Komono Town is a well-known spa and health resort in Mie Prefecture. Komono Town has been seeking ways to promote the activities of hot spring area and health resources in surrounding areas. As part of these efforts, Komono Town has developed town-walk programs to promote the health of local residents. In this study, focusing on effect of walking on relaxation, we compared levels of stress hormones and emotional scores obtained before and after walking.

  After giving their informed consent, adult participated in two walking programs, each for a distance of approximately 7 km. Salivary cortisol levels were measured before and after intervention. In addition, the Mood Check List-Short form. 2 (MCL-S.2) and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were used to rate emotions before and after intervention.

  In both programs, walking tended to lower levels of salivary cortisol than resting. Low levels of cortisol, an adrenocortical hormone released during a state of predominantly sympathetic nervous activity, are thought to reflect mental relaxation; our result implies that the walking program enhanced relaxation in subjects. In addition, both MCL-S.2 and VAS rating showed that the subjects tended to feel better, more relaxed and less anxious after intervention.

  These findings suggest that the walking programs are beneficial human body thorough, for example, enhanced relaxation.

Purpose: Twenty five years have passed since the first national survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japan. The Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted a nationwide survey on the actual status of sexual function targeting men over 20 years old in Japan using validated questionnaires commonly used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years participated in our online epidemiological study on sexual dysfunction. Erectile status was assessed by direct questioning and specific questionnaires. Risk factors and frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were assessed. The prevalence of these risk factors was compared between men with and without ED. Prevalence and frequencies were calculated for each 5-year age group. Main outcomes were the prevalence and number of patients with ED and simultaneous evaluation of age-related variations. Results: Direct questioning of the men revealed that 13.0% felt troubled by ED. Although 81.0% of them had at least some ED symptoms based on a Sexual Health Inventory For Men score of ≤21, the prevalence of men with ED by Erection Hardness Score (EHS), the most appropriate questionnaire for Japanese with low sexual activity, was 30.9%, indicating that 14,012,596 men have ED. Most risk factors were related with ED, whereas frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were affected by aging. However, the low frequency of these factors in the young generation was surprising. Conclusions The EHS-based assessment revealed a prevalence of ED of 30.9%, which affected approximately 14 million men, and that the sexual desire, erection stiffness, orgasms, and satisfaction were lower than expected in young Japanese men, especially those aged 20 to 24 years, although those factors tended to worsen with aging. We believe that these findings actually reveal the current sexual status of men in Japan.

Purpose: Twenty five years have passed since the first national survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japan. The Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted a nationwide survey on the actual status of sexual function targeting men over 20 years old in Japan using validated questionnaires commonly used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years participated in our online epidemiological study on sexual dysfunction. Erectile status was assessed by direct questioning and specific questionnaires. Risk factors and frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were assessed. The prevalence of these risk factors was compared between men with and without ED. Prevalence and frequencies were calculated for each 5-year age group. Main outcomes were the prevalence and number of patients with ED and simultaneous evaluation of age-related variations. Results: Direct questioning of the men revealed that 13.0% felt troubled by ED. Although 81.0% of them had at least some ED symptoms based on a Sexual Health Inventory For Men score of ≤21, the prevalence of men with ED by Erection Hardness Score (EHS), the most appropriate questionnaire for Japanese with low sexual activity, was 30.9%, indicating that 14,012,596 men have ED. Most risk factors were related with ED, whereas frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were affected by aging. However, the low frequency of these factors in the young generation was surprising. Conclusions The EHS-based assessment revealed a prevalence of ED of 30.9%, which affected approximately 14 million men, and that the sexual desire, erection stiffness, orgasms, and satisfaction were lower than expected in young Japanese men, especially those aged 20 to 24 years, although those factors tended to worsen with aging. We believe that these findings actually reveal the current sexual status of men in Japan.

