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Biomedical subjects

Z Yamagata

Publications and source records attributed to Z Yamagata.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The impact of multiple role occupancy on health-related behaviours in Japan: differences by gender and age.

OBJECTIVES: We examined gender and age differences in the impact of multiple role occupancy on health-related behaviours and health status among working age Japanese adults. METHODS: We analysed the individually linked, nationally representative data of 5693 respondents aged 20-59, who completed the Comprehensive Survey of the Living Conditions of People on Health and Welfare and the National Nutrition Survey, conducted by the Japanese government in 1995. RESULTS: Younger women benefited from multiple roles (less smoking), while younger men demonstrated more high-risk behaviours (more smoking, heavier drinking). By contrast, middle-aged men benefited from multiple roles (less smoking, fewer health problems), while middle-aged women reported lower health maintenance behaviours (less exercise, fewer health check-ups). CONCLUSIONS: Japanese society appears to be undergoing a transition in gender roles, as reflected by age and gender differences in the impact of multiple roles on health and health-related behaviours. Middle-aged males benefit from multiple roles (being the primary bread-winner and being married), while middle-aged women do not. This pattern seems to break down for younger Japanese men and women.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Musculoskeletal disorders among hospital nurses in rural Japan.

INTRODUCTION: Although musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) represent a significant occupational problem for hospital nurses, few investigations target nurses in rural facilities. This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of MSD among nurses within an affiliated hospital conglomerate of rural Japan. METHODS: A self-reporting survey was used as diagnostic tool; the reliability, validity and cost-effectiveness of this method has been established. RESULTS: An initial group of 329 nurses was recruited from three affiliated, rural locations in Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan; 247 usable replies were obtained (final response rate: 75.1%). The 12-month period-prevalence of self-reported MSD at any body site was 91.9% (95% CI 87.8-94.7). Low back pain (LBP) was the most commonly reported MSD with a prevalence of 82.6% (95% CI 77.4-86.8). Next most reported were shoulder (61.1%, 95% CI 54.9-67.0), neck (36.8%, 95% CI 31.1-43.0), upper back (29.1%, 95% CI 23.8-35.1), knee (23.5%, 95% CI 18.6-29.1) and upper leg MSD (19.4%, 95% CI 15.0-24.8). MSD of the wrist (14.2%, 95% CI 10.4-19.1), upper arm (13.0%, 95% CI 9.3 -17.7) and lower arm (11.7% 95% CI 8.3-16.4) were less common. Logistic regression indicated that nurses who were regularly involved in the manual handling of patients had an increased LBP risk of 16.7 (OR 16.7, 95% CI 1.3-412.7, p = 0.0340) when compared with nurses who were not involved in manual handling of patients. CONCLUSION: Overall, our study indicated that MSD is common among rural Japanese nurses and its prevalence is consistent between related facilities. The excessive amount of LBP, however, suggests that Japanese nurses are at higher risk of this condition compared with their foreign counterparts.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

A sequence change (Arg158Gln) in the leucine zipper-like motif region of the MYOC/TIGR protein.

The myocilin/trabecular meshwork-inducible glucocorticoid response (MYOC/TIGR) gene was identified as a gene that caused open angle glaucoma (OAG). Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and subsequent sequence analysis were performed for the MYOC/TIGR gene in 120 unrelated Japanese OAG patients with increased intraocular pressure (IOP), 116 unrelated OAG patients without increased IOP, and 106 unrelated control subjects without glaucoma. An Arg158Gln sequence change in the leucine zipper-like motif (LZM) region in the myosin-homology domain was found in 2 OAG patients with or without increased IOP, and in a 56-year-old control subject without glaucoma. This is the first report of missense sequence change in the LZM region of the MYOC/TIGR protein in subjects showing various phenotypes, including a control subject. These findings suggest that Arg158Gln in the LZM region is probably a rare nondisease-causing polymorphism, despite its important role in this region, because it was found in a control subject, although Arg158Gln was previously reported as a probable disease-causing mutation.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of myocilin gene mutations in Japanese patients with normal tension glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma.

