It is commonly known that autonomic modulations are caused by depression, fatal arrhythmia, and vascular disease. This may lead to be an urgent need of a reliable physiological technology to evaluate autonomic modulations. The specific purpose of the current study is to examine the possibility of whether the Acceleration Plethysmography (APG) system can become a new useful tool to measure autonomic modulations. We verified the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis by APG whether it can be used as same as by the ECG. The HRV is interpreted from the a-a interval (Taa) on APG waves. We assembled the simultaneous measurement system of APG and ECG, examined the identities of the R-R interval (TRR) of ECG and the Taa of APG in six subjects of 22-60 old, and then compared variables in frequency domains of HRV by both APG and ECG. The results showed a close correspondence of the Taa and the TRR. Furthermore, when the regression formula was set as Taa=C^*TRR, the coefficient of regression (C) was 1.0002, 1.0001, 0.9997, 1.0000, 0.9999, 1.0001 respectively; whereas for each subject, the coefficient of determination was 0.9901, 0.9892, 0.9968, 0.9740, 0.9676, 0.9677 respectively (p<0.01) . As for the difference between APG and ECG, the coefficient of variation of HRV was merely 0.1-0.2%, and the LF/HF ratio as 0.1-0.4. If we carefully interpret the results of the frequency analysis, the APG system can be a useful objective methodology to evaluate autonomic modulations. Because of its simplicity in usage, it is expected to be employed in the occupational health or primary care.

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Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid (UA) and various factors of the metabolic syndrome based on insulin resistance in Japanese females working abroad.
Design and Setting and Participants 695 Japanese adult females working abroad were divided to age-matched three groups according to serum UA; 284 subjects in the low levels group: [L-group] (UA<4.0 mg/dl), 302 subjects in the middle levels group: [M-group] (4.0 mg/dl≤UA<5.0 mg/dl) and 109 subjects in the high levels group: [H-group] (UA≥5.0 mg/ dl), respectively.
Main Outcome Measures and Results The levels of systolic blood pressure (S-BP), diastolic (D-) BP, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin (FIRI) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in the [H] were significantly higher than those in the [L] and the [M]; HOMA-IR: 1.27 ([L]: p<0.001), 1.39 ([M]: p<0.001), 1.54 ([H]), respectively. Furthermore, the levels of pancreas-β function (HOMA- β) and plasma total cholesterol (T-cholesterol), triglyceride (TG), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (γ-GPT) in the [L] were significantly lower than those in the other groups. Serum UA levels were a significantly positive correlation with HOMA-IR, T-chol, TG, S-BP, D-BP, ALT, AST, ALT, γ-GPT, FPG, FIRI, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), weekly physical activity and weekly consumption of alcohol values in all subjects.
Conclusion Serum UA was important precursor for the insulin resistance in adult females working abroad.

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Objectives The aim of this study was to obtain ideas regarding which workers should be encouraged to develop good dietary habits using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire.
Design A cross-sectional study.
Setting and Participants The questionnaires responses of 389 male workers in a manufacturing company were analyzed. We sought to identify factors [e.g. age, sex, living alone, type of occupation (field worker or office worker), history of lifestyle-related diseases, overtime working hours and commuting time] affecting dietary lifestyles. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with their breakfast habits (eating breakfast daily), leisurely dietary lifestyle (taking more than 30 minutes on at least one meal per day), regular dietary lifestyle (having meals at the same time every day), and vegetable consumption (eating vegetables with every meal) . We also performed multiple regression analysis to identify factors affecting the length of time between finishing dinner and bedtime.
Results The logistic regression analysis showed that both age and living alone were significantly associated with eating breakfast. Age was also significantly associated with regular dietary habits, and living alone was significantly associated with both leisurely dietary lifestyles and vegetable consumption. Occupation type was significantly associated with vegetable consumption. Multiple regression analysis showed that those who worked more overtime hours and workers with longer commuting times had shorter lengths of time between finishing dinner and bedtime.
Conclusions We suggest lifestyle counseling, designed to promote good dietary habits, for young workers, those living alone, field workers, those who work a lot of overtime, and workers with longer commuting times.

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Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of lifestyle and IFG, and to create a chart to facilitate the evaluation of IFG development rates based on an open-cohort analysis. The significance of the factors which could affect IFG were discussed using the chart.
Research Design and Methods This work was a prospective open-cohort study conducted from 1999 through 2004 involving 15, 986 corporate employees receiving annual physical examinations, 9, 175 men and 6, 811 women, in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. The Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed separately on each gender. The prediction chart of IFG development rates was created for the factors which showed a significant difference using the Framingham 10-year CHD risk prediction method.
Results The length of involvement per subject was 3.12 years. Of the group, 829 of them, 543 men and 286 women, were diagnosed as having IFG. Through the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, the following factors were found to be significant; BMI, blood pressure, ALT (GPT), total cholesterol, alcohol consumption, breakfast consumption, and physical exercise.
Conclusions With 0 points in all categories, the IFG development rate over 5 years was 11.30% in men and 10.27% in women. With the highest points in all categories, the IFG development rate over 5 years was 80.09% in men and 98.10% in women. In this way, each risk factor related to IFG development could be represented clearly. The chart enables the facilitation of the calculation of the IFG development rate, which helps to instruct those who need to improve their lifestyles.
Abbreviations IFG, impaired fasting glucose; CHD, coronary heart disease; BMI, body mass index; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; GPT, glutamic pyruvic transaminase; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test

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Objectives To investigate the effectiveness of lifestyle improvement for metabolic syndrome and stratification for specific health guidance to replace the Total Health Promotion Plan (THP) with Specific health checkup standard.
Design A case-control study.
Setting and Participants Subjects consisted of 1, 062 males and 547 females who consulted our institute for THP and were followed for one year.
Measurement and Results Logistic models that independently incorporated age, gender, and each modification including exercise, dietary, smoking and drinking habits as variables were selected. None of the modifications was able to improve subjects with metabolic syndrome and the borderline. However, implementing both exercise and dietary modifications simultaneously were approximately 3.7-fold more effective (95%CI 1.07-13.0) .
Conclusions We consider that health guidance for both exercise and dietary modifications is required to improve metabolic syndrome.

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