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This study was designed to evaluate the possible association between an exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response to exercise and subclinical vascular impairment in normotensive individuals.The study participants consisted of 92 untreated normotensive men (aged 42 ± 9 years) without a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke. A graded exercise test was conducted using a bicycle ergometer, and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) during submaximal exercise was evaluated. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured as an index of arterial stiffness. The second peak of radial systolic BP (SBP2) was used as an estimate of central BP. The albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) values were determined as the mean of two nonconsecutive spot urine specimens.Compared with individuals with a normal response (MAP z-score+1.0,These results suggest that subclinical vascular impairment is associated with an exaggerated increase in BP during exercise even in the absence of clinical hypertension.

This study examined the association between job-related behavioral characteristics and the risk of coronary heart diseases (CHD) in Japanese male police officers. Compared to office clerks, police officers exhibited greater age-related increases of the prevalence of CHD risk factors, and a clustering number of CHD risk factors was significantly higher in the group of those over 45 yr of age. Among the police officers, coronary-prone behavior was more frequent than that seen in office clerks. The police officers with coronary-prone behavior tended to engage in shift work and to work overtime more; yet they were less likely to perceive job stress and to express the relevant physical and psychological symptoms than those without coronary-prone behavior. The subjects with such behavioral characteristics had a significantly greater number of CHD risk factors. In a multiple regression analysis, coronary-prone behavior together with age, social support, walking hours per day, and amount of alcohol consumption were selected as significant determinants of a cluster of CHD risk factors. These results suggest that coronary-prone behavior may contribute to the higher prevalence of CHD risk factors in police officers via leading the long working hours and the work-related unfavorable lifestyles, such as alcohol drinking and physical inactivity.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) may influence vascular reactivity and might cause an excessive increase in blood pressure (BP) during dynamic exercise. We examined this hypothesis in 698 normotensive men (mean age: 43 years) free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and renal disease. The response of BP to exercise was assessed by the mean arterial pressure (MAP) during bicycle ergometry. The MAP values were expressed as z-scores normalized to the relative increases in heart rate. High-normal BP, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia were diagnosed according to the Japan-specific MS criteria. The z-score of MAP was significantly higher in subjects with high-normal BP (+0.57, P

OBJECTIVES Compared to other public employees, police officers have higher absence rates due to heart diseases, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the most frequent causes of death in their occupational life. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the risk factors for IHD among police officers and to examine its association with working conditions and lifestyles. METHODS First, 58 male police officers who developed IHD from 1996 to 2011 and 116 age- and rank-matched controls who were free from cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases were compared with respect to the prevalence of traditional risk factors five years before the onset of IHD. Then, the prevalence of IHD risk factors, and the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) by age group, working condition and lifestyle were investigated in a cross-sectional survey of data of 1,539 male police officers and 153 male office workers in a prefectural police force. RESULTS In the case control study, the IHD cases had significantly higher prevalences of hypertension (p

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the morphologic classification of nailfold capillary microscopy and the clinical and demographic findings in workers exposed to hand-arm vibration. The subjects were 44 male forestry workers (average age; 51.9 ± 14.8 yr). The nailfold capillaries (NC) and the mean blood flow velocity were measured on the middle finger of the dominant side by a peripheral capillary observer. The analyses were made using 39 subjects after excluding five subjects who received medication for hypertension. The observed NC were classified into 5 types according to Kusumoto's classification: Type I, n=5; Type II, n=15; Type III, n=8; Type IV, n=5; and Type V, n=6. After excluding the subjects in the Type V, we divided the subjects into two groups: Type I/II group, n=20; and Type III/IV group, n=13. In the Type III/IV group, the operating year of handheld vibrating tools was relatively longer, the mean blood flow velocity was significantly slower, and the body mass index was relatively higher as compared to the Type I/II group. These results suggested that the nailfold capillary microscopy may reflect the effect of the vibration exposure.