The myocilin gene was identified as a gene (MYOC) that caused primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Although a normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patient with the myocilin gene mutation was previously reported, no study using large numbers of patients with NTG has been reported. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and subsequent sequence analysis were performed for genotyping the myocilin gene in 114 unrelated Japanese patients with NTG. One hundred and nineteen patients with POAG and 100 control subjects without glaucoma were studied as reference subjects. Five amino acid sequence changes of the myocilin were identified: Arg46Stop (one NTG), Arg76Lys (four NTG, 10 POAG, seven control), Arg158Gln (one NTG, one POAG, one control) found in only Japanese, Asp208Glu (four NTG, three POAG, one control), Pro481Ser (one control). Pro481Ser was novel. Arg76Lys always occurred with 1-83 from G to A in the promoter as it was reported in Chinese. Although some Japanese patients with NTG had sequence changes of the myocilin gene, there were no apparent specific mutations in patients with NTG.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Structural quantification of bone from radiographs using power spectral analysis].

Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone structure are very important indices for prevention of fracture. However, it is very difficult to quantify bone structure, and only a few indices for structural quantification of bone have been reported. The purpose of this research was to investigate a new index for bone structure. The subjects were 52 women aged from 20 to 85 years. Directivity index (DI) is a new index of bone structure calculated by directivity of power spectrum from radiographs of metacarpal bone using fast Fourier transform (FFT). DI was obtained by subtracting the integral power value at 0 and 90 degree directions on the x-y plane of the two-dimensional power spectrum of bone from the integral power value at a direction of 45 degrees. A significant relationship between BMD and DI was indicated by correlation coefficient. However, no significant relationship between BMD and the first moment of the Fourier power spectrum or the fractal dimension was found. There is a possibility that DI estimates a slight deformation of bone structure. In the future, we will apply DI to the prevention of fractures and osteoarthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[A study of the relation between providing healthcare information and behavior changes of people in Japan. Parental behavior changes after receiving information about the sudden infant death syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: Considering the lack of evidence concerning the relationship between providing healthcare information and behavior of people in Japan, we utilized a questionnaire to survey the parents of infants to evaluate behavior change after receiving information about the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). METHODS: A questionnaire about SIDS information was administered in 234 municipalities in Niigata, Gifu, Shizuoka, and Hiroshima Prefectures and in Yokohama City in November and December of 1999 to 14,879 parents who visited for the 18-month health examination of their children. The questionnaire did not ask for the participants' names. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the connection between behavior change and SIDS information sources. RESULTS: 10,900 parents returned the questionnaire to give a 73.3% response rate, 19.0% of these receiving information about SIDS risk factors from hospitals or clinics, 3.7% from public health centers, and 9.2% from their friends. More received information from the mass media such as TV programs, which provided the main source for 71.1% of the parents. The degree of behavior change was evaluated after adjustment for variables concerning a variety of information sources and other appropriate factors such as the age and sex of parents and the number of their children. We found that receiving information from hospitals or clinics significantly influences behavior changes for all kinds of risk factors. Information from public health centers, baby-care groups, and friends influenced behavior changes relevant to the risk factors for feeding methods, sleeping position, and parents' smoking. There was no relation between receiving information from the mass media and behavior change of parents. CONCLUSIONS: The mass media provide far more information than do medical facilities, public health centers, baby-care groups and personal contacts but the latter played much more effective roles in making parents change their baby care behavior. These results point to an obvious discrepancy between efficiency in providing information and the degree of behavior change elicited. We should thus take the source of information and the target population into consideration when we examine the best way to provide healthcare information for people in the future.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Associations between retrospectively recalled napping behavior and later development of Alzheimer's disease: association with APOE genotypes.

To evaluate putative risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conducted a case-control study with exposure assessment performed after disease onset. In this study, we evaluated the effect of recalled habitual napping according to its duration and examined whether APOE genotype modifies the effect. The subjects were 337 patients (144 men, 193 women, age at onset and the time of study (years): 69+/-10, 73+/-9) with a diagnosis of probable AD based on the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Two hundred and sixty spouses of the subjects (94 men, 166 women, age at the time of study: 69+/-9) served as controls. We asked retrospectively about habitual (3 or more days per week) napping and its duration observed between 5 and 10 years before the onset of AD for cases, and between 5 and 10 years before the time of the study for controls. The analysis revealed that limited napping for up to 60 min had an apparently protective effect against the development of AD, especially for carriers of the APOEepsilon 4 allele. By contrast, napping for more than 60 min increased the risk of AD morbidity among the carriers of the allele. Habitual napping may modulate or disturb the physiological functions of sleep and circadian time-keeping according to its duration, and this might be associated with some mechanism that leads to the development of AD.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Statistical analysis of factors affecting the outcome of patients with ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms.

