Search

Background: We recently reported that Japanese had higher liver fat at a lower level of BMI compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW)., Objective: We hypothesize that ethnic difference in fat storage capacity contributes to this ethnic difference in liver fat., Design: To examine this, we assessed liver fat among 244 Japanese-American aged 40-49, using regional computed-tomography images, along with metabolic variables., Results: Despite the similar BMI between Japanese-Americans and NHW men, Japanese-Americans had more liver fat (liver to spleen attenuation ratio: 1.03 ± 0.22 for Japanese-Americans, and 1.07 ± 0.15 for NHW men; p < 0.05) and tended to have a greater disposition for fatty liver with an increase in BMI than NHW, indicating a clear difference between the two groups. In addition, liver fat is less in Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese men (1.03 ± 0.22 vs. 1.01 ± 0.16; p < 0.05), despite of a much higher BMI. These ethnic differences support the hypothesis that higher fat storage capacity indeed seems to be associated with less liver fat. In all the groups, liver fat content strongly correlated with triglycerides, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Nevertheless, these metabolic variables were worse in Japanese-Americans, despite of less liver fat, compared with Japanese. Moreover, CRP levels were least among Japanese with highest liver fat, and highest among NHW men with least liver fat, despite of a strong positive association between CRP and fatty liver within each population., Conclusions: Fat content in the liver is intermediate for Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese and NHW men, which supports the hypothesis of less fat storage capacity among Japanese, closely linked to ethnic difference in predisposition to fatty liver., (© 2011 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background/objectives: Numerous studies reported beneficial effects of marine n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors. However, the association of marine n-3 FAs with plasma fibrinogen, a risk factor for CVD, remains uncertain., Subjects/methods: In a population-based, cross-sectional study of 795 men aged 40-49 without CVD (262 whites in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, 302 Japanese in Kusatsu, Japan and 229 Japanese Americans in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA), we examined the association of marine n-3 FAs with plasma fibrinogen. Serum FAs were measured by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. Marine n-3 FAs were defined as the sum of docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids. Plasma fibrinogen was measured by an automated clot-rate assay. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association., Results: White, Japanese and Japanese-American men had mean marine n-3 FAs levels of 3.47%, 8.78% and 4.46%, respectively. Japanese men had a significant inverse association of marine n-3 FAs with fibrinogen (standardized regression coefficient of -0.11, P=0.049), after adjusting for age, body-mass index and current smoking. The significant inverse association remained after further adjusting for diabetes, C-reactive protein, triglycerides and other variables. White or Japanese-American men did not show a significant association., Conclusions: We observed the significant inverse association of marine n-3 FAs with fibrinogen in Japanese, but not in whites or Japanese Americans. The observation suggests that marine n-3 FAs at very high levels, as seen in the Japanese, may decrease plasma fibrinogen levels.

Epidemiological studies suggested that n-6 fatty acids, especially linoleic acid (LA), have beneficial effects on CHD, whereas some in vitro studies have suggested that n-6 fatty acids, specifically arachidonic acid (AA), may have harmful effects. We examined the association of serum n-6 fatty acids with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). A population-based cross-sectional study recruited 926 randomly selected men aged 40-49 years without CVD during 2002-2006 (310 Caucasian, 313 Japanese and 303 Japanese-American men). Plasma PAI-1 was analysed in free form, both active and latent. Serum fatty acids were measured with gas-capillary liquid chromatography. To examine the association between total n-6 fatty acids (including LA and AA) and PAI-1, multivariate regression models were used. After adjusting for confounders, total n-6 fatty acids, LA and AA, were inversely and significantly associated with PAI-1 levels. These associations were consistent across three populations. Among 915 middle-aged men, serum n-6 fatty acids had significant inverse associations with PAI-1.

Purpose: We sought to identify factors related to total mortality in older Japanese men in Japan and Hawaii., Methods: Baseline data were collected from 1980 to 1982 in 1379 men in Hawaii and 954 men in Japan. Ages ranged from 61 to 81 years, with mortality follow-up during a 19-year period., Results: Compared with Japan, men in Hawaii had a 2-fold excess of diabetes and a 4-fold excess of prevalent coronary heart disease (P < .001). Total cholesterol and body mass index were also greater in Hawaiian men (P < .001). In contrast, men in Japan had greater systolic blood pressure and were nearly 3 times more likely to smoke cigarettes (P < .001). Although each cohort had elements of a poor risk factor profile, there was a 1.4-fold excess in the risk of death in Japan (49.4 vs. 36.2/1,000 person-years, P < .001). Although mortality was similar after risk factor adjustment, only blood pressure and cigarette smoking accounted for the higher risk of death in Japan., Conclusions: Cigarette smoking and hypertension explain much of the excess mortality in Japan versus Hawaii. In this comparison of genetically similar cohorts, evidence further suggests that Japanese in Japan are equally susceptible to develop the same adverse risk factor conditions that exist in Hawaii.

Background: In initial analyses, we found significant differences between serum adiponectin in Japanese living in Japan and Hawaii., Objective: We investigated whether differences in dietary and other lifestyle factors explain higher serum adiponectin concentrations in Japanese in Japan compared with Japanese emigrants living a Western lifestyle in Hawaii., Design: Serum adiponectin and nutrient intakes were examined by standardized methods in men and women aged 40-59 y from 2 population samples, one Japanese American in Hawaii (99 men, 104 women), the other Japanese in central Japan (124 men, 125 women). Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the role of dietary and other lifestyle traits in accounting for serum adiponectin difference between Hawaii and Japan., Results: Mean adiponectin was significantly higher in Japan than in Hawaii (10.5 +/- 5.5 mug/mL compared with 6.7 +/- 3.2 mug/mL in men, P = 0.002; 12.9 +/- 5.9 mug/mL compared with 9.4 +/- 4.2 in women, P < 0.0001). In men, the difference in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) in the 2 populations explained approximately 90% of the difference in serum adiponectin; in women, only 29%. In multiple linear regression analyses in women further adjustment for physical activity and 4 nutrients (nonvegetable protein, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid, dietary cholesterol) produced a further reduction in the coefficient for the difference (total 56%); P value for the difference became 0.074., Conclusions: The significantly higher mean serum adiponectin concentration in Japan than in Hawaii may be attributable largely to differences in BMI. Differences in nutrient intake in the 2 samples were associated with only modest relation to the adiponectin difference.