vs. the first quartile were 0.39 (95%CI 0.12-1.29, P = 0.12) for dietary fiber and 0.35 (0.13-0.96, P = 0.04) for vegetables and fruits. There were no significant associations with CHD. The HR per 1-g increase was smaller for soluble dietary fiber (0.48 [95%CI 0.30-0.79],P<0.01) than for total (0.82 [0.73-0.93], P< 0.01) and insoluble (0.79 [0.68-0.93],P< 0.01) dietary fiber. CONCLUSIONS--Increased dietary fiber, particularly soluble fifer, and vegetables and fruits were associated with lower incident stroke but not CHD in patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. High prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) has been reported in patients with diabetes. However, whether diabetic neuropathy (DN) contributes to this high prevalence is controversial. Our aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of SAS between patients with and without DN. Methods. Systematic literature searches were conducted for cross-sectional studies that reported the number of patients with DN and SAS using MEDLINE (from1966 to Nov 5, 2012) and EMBASE (from 1974 to Nov 5, 2012). Odds ratios (ORs) of SAS related to DN were pooled with the Mantel-Haenszel method. Results. Data were obtained from 5 eligible studies (including 6 data sets, 880 participants, and 429 cases).Overall, the pooled OR of SAS in patients with DN compared with that in non-DN patients was significant (OR (95% CI), -1.95 (1.03-3.70)). The pooled OR of SAS was 1.90 (0.97-3.71) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Excluding data on patients with type 1 diabetes, a higher OR was observed in younger patients (mean age <60 years) than in those ≥60 years among whom the OR remained significant (3.82; 95% CI, 2.24-6.51 and 1.17; 95% CI, 0.81-1.68). Conclusions. Current meta-analysis suggested the association of some elements of neuropathy with SAS in type 2 diabetes. Further investigations are needed to clarify whether the association is also true for patients with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Pediatric obesity is associated with clustered cardiometabolic risk and the future incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, few studies have determined the effect of pediatric obesity in Asia, where obesity is less common than in Western countries. We aimed to clarify whether weight status including underweight and slightly overweight is associated with metabolic risk factors in Japanese adolescents.Methods and Study Design: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 2241 adolescents aged 13-14 years. Participants were classified as underweight, normal weight, slightly overweight, overweight, or obese according to the International Obesity Task Force. The clustered cardiometabolic risk (Z-CMR) was estimated by summing standardized sex-specific Z scores of mean arterial pressure (MAP), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDLC), and HbA1c.Results: Linear regression analysis showed that MAP, non-HDL-C, and Z-CMR were higher in the slightly overweight, overweight, and obese groups than in the normal weight group after adjusting for confounders. Compared with the normal weight group, the slightly overweight, overweight, and obese groups had higher prevalence of high BP [odds ratios (ORs): 1.38 (95% CI, 1.03, 1.85); 2.63 (1.77, 3.91); and 2.39 (1.57, 3.64), respectively]. Compared with the normal weight group, underweight boys, but not girls, had a lower prevalence of high Z-CMR [OR=0.20 (0.05, 0.84)].Conclusions: Adolescents classified as slightly overweight had higher levels of BP, serum lipids, and clustered cardiometabolic risk than those classified as normal weight. This observation showed significant associations between weight status and cardiometabolic risk factors during adolescence even in East Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]