Relationship between Obesity of Male Workers and their Health Examination Values with Special References to Coronary Risk Factors

Abstract

Using the measurements of periodical health examinations conducted in 1995 by Tokyo Health Service Association of Preventive Medicine for 94, 721 male workers aged 18 or higher in 488 private enterprises and public organization in Tokyo, the occurrences of findings for hyperlipidemia. Hypertension and glucose intolerance were related with body mass index (BMI) and other health examination values. The major results wer as follows: 1) The occurrence of obesity in the subjects (BMI ≥ 26.4, obesity > 20%) was 12.3% and that of obesity and obesity proneness (BMI ≥ 24.2) pooled increased to 33.2%, with higher rates among those of forties to fifties compared to other age groups. 2) The subjects of obesity and obesity proneness showed high values in many examination items, especially SBP, DBP, GOT, y-GTP, TC, HDL (low-value proneness), and FPG. 3) The occurrence of hyperlipidemia in the whole subjects was 10.9%, that for hypertension 0.1% and that for glucose intolerance 1.9%. These rates increased from the subjects belonging to lower to higher BMI divisions, in addition to an increase in odds ratio. This pattern was notable in younger age groups than others. 4) Of the subjects with hyperlipidemia, hypertenstion and glucose intolerance, those with hypertension had the highest odds ratio; of complication cases with two of the three conditions, those with hyperlipidemia and hypertension showed the highest odds ratio. 5) Complication cases of these three were not prevalent, but their frequency was high in moderate-to-high obesity groups, with the highest age-adjusted odds ratio of 10.93. An increased proneness of obesity among male workers has been found in many health examinations, which had a close relationship with the occurrences of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and glucose intolerance. This situation enhanced motivation and stimulation of improvements of health control activities to contribute to establishment of a useful guideline for lowering coronary risks.