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Abstract: Objective: Studies using self-reported physical activity (PA) showed that higher PA is associated with lower circulating levels of C-reactive protein; in contrast, studies investigating associations of objective PA and other inflammatory markers are limited. We investigated cross-sectional associations of accelerometer-determined PA with circulating levels of myokine-type inflammatory cytokines in a middle-aged Japanese population. Method: A total of 1838 individuals (737 men and 1101 women) aged 40 to 69years participated in the baseline survey of a population-based cohort study in Saga, Japan (2005–2007). Habitual PA was assessed by a single-axis accelerometer. Serum interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Associations between PA and cytokine levels were assessed by multiple regression analysis and analysis of covariance, with adjustment for potential confounders. Results: Step count and PA level (PAL) were inversely associated with TNF-α and IL-15 even after adjusting for BMI. Similarly, greater PA indices were also independently associated with a lower level of inflammatory cytokine z score as an index of overall inflammation. Conclusion: The current results suggest that greater engagement in daily PA may be linked with reduced levels of myokine-type cytokines including IL-15, irrespective of body weight in middle-aged Japanese people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Accumulated evidence suggests a weak positive relationship between psychosocial stress and body mass index (BMI), but little is known about stress coping strategies and BMI. Objective: We aimed to examine if perceived stress and coping strategies are related to BMI, with any of their mutual interactions on BMI. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5,063 men and 6,982 women aged 40-69 years. A self-administered questionnaire ascertained perceived stress and 5 items of coping strategies (emotion expression, emotional support seeking, positive reappraisal, problem solving, and disengagement). Analyses were performed by gender with adjustment for age, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors. Results: No significant associations were detected between perceived stress and BMI in either men (Ptrend = 0.09) or women (Ptrend = 0.58). In men, however, ‘disengagement’ showed an inverse association with BMI (Ptrend < 0.001), and ‘positive reappraisal’ and ‘problem solving’ revealed a positive association with BMI (Ptrend = 0.04 and 0.007, respectively) even after controlling for perceived stress. A possible interaction between perceived stress and ‘disengagement’ on BMI was found in men (Pinteraction = 0.027); the inverse association between ‘disengagement’ and BMI was more evident in higher levels of stress (β = −0.13, Ptrend = 0.21 in low; β = −0.22, Ptrend = 0.01 in medium; and β = −0.24, Ptrend = 0.06 in high). In men, ‘disengagement’ was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidential interval 0.67-0.95), and “positive reappraisal” was positively associated with it (1.25, 1.02-1.54). Conclusions: Coping strategies may have an important role in developing overweight/obesity, particularly in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Timing of menopause affects postmenopausal health risks. The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-related genes (PPARD, PPARG, and PPARGC1A) and environmental factors with timing of natural menopause among the general Japanese population. Study design: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1758 women aged 40–69 years who were enrolled in the baseline surveys of the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study. Main outcome measures: Associations of timing of natural menopause with its probable covariates and with target gene variants were evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Lower body mass index and later age at menarche were significantly associated with earlier natural menopause. Women with minor alleles at T-48444C in PPARD showed a significantly higher adjusted hazard ratio of 1.57 (95% confidence interval: 1.18–2.10) for earlier natural menopause. In contrast, women with minor alleles at Thr394Thr in PPARGC1A showed a significantly lower adjusted hazard ratio of 0.86 (0.76–0.97) for earlier natural menopause. These associations did not substantially alter when re-analyzed after excluding the subjects who self-reported a history of diabetes or the subjects whose age was more than 65 years. Conclusions: Gene variants in PPARD and PPARGC1A might be associated with timing of natural menopause, probably through direct actions on the ovaries, among the general Japanese population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]