Since 1995, Matsukawa Town in Nagano Prefecture has started regular visits by health workers to the homes of persons with hyperglycemia found in annual health examinations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the visits by health workers. Of those persons with hyperglycemia found in 1994 or 1995 who had undergone health examinations every year from 1992 through 1997, 30 persons were visited by health workers and 35 were not. In 1997, laboratory findings showed that blood sugar levels returned to nomal in a significant 90% of those persons visited by health workers compared with 69% of those who were not. Positive rates in urine sugar test among those visited decreased from 20% to 10%. Additionally, those receiving the home care service tended to lose weight, while those not visited were likely to gain weight. These findings suggested that visits by health workers for health care of persons with hyperglycemia were effective in leading them to maintain a healthy daily life. Such home health care measures for persons with hyperglycemia are important for the prevention of diabetes in a community.

Objective To evaluate the autonomic nervous response of Vibration-induced white finger(VWF) patients to cold provocation test by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability(HRV).Methods The cold provocation test was conducted in 22 VWF patients and 19 healthy volunteers.ECG was recorded during the experiment,and converted to R-R interval signals after the experiment.The normalized LF[(0.02～0.15) Hz]component power,normalized HF[(0.15～0.40) Hz] component power and the ratio of LF to HF power(LF/HF ratio) were calculated.Results At the beginning of cold exposure,there were a significant decrease of HF% in both groups,and a significant increase of LF/HF ratio in VWF group as compared with pre-exposure value.The LF/HF ratio in VWF group during cold exposure was significantly higher than that in the control group.Conclusion Cold stimuli induced depression of parasympathetic nervous system in both groups,and the sympatho-vagal balance was maintained in the control group,but in VWF group it became sympathetic dominance during cold exposure.The sympathetic nervous system of VWF patients may be hyperreactive to cold stimuli.

To identify life−related factors causing increased mortality, 2, 769 rural residents aged 29−77 were investigated through a self−administered questionnaire in 1990. Death certificates and migration information were inspected during the 4.5−year follow−up period. Age, obesity, life attitude, job, marital status, drinking and smoking habits, previous or current illness, and frequency of participation in health examinations were checked during the baseline survey. The person−year mortality rate was higher among irregular participants in health examinations than among regular participants both among males and females. From Cox’s multiple regression analysis, factors with a significantly high hazard ratio (HR) for mortality were irregular participation (HR=2.05), increase of age (HR=1.54, for 10 years), previous or current illness (HR=2.44), unemployment (HR=1.95), and living without a spouse (HR=2.61) for males; and for females they were having previous or current illness (HR=15.21) and living without a spouse (HR=2.94). Thus, irregular participation in health examinations, unemployment and aging showed a relationship with a higher mortality only in males. A previous or current illness and living without a spouse were related in both sexes.
participation ; Health ; Illness, NOS ; livin ; g <3>

OBJECTIVEYoung women being underweight is a public health problem in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate this problem by measuring lymphocyte count as an indicator of nutritional status.

METHODSThe subjects were 114 women aged 20-39 who participated in an annual health checkup for residents in a city in Aichi, Japan. Data from a questionnaire, physical examination, and blood tests were analyzed in relation to women who were severely underweight [body mass index (BMI) /= 25 kg/m(2)).

RESULTSLymphocyte count tended to be lower with a decrease in BMI. The prevalence of low lymphocyte count of <1,500/mm(3) increased in underweight women. In women who had restricted food intake for weight loss, leukocyte count, and total serum protein, and lymphocyte count were lower. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the association of low lymphocyte count to being severely underweight [odds ratio (OR): 1.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-3.56] and to restricted food intake for weight loss (OR: 3.73; 95% CI: 0.91-15.30).

CONCLUSIONThis study suggests that being severely underweight and on restricted food intake for weight loss in adult women can be risk factors for low lymphocyte count, an indicator of malnutrition. It is important for young women to maintain BMI >17.5 kg/m(2) and not to restrict food intake when of normal weight or underweight in order to prevent malnutrition.