The clinical factors affecting the outcome of patients with ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery (ACA) aneurysms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. The medical records were reviewed of 52 patients (57 aneurysms) with ruptured distal ACA aneurysms operated on by the same neurosurgeon over 25 years. The standard policy was early surgery for patients in Hunt and Kosnik grades I to IV. Age, sex, Hunt and Kosnik grade, timing of operation, size of aneurysms, number of aneurysms, association of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), intraventricular haemorrhage, and azygos ACA, use of temporary clipping, occurrence of premature rupture, and presence of psychiatric change were investigated. Univariant analysis disclosed that clinical grade (P = 0.0006), size of aneurysm (P = 0.005), and size of ICH (P = 0.012) affected the outcome of patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that Hunt and Kosnik grade (P = 0.010) and timing of operation (P = 0.033) affected the outcome. There was no significant relationship between long-term outcome and clinical factors, although a close relationship was found with Hunt and Kosnik grade (P = 0.071). Clinical grade and timing of the operation affected the outcome of patients with ruptured distal ACA aneurysms. Patients harboring ICH of over 3 cm diameter in poor grades should also be carefully treated.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Sex differences in subjective well-being and related factors in elderly people in the community aged 75 and over].

Sex differences in factors related to subjective well-being were evaluated in people in their late old age by interviewing individuals aged 75 years and over living in 2 regions of Enzan City, Yamanashi Prefecture. The 17-item revised "Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale" was used for evaluation of subjective well-being. Factors related to family status, employment, health related factors, activities of daily living, and results of physical examinations were each classified into two or more categories, and PGC Morale Scale points were compared among the categories for all subjects and separately for males and females using the Mann-Whitney test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. 1) Although the mean age of males (80.0 +/- 4.4 years) and females (80.4 +/- 4.3 years) was no significantly difference, PGC Morale Scale points were significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.05), indicating a sex difference in subjective well-being. 2) In elderly females, subjective well-being was related to many factors, and there was a particularly strong relationship between subjective well-being and both health related factors and activities of daily living. 3) In elderly males, the factors related to subjective well-being were fewer than in females, consisting only of "social opportunities", "hobbies", and "grip strength". Since factors related to subjective well-being differ between the sexes, these differences must be taken into account when evaluating subjective QOL of the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Distribution of genotypes of alcohol dehydrogenase 2 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in Japanese twin children].

OBJECTIVE: In order to prevent alcohol related deseases, this study investigated the distribution of the genes controlling alcohol metabolism in Japan's twin. METHODS: Restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) technique was used to measure the control gene of alcohol metabolized enzymes and the genotypes of alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), which were distributed in Japan's twins. At the same time, according to the difference in genotypes, the sensitive individuals were screened from the study subjects. RESULTS: The distribution of ADH2 and ALDH2 genes were consistent with the Hardy-weinberg equation. The three genotypes of ADH2 gene were ADH2(1)/ADH2(1) (1.1%), ADH2(1)/ADH2(2) (44.6%) and ADH2(2)/ADH2(2) (54.3%). And those of ALDH2 gene were ALDH2(1)/ALDH2(1) (41.3%), ALDH2(1)/ALDH2(2) (39.1%) and ALDH2(2)/ALDH2(2) (19.6%). The frequency of ADH2 and ALDH2 genes was 0.255, 0.745 and 0.609, 0.391 respectively. CONCLUSION: Not only the distribution of genotypes of ADH2 and ALDH2 is known, but also the sensitive individuals are found, which can help prevent alcohol related disease.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1997

Influence of pepsinogen gene polymorphisms on serum pepsinogen.

