Objectives: The first objective of this study was to classify men aged 40-74 yrs with metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to daily rice intake, and the second was to investigate physical measurements, physiological examinations, blood biochemical assays, intake of food other than rice and lifestyle and environmental factors in the study group.
Methods: We analyzed data from 6095 men aged 40-74 yrs who had undergone full medical examinations. The men were classified into 3 age groups: (1) 40-49 yrs, (2) 50-59 yrs, and (3) 60-74 yrs. The men were classified further into 3 groups according to daily rice intake: group 1 (≤300 g), group 2 (300-450 g), and group 3 (≥450 g). The relationship between daily rice intake and the following factors was analyzed in the three age brackets: (1) physical measurements including waist circumference, (2) physiological measurements, (3) serum biochemical indices, (4) whether or not the person was taking medication for hypertension, diabetes mellitus or serum lipid abnormalities, (5) lifestyle, and (6) consumption of foods other than rice.
Results: Daily rice intake was related strongly to the occurrence of MetS in all three age brackets. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed (1) a significant increase in the odds ratio for MetS (1.461 times) for group 3 compared with group 1 in men aged 40-49 yrs and (2) a significant increase in the odds ratio for MetS (1.501 times) for group 3 compared with group 1 in men aged 50-59 yrs. However, there was no significant difference in the odds ratio for MetS among rice intake groups in the 60-74 age bracket.
Conclusion: In men aged 40-59 yrs, daily rice intake strongly influenced the incidence of MetS, whereas in men aged 60-74 yrs, there was no relationship between daily rice intake and MetS.

[Background]Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) represents a chronic pain disorder localized in the abdomen and the symptoms largely are unrelated to food intake and defecation, which differ from other painful functional gastrointestinal disorders.
We report a case of FAPS whose symptom was successfully improved by acupuncture.
[Case Report]A 75-year-old female had been hospitalized at Meiji University of Integrative Medicine Hospital because of left lower abdominal pain from which she had repeatedly suffered for more than 2 years. Despite strict medication, her symptom had not been improved. After admission to the hospital, according to recommendation by her physician, acupuncture treatment was started. The patient received TCM-based acupuncture treatments five times a week over 13weeks. Primary acupuncture points used for the patient were LV3(Taichong), SP6 (Sanyinjiao), ST36 (Zusanli) and PC6 (Neiguan). Evaluation of the left lower abdominal pain was carried out with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was used to evaluate QOL related to the digestive symptoms. VAS for the left lower abdominal pain showed a remarkable decrease immediately after the initial acupuncture session. The symptom disappeared within 4 weeks after commencement of the treatment and never appeared during her hospitalization. GSRS was also improved and it was maintained during hospitalization.
[Conclusion]We suggested that acupuncture treatment might be one of the useful, non-pharmacological alternatives for symptoms of FAPS.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate regional differences in the standard mortality ratio (SMR) and risk factors (including dietary habits) for stroke across the three regions of Ehime Prefecture - Toyo (east), Chuyo (central), and Nanyo (south).
Participants and methods: We obtained medical records derived from 956,979 medical examinations carried out at JA Ehime Kouseiren Medical Examination Centers between April 1994 and March 2006. We analyzed data from 132,090 subjects (Toyo - 47,654, Chuyo - 38,435, Nanyo - 46,001) who underwent their first medical examination during this period. To analyze differences between the three regions, we first calculated the SMR for stroke based on data from the Basic Residential Registers and Health Statistics Bureau. Secondly, we calculated significant differences in body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), blood glucose (Glu), and total cholesterol (T-CHO). Thirdly, we used the Chi-square test to calculate significant differences in the percentage of subjects who consumed the following foods on a daily basis: rice, bread, eggs, fish, meat, vegetables, dairy products, and fruit juice.
Results: Despite the fact that regional differences in the SMR for stroke have been decreasing, in both men and women in Nanyo, the mean values for SBP and DBP were significantly higher and the mean value for T-CHO was significantly lower than in Toyo and Chuyo. In Nanyo, the percentage of subjects who consumed rice and fish (men and women), meat (men), and juice (women) on a daily basis was higher than in Toyo and Chuyo.
Conclusion: In Nanyo, higher SMR for stroke may be related to high SBP and DBP and low T-CHO. As background to these results, it is also thought that regional differences in dietary habits may have an influence.