Purpose: Twenty five years have passed since the first national survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japan. The Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted a nationwide survey on the actual status of sexual function targeting men over 20 years old in Japan using validated questionnaires commonly used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years participated in our online epidemiological study on sexual dysfunction. Erectile status was assessed by direct questioning and specific questionnaires. Risk factors and frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were assessed. The prevalence of these risk factors was compared between men with and without ED. Prevalence and frequencies were calculated for each 5-year age group. Main outcomes were the prevalence and number of patients with ED and simultaneous evaluation of age-related variations. Results: Direct questioning of the men revealed that 13.0% felt troubled by ED. Although 81.0% of them had at least some ED symptoms based on a Sexual Health Inventory For Men score of ≤21, the prevalence of men with ED by Erection Hardness Score (EHS), the most appropriate questionnaire for Japanese with low sexual activity, was 30.9%, indicating that 14,012,596 men have ED. Most risk factors were related with ED, whereas frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were affected by aging. However, the low frequency of these factors in the young generation was surprising. Conclusions The EHS-based assessment revealed a prevalence of ED of 30.9%, which affected approximately 14 million men, and that the sexual desire, erection stiffness, orgasms, and satisfaction were lower than expected in young Japanese men, especially those aged 20 to 24 years, although those factors tended to worsen with aging. We believe that these findings actually reveal the current sexual status of men in Japan.

Purpose: Twenty five years have passed since the first national survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japan. The Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted a nationwide survey on the actual status of sexual function targeting men over 20 years old in Japan using validated questionnaires commonly used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years participated in our online epidemiological study on sexual dysfunction. Erectile status was assessed by direct questioning and specific questionnaires. Risk factors and frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were assessed. The prevalence of these risk factors was compared between men with and without ED. Prevalence and frequencies were calculated for each 5-year age group. Main outcomes were the prevalence and number of patients with ED and simultaneous evaluation of age-related variations. Results: Direct questioning of the men revealed that 13.0% felt troubled by ED. Although 81.0% of them had at least some ED symptoms based on a Sexual Health Inventory For Men score of ≤21, the prevalence of men with ED by Erection Hardness Score (EHS), the most appropriate questionnaire for Japanese with low sexual activity, was 30.9%, indicating that 14,012,596 men have ED. Most risk factors were related with ED, whereas frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were affected by aging. However, the low frequency of these factors in the young generation was surprising. Conclusions The EHS-based assessment revealed a prevalence of ED of 30.9%, which affected approximately 14 million men, and that the sexual desire, erection stiffness, orgasms, and satisfaction were lower than expected in young Japanese men, especially those aged 20 to 24 years, although those factors tended to worsen with aging. We believe that these findings actually reveal the current sexual status of men in Japan.

Purpose: Twenty five years have passed since the first national survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Japan. The Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine conducted a nationwide survey on the actual status of sexual function targeting men over 20 years old in Japan using validated questionnaires commonly used in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: Japanese men aged 20 to 79 years participated in our online epidemiological study on sexual dysfunction. Erectile status was assessed by direct questioning and specific questionnaires. Risk factors and frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were assessed. The prevalence of these risk factors was compared between men with and without ED. Prevalence and frequencies were calculated for each 5-year age group. Main outcomes were the prevalence and number of patients with ED and simultaneous evaluation of age-related variations. Results: Direct questioning of the men revealed that 13.0% felt troubled by ED. Although 81.0% of them had at least some ED symptoms based on a Sexual Health Inventory For Men score of ≤21, the prevalence of men with ED by Erection Hardness Score (EHS), the most appropriate questionnaire for Japanese with low sexual activity, was 30.9%, indicating that 14,012,596 men have ED. Most risk factors were related with ED, whereas frequencies of sexual intercourse, masturbation, nocturnal erections, and feeling sexual desire were affected by aging. However, the low frequency of these factors in the young generation was surprising. Conclusions The EHS-based assessment revealed a prevalence of ED of 30.9%, which affected approximately 14 million men, and that the sexual desire, erection stiffness, orgasms, and satisfaction were lower than expected in young Japanese men, especially those aged 20 to 24 years, although those factors tended to worsen with aging. We believe that these findings actually reveal the current sexual status of men in Japan.