We identified pepsinogen C (PGC) gene polymorphisms by means of PCR, which amplified DNA in the region within the intron between exons 7 and 8, and by 6% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Six alleles were found in a Japanese population. The frequencies of these alleles in 408 unrelated Japanese individuals were 0.074, 0.026, 0.335, 0.237, 0.016 and 0.314, respectively. The serum pepsinogen II level significantly decreased in the order of the allele 6 homozygote, the allele 6 heterozygote and the other genotypes (chi 2 = 7.850, D.F. = 2, p = 0.020). These findings indicated that the genetic background of serum pepsinogen should be considered when screening for stomach cancer by this procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Prevalence of dementia and distribution of ApoE alleles in Japanese centenarians: an almost-complete survey in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and types of dementia in centenarians and to examine whether the ApoE epsilon 4 allele has significant impact on the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study and a 6-month prospective study. SETTING: Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-seven centenarians participated in the study to determine the prevalence and types of dementia. Thirty-three of the 47 participated in the study of ApoE genotyping. As controls, 224 demented older adults participated in the genetic study. Their age at onset was < 90 years. OUTCOMES: Prevalence of dementia based on DSM-III-R; types of dementia based on NINCDS-ADRDA and ICD-10; distribution on ApoE alleles in the centenarians and in the controls; and the 6-month mortality rate of the subjects. MAIN RESULTS: Of 47 centenarians, 70.2% had dementia, and AD accounted for the majority (75.8%) of the dementia cases. The distribution of ApoE alleles in all the subjects and the AD subjects was epsilon 2: 4.6% vs. 0%; epsilon 3: 90.1% vs. 94.1%; epsilon 4: 4.6% vs. 5.9%. The frequency of the epsilon 4 allele in the AD patients showed a tendency to decrease with increasing age, ranging from 38% for those with an age at onset of < 60 years to 22% for those with an age at onset of ranging from 80 to 89 years. The 6-month mortality rate was 27% (9/33) for the demented centenarians, whereas none of the 14 nondemented centenarians died. CONCLUSION: This almost-complete survey, conducted in a prefecture of Japan, revealed a high prevalence of dementia in centenarians. The ApoE epsilon 4 allele does not have an impact on the development of AD in centenarians.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1996

[Association of cytochrome P-450 1A1 (CYP1A1) gene polymorphism to smoking status and hematologic findings].

Measures to control smoking are important in the field of preventive medicine. In order to clarify differences in susceptibility in individuals to lung cancer of genotypes of CYP1A1, which are considered to be related to lung carcinogenesis were evaluated in 391 healthy males to study relationship to smoking status and hematological findings. No correlation was observed between genotypes of CYP1A1 and smoking status. White blood cell counts in smokers with a Val allele were significantly higher than in those without a Val allele. Multiple regression analysis showed that the genotype of CYP1A1 and daily cigarette consumption had significant relationship with white blood cell count in smokers. However, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, or MCHC were not significantly associated with genotype of CYP1A1. There have been no previous reports on the relationship between the genotype of CYP1A1 and hematological findings. In consideration of the epidemiologic findings that many individuals with increased white blood cell counts have cancer or cardiac diseases, and reports that the increase in the white blood count was associated with poor respiratory function, white blood cell count may be candidate to for being a risk marker and thus contribute to prevention of these diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Effects of pepsinogen C gene polymorphisms on serum pepsinogen I and serum pepsinogen II levels].

Recently pepsinogens have been considered to be effective markers of terminal differentiation of stomach mucosa, and also good markers of preneoplastic and neoplastic changes of the stomach mucosa. Not a few studies concerning polymorphisms of pepsinogen A and C genes have been reported, however, as far as the authors are aware, no study was performed as to the relation between polymorphisms and serum pepsinogen I and II levels. Polymorphisms of the pepsinogen C (PGC) gene were identified by PCR, which amplifies DNA in the region within the intron between exon 7 and exon 8, and 6% polyacrylamide gel (no urea) electrophoresis. Six alleles were observed in the Japanese population. Frequencies for these alleles in 221 unrelated Japanese individuals were 0.077, 0.036, 0.328, 0.240, 0.009 and 0.310, respectively. The association between the PGC genotype and serum pepsinogen was investigated. A higher serum pepsinogen II level was observed in individuals homozygous for allele 6 than in those with other genotypes. This result indicates that careful attention should be paid to the genetic background of serum pepsinogen in screening of stomach cancer by this method.

Adult↗