Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in elderly and middle-aged Japanese

AbstractBackground/PurposeDiagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are beneficial for successful aging. In spite of several criteria for MetS, there is little information on cardiometabolic risk clustering in elderly Japanese. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to determine the relationship between age-associated changes in obesity and metabolic components in the Japanese.MethodsWe analyzed data from the nationwide survey conducted in 2000. Using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and Japanese diagnostic criteria for MetS, we analyzed 2366 people aged from 40 to 79 years (men, 1425 and women, 941) from the total participants.ResultsThe prevalence of MetS was almost three fold higher by modified ATP III, International Diabetes Federation, and Japanese criteria, in elderly women than in middle-aged women, whereas no difference was found between middle-aged and elderly men by the three criteria. A marked increase in the prevalence of MetS was found by modified ATP III and International Diabetes Federation criteria compared with that by the Japanese criteria in women. Among the risk factors, the prevalence of central obesity and dyslipidemia increased only in women and that of high fasting glucose and high blood pressure increased in both genders with aging. Among the MetS subjects who fulfilled the modified ATP III criteria, more clustering of risk was observed in elderly than in middle-aged subjects, especially in women. Blood pressure increased and triglyceride decreased in both genders, and non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol decreased in elderly men. The prevalence of dyslipidemia decreased in elderly men.ConclusionAging is an important factor that affects the metabolic abnormality, and aging of the population would lead to increase in the prevalence of MetS. Therefore, the development of better approaches to the prevention and management of MetS is necessary for successful aging in our society

A Clinical Trial Evaluating the Usefulness of Tailored Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Using Rectal-culture Screening Media Prior to Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this report is to introduce an on-going, multicenter, randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether tailored antimicrobial prophylaxis guided by rectal culture screening prevents acute bacterial prostatitis following transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB). Patients will be randomized into an intervention or non-intervention group; tazobactam-piperacillin or levofloxacin will be prophylactically administered according to the results of rectal culture prior to TRPB in the intervention group whereas levofloxacin will be routinely given in the non-intervention group. The primary endpoint is the occurrence rate of acute bacterial prostatitis after TRPB. Recruitment begins in April, 2021 and the target total sample size is 5,100 participants

Fibroblast growth factor-2 induces the activation of Src through Fes, which regulates focal adhesion disassembly.

Cell migration is regulated by focal adhesion (FA) turnover. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) induces FA disassembly in the murine brain capillary endothelial cell line IBE, leading to FGF-2-directed chemotaxis. We previously showed that activation of Src and Fes by FGF-2 was involved in chemotaxis of IBE cells. In this study, we examined the interplay between Src and Fes. FGF-2 treatment decreased the number of FA in IBE cells, but not in cells expressing dominant-negative Fes (denoted KE5-15 cells). FGF-2 induced the activation of Src and subsequent binding to and phosphorylation of Cas in IBE cells, but not in KE5-15 cells. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation and tyrosine phosphorylation by Src were also delayed in KE5-15 cells compared to parental cells. FGF-2 induced activation of Src within FA in IBE cells, but not in KE5-15 cells. Downregulation of Fes or FAK using small interfering RNA diminished Src activation by FGF-2 within FA. These findings suggest that activation of Fes by FGF-2 enhances FAK-dependent activation of Src within FA, promoting FGF-2-induced disassembly of focal adhesions

An Evaluation of Japanese Leading Indicators

This paper evaluates the performances of Japanese leading indicators in predicting business cycle turning points. We extract the business cycle component in leading indicators using the frequency selective filter proposed by Baxter and King (1999), and we try to clarify empirically whether or not the leading composite index and its component series truly lead the business cycle turning point dates officially determined by the Japanese government. We argue that if we utilize the evaluated properties of the component series, we may construct a composite leading indicator which has some desirable properties as requested. As an illustration we provide one such example.Business cycle turning points, Leading indicators, Baxter-King filter