  A person regulates body temperature by outside and inside heat from change of environmental temperature. One of the inside heats includes drinking water. However, the effect of drinking water temperature on body temperature is not clear. The purpose of this study was to examine how water temperature influences the change in body temperature. The study participant were 13 men (average age, 21.3 ± 0.8 years), and they drank water at 3°C, room temperature, and 60°C; in addition, one more task was not to drink water. We measured tympanic temperature using a thermometer, skin blood flow using a laser Doppler flow meter, and sweating rate using the capsule ventilation method. The mean skin temperature was measured at seven body points with a thermistor and calculated. Tympanic temperature of drinking water at 3°C and 60°C was significantly in comparison with other conditions. As for skin blood flow between water temperature at 60°C and 3°C, sweating rate between water temperature at 60°Cand other conditions, and mean skin temperature between water temperature at 3°C and other conditions significant differences were recognized. It is thought that the response to early change to drinking water at different temperatures is by responses of thermo-receptors and subsequently by the thermal energy of the drinking water.

  Background: Aging affects thermoregulation and can potentially cause cardiovascular changes during bathing in the elderly, possibly leading to accidents and, in worst cases, drowning. However, adequate data on this subject are lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on thermoregulatory and cardiovascular changes during bathing in the older versus younger adults the relationship between body temperature and thermoregulatory and cardiovascular changes.   　Methods: Ten young (mean age: 20.4 years) and 10 elderly (mean age: 69.7 years) participants were asked to bathe for 15 min using water at 41°C. Tympanic temperature (Tty), skin blood flow (SkBF), sweating rate (SR), blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and double product (DP) were measured. In addition, we measured subjective psychological changes during bathing. Results: The results showed significant changes in SkBF, SR, and HR in the young participants rather than in the elderly participants. However, in the elderly participants, significant change was noted in systolic blood pressure (SBP).   　Conclusion: These results demonstrate changes in thermal adaptation and SBP owing to structural and functional progression due to aging.

  Background: This study aimed to clarify the effects of bathing on cardiovascular and psychological responses during winter and summer, focusing on three different time points (immediately after entering the bathtub, during bathing, and immediately after leaving the bathtub).   Methods: Ten young (29.6 ± 1.5 years) individuals were asked to bathe for 20 min with 40℃ hot water in summer and with 42℃ hot water in winter. The room temperature and humidity in winter were 20.1℃ and 56.7%, while those in summer were 27.0℃ and 58.3%, respectively. Tympanic temperature (Tty) was measured using a thermistor thermometer; systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) and heart rate (HR) were measured using an auto-sphygmomanometer, and double product (DP) was calculated using the value of HR multiplied by SBP value. Subjective thermal and comfortable sensations were evaluated using a seven-point rating scale.   Results: Results showed a significant increases in SBP values in both seasons immediately after bathing. In winter, DP increased significantly after bathing. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in all parameters immediately after bathing between winter and summer. On the contraly, significant differences were observed in Tty, HR, and DP value between winter and summer during bathing. HR and DP values in winter were significantly lower than those in summer immediately after leaving the bathtub. A relationship between thermal sensation and comfortable sensation was observed in both seasons, but the strength of the relationship was more relevant in summer than in winter.   Conclusion: The effects of bathing in 42℃ hot water on the cardiovascular system in winter are greater than those in 40℃ hot water in summer. The high temperature of the bath water may not produce as much discomfort during winter than that during summer, therefore bathing time may be longer.

  Background: Aging affects thermoregulation and can potentially cause cardiovascular changes during bathing in the elderly, possibly leading to accidents and, in worst cases, drowning. However, adequate data on this subject are lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on thermoregulatory and cardiovascular changes during bathing in the older versus younger adults the relationship between body temperature and thermoregulatory and cardiovascular changes.   Methods: Ten young (mean age: 20.4 years) and 10 elderly (mean age: 69.7 years) participants were asked to bathe for 15 min using water at 41°C. Tympanic temperature (Tty), skin blood flow (SkBF), sweating rate (SR), blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and double product (DP) were measured. In addition, we measured subjective psychological changes during bathing. Results: The results showed significant changes in SkBF, SR, and HR in the young participants rather than in the elderly participants. However, in the elderly participants, significant change was noted in systolic blood pressure (SBP).   Conclusion: These results demonstrate changes in thermal adaptation and SBP owing to structural and functional progression due to aging.