Abstract
For 5 years, we have performed follow-up checkups to improve lifestyle-related diseases. During this period,11,249 patients (3,645 outpatients,7,604 patients undergoing round checkups) underwent follow-up checkups. In particurar, the number of round fellow-up checkups has markedly increased. This is because the opportunity for“intervention” by medical professionals, including public health nurses, has been increased to change behaviors for a better lifestyle, and because a system of health-supporting activities in work places has been established. Follow-up checkups provided the chance to review behavioral changes in individuals undergoing these checkups, and promoted the health enlightenment in offices, contributing to improvement in consciousness toward health.
We compared the results of follow-up checkups in 2001 with the body mass index (BMI). Among the parameters for the follow-up checkup, liver function and glycometabolism readily responded to body weight changes. When these two parameters were compared with the BMI, the effects of the follow-up checkups on improvement in lifestyle were more marked than those of general medical checkups; therefore, maintaining the BMI within the reference range may be extremely important for improving lifestyle-related diseases.
