Relation of Aging and Daily Life Habits with the Result of Health Examination in Middle-Aged Residents in Rural Area of Japan

The influences of physical and behavioral characteristics on the results of health examinations were examined in 761 males and females (aged 41, 46, 51, 56, 61 and 66 years) in a rural town of Hida district, Gif u Prefecture, Japan. In both sexes, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and blood sugar and lactate dehydrogenase levels increased with age. Serum triglyceride and blood hemoglobin levels decreased with age in males, whereas hemoglobin, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, y-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and uric acid levels increased with age in females. The influence of daily life habits on the results of health examinations was examined by stepwise regression analysis. Body mass index, intake of sugar, frequency of drinking alcohol, daily amount of alcohol intake, and the duration of cigarette smoking were related with the results of health examinations. Levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and y-glutamyl transpeptidase in males were higher than those of the National Nutrition Survey; we thought these were due to higher proportions of subjects with hard activity and heavy alcohol consumers in this district. In females, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels showed a strong association with age. Based on these characteristics, it may be possible to estimate the corresponding physical ages. From these results, we conclude that some results of health examinations such as blood pressure, mean cell volume and y-glutamyl transpeptidase levels could be used as appropriate indices of daily life habits.