Objective: Despite the fact that the total energy intake of Japanese peoplehas decreased, the percentage of obese people has increased. This suggests that the timingof meals is related to obesity. The purpose of the study was to investigate therelationship between the timing of meals and obesity, based on analyses of physicalmeasurements, serum biochemical markers, nutrient intake, and lifestyle factors in thecontext of Chrononutrition.
Participants and Methods: We analyzed data derived from 766 residents ofToon City (286 males and 480 females) aged 30 to 79 years who underwent detailed medicalexaminations between 2011 and 2013. These medical examinations included. (1) physicalmeasurements (waist circumference, blood pressure, etc.); (2) serum biochemical markers(total cholesterol, etc.); (3) a detailed questionnaire concerning lifestyle factors suchas family structure and daily habits (22 issues), exercise and eating habits (28 issues),alcohol intake and smoking habits; (4) a food frequency questionnaire based on food groups(FFQg); and (5) a questionnaire concerning the times at which meals and snacks areconsumed.
Results: The values for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference werehigher for participants who ate dinner less than three hours before bedtime (<3-hgroup) than those who ate more than three hours before bedtime (>3-h group). TheChi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in eating habits, e.g.,eating snacks, eating snacks at night, having dinner after 8 p.m., and having dinner after9 p.m., between the <3-h group and the >3-h group. Multiple linear regressionanalysis showed that skipping breakfast significantly influenced both waist circumference(β = 5.271) and BMI (β = 1.440) and that eating dinner <3-h before going to bed onlyinfluenced BMI (β = 0.581).
Conclusion: Skipping breakfast had a greater influence on both waistcircumference and BMI than eating dinner <3-h before going to bed.

Objectives: Despite the fact that the total energy intake of Japanese people has decreased, the percentage of obese people has increased.This suggests that the timing of meals is related to obesity.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the timing of meals and obesity, based on analyses of physical measurements, serum biochemical markers, nutrient intake, and lifestyle factors in the context of Chrononutrition.
Participants and Methods: We analyzed data derived from 766 residents of Toon City (286 males and 480 females) aged 30 to 79 years who underwent detailed medical examinations between 2011 and 2013. These medical examinations included. (1) physical measurements (waist circumference, blood pressure, etc.); (2) serum biochemical markers (total cholesterol, etc.); (3) a detailed questionnaire concerning lifestyle factors such as family structure and daily habits (22 issues), exercise and eating habits (28 issues), alcohol intake and smoking habits; (4) a food frequency questionnaire based on food groups (FFQg);and (5) a questionnaire concerning the times at which meals and snacks are consumed.
Results: The values for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were higher for participants who ate dinner less than three hours before bedtime (<3-h group) than those who ate more than three hours before bedtime (>3-h group). The Chi-square test showed that there was a significant difference in eating habits, e.g., eating snacks, eating snacks at night, having dinner after 8 p.m., and having dinner after 9 p.m., between the <3-h group and the >3-h group.
Multiple linear regression analysis showed that skipping breakfast significantly influenced both waist circumference (β = 5.271) and BMI (β = 1.440) and that eating dinner <3-h before going to bed only influenced BMI (β = 0.581).
Conclusion: Skipping breakfast had a greater influence on both waist circumference and BMI than eating dinner <3-h before going to bed.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort imaging study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate lumbar sagittal alignment and range of motion (ROM) using radiographs in a large asymptomatic cohort and identify sex-based differences and age-related changes in the subjects. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Several researchers have tried to establish normal alignment and kinematic behavior of the lumbar spine, using plain radiographs. Few studies have employed a large and sex-and age-balanced cohort. METHODS: Total 627 healthy volunteers (at least 50 males and 50 females in each age decade, from the 3rd to the 8th decade) underwent whole spine radiography in the standing position; lumbar spine radiography was performed for all subjects in the recumbent position. Lumbar lordosis (LL, T12–S1) and ROM during flexion and extension were measured using a computer digitizer. RESULTS: The mean LL was 36.8°±13.2° in the recumbent position and 49.8°±11.2° in the standing position. The LL was greater in the standing position than in the recumbent position; further, LL was higher in females as compared to that in males. Local lordosis at each disk level increased incrementally with distal progression through the lumbar spine in both the positions. Local lordosis at L4–S1 was 29.8°±8.0° in the recumbent position and 34.2°±8.3° in the standing position and occupied 85.1% and 70.8% of the total LL, respectively. However, local lordosis in the standing position decreased with age at L2–3, L3–4, and L4–5 levels. Total lumbar ROM (T12–S1) decreased with age. The ROM in females was higher than that in males. CONCLUSIONS: We established the standard value and age-related changes in the lumbar alignment and ROM in each age decade in asymptomatic subjects. These data will be useful and provide the normal values for comparison in clinical practice to identify sex-based differences and age-related changes.
Animals ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Lordosis ; Male ; Posture ; Prospective Studies ; Radiography ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Reference Values ; Spine

We investigated the efficacy of choreitogoshimotsuto for radiation hemorrhagic cystitis. Of the 11 patients who could be followed up, hematuria disappeared in 8 cases. The median time to disappearance of gross hematuria was 74 days. There was no recurrence. Of the 3 ineffective patients, one had urinary diversion, and two had transurethral electrocoagulation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. There were no adverse events associated with the use of choreitogoshimotsuto. Choreitogoshimotsuto might be effective for radiation hemorrhagic cystitis.

Objective：The English version of the Characterizing Freezing of Gait questionnaire (C-FOGQ) that is used to assess detailed information of freezing of gait was developed by Ehgoetz Martens et al. This study aims to develop the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ using guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and to conduct the pretesting study.Methods：The C-FOGQ was translated with permission into Japanese according to the following guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation：(1) translation (English to Japanese), (2) back-translation (Japanese to English), and (3) pretesting. Thirty-nine patients with parkinsonism-related disorders participated in the pretesting study.Results：There was no significant linguistic problem in the process of translation and back-translation. In pretesting, the average response time of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 526.8 seconds. The error/no-response rate was less than 1%. The average score for section II of the Japanese version of the C-FOGQ was 20.0 points.Conclusion：A linguistically-validated Japanese version of the FOGQ was developed according to the guidelines of cross-cultural adaptation. It seems to be possible to use this questionnaire for detailed evaluation of gait freezing in Japan as well as in the West.

Objective：The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) total score and sub-score.Methods：This study included 23 SCD patients；we considered those with a SARA gait score of＜3 points. Our program included a one-hour training session with individualized instructions and a one-hour self-balance training session. Additionally, occupational or speech-language-hearing therapy was performed for one hour daily. Our program was conducted five days weekly for four weeks. We assessed the SARA total score and sub-score findings immediately, before the first and after the last interventions.Results：The SARA total, gait, stance, and heel-shin scores showed more significant improvement after intervention than before intervention (p＜0.05). The other SARA sub-scores were not significantly different between “before and after” interventions.Conclusion：The four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration improved the SARA total score and ataxia of the trunk and lower limbs.

Objective：The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) total score and sub-score.Methods：This study included 23 SCD patients；we considered those with a SARA gait score of＜3 points. Our program included a one-hour training session with individualized instructions and a one-hour self-balance training session. Additionally, occupational or speech-language-hearing therapy was performed for one hour daily. Our program was conducted five days weekly for four weeks. We assessed the SARA total score and sub-score findings immediately, before the first and after the last interventions.Results：The SARA total, gait, stance, and heel-shin scores showed more significant improvement after intervention than before intervention (p＜0.05). The other SARA sub-scores were not significantly different between “before and after” interventions.Conclusion：The four-week short-term intensive rehabilitation on ataxia in patients with ambulatory spinocerebellar degeneration improved the SARA total score and ataxia of the trunk and lower